AS THE curtains begin to draw on yet another school year, most of us here are debating where we will spend some of those summer days looming on the horizon. The expatriates among us are for the most part looking forward to heading home to be with friends and family. Some will however make use of their proximity to various exotic locations in the region and dare take the plunge.

But what about the Saudis? The United States, a unanimous choice in summers past has somewhat lost its appeal. Tales of harassment, of intense and sometimes severe questioning at airport immigration counters or hotel reception desks has turned off most people from the idea of a leisurely trip to Disney World or Niagara Falls. Only those with a summer home or relatives still there have been brave enough to apply for visit visas.

Canada is a country definitely worth a visit, although it has suffered from its proximity to the United States. Vancouver is a beautiful city, and some Saudi families are planning to head there via Europe. And on the other side of Canada, Niagra Falls look better from the Canadian side than the US side, which should make Montreal and Toronto able to pick up a few stray visitors.

Malaysia has picked up the slack for those who used to go West, with the flights to that destination pretty well booked late into August. And from what I hear, Malaysia does indeed offer charm and beauty. Not to mention their hospitality and shopping. But the drawback here is that if one is contemplating escaping other Saudis for a short while and let one’s hair down, I would imagine it would be difficult to do that with all our fellow countrymen scattered about in the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

But what about here? In this very country? Why should one feel rushed to escape to foreign lands when there are scattered pockets of natural beauty only a drive away? The answer is simple. Poor planning and avaricious greed have robbed the common man from most of the natural beauty that was once free to be had.

A case in point is our coastline, or should I say our vanishing coastline?. No longer within the reach of most people, greedy developers have grabbed large chunks of free land and turned it into money sucking machines. It is not unusual to be charged something from SR8,000 to SR15,000 for a weekend at some of these beach resorts. And for most families, already faced with a rising cost of living, that often remains out of their realm.

And again, for those sensitive to salty air, where are the grassy parks or museums to spend the day at? Rusted ferris wheels at run-down amusement parks do not make for an appetizing excursion. For a country booming with kids, there hasn’t been much tangible evidence of municipal planning to release all that youthful energy. Can sickly dolphins splashing about in a dirty pool of water make up the fare?

And the arts? A forgotten recreation from a culture that provided the world with most of it during the Dark Ages. Where are the theaters, the music halls, the art or natural history museums that the public can avail itself of? And at a reasonable cost? Or is the weekly fireworks show usually planned for summer the extent of our art appreciation?

Businessmen should take note of the fact that there will be a lot more people staying behind this year. And those astute enough to invest in providing family fun and entertainment at justifiable cost will only have to sit back to watch their investments bear fruit in very little time.

And so my friends, wherever your travels do indeed take you, may you have a pleasant journey. I will once again partake of the offerings of the summer festival and watch my pulse rate rise to alarming levels. Or else, a quick trip to cousin Omar in the Eastern Province and a short trek over the bridge to Bahrain.

And on a personal note, my deepest gratitude to Miriam M. for introducing me to the culinary delights of Venezuelan cooking.

It was simply scrumptious, and helped alleviate most of the gastronomical sufferings I went through when presented with the bill last week at the fish restaurant.

— Tariq A. Al-Maeena, [email protected]