EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Inside Saudi Arabia with Hollie McKay
Part Six in Hollie's video diary series
The last time I visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was in the scorching summer of 2018; it was merely a stopping point between assignments in war-ravaged Yemen. Back then, it was a laborious back-and-forth-to-the-consulate to obtain a visa. The state-owned airline separated ladies and gents, and we all embarked on a joint prayer from the Quran pre-flight. My local contacts insisted I cover my head and blend in with the other women in a black abaya. In addition, I had to dine in the “family” section at restaurants, given that men and women could not intermix. My arrival in the capital Riyadh coincided with the week women were allowed to drive for the first time in the staunchly conservative 91-year-old Kingdom.
When I told friends I was returning as part of a Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) delegation this winter, I was met with arched eyebrows and pursed lips that seemed to silently squeal, “why?” Nevertheless, I knew this time I would return to a very different country – yet I could not have prepared myself for just how different. Let’s take a look.
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