A Saudi TV series hints at the change that is afoot
The shows broadcast over Ramadan are a barometer of Arab states’ moods
THE EPISODE starts on an ordinary night in Mecca in 1979, as worshippers file into the grand mosque for prayers. Viewers are given a few hints of what will follow: characters swap furtive glances; a camera zooms in ominously from above. But any Saudi watching “Al-Asouf” this Ramadan already knew the twist. Rifles were unpacked. The doors of the mosque were chained shut. A siege that would last two weeks and transform the kingdom began.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Princely drama”
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