The Middle Eastern city is a mystical landscape that encapsulates the imagination, but how does the way we see or imagine the city influence the way in which cities are organized or even inhabited? Do they treat everyone equally or do gender and race play a unique role in how a city develops? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayCities and countries in the Middle East tend to be among the most segregated for women, foreign workers, and in Kuwait for Arabs and Bedouins, but is equality achievable in countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which tend to be oppressive towards women or foreign workers. For a country like Saudi Arabia, deeply rooted in gender segregation, there have been signs of improving gender equality, but this is largely due to external pressures from the international community. How does the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia compare to the treatment of Arab and Kuwaiti workers in Ahmadi and how does this shape the modern Middle Eastern city? I would argue that gender and race play a big role in how a city is shaped. in the Middle East and that although equality seems to be improving, it is still not that good for women or even for foreign workers in countries like Saudi Arabia or Kuwait. One of the readings we focused on was Renard's reading “A Society of Youth” which dealt with young women and how they fit into Saudi society. The author followed them to their workplace, women's college at the mall and discussed how they were changing Saudi cities for the well-being of women. These women never declared themselves activists, but simply women trying to live their lives. Even with advances in gender rights, a debate continues between Islamists and liberals over whether or not these new rights harm Saudi society. Islamists view these new rights as extremely Westernized and could have a negative effect on Saudi society. liberals see them as a step toward the future. Before the current reforms, what were the constraints imposed on women in Saudi society? Women were not allowed to drive a car or even ride a bicycle. Saudi women were also not allowed to go out alone or even less so go to a shopping center alone as they had to be accompanied at all times by a male guardian. Saudi women were also required to remain covered if they went out, because in Saudi culture, women should not be seen by other men who are not part of their immediate family without being covered. I also believe that in the past, Saudi women were also prevented from holding jobs and participating in shaping their government because they did not have the ability to vote or even hold office. Perhaps the greatest constraint placed on women was the ability to drive, as it restricted their mobility within the city. Not being able to drive in a city like Riyadh can have a detrimental effect on a person's ability to maintain or even obtain employment and conduct their daily life. Getting everywhere on foot can be a tedious task, especially if someone is not in great physical shape. In Renard's article, he explains that in 1990, just after the first Gulf War, 47 women tookdriving in Riyadh, but they were arrested and some were even detained, if I remember correctly, some are even still today. In 2011, several women started the Women2Drive campaign, but it was quickly rejected by the police and it aimed to give women the right to drive, but the tide began to change. In 2015, women gained the right to vote and even run for office and in June 2018, women gained the right to drive. He is expected to oppose it, but the prince-king gave a televised speech in which he said it had to happen for the good of his kingdom due to threats from the international community. But just because they have certain rights and can now go out on their own, are they able to explore the whole city, do they have access to certain areas? Women are also still restricted in some parts of the city. Parks are segregated and, according to Renard's article, women are even segregated on a women's floor in Riyadh's shopping malls. This is where I would say that the women of Saudi Arabia are fighting the same fight as the Arab workers of Kuwait. In the article The Oil City of Ahmadi since 1946, he examines and uses the city of Ahmadi in Kuwait in a case study of the political and social changes that took place during the modernization of Ahmadi. Ahmadi town was racially segregated into several sections, the first section was for senior staff who were mainly British, the second section was for junior staff who were mainly Pakistani and Indian, then the Arab village which housed Kuwaitis, Arabs and Bedouins. This was the worst of all and reflected the company's policy of ethnic segregation by the planning of British planner Wilson. Even the hierarchy within hospitals was segregated, so you couldn't receive the same quality of healthcare as senior staff, which has a huge impact on the quality of life a city can offer. Senior doctors treated senior staff only in the hospital, they would never treat junior staff and junior doctors would not treat senior staff patients. Arab and Bedouin workers were cared for by junior staff, but they were also the last to be cared for. This clearly shows how serious social and ethnic inequalities are among Ahmadis and remain confined to certain areas. The Arabs had the Arab village and they were strictly confined to that area and I think that was motivated purely by racism. There were newspapers that highlighted some of these injustices, it was Al-Ittihad, but the news agencies most critical of the racial segregation of Ahmadis were Al-Sha'ab and Al-Fajr and they only denounced how bad the living conditions were for the Arab and Kuwaiti populations. Al-Fajr denounced the treatment and housing built by the KOC and described them as deplorable and poor, while Pakistanis and Indians received preferential treatment. The accommodations they lived in were essentially huts and they did not have amenities such as running water, electricity or toilets. The animals also drank the same drinking water as humans and the water was also polluted, making it technically undrinkable. Eventually, the Arabs were able to leave these horrible conditions and settle in the northern part of the city where the Pakistanis and Indians (junior staff) lived largely due to pressure from the various newspapers that owned the KOC. responsible. THE.