I came back a few days ago from Hanover in Germany.
Our company was an exhibitor in CeBit this year. This is considered the biggest and most important exhibition for ICT (Information & Communication Technology) in the world.
Over six thousand exhibitors from sixty countries were there and an estimated half a million visitors. We were the first Saudi ICT company to ever exhibit at CeBit. Our aim in being there was twofold: To promote ourselves as a company in a world forum and to represent our country at the biggest ICT fair in the world.
Great care was taken by us to avoid any of the clichés and stereotypes usually associated with Saudi Arabia. Not a camel or sand dune was in sight, nor did we allow any allusion to the oil industry to be anywhere in our stand.
We were all in smart business suits including our young Saudi lady employees who also wore the hijab.
Toward the end of the fair a representative of the CeBit administration came to our stand. She said to us: “It is the first time that Saudi Arabia is present in CeBit and your company was very professional and you have represented your country well and we will be happy if you come back next year.”
Naturally we were all very pleased by this and can say, “Mission accomplished!”
While there a representative of the Tunisian Investment Board visited me. This is an organization similar to SAGIA (Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority), which promotes investment in Tunisia.
The gentleman proceeded to explain what the Tunisian government was willing to do for me if I decided to set up a company in Tunisia. As he spoke I began to sweat with embarrassment as I thought of the measly inducements offered by my country to investors. The more he spoke the more embarrassed I became and ashamed and then suddenly I began to feel a deep anger.
How long, I wondered, would we Saudis have to suffer the horse manure dished out to us by SAGIA?
Let me tell you a story.
A few years ago a friend of mine, a highly respected Sudanese lawyer, was informed by his Saudi bank that he had to withdraw all of his money and close his account with them.
He was shocked as he was a client of that bank for many years.
Why he had to close? He was informed that SAMA (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency) had ordered all accounts owned by non-resident foreigners to be closed in all Saudi banks. Can you believe that?
Somebody comes to one of our banks to deposit funds which may be several million dollars, because of his trust in our banking system, and we tell him, no! You must have a residence permit first.
Switzerland thrives on just that; accepting and keeping billions of other people’s money. If they were to apply such a cockeyed and brainless scheme they would be bankrupt within a month. The sad thing is that the dolt who came up with this idea probably thinks that he is a genius and is regarded as such by his colleagues.
Truly with friends like these we have no need of enemies. And so we lumber on lurching from side to side like some dinosaur in a primordial swamp bellowing uncomprehendingly as he and his entire species become extinct.
