RIYADH/JEDDAH/DAMMAM, 12 November 2004 — Gloom descended on Saudi Arabia like the rest of the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, as Yasser Arafat died in a Paris hospital yesterday morning. Citizens and expatriates of all shades of opinion admired his role in the struggle for statehood for Palestinians.

“His death is a big loss to the entire Arab world,” Ihsan Ba Hulaiga, a Shoura Council Member, said in Riyadh. “Arafat will continue to be the symbol of Arab aspirations and independent Palestine state for all future generations to come.”

“Arafat was a charismatic leader who struggled for the cause of Palestine until his last breath. His demise has left a vacuum, which cannot be filled by anyone from the ranks of Palestinian leaders. He was one of the most relevant political figures of our time,” Hulaiga said.

“He was the father of our struggle,” Syed Khalaf, a student at King Abdul Aziz University, said. “We only hope that his death will not complicate the Palestine issue further, but pave the way for real peace.” Khalaf’s feeling was shared by many nationals and expatriates across the Kingdom.

Yasser Arafat has been the standard-bearer of Palestinian nationalism for nearly half a century and has lived most of his life in the shadow of death with numerous enemies poised to liquidate him. His status as the symbol of the Palestinian fight for their own homeland has never been challenged and his death would leave a huge gap difficult to fill, said Ahmed Al-Mugri, a Saudi businessman and an active member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Describing Arafat’s death as “the greatest loss suffered by Palestine,” Nayef Ezghool, a Palestinian teacher in Riyadh, said the departed leader worked resolutely in the past four decades to promote the Palestinian cause. “He was a leader of not only Palestine, but a hero of the Arab world.”

“The bigger question is, would Arafat’s death mean even more instability in the Middle East or could it act as a circuit breaker for one of the world’s longest and bloodiest conflicts?” asked a Canadian expatriate, Bob Cannon. At stake are the shape of a new Palestinian leadership and the very future of the Middle East, he said.

“Arafat was as much of the problem, and perhaps more of the problem than he was of the solution,” said an American expatriate who requested anonymity.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Homiedan, dean of the College of Languages and Translation (COLT) at King Saud University, sounded an alarm about the post-Arafat era. Whatever the shape of things to come, “Arafat will remain a symbol of resistance and Palestinian dignity,” the academic said, adding that there cannot be any replacement for Arafat in Arab politics.

“Chairman Arafat,” he said, “devoted his entire life for the just cause of Palestinian people and worked with a missionary zeal to create a separate Palestinian state. His death is not only a great loss to Palestine, but also for Saudi Arabia,” said the dean in the context of growing Saudi-Palestine relations. The Kingdom is currently implementing millions of riyals worth of development projects in the war-ravaged Palestine, which is losing SR40 million daily because of the Israeli intransigence.

Riyadh, which has recently donated some 137 ambulances, is also regularly extending aid to Palestine within the framework of an initiative launched a few years ago by Crown Prince Abdullah. This initiative led the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to set up two funds -Al Quds Fund and Al Aqsa Fund — primarily to raise $1 billion for Palestine.

“Asia, and particularly India, has lost a great friend.” Akhtar Siddiqui, member of the managing committee of Delhi Public School (DPS), said, adding that Arafat’s death is a great loss not only for the Palestinians but also for Asia. “His death marks a turning point in the history of the Middle East and the world at large,” he said.

In Jeddah, Alladin Ahmed Mohammed, an Egyptian taxi driver said: “I think Arafat has been dead for five or six days. They were just stalling for time. He was poisoned. The change in his blood cells indicates this. The coming months will not be good for the Palestinians. With the death of their leader they will receive little attention from the world. All the focus now is on Iraq. I believe that the Palestinian people and the Israeli people want to live together. It is to the advantage though of both corrupt governments that the violence continues.”

“Nobody can guess global politics anymore. It’s a game. How it will play out we are waiting to see. Arafat’s passing could be a good thing. At least it will give a chance for new initiatives,” Mohammed Hamdan, a Lebanese trainee at Jeddah Inter Continental said.

“I think it’s a loss no matter what you think about the man. Arafat was their elected leader. The future now will be up to the Palestinian people. It is best if there will be a peaceful transition and I don’t think the road ahead is clear. There are many possible factors that could emerge. And the Palestinians alone can’t create a lasting peace. It is strange though how things happen sometimes. In Poland whoever thought that a local pipe fitter could change the government. Hopefully the right person will come into the spotlight at the right time,” said an American consultant for a US firm who identified himself as Robert.

“God bless his soul. This is a confusing time. I really don’t know who will take Arafat’s place. No one man can. There are so many issues and nothing is clear. About the money, there have been rumors for some time. I have the feeling that at least some of it is the truth. But this should not be the focus immediately. The factions must unite and stand together. That is the only way the Palestinians have a chance for a better future. At this moment we must be hopeful. It’s all we have,” said Ousama Hussein, a Palestinian dentist in Dammam.

Some Jeddah residents said Arafat’s death would strengthen the Palestinians’ will for freedom and independence. “Arafat was a symbol of Palestinian freedom struggle and statehood. He did more than anybody else in furthering and strengthening that cause,” said Sameer A. Awadallah, a Palestinian computer engineer “In that sense, with all due respect for the departed leader, it is not a loss,” he added.

Kasim Noor Muhammad, an Indian electrical goods sales executive, said that while any death was a sad occasion, Arafat’s was much more so, “because he has passed away at a critical stage in Middle East politics.”

According to him, in death Arafat would prove more formidable for (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon, who did all his “evil best” to sideline and “politically destroy the Palestinian leader in connivance with the US.”

Wael Bukhary, a Saudi accountant, said Arafat had left a legacy of spirit, and strong will for the Palestinians to continue their struggle for independence from the occupation Israeli forces.

“Israelis must realize that their killing of thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children, and old and young people, is proving useless just because the will for freedom is stronger in might than any power in the world and this will is definitely going to be strengthened by Arafat’s death,” he added.

Yasin Al-Akkas, a Syrian pharmacist, said Arafat was a hero and man of the masses all his life. “Notwithstanding Sharon’s machinations, he has died a hero’s death and left a determined army of followers much larger than the Israelis can comprehend “intoxicated by ruthless power and brutal force as they are. Of course a new leadership will emerge, but Arafat will be missed a lot and his death will cast a long shadow.”

(With input from M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan in Riyadh, Molouk Y. Ba-Isa in Dammam and K.S. Ramkumar and Habib Shaikh in Jeddah).