“Every society in the world has its own distinctive lifestyle, and Saudi Arabian society is no exception.” This was the first statement I made in answering a Western fellow who queried me about how things were done in Saudi Arabia. I continued, “I am not going to dwell on the numerous good characteristics Saudi citizens possess. I will rather spell out some unpleasant aspects of our lifestyle, hoping to raise the awareness of my own people to our failings.”
At this point, I would like to emphasize that these negative features of our lifestyle are not exclusive, but they are the most noticeable ones.
Generalization is the first social phenomenon that Saudi society is notorious for. People of Saudi Arabia love to make general statements on every matter. For instance, when you attempt to solicit an opinion concerning an issue, you will hear general statements indicating that all people involved do this or believe that.
Another apparent note that you will observe is a distinct sense of complaining. Everywhere you go, be it an educational site, government institutions, private establishment or company, or even a social gathering among friends or family members, the overwhelming tone is that nothing is going in the right direction. Once you introduce an issue for discussion, immediately expect to hear unfavorable statements regarding the issue. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is little on the soil of this county that Saudi citizens are pleased with.
The tendency to put the blame on others is another aspect of the Saudi lifestyle. Instead of admitting their wrongdoings and mistakes, the majority of people here like to accuse others of being responsible for what happens. Among people of different classes and in different places, others will be blamed for what went wrong. I rarely encounter people who have the courage to point to themselves and confess that they take full responsibility for what went wrong. To my surprise and based on personal observation, this can even be seen with little children who assign culpability either to their younger siblings or their friends.
A further observation about the lifestyle of Saudis is a lack of seriousness. It is sad to say that a large number of Saudis do not take things seriously. In academia, for example, where I work, when I give my students an assignment they usually do it just to fulfill the requirement of the course without showing any signs of seriousness. This has a highly negative effect on the quality of their work. This can also be applied to every aspect of our lives. The most common phrase in use is, “Oh man, don’t bother; no one really cares.”
“People of the last minute” is the best phrase I can use to describe another aspect of the Saudi lifestyle. People here are very prone to postpone doing what they are supposed to do until the very last minute. The majority of people tend not to take advantage of the time they are given in advance of a deadline; rather, they wait until the designated period is about to end and then they rush to do the assigned task.
I would like to conclude by repeating my opening statement that these seemingly negative aspects of the Saudi character do not mean that we are not people of good character. I mean, on the contrary, to highlight some of the negatives so that we can work to overcome them.
(Dr. Khalid Al-Seghayer is a Saudi academic. He is based in Riyadh.)
