Abdullah a Darwinist?

What if everyone around you was a thousand years behind the times and you had all the money in the world. What would you do?

Well, apparently this thought had occurred to Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and he had an idea. It was to start to educate people in the Middle East about science and technology—a radical notion for a nomadic people who are used to tending to camels or living on the dole.. In fact, Abdullah is so taken with this idea that he’s turned it over to one of his major oil subcontractors to make it a reality. His intent: To develop an international University in the middle of a land that practices one of the oldest and most conservative religions on earth which seem like a paradox to outsiders looking in. But it does make some sense.

Right now, if the oil ran out what would the average Saudi do?

To play the world’s game, you have to be willing to take chances and obviously that’s what Abdullah plans to do.

Many are afraid however that this will be another giant encircled encampment, like the oil wells, that will keep the locals out and cater to foreigners.

Abdullah has given instructions that this new university will be committed to the teaching of science and technology will admit both men and women with no restrictions and people of all nationalities and colors. That, in and of itself, is a breakthrough of major proportions. Only a few years back, they were having public executions of women suspected of being unfaithful.

It remains to be seen how this will fly in the old kingdom but Abdullah must be seeing what the Emirates and other gulf nations are doing to build a world class economic climate that seems to be doing well if the economies of various countries hold out..

At least, it’s nice to know that all of our oil money isn’t going to finance terrorists….


Les Aaron
The Armchair Curmudgeon

The Committee for Positive Change