I just wanted to expound on my thoughts on Saudi in relation to the previous article. It might have appeared that our stay in Saudi was all that bad. Honestly it’s the opposite, we’ve spent 4 wonderful years and had a lot of good memories there the best of which is conceiving and giving birth to my daughter in Saudi. So why leave? It’s for the simple reason that Saudi is not an open country and given the choice to live in an open free country, I think anyone in his/her right mind would choose the latter. There are just so many things that you can’t do in Saudi. You cannot practice your religion as Islam is the only religion. Although people esp. from Dammam and Khobar are lucky enough to attend mass or religious services inside Saudi Aramco which is situated in nearby Dhahran. But this too is a problem as you have to have a sponsor from Aramco to be able to get inside. So for most people, they end up not going to church. At worse some hold special services at home at their own risk.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS. Yeah what about it? Is there such a thing in Saudi? In a society where women are not allowed to work except in the medical field, where women are not allowed to drive and not allowed to wear the clothes they’d like to wear in public, you would definitely agree that women don’t have rights in Saudi. Yup, you read it right, all women have to wear an “abaya”(a black long dress with long sleeves that looks so much like a toga, all that’s missing is a cap) the whole time their out of the house. In some areas women are also required to cover their hair as it is customary in Islam that the hair of a woman should only be seen by her immediate family and her husband. As for Saudi women this extends to covering even the face which leaves the eyes as the only part of the face that should be seen. For the most conservative ones, you’re lucky if you’ll even get a glimpse of their eyes. So Beyonce and all the independent women out there, don’t you dare go to Saudi! But it can’t be all bad, after all women, including expats, always come first in queues even if everyone else has lined up before them. Ain’t that great!
NO PORK! Obviously being the center of Islam, pork is definitely banned in Saudi, even if it’s only for personal consumption. At the airport your baggage will be checked for it just like any other contraband. Luckily it will only get confiscated. You will never find it in any of the stores if you really are that “hungry” for pork, there are ways to get it if you are willing to spend you hard-earned Riyals for it. Or go to next-door Bahrain!
NO ALCOHOL. This was not really a major concern while we were in Saudi as neither one of us really drink. But in comparison to an offense related to the possession or peddling of pork, this one is considered to be more serious. Anyone who is caught possessing alcohol will definitely have to face the consequences; being jailed with accompanying lashing of the back and at worse deportation and being blacklisted from Saudi forever. Just to give you an idea how serious the Saudi authorities are regarding alcohol, you won’t find any store selling isopropyl alcohol, even mouthwash and wipes don’t have them.
THE MALLS. The malls in Saudi are merely for shopping. There are no cinemas to speak of and as we all know cinemas are an integral part of a mall. So people just visit the malls for a stroll and to shop esp. when there’s a sale.
SALAH. Salah is what they refer to as prayer time. In Saudi you will find a mosque in every corner at the top of which you’ll find a minaret that has megaphones around it which serve as a PA (Public Address) system. In Islam, believers pray 5 times in one day and when it’s “salah” the “imam” or the priests in each mosque start to sing to call people to pray. The singing goes on for about 10 minutes. For those who hear it for the first time esp. at around 4 or 5 in the morning, it could feel a bit creepy. Imagine the sounds coming form all the mosques simultaneously. For some, going back to sleep becomes a problem after having been woken up by the singing, but for most people it’s just a matter of getting used to. Salah in itself is not a problem. If you think of it, it’s actually good that they pray many times a day and that they’re being reminded to pray. The bad part is that during prayer time, all the stores, businesses and offices have to close. It’s just a complete hassle when you have to rush your shopping because it’s prayer time. That’s why most people just go out after the last prayer which is around 7 or 8 in the evening just to avoid being caught in the middle of it.
NO PDA. Public Display of Affection is a definite “no,no” in Saudi. Couples even married ones are not even allowed to hold hands . There was this one incident in the market when Tian was reprimanded by one Saudi guy for holding my arm, telling him that we were in an Arab nation and we’re not supposed to blah…blah… blah. Another one is not being able to kiss your loved one (husband or wife) goodbye when you’re being sent off to the airport. That was why back then, Tian and I would say our goodbyes even before we leave the house. I guess I could go on and on but I’m sure after reading what I’ve enumerated, you do see why we chose to leave Saudi.
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