JEDDAH, 18 May 2003 — In scenes reminiscent of the anxiety and fear in the United States following the Sept. 11 attacks, Saudi Arabia’s Western expatriate community has been on a high state of alert since last week’s deadly suicide bombings, trying not to lose their nerves despite an almost constant stream of false bomb alerts.
At a checkpoint set up near the Egyptian Consulate in North Jeddah, police yesterday fired warning shots after a car tried to avoid the check point by driving the wrong way down a busy one-way street, according to an eyewitness to the event who spoke to Arab News on condition of anonymity.
The car was being driven by a Saudi, and there was a Nigerian and Yemeni passenger. The police arrested the three individuals, the witness added. So far, there has been no official comment on the incident.
Dozens of new checkpoints have been set up across Jeddah, mainly in the Al-Hamra district, following a State Department warning of possible attacks here by Al-Qaeda, thought to be responsible for the Riyadh bombings. Security at King Abdul Aziz Airport has also been beefed up.
Elsewhere in Jeddah, people are generally avoiding venturing out of their homes, and are complaining that they are being starved of information.
“There’s a lack of awareness here,” said Yassmin, a 20-year-old college student. “People need to know what to do in these type of situations, and they also need to know what places to avoid.”
Lulwa, a 23-year-old kindergarten teacher in Jeddah, echoed Yassmin’s concerns.
“We need more information about this situation,” she said. “When the bombings happened in Riyadh, Saudi TV kept playing a soap opera. It’s ridiculous that we have to go to international news channels for information.”
In Riyadh, military vehicles have taken to the streets guarding prominent Saudi landmarks such as Al-Faisaliah tower and have been operating checkpoints.
At one checkpoint in Jeddah at the Saudi-German Hospital, a few street from the Raytheon compound, heavily armed police officers conducted intense searches of people and their vehicles.
Arab News attempted to speak with an officer to learn more about the purpose and method of the searches, but was told that it was all “classified information”. It appeared that the police were randomly stopping vehicles regardless of nationality, age, vehicle type, or its occupants.
Security at several large residential compounds in Jeddah housing expatriate workers has been greatly increased. A major compound, which houses Saudi and expatriate workers of Saudi companies and their families, stood at a higher level of alert just hours after the blasts in Riyadh which killed 34 people.
After the new advisory issued 24 hours later, Saudi military personnel armed with truck-mounted 50 caliber machine guns were posted at most compounds housing Western expatriate workers. In addition, cement barriers have been placed on the roads approaching the compound entrances, forcing vehicles to slow to a crawl. At one Jeddah compound, bollards — mechanical steel posts that rise out of the ground — were actually being used. Security guards and their patrols were tripled, and Jeddah police cruisers were parked at the main entrance while others patrolled the perimeter.
Any vehicle which stopped alongside the compound’s exterior walls was immediately investigated by armed police officers. The security manager of this compound told Arab News: “It is business as usual for the residents of the compound, but from a security standpoint I prefer that the names of the compounds in my charge not be mentioned in the article. I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to them.”
Residents at these compounds said they were reassured by the noticeable increase in security measures, and were going on with their daily tasks. At the same compound this afternoon, they could be heard discussing the bombings in Riyadh.
One resident from Ireland, while having lunch at a compound restaurant, told Arab News: “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. I can’t imagine the horror they’ve experienced. Of course, I worry about such a thing happening in Jeddah, but what are we expected to do — quit our jobs, and pack up and go back home? That’s what I think the terrorists want, and I’m not going to let them have it.”
Another resident of a nearby compound which houses Saudi families told Arab News: “I live in a compound for Saudi families, so I’m not really worried about my compound being attacked. What I do worry about, for Saudis and expats alike, is that there are terrorists living among us, in our communities. That’s what everyone should pay attention to.”
Another resident told Arab News: “These attacks on foreigners seem to be happening in Riyadh, not Jeddah. I don’t want to say that that is comforting, but I’m sure glad I’m not in Riyadh. Those folks out there should think about moving to Jeddah instead of packing up and heading to their own countries. Jeddah seems to be safer and more tolerant of Western ways. The simple truth is that Saudi Arabia needs its foreign work force as Saudis are still training to fill the positions occupied by expatriates. I think if all expatriates left their jobs and the country overnight, Saudi Arabia would come to a standstill.”
