Same actions by Saudi Arabia and China draw different reactions


Posted on September 27, 2017  /  1 Comments

There was a big kerfuffle about China banning Whatsapp. But when Saudi Arabia did the “beheading” in 2013, much less outrage. Oh well. It helps when you have driven expectation down to the negative range.

But anyway, they seem to have figured that there’s a downside in not having these services.

Services such as Skype, Snapchat and WhatsApp have been banned in the Kingdom since 2013, but with oil prices plummeting, the country needs to find other revenue streams.

Internet services are expected to be a core pillar of this strategy, with the country’s Communications and Information Technology Commission saying “digital transformation is one of the key kick-starters for the Saudi economy, as it will incentivise the growth of internet-based businesses, especially in the media and entertainment industries.”

The Commission added: “Access to VoIP (voice over internet protocol) will reduce operational costs and spur digital entrepreneurship – that’s why it is such an important step in the Kingdom’s internet regulation.”

In China, they have their own social media and thousands on Internet police. Why doesn’t Saudi Arabia think of inviting the Chinese in?

1 Comment


  1. are the double standards applied by the West and pro-West analysts isnew phenomenon? From the cold war era to date it is a common practice. Pro-West juntas ans other human right violators of Africa, Latin America, Middle East or any where else double standards have been applied. Of course Saudi’s have been hugely benefited from this Western Hypocrisy and double standards.