Majd’s Diary: Two Years in the Life of a Saudi Girl

In a country where women’s lives are intensely restricted, Majd Abdulghani dreams of becoming a scientist. Meanwhile, her parents want to arrange her marriage.

Best Documentary: Silver2017 Third Coast/Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition

2017 / Sarah Kate Kramer / Joe Richman / Radio Diaries, USA

In a country where women’s lives are intensely restricted, Majd Abdulghani dreams of becoming a scientist. Meanwhile, her parents want to arrange her marriage.

From the age of 19 to 21, Majd has been chronicling her life with a microphone, taking listeners inside a society where the voices of women are rarely heard. In her audio diary, Majd documents everything from her karate practice to arguments with her brother about how much she should cover herself in front of men, to late night thoughts about loneliness, arranged marriages, and the possibility of true love.

Majd’s Diary: Two Years in the Life of a Saudi Girl was produced by Sarah Kate Kramer and Joe Richman, with assistant producer Nellie Gilles and editors Deborah George and Ben Shapiro for Radio Diaries and NPR’s All Things Considered .


produced by


Featured in


May we recommend…