Dr. Faris was in town recently, and we met over a cup of coffee at one of those newer cafes off Tahlia Street. Four years ago, Dr. Faris, a Saudi, and his Egyptian wife called it a day, packed up, and ventured off to Venezuela, where he has since established a successful medical practice. They were visiting Jeddah for a few days to renew his wife’s residency papers and catch up on family and friends.
As we sat across each other, current events and changes in this country soon became topics of conversation. I wanted to take his pulse on what I have been sensing as a gradual shift of thoughts and ideas in a culture so closed for so long.
“Don’t fool yourself, Tariq. Nothing’s changed,” was his abrupt reply. And noticing the quizzical look on my face he continued to elaborate.
“Look, my decision to settle in Venezuela was not an easy one for me or my family. We were closer to our families here, our children had their friends in school, and to up and leave to a country we knew little about was not something we did with full confidence. I left because I could not keep up with the bureaucratic incompetence.
“From the moment we arrived here, Tariq, I could see nothing really has changed. From the decaying structure of Jeddah airport, grandly described as the world’s biggest in our newspapers, to the rude attitude of immigration officials, to the chaos as we left the terminal, to the bumpy roads which once were highways, if indeed there has been change, it hasn’t been for the better.
“Traffic laws are openly flouted in full view of the lone patrol officer, the streets are littered with filth thrown by passing motorists, the roads are dominated by a multitude of trucks hauling away sewage, water pipes big enough for me to drive a Volkswagen through sit idly by the roadsides for years, and we consider that change?
“And that’s not all, Tariq. When I went to the downtown passport office to renew my wife’s papers, I was offended by the lack of order. The building is so decrepit and pitiful, it should be boarded off as unfit for humans. There are no posted procedures for processing your affairs, and you end up at the whim and mercy of a clerk who believes he’s doing you a favor. We are paying for those services, my friend. What happened to all that talk about using postal services for such passport matters? I’ll tell you. It’s vanished into the air along with the stench of the sewage trucks.
“Yes, there are plenty of new shopping malls, but have you noticed any new school buildings yet? Where are our priorities leading us? The mindset remains stagnant, Tariq. A culture that accepts mediocrity will end up just mediocre.
“Oh Tariq, there’s so much more, but perhaps we’ll leave that for my next visit. Really, look around you with open eyes and you’ll notice that nothing’s really changed.”
