RIYADH/JEDDAH: Citizens and expatriates across Saudi Arabia welcomed Sen. Barack Obama’s election yesterday as the first African-American and 44th US president, describing it as a historic development.

Throughout the night and until the outcome was announced in the morning people were glued to their television and radio sets as the counting progressed.

Many citizens and expatriates believe that a new leaf will be turned in the history of modern politics. They believe that Obama has been chosen to be a tolerant and understanding president to lead the United States and deal with the problems of the world.

A cross-section of Saudi nationals and residents in Riyadh hoped Obama would help change US foreign policies and bolster the Middle East peace process. While some welcomed the victory cautiously, others said that they were not sure what the policies of the new US president would be when it comes to the question of the Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular.

Osama Kurdi, a member of the Shoura Council, urged the new president to work for peace. Kurdi reiterated that Obama would be busy for quite some time putting in order his own house (the US), which is reeling under a major economic recession.

“The global (financial) crisis with special attention on the US will be a priority,” said Kurdi as he welcomed Obama’s victory.

“Obama’s victory will no doubt rectify the present imbalances in the financial and stock markets, which are reeling under the wrong policies of the Bush administration,” said Mustafa Sabri, secretary-general of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Sabri said a sound US economy would end the economic turmoil in other parts of the world and that the world would become a safer place with a peace-loving superpower around.

Nadia Baeshen, a professor at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, expressed her happiness over Obama’s victory. “It’s a true American success story and a testament to hard work being rewarded,” she said.

“I thank God for giving me the lifetime to see this historic moment,” Baeshen told Arab News. “Obama said in his victory speech that America is a land of democracy and fairness...and my feeling is that when are we, the Saudi women, going to get a Cabinet position or at least a membership in the Shoura and in the Municipal Council? Obama and his supporters have been saying, yes we can but I say no we cannot,” she said expressing her disappointment at the unfair treatment of women in the Kingdom.

“I don’t expect a quick solution to the question of US troop disengagement in the Middle East or a major change in US policy, at least for a year,” said Dr. Ali Hamdan, a teacher from Riyadh, adding that the newly elected Democratic senator faces a raft of issues across the region.

Muhammad Al-Adluni, a Palestinian working in the tourism sector in Jeddah, said, “Unlike Republican administrations, Democrat presidents have shown greater interest in solving the Palestinian issue. It was Jimmy Carter, who hosted the first Camp David agreement between Egypt and Israel, and took the first step toward finding a lasting solution for the Palestine issue. Bill Clinton also sought to find an amicable settlement in the Middle East.”

On the other hand, Samir Al-Majali, a Jordanian expatriate working in the food industry, warned that the Arabs should not be overjoyed with the US election results.

“This is particularly because Joseph Biden, the vice president-elect, is one of those who proposed the division of Iraq into three ethnic regions threatening Iraq’s territorial integrity and Arab character,” Al-Majali said, as he expressed his fear that if the three-nation idea is brought up again it would throw the region into fresh conflict.

“The historic nature of the race and the debate over great issues America faces have provided a fascinating display of democracy in action,” said Khaled Alghamdi, a member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He added that Obama’s candidacy captured the entire world’s imagination. Many others echoed his statement.

Arab News conducted a survey among Saudi youth to know what message they would want to convey to the new American president. Fifty youths who were contacted in Riyadh agreed to respond, but did not want their reactions to be taped. Almost all of them said they looked forward to friendly relations with the US.

“We have a number of demands that we would like the new president to consider,” one of them remarked.

Muhammad, a 25-year-old employee, hoped the US would become more rational, flexible and fair in dealing with other nations. He showed his dissatisfaction with the US policy of totally siding with Israel at the expense of Palestinian and Muslim rights.

Salih, 22, wanted the new president to stop claiming that the US was fighting terrorism while pursuing its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We know why these wars were waged. It’s because of energy and not for restoring peace.”

Abdulaziz, 30, a marketing agent, wanted the new president to avoid every mistake that the previous president made. “I want him to look at the Middle East as a very sensitive region and a significant part of the world ... and not deal with it as an oil reservoir. I hope he acts justly and fairly when dealing with the problems of the world,” he said.

Mohamed Ndolloh, a Kenyan security officer in Jeddah, also welcomed Obama’s win election.

“He is widely popular among the Kenyan community here not only because he will be the first African American president, but also because his father was Kenyan,” he said.

— Ghazanfar Ali Khan and Saeed Al-Khotani in Riyadh, and P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Galal Fakkar and K.S. Ramkumar in Jeddah