Free Starbucks Around the Clock
Some westerners may not have liked Venezuelan President Chavez’s political remarks in the opening ceremony of the 3rd OPEC Summit, but no one — Westerner, or non-Westerner for that matter — can resist fresh South American ground coffee beans offered by Starbucks at the media center in the Marriott Hotel. Latte, Cappuccino, Frappuccino, Caramel Macchiato, or just coffee of the day was offered to journalists via a Starbucks coffee outlet, around the clock. And best of all, it was free. The three employees in the outlet, who are changed according to shifts, usually had their hands full taking orders. To top it all, pastries, mini pizzas, and sandwiches were also offered free of charge from other pastry outlets such as Lantore.
More Space. Much More!
As soon as you enter the media center in the Marriott Hotel, a good feeling overcomes you. Not only was the place spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of journalists, but its breathtaking 700-sq. meter area provided seating areas, food outlets, large plasma screens, areas for TV interviews, scanning and fax stations, in addition to over 100 personal computers that are linked to the internet via high-speed connectivity.
Security Check in Main Media Center
Journalists, photographers, and all media persons were asked to leave the main media center at approximately 2 p.m. when an announcement came on the loud speakers that a compulsory security check was to be made. No reason was given. Members of the police brought in several trained German Shepherd dogs into the center to apparently sniff out any suspected explosive material. No official clarification was given and police officers refused to give comment.
No Smoking Signs?
Even though a small sign on every table in the media center which is surrounded by chairs reads “no smoking”, journalists who are smokers, did not bother to pay attention. Smoking was random in the media center — by men and women alike. Smokers used whatever they could get their hands on as ash trays, be it empty coffee cups or just extinguishing the cigarettes on empty plates. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing. People in the Kingdom usually don’t take such signs seriously anyway with no one enforcing the banned directive.
Women Sensitive About Their Photos Taken
Any local in Saudi Arabia knows the sensitivity of taking a photograph of a Saudi woman — whether she has her face covered or not. As a photographer from a local newspaper took a photo of three Saudi women working in the information desk near the main entrance of the media center, he was immediately approached by one of the organizers who asked him to delete the photo from his digital camera. “You should have asked them first,” he told the cameraman. When he approached the ladies, who were all not face covered, they said the answer was “no.” They did not want their photos taken. “I thought that it was normal to take their photos in an international gathering like this. I’ve taken dozens of other photographs of Gulf women working in the media center but no one objected,” the photographer told Arab News. Just because these girls were out of the norm working in an information desk in an international event, it seems that the “norms” prevailed at the end of the day.
Excellent OPEC Organizing Committee
Journalists who have covered the Arab Summit a few months ago and who were covering the OPEC Summit saw a big difference in terms of preparation. One of the new and modern ways to get things coordinated was an initiative by the Saudi Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals to print hundreds of media guide booklets available in the media center. Each booklet contained the names and photos of each organizer, contact numbers, and even the languages they spoke. The ministry was keen on employing as many staff as they could from those who spoke more than two languages.
Pure Luck or Coincidence?
Two western female journalists, who are long-time friends, have arrived in the Kingdom at the same time. One of them has left the Kingdom yesterday after covering the OPEC Summit and is due back to Washington DC. Her friend, who works for a radio station is staying. One of them was envious of the other. And that journalist would be the one who only got a 2-week visa to enter the Kingdom. Her friend got a 3-month visa. “I didn’t think they would give it to me when I wrote the period on the form,” she said. The American journalist who left the Kingdom, who did not want to be named, said it was her fourth visit to Saudi Arabia. She lauded the well-organization of the event and hoped to return to the Kingdom to do more features.