IntroductionSaudi Arabia experiences elevated levels of body-shape dissatisfaction which might be related to the increased thin ideal. Studies on body-shape dissatisfaction are scarce, mainly... Show moreIntroductionSaudi Arabia experiences elevated levels of body-shape dissatisfaction which might be related to the increased thin ideal. Studies on body-shape dissatisfaction are scarce, mainly because adapted assessment tools are unavailable. This study describes the Saudi-Arabic adaptation of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ34), preliminary examines the psychometric properties and provides normative data. MethodsThe BSQ34 was administered in a convenience community sample (N = 867) between April 2017 and May 2018. Receiver-operating-characteristic curve analysis was used to establish discriminant validity, in a subsample (N = 602) in which the Eating Disorder Examination-Shape concern, was administered, the factor structure investigated with confirmatory-factor analyses and T-scores and percentile scores were determined. ResultsThe BSQ34 discriminated well between low and high levels of body-shape dissatisfaction (area-under-the-curve value = 0.93), had high internal consistency and a unidimensional factor structure, and 23.9% appeared at risk for body-shape dissatisfaction. Analyses were repeated for the shortened BSQ8C, which yielded similar results. DiscussionThe results indicated that the BSQ34 and BSQ8C appeared suitable measurement tools to screen for body-shape dissatisfaction in a Saudi convenience community sample, mainly comprised young, unmarried, and highly educated women. The BSQ34 supplies more information on the type of concerns respondents have, which is worthwhile when the measure is used in a clinical setting; the BSQ8C is recommended as a short screener. As body-shape dissatisfaction is viewed as a risk factor for the development of eating disorder symptoms, screening for body-shape dissatisfaction with reliable tools is important to detect individuals at risk for eating disorder symptoms and may suggest subsequent preventive steps. Show less
Melisse, B.; Blankers, M.; Beurs, E. de; Furth, E.F. van 2022
Background: Saudi Arabia is undergoing rapid sociocultural changes, which may have led to an increase of body mass index and eating disorder pathology. The aim of this study is to investigate... Show moreBackground: Saudi Arabia is undergoing rapid sociocultural changes, which may have led to an increase of body mass index and eating disorder pathology. The aim of this study is to investigate whether body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, having lived abroad, cultural orientation, perceived stress, media use, and socioeconomic status are correlates of eating disorder pathology with body mass index as a covariate. Additional aims are to investigate if cultural orientation is associated with symptomatology and if stress is a covariate in the association between eating disorder pathology and Western orientation. Method: Self-report measures were administered in a convenience Saudi community sample (N = 1225) between April 2017 and May 2018. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses with eating disorder pathology as dependent variable were performed to establish the associations among the variables. Results: After adjusting for the effect of BMI, only body dissatisfaction and eating disorder pathology were moderately associated. Eating disorder pathology and body dissatisfaction were more severe among Saudi citizens with a higher BMI. Discussion: Several explanations for the lack of associations of westernization, self-esteem, and stress with eating disorder pathology are reviewed and discussed. The majority of this convenience sample existed of young unmarried Saudi females of high socioeconomic status. Of the total sample, 35% displayed eating disorder pathology which may be a reflection of the high rates of excess weight. Plain English summary: Eating disorders were assumed to be rare in Saudi Arabia, however, Saudi citizens report both, increased pressure to be thin and eating disorder pathology. Saudi Arabia is dealing with rapid sociocultural changes. Consequences of these sociocultural changes, which might be associated with eating disorder pathology, are an increase of BMI, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, westernization, perceived stress, media use, and socioeconomic status. In addition, the increase in BMI might strengthen the associations between eating disorder pathology and body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, perceived stress, media use, and socioeconomic status. Alternative explanations might be that cultural values are associated with different eating disorder symptoms or that eating disorder pathology is associated with stress stemming from transformation that aims to empower women and modernize Saudi society. This study showed that only BMI and body dissatisfaction were associated with eating disorder pathology, and BMI was a covariate in the association between eating disorder pathology and body dissatisfaction. Preventative programs focused on avoidance of maladaptive weight loss strategies and the improvement of body satisfaction might be beneficial in Saudi Arabia. Show less
This group of inscriptions was found at several sites southwest of Taymāʾ, on the way to Al-ʿUlā. They were discovered by Dr Bader al-Faqayr, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography,... Show moreThis group of inscriptions was found at several sites southwest of Taymāʾ, on the way to Al-ʿUlā. They were discovered by Dr Bader al-Faqayr, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, King Saud University during his geographical survey of the province, in the spring of 2008. The study of these fifteen inscriptions provides twenty-three personal names; four of them occur for the first time in Nabataean inscriptions. They provided us with thirteen lexical items, two of which are attested for the second time in Nabataean inscriptions: gʾyʾ ‘the tailor’ and yhwdyʾ ‘the Jew’. Show less
This article publishes eighteen inscriptions: seventeen in the Nabataean script and one in the pre-Islamic Arabic script, all from the area of al-Jawf, ancient Dūmat al-Jandal, in north-west Arabia... Show moreThis article publishes eighteen inscriptions: seventeen in the Nabataean script and one in the pre-Islamic Arabic script, all from the area of al-Jawf, ancient Dūmat al-Jandal, in north-west Arabia. It includes the edition of the texts as well as a discussion of their significance. The pre-Islamic Arabic text, DaJ144PAr1, is dated to the mid-sixth century ad. It is important because it is the first text firmly dated to the sixth century ad from north-west Arabia. The Nabataean texts are interesting because they are dated to the beginning of the second century ad and they mention both cavalrymen (Nabataean pršyʾ) and a centurion (Nabataean qnṭrywnʾ). Show less
Global dependence on oil has not only radically transformed our economies, but also altered domestic and international politics of consuming and producing countries. It has left consuming countries... Show moreGlobal dependence on oil has not only radically transformed our economies, but also altered domestic and international politics of consuming and producing countries. It has left consuming countries exposed to threats of supply disruption and price escalation; and it has made producing countries, especially countries that heavily rely on selling oil abroad for national income, vulnerable to sanctions. Thus, understanding how relations of oil dependence affect politics is not only theoretically important but also highly relevant for policymakers. The dissertation offers a new theoretical framework, called neo-rentier theory, for understanding the relationship between oil dependence and security strategies of oil producing countries known as rentier states. Neo-rentier theory suggests that oil dependence—defined in terms of opportunity costs—translates into different patterns of dependence between a rentier state and consumers/producers. Different patterns of dependence affect the flow of oil revenues to a rentier state and its ability to manipulate supplies and price. In consequence, different patterns of dependence condition the types and intensity of security strategies that rentier states are likely to pursue. The plausibility of neo-rentier theory is illustrated by drawing on the history of Saudi Arabia in the period 1950-2000. Show less
Jihadi ideologues in Saudi Arabia are advocates of global jihad aiming to establish an Islamic world order. At the same time they remain closely tied to local Saudi identities. Rejecting the... Show moreJihadi ideologues in Saudi Arabia are advocates of global jihad aiming to establish an Islamic world order. At the same time they remain closely tied to local Saudi identities. Rejecting the national Saudi state and emphasizing tribal affiliation, Saudi Jihadis construct a discourse in which the Arabian peninsula is crucial. Yet when action is concerned, as in the pursuit of jihad, the tension between the local and the global creates contradictions that remain unresolved. Show less
Few societies are more identified with Islamist armed violence than Saudi Arabia—country of origin of Usama bin Laden and 15 of the 9/11 hijackers, as well as more than a thousand insurgents in... Show moreFew societies are more identified with Islamist armed violence than Saudi Arabia—country of origin of Usama bin Laden and 15 of the 9/11 hijackers, as well as more than a thousand insurgents in Iraq, and itself the site of attacks on expatriate housing compounds. The author draws on discussions with Saudi activists and intellectuals to reflect on ambivalent public and elite attitudes toward this violence. The author’s interlocutors attribute this “neutrality” to the accommodating relationship between a repressive state and an intolerant religious establishment, and argue that only a vibrant civil society can combat such violence. Show less
The critique of Wahhabism has gained unprecedented momentum in Saudi Arabia in recent years. First formulated by a small group of prominent liberal and Islamist intellectuals, it seems to have... Show moreThe critique of Wahhabism has gained unprecedented momentum in Saudi Arabia in recent years. First formulated by a small group of prominent liberal and Islamist intellectuals, it seems to have received the approval of at least part of the ruling elite who have taken a few official steps towards socio-religious reform. But is Saudi Arabia ready to enter the era of Post-Wahhabism? Show less
Since May 2003 Saudi Arabia has been the scene of an armed confrontation between al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula (QAP) and the State. The Saudi authorities issued three lists of suspects who were... Show moreSince May 2003 Saudi Arabia has been the scene of an armed confrontation between al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula (QAP) and the State. The Saudi authorities issued three lists of suspects who were either wanted or already killed. These lists provide some insight into the background of QAP members and the nature of the organization. Show less
From 19-21 February 2003 ISIM hosted a workshop, Saudi Futures. Paul Aarts (University of Amsterdam) and Gerd Nonneman (Lancaster University, UK) brought a group of experts from around the world,... Show moreFrom 19-21 February 2003 ISIM hosted a workshop, Saudi Futures. Paul Aarts (University of Amsterdam) and Gerd Nonneman (Lancaster University, UK) brought a group of experts from around the world, together with a number of Saudi commentators and observers representing a wide spectrum of opinion. The workshop was also sponsored by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lancaster University and the Mediterranean Programme of the European University Institute. Topics for discussion included trends in Saudi politics, society, economy and international relations in the post-9/11 and post-Iraq War era. Show less
The workshop Saudi Arabia between 9/11, the Iraq Crisis & the Future will take place in Leiden and Amsterdam from 20 to 22 February 2004. It is organized by Paul Aarts (University of Amsterdam)... Show moreThe workshop Saudi Arabia between 9/11, the Iraq Crisis & the Future will take place in Leiden and Amsterdam from 20 to 22 February 2004. It is organized by Paul Aarts (University of Amsterdam) and Gerd Nonneman (Lancaster University, UK). The project is sponsored by the ISIM, the Netherlands' Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lancaster University and benefits from close support by the European University Institute's Robert Schuman Centre (Prof. Giacomo Luciani). Show less
