Arab News, the largest English-language daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia, published a special Christmas edition for the first time in the kingdom’s history.
Five out of 16 broadsheet pages were dedicated to Christmas-related news and feature stories, and the editor-in-chief’s front-page column was headlined ‘Merry Christmas from Arab News’.
The edition had stories on Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem and Lebanon, apart from celebration guides like ‘Where to order the best Christmas meal’ and ‘Christmas turkey with an Arab twist brought to you by a Saudi chef’.
In his column, editor-in-chief Faisal Abbas wrote: “While of course this is not a new tradition in most countries around the world, it is a first in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the ancient proverb does say: better late than never”.
“In fact, this symbolic edition – as simple of an idea it is – couldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the remarkable reforms the kingdom has been living under our leadership which has clearly ushered in a new era of more religious tolerance and coexistence.”
Christmas celebrations were not officially allowed in the country – but held inside expat camps – for many years, until Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced his Saudi Vision 2030 in 2016.
Apart from the economy, the reforms of Vision 2030 varied in nature and unleashed major religious and cultural changes in Saudi society, including reforms for women, promoting sports, music and tourism, and disbanding of the morality police.
For the past couple of years, malls in Saudi Arabia are being decorated in Christmas colours weeks before December 25, and shops have been openly displaying and selling Christmas paraphernalia. Since last October, some residents and Saudi nationals have also been celebrating Halloween. Christmas movies have also been allowed to be screened.
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