Higher living costs and a tightened welfare system is getting ink in the Financial Times, which is out with a piece on the General Authority of Media Regulation’s move to fine nine people and order the closure of their social media accounts. The authority did not specify the reasons behind the fines, but the human rights circle sees a link with criticism of recent welfare and social security benefit reforms. Media Minister Salman Al Dossary defended the authority’s decisions, saying these people were using “freedom of expression to create chaos in the media or electronic spheres.”

For airline pilot Mark Vanhoenacker, a well-spent 24-hour stopover in Jeddah was worth some ink in The New York Times, detailing his time in Al Balad, Suq Bab Makkah, and other spots in the city to eat and soak up the history.

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