Saudi Arabia: Part I

As my short visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia begins to reach its end, I think it would be a good idea to collect my thoughts and feelings about this country. Why do I decide to do it now, whereas this is where I have literally grown up and where I have spent every summer for the past 10 years? But in this question lies the answer, that after living in the US – a country and culture most detached from Saudi Arabia itself – for two years, I am perhaps ready to give a somewhat unbiased perspective… an outsider’s perspective. This perspective, however, is built around what I have felt and seen, not necessarily around what I know for sure and what is based on facts. This is, of course, not to say that there is nothing factual about what I have to say, but rather that what I am going to be presenting is a layman’s analysis rather than being an expert’s study. This naturally implies that this “analysis” is going to have a lot of holes and imperfections.

First off, let’s get the niceties out of the way. I believe if you are a Muslim and you have any concern for your Islamic development and care enough to want an environment in accordance with Islam, this is mostly the place to be. Of course nothing guarantees a person’s journey on the straight path except the Will of Allah, but if you want to provide good means for it and put ample restrictions on straying from it, then rush to Saudi Arabia. I say this after having lived, and not just physically existed, but socially inhabited, three different Islamic societies and after having experienced several Islamic subcultures. If Pakistan’s middle-class to me represents an Islamic culture almost gone astray and the Muslim-America a culture clearly young, learning, and fighting for it’s survival amidst a sea of ignorance; then Saudi Arabia represents an Islamic culture, though flawed and defeated at many fronts, yet fighting for it’s integrity with enough energy to carry on with this fight for a while. In addition, the lifestyle is somewhat luxurious and relatively easy (plus there are no taxes as of yet), which makes it an ideal place for those who want to bring their children up in a positive manner while providing them with a sufficiently good quality of life. It is like meeting the world halfway while holding on to Islam. There are several catches of course that will be manifest as we discuss some finer points.

Let us delve deeper into this dissection and discuss some individual aspects of this society.

Economic and Political
With the throning of King Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz of the family of Saud, a new era of development and reform has commenced in the Kingdom. Cities are crowded with construction vehicles and laborers working at sites of construction. New commercial, residential, and industrial sectors are being built; not to mention the several city-sized projects that are being undertaken throughout the Kingdom. Investors from all over are pouring their money into commercial mega-projects. Interestingly enough, work is underway to provide postal service, hitherto limited to P.O. Boxes, to residential units. Projects are in planning to connect the Holy Cities and Jeddah through a railway line. Gasoline which was SR 0.90/litre ($0.90/gal) is now SR 0.60/litre ($0.60/gal), compared to a can of soda (355 ml) which is SR 1 apiece. This economic development has created a plethora of job opportunities in every field of work. Saudi Arabia has recently been inducted into the World Trade Organization, something that has opened doors for many labor reforms and initiatives in the right direction. Residence restrictions have been loosened and property ownership is being made possible. Overall the buying power of the individual has increased.

This should of course not paint a very rosy picture of the situation. These reforms, though revolutionary, are not necessarily changing the infrastructure of the country. Their specific moral and social implication will be discussed later, but economically, it might have widened the gap between economic classes. Another problem with development is that it has to be maintained and looked after, and Saudi authorities do not necessarily have a good record of maintenance (except in the case of the two Holy Mosques). Unless special attention is paid to it, this new life that has sprung will soon deteriorate under pressures of time and age. Furthermore, princes are still allowed monopoly over certain regions and sectors; an unhealthy trend that discourages local entrepreneurship in major business ventures.

Another serious issue is Saudiization which, though social in implications, is political in nature. The theory being that Saudi citizens deserve jobs in Saudi Arabia more than non-Saudis. The government has thus put a limit on the number of non-Saudi employees each organization can have. This policy wears a mask of sense over blatant nationalism and nepotism; for under it meritorious non-citizens are denied their own jobs in favor of less favorable citizens. It should be understood that this non-citizen has no right as of yet to live in Saudi Arabia unless his previous employer has nothing against it.
I don’t even want to start about Saudi bureaucracy. Everything in Saudi Arabia is done bukra insha’Allah: tomorrow, God-willing.

To be continued insha'Allah...