原文

Saudi streets have a different vibe these days,/ one that might surprise those more familiar with the kingdom’s repressive reputation:/ religious police gone, people hanging out, a long-awaited freedom.//

“We have more fun now,/ going outside for movies and going outside to the restaurants and meeting with friends.”// （On-the-street interviewee）

原文

Ask who is responsible,/ the answer: de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,/ known as MBS.// At 35, MBS is older than more than 70 percent of his citizens/ and appears to be winning their trust,/ despite serious human-rights violations,/ like the ongoing detention of critics/ and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi/ that the CIA blames on him and tarnished his international reputation.//

For those directly impacted,/ MBS’s other reforms ring hollow.// Lina ［al-］Hathloul’s sister, female-rights activist Loujain, is in jail,/ accused of violating national security.//

“When we see what’s happening inside of the country—/ that it’s becoming a police state,/ that it’s the worst it has ever been regarding human rights—/ I think that no one should believe it.”// （Lina al-Hathloul）