Saudi social media looks different this week. Throughout the first six months of the war, the widespread response to Iranian attacks was posting images of the flag, the crown prince, and a prayer for the country. Now, following Houthi strikes on the kingdom, my social feeds (algo: female, Gen Z, relatively liberal) are full of soldiers saluting the flag, or reading the Quran beside missile racks.
Nationalist language has sharpened too: One viral post tells Saudis to defend their homeland and warns against “traitors” who would “cast doubt on their loyalty.” Many are repeating the official mantra that “there is no fear in the Saudi dictionary.” The framing of the war has also shifted, from a US conflict to the kingdom’s.
— Manal Albarakati