P R E M I S E
Saudi Arabia is undergoing major socio-economic reforms at the moment in the form of the Vision 2030 initiative; an attempt to “eradicate extremist views” as well as to end its dependency on oil, according to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Women have recently been granted many rights they have not had previously such as legally being able to drive. Although this is a positive step forward for the country, the male-guardianship system still exists, where men have absolute authority over the women of their family, and with their consent only, are women allowed to travel and work. While some families do not abide by this social construct, many men do abuse the power legally bestowed upon them, controlling the women of their family’s every move.
M O H A M M E D H A M M A D
W R I T E R / D I R E C T O R / P R O D U C E R / E D I T O R
Mohammed comes from a diverse cultural upbringing. Originally from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he grew up in London and Paris which fostered his natural inclination towards the fine arts. Mohammed has a background in painting and music production, however, after being introduced to the world of filmmaking, he realized that he can combine his love for the visual and sonic arts in the form of storytelling.
In 2006, Mohammed began his film and TV production career in Dubai as MTV Arabia’s first VJ. Since then, he has worked with reputable production houses and media outlets in the region such as National Geographic, MBC, and DMI.
After having collaborated with prominent Saudi philanthropist and public figure Ahmad Al Shugairi on several projects, Mohammed naturally shifted his main focus of work to socially-conscious driven content. His most recent works examines topics of social injustice, as well as deconstructing the psychological impact of societal codes of behavior on the human condition.
Mohammed currently resides in NYC and frequents Saudi Arabia on film production commissions.
M O H A M M E D H A M M A D
W R I T E R / D I R E C T O R / P R O D U C E R / E D I T O R
Mohammed comes from a diverse cultural upbringing. Originally from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he grew up in London and Paris which fostered his natural inclination towards the fine arts. Mohammed has a background in painting and music production, however, after being introduced to the world of filmmaking, he realized that he can combine his love for the visual and sonic arts in the form of storytelling.
In 2006, Mohammed began his film and TV production career in Dubai as MTV Arabia’s first VJ. Since then, he has worked with reputable production houses and media outlets in the region such as National Geographic, MBC, and DMI.
After having collaborated with prominent Saudi philanthropist and public figure Ahmad Al Shugairi on several projects, Mohammed naturally shifted his main focus of work to socially-conscious driven content. His most recent works examines topics of social injustice, as well as deconstructing the psychological impact of societal codes of behavior on the human condition.
Mohammed currently resides in NYC and frequents Saudi Arabia on film production commissions.
M O H A M M E D H A M M A D
W R I T E R / D I R E C T O R / P R O D U C E R / E D I T O R
Mohammed comes from a diverse cultural upbringing. Originally from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he grew up in London and Paris which fostered his natural inclination towards the fine arts. Mohammed has a background in painting and music production, however, after being introduced to the world of filmmaking, he realized that he can combine his love for the visual and sonic arts in the form of storytelling.
In 2006, Mohammed began his film and TV production career in Dubai as MTV Arabia’s first VJ. Since then, he has worked with reputable production houses and media outlets in the region such as National Geographic, MBC, and DMI.
After having collaborated with prominent Saudi philanthropist and public figure Ahmad Al Shugairi on several projects, Mohammed naturally shifted his main focus of work to socially-conscious driven content. His most recent works examines topics of social injustice, as well as deconstructing the psychological impact of societal codes of behavior on the human condition.
Mohammed currently resides in NYC and frequents Saudi Arabia on film production commissions.
M O H A M M E D H A M M A D
W R I T E R / D I R E C T O R / P R O D U C E R / E D I T O R
Mohammed comes from a diverse cultural upbringing. Originally from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he grew up in London and Paris which fostered his natural inclination towards the fine arts. Mohammed has a background in painting and music production, however, after being introduced to the world of filmmaking, he realized that he can combine his love for the visual and sonic arts in the form of storytelling.
In 2006, Mohammed began his film and TV production career in Dubai as MTV Arabia’s first VJ. Since then, he has worked with reputable production houses and media outlets in the region such as National Geographic, MBC, and DMI.
After having collaborated with prominent Saudi philanthropist and public figure Ahmad Al Shugairi on several projects, Mohammed naturally shifted his main focus of work to socially-conscious driven content. His most recent works examines topics of social injustice, as well as deconstructing the psychological impact of societal codes of behavior on the human condition.
Mohammed currently resides in NYC and frequents Saudi Arabia on film production commissions.
M O H A M M E D H A M M A D
W R I T E R / D I R E C T O R / P R O D U C E R / E D I T O R
Mohammed comes from a diverse cultural upbringing. Originally from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he grew up in London and Paris which fostered his natural inclination towards the fine arts. Mohammed has a background in painting and music production, however, after being introduced to the world of filmmaking, he realized that he can combine his love for the visual and sonic arts in the form of storytelling.
In 2006, Mohammed began his film and TV production career in Dubai as MTV Arabia’s first VJ. Since then, he has worked with reputable production houses and media outlets in the region such as National Geographic, MBC, and DMI.
After having collaborated with prominent Saudi philanthropist and public figure Ahmad Al Shugairi on several projects, Mohammed naturally shifted his main focus of work to socially-conscious driven content. His most recent works examines topics of social injustice, as well as deconstructing the psychological impact of societal codes of behavior on the human condition.
Mohammed currently resides in NYC and frequents Saudi Arabia on film production commissions.
T H E N I Q A B I N M O D E R N S A U D I S O C I E T Y
Examining the societal construct of how the Niqab is integrated into Saudi society is a difficult task. The debate whether it is merely traditional cultural attire or a religious obligation has been an ongoing debate for years, depending on the region or religious school preaching. However, we cannot deny that there are many families that are born into this tradition, and many who are not, especially under the backdrop of modern-day metropolitan cities. This is also why pre-arranged marriage fails when the couple at hand are not fully aware of what the other person’s true nature and ideological beliefs are.
Indeed, not all women feel it is a sign of oppression, especially ones who are raised in a rural Bedouin society. This is their cultural identity first and foremost, that, we cannot deny. However, as Saudi Arabia’s modernized metropolitan cities continue to evolve, communities of various subcultural backgrounds intermingle constantly resulting in a clash of traditional and religious codes of behavior which get lost in translation.
This is especially true when men from various subcultural backgrounds become part of the same social circle. The men from backgrounds that live with the Niqab in their family can be quite judgmental towards men who allow their women to reveal their face. Although it usually is a chauvinistic battle, most of the time it is disguised behind religious duty, even though the men in question are far from pious themselves.