RIYADH/JEDDAH, 23 September 2006 — Saudi Arabia’s large expatriate community offered its greetings to the country on the occasion of National Day with plans for celebration.
Expatriates from all walks of life and diplomats showered praise on the Kingdom for its dramatic progress over the decades and hoped to continue to participate in its onward march.
Members of different nationalities said the Kingdom had become their second home. Some of them who are residing in the Kingdom for several years said they would like to continue to stay and work in the country due to its unparalleled record of peace and security.
British Ambassador Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles greeted Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and said: “Our long-standing friendship continues to flourish with high-level visits such as Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. I particularly welcome the growing links between the people of both countries. More Saudis than ever are coming to the UK to visit and study. They are very welcome; we continue to issue visas within 24 hours or less to the vast majority of our visa customers.”
Bangladesh Ambassador Retired Maj. Gen. Iqramul Haque said his country would continue to march forward with the Kingdom in its path toward progress, prosperity and peace. “We hope to strengthen our bilateral commercial ties with the Kingdom.”
“It’s a happy occasion for both the nationals and expatriates who treat the Kingdom as their second home,” Sri Lankan Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq said. “We’re happier this year as National Day coincides with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan.”
“We find people celebrating the National Day with great fervor,” observed Zawfir Ziard, chief operations officer at Unique Choice.
Hassan Cader of Arabian Gulf Company said that workers at his establishment, which has a large multinational work force, are happy to participate in the National Day celebration. “We pledge our cooperation in the national endeavors of this great country, which leads the Islamic world.”
“We keep our home fires burning with what we earn from this holy land and so pray for the country’s continuous peace and prosperity,” Rasheed Butt, a Pakistani multinational company executive, said.
“We Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are proud to join in the celebration. We’re thankful to the Kingdom as our remittances have contributed toward our own country’s development,” Dr. Carlito L. Astillero, community leader and laboratory services director at Al-Mishari Hospital, said.
Expatriates in Jeddah said thanks to their stay in the Kingdom and the tax-free remittances that they have been able to send home, they are now owners of houses or residential blocks. Some expatriates said that despite their own prosperity, some of the local issues concerning the community have posed a concern.
“Non-payment of salaries, gratuity, dues and injustice, compounded by harassment by employers or family problems at home have been some of the primary causes of concern in the community,” Tarig Abdullah Elzain, a Jeddah-based Sudanese shipping executive, said.
“Barring such exceptions, life in the Kingdom has remained peaceful for us,” he said, adding that working in the Kingdom has yielded rich dividends for the expatriate community.
“Of course, any kind of generalization is not wise. There are good employers as well as bad. There are professionals who have fallen in love with their work and their lifestyle to the extent that they do not even wish to return home for good,” said Abdul Karim Nayyar, an advertising agency executive.
“The Kingdom is like any other country, which has a combination of opportunities and dangers. But the fact remains that not being able to become a permanent resident has its drawbacks and for someone who works in the Kingdom but cannot afford to or is not allowed to bring his family, loneliness can be the biggest killer,” Dr. Sarmad Quraishi, a specialist at a state hospital, said. “However, every expatriate comes to the Kingdom with the objective of earning a living that offers a chance to save money and build a home in his home country, and most of those residing here for a long time have achieved a lot both in terms of money and work experience,” he said.
“Our stay here has enabled us to see the world,” said Jamal Dakkak, a Lebanese executive in a major PR company. “I know of many expatriates who visit a different country each time they visit their home country on vacation.”
All in all, expatriates in general are extremely happy with the kind of lifestyle they have acquired here. Some of those who went back home on final exit after a long stay here have returned, as they could not fit into their own country’s lifestyle. “Yes, I’ve come back because I found that I was a stranger in my own country,” said Salim Jahangir, a Pakistani factory supervisor.
