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Undercover Video Shows The Unseen Reality Hidden Beneath Saudi Arabia's Wealth And Luxury

A reality that's rarely seen.

By Sadho Ram — 26 Mar 2016, 04:37 PM

Cover image via FRONTLINE

To the outside world, Saudi Arabia has always been projected as a prosperous country of wealth and luxury shopping malls. However, as much as a quarter of its population is estimated to live in poverty.

Image from irdc
Image via irdc

According to a 2013 report by The Guardian, millions of Saudis struggle on the fringes of one of the world's most powerful economies, where jobs and welfare programmes have failed to keep pace with a population that has soared from 6 million in 1970 to over 28 million. In other words, it's a reality that's rarely seen.

While image-conscious Saudi officials have denied the existence of poverty in Saudi Arabia, this undercover footage of the country's slums filmed by a secret network of activists reveals the unseen reality hidden beneath its wealth and luxury. Watch it here:

The Slums of Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabia the world usually sees is a country of wealth and luxury shopping malls -- but as much as a quarter of the population is estimated to live in poverty. It’s a reality that’s rarely seen, but FRONTLINE obtained undercover footage of the country’s slums filmed by a secret network of activists. Watch:

Posted by FRONTLINE on Wednesday, March 23, 2016

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On the other hand, take a look at this stunning photo series showing Saudis on an excursion to the city of Taif firing guns close to their own feet:

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