Its relations with the West – and with the United States in particular – have frayed in the turmoil unleashed in the Middle East and North Africa by the Arab Spring. Meanwhile, a group of women provided the latest sign of domestic restiveness by defying the Kingdom’s prohibition against women drivers.
长期以来，沙特阿拉伯一直是阿拉伯世界最死板的社会，如今，它已身处大变局。它与西方的关系——特别是与美国的关系——因为阿拉伯之春所引发的中东和北美动荡而受损。与此同时，一群妇女拒绝接受沙特王国对女性驾驶汽车的禁令，这是沙特顽固传统的最新写照。