Saudi Cinema and Family Feud: Hold Them Oscars and Theaters
"“King of Rotana: ’The cinema is coming for certain.....”
“The Custodian of the Holy Mosques issues his orders based on recommendations made by the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, His Royal Highness Prince Nayef Bin Abul Aziz, emphasizing that there will be no cinema theaters and no cinema industry……”"
King of Rotana is a nickname they have given to Prince al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz who is the owner of Rotana an Arab entertainment conglomerate that is largely owned by his KHC (Kingdom Holdings Company). He is of Citigroup, and the admiring CNBC chicks, fame. The extremely fundamentalist site is clearly mocking him and hinting at a possible desire to be a future monarch.
He, al-Waleed, represents the ‘liberal wing” of the Saudi royal family: liberals in an entertainment and perhaps social sense, by no means in a political sense. He also stands to gain some from allowing cinemas.
These "liberals" seemed to be getting somewhere for a short while. Until King Abdullah pulled the plug by promoting the uber-conservative Prince Nayef to effective second man and most likely the next king.
BTW: where the hell is Prince Bandar Bin Sultan?< br>
Come to think of it: where is his father Crown Prince Sultan? Why is he spending so much time between medical care in the United States and convalescing in Morocco? His recent photos show him to be alive and well- (I wonder if these guys know how to use Photoshop).
(I also wonder if the ‘public option’ of the Obama health care plan would help these royal princes).
Cheers
mhg
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