My First Time In Saudi Arabia (Part 4)

As I had already mentioned in the first part of my post about my first time in Saudi Arabia, my expectations in the infamous Islamic Country are mentioned below:

1. I am expecting a desert / rural environment

2. Strict Islamic Culture

3. Backward mentality

4. Unaccommodating and arrogant Saudis

5. Not seeing a woman for the next seven days

My first hand adventure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia begins after I get past that immigration counter.

Saudi Arabia is known as the world’s number 1 producer of oils. Thanks to their vast desert lands where they draw all those oils that makes them rich. Naturally, I was expecting a desert environment wherein anywhere and everywhere you turn your head  all you will find is a desert, dunes, camels and sandstorms.

I was wrong…

Downtown Riyadh is just like any other city…shopping malls, restaurants, offices, business establishments are abound. And the center of it all is the magnificent Kingdom Tower, perch in the middle of the city. Its grandeur is best appreciated during the night where its multi-colored facade changes in the blink of an eye.

 

The Kingdom Tower is one of the many prestigious projects our company had proudly completed.

Saudi Arabia is known as an Islamic Country. Its culture is deeply rooted on the principles and values of Islam.

This is evident by the number of mosques all over the Kingdom. Almost every stones throw, there lies a mosque. This gives convenience to its faithfuls who strictly follow one of the pillars of muslim teachings, the prayer. Muslims prays five times daily.

Obviously you would know when its time to pray as the call for prayers sounds all over the place. At any one time you would hear four or five different call for prayers, which means four or five mosques are just nearby your place.

When the call for prayer starts, everything stops. Literally, shops, petrol stations, works, etc. Streets are emptied of any individual walking and loitering around. The rumors must have been true that if you were caught loitering around during prayer time, authorities will catch you.

During prayer time

In one occasion, after our seminar, I stayed a little while to chat with my colleagues. And when I left our office, I was caught up in the prayer time on my way back to the hotel. I got worried and ran towards the petrol station to hide until the prayer time was over. I did not managed to get in the petrol shop as it already closed when I reached there. Luckily no one has questioned me.

After prayer time

The perceptions that Saudis are arrogant and unaccommodating might not be true at all. Like any other races, they have their bad and good citizens. Such perception might be true to the older generations of Saudis. So far, the Saudis I have met have good manners and helpful. Our trainers and organizer are all Saudis but I never had such negative impression to them. On the contrary, they are accommodating, jolly and have sense of humors.

Although one of our trainers confides that he sometimes feel ashamed of his countrymen. Especially to the older generation and those who belong to the conservative types, that tends to be rude and backwards. Making it worst, they do not want changes, which makes them backward.

I thought for one week that I would be staying in Saudi Arabia, I would never ever see any woman. That’s what I thought until I went to one of the shopping mall one night, and there they are, all dressed in black. I was expecting that they wear those famous abayas but what I did not expect is that most of them were not covering their faces. Of course mostly were expats but “legends” were told that if a woman doesn’t cover her face is a big no-no in Saudi Arabia. Well, not anymore maybe.

But the separation of men and women exist. I noticed this when I went to the food court and buy myself a dinner. As I ordered my food, the staff was staring at me intently. I was thinking, was anything wrong on my looks, or what I was wearing. Then the other staff, a Pinoy, politely told me to queue on the other side. As I stepped back and move to the other side, I realized I was queuing on ladies queue. It was not my fault, the signage was in Arabic.

After paying for my dinner, I looked for a place to eat. With my food on bought hands I walked back about 50 – 60 meters from the stall where the dining area is located. This dining area caters only for men. The dining area for women is separate, enclosed with walls where they are not seen by the prying public.

High walls are standards to Saudi homes. Back home in the Philippines, walls around your property is a status symbol. The higher your wall, the more you have in life. The more ornate your wall, the more your elegance speaks out. The lesser your wall, the lesser you have. But if you don’t have a wall, doesn’t mean you don’t have anything.

But for Saudis, high walls are a must. This has something to do with their culture in terms of the privacy of their female members. Their religion dictates that they must keep their females members “covered”, away from lustful eyes.

Women is Saudi are prohibited to work, may be for now. What would you expect then who will sell those expensive perfumes and make-ups. Well, you must have guessed it right, it's the men. I find it funny but maybe just consider it as one of their backwardness. But then, what's the use of those expensive make ups when you cover your face after applying them?.....Just asking.

My stay in Saudi Arabia has given me the first hand impression of what the Kingdom is. I am now not relying on tell-tale of what is there in the Kingdom. But of course, I may have not seen everything during my short stay. In the end, my impression about Saudi Arabia has changed, not everything is bad after all.

Who knows, my personal impression might again change if an opportunity arise to discover more in Saudi Arabia. Only time will tell.

Read more...

My First Time In Saudi Arabia (Part 3)

We arrived at the King Khaled International Airport with a slight delay. It was a short flight from Bahrain, I was excited and nervous what’s there in the Kingdom.

By the time we reached the immigration counter, the queue has already built up. Mostly are Asians, Pakistanis, Indians, and Bangladeshis. I was at the middle of the queue, but 20 minutes had passed and the line did not move an inch.

Another flight must have arrived as another batch of Asians just joined the queue. Roughly about 400 – 500 is now lining-up to the immigration counter.

An immigration officer and his colleagues made some rounds on each line. They are singling out any Caucasians in the queue and ushered them to a separate counter where they were attendedm they cleared they swiftly through the immigration counter. This was my first observation, that the Saudis had high regard to Caucasians, they give them preferential treatments, but not to Asians.

Obviously, I have seen such treatment to Caucasian, even in my own country, and I don’t know why. Is it because of their white skin...Duh…But I have not seen this kind of treatment in Singapore. They don’t care if you’re black, white, brown, yellow or red skin; you stay in line and wait for your turn.

With that huge number of people queuing up, it started to get noisy. The officer again made their rounds and started shouting at these laborers. If they are not happy with the person in front of the line they just simply ask him to move at the back of the line.

I saw one laborer shout at by the immigration officer while checking his documents. Their hands were slapped when not properly placed on the scanning machine, made fun at them when taking the laborer’s photo. These officers don’t care if there are hundreds of people waiting in line. They just take their own sweet time, talking on the phone, chatting with their fellow officers, and smoking (ironically, there is a big No Smoking sign in front of the immigration counter). Haven’t they thought that they are on the front line of their country’s image, that they are the first and last person a non-Saudi will ever have impression at when visiting and leaving the Kingdom?

In front of me were Pakistanis. Each and every one of them was shouted at. I am getting a little bit nervous, I might shout back when shouted at. I just can’t imagine what would happen next.

But thanks God, it seems that when you can speak English properly, these officers does not show any sign of bullying. I was cleared in less than 5 minutes compared to the Pakistanis that took 15 – 20 to be cleared simply because of nonsense bullying.

My colleague was in the other counter. He was assisted earlier than me but he seems to be having some trouble with the immigration officer. When he saw me, he called me by gesture.

I went to him. He asked me to explain to the officer that we are here just for 5 days for a seminar. And so I did. My colleague told me that the officer is gesturing him to be locked-up. When I told the officer that he is my colleague and we are just here for a seminar. The officer is trying to say that I will be locked-up also.

I asked,”Why?” Then the officer asked for my passport. Then he checks again in their system, and then returns back my passport.

But my colleague was taken away. I asked him if I should wait for him, my colleague said, “No, if they take me to prison just tell to our management what happened. You just go ahead”.

When I gotten out the airport, our driver was already waiting outside. I called our Administration Manager back in Doha and told him what happened to my colleague. He gave me some numbers to call, it is the Personnel Administrator in our Head Office. Unfortunately, the only thing he asked me to do is to wait for my colleague to come out. But in my mind, he will not come out. I waited for 2 hours anway hoping that I was wrong, but it turn out I was right.... he never came out.

As I was waiting, a fellow Pinoy who was behind my colleague at the immigration counter confides that he was very nervous when the officer was confronting my colleague. He said, the officer was gesturing to my colleague, “You like this” (gesturing his hands together as if in handcuffs.)

The Pinoy also told me that the officer telling my colleague if he wants sex, which my colleague said that he doesn’t want, besides he is old already. The officer is just laughing.

When I just cleared the immigration counter, I saw also the same officer took my colleague’s back-pack. I thought he will check it, but he just simply raised it above his head and dropped it on the floor.

After 2 hours of waiting, I thought I was right afterall,  my colleague will no longer come out, he must likely been taken to prison.

I left the airport worried for my colleague. After I checked-in in the hotel, I was still worried for my colleague, I may not have slept even just a wink worrying for my colleague, what have had happened to him already.

The following morning, the first thing I did was to inform my colleague’s son, who is also working in our head office.

With my experience at the airport, my first impression on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is that Saudis are rude people. I was beginning to be convinced what I’ve been hearing about Saudi Arabia are all true. With 5 days to stay in the Kingdom, I was hoping that I could stay away from trouble and have some pleasant experiences to remember.

Read more...