RIYADH, 11 March 2003 — After spending only five months in the Kingdom, Canadian nurse Johanne is getting ready to leave.

Like many other Westerners, the tension in her community is rising as the war on Iraq gets closer. “My family back home is very concerned about my well-being,” Johanne told Arab News.

“I was very eager to come and work in Saudi Arabia. I want to know more about the country and its people. But for security reasons I’m afraid I have to leave. The warning from the Canadian Embassy also influenced my decision,” she added.

During her stay in Riyadh, Johanne never faced any danger and she believes that Saudi Arabia is one of the safest countries in the world to work in. But rumors of a hate-campaign against Westerners from extremists are causing a lot of tension.

“It’s not the war I’m afraid of, but the reaction from the locals here. My American roommate told me that a teenager in the supermarket punched her in the face. Since then she has been taking precautions whenever she goes out of the compound. She’s determined to leave soon as well.

“However, I want everyone to know that we are against this war,” she added. “But I guess it’s hard to convey such a message.”

Jane is an American national who has been in the Kingdom for almost four years. In her opinion, the tension in the Western community started with the Sept. 11 crisis.

“It cooled off for some time, but the upcoming war on Iraq has raised fears once again,” she says.

“In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had some nasty looks not only from Saudis but also Pakistanis in the local souk. I also learned that some friends have been assaulted and spat on. I believe that many of the Westerners here have limited their activities outside their compounds. I cover my hair now whenever I go out and I know many others who are doing the same.”

Jane believes that she is not risking her life by staying at the Kingdom under the current circumstances. But she fears that the situation will deteriorate if war breaks out.

“The locals may lash out at us. How could they ever know that we are opposed to the war?”

But while some of the Westerners are cautious, others are getting on with their lives as normal.

George, an American who has been in the country since 1982, still takes long walks around the streets of Riyadh every day.

“Like other Americans, I’ve read the warning issued by our embassy,” he told Arab News. “In my opinion it was only a general warning. It was not meant to cause any panic. I’m leaving Riyadh soon, but the reason is merely personal. Last year, I was in the US for some time and I returned right after the Sept. 11 events. If I didn’t believe that Saudi Arabia was a safe country, I wouldn’t have come again.

“Friends told me that while they were camping in the desert, some guys passed them in their pick-up truck and fired a pistol in the air. It may be just a childish act in the name of fun. But I have not faced any hostility. I know that the Saudis are educated and well mannered, and if there is harassment I’m sure it’s only from a minority.”