The people of the Gulf — and Saudis in particular — seem to lead a deceptively lavish life. This is obvious when it comes to cars. Assuming that everybody is rich makes us all try to acquire a new car at any cost, even if this means the country loses more than SR40 billion annually, all of which is spent on importing cars.
Of course, our desire to own the newest is not confined to cars but extend in fact to every other item imaginable.
It is the car, however, that has now become the source of many of our troubles. Apart from human losses which amount to thousands killed and maimed in road accidents every year, the damage to the national economy is enormous. To the SR40 billion is added another SR8 billion or so spent on importing spare parts and accessories.
While in other parts of the world people keep the same car for years as long as it functions smoothly, many of us Saudis are obsessed with the idea of getting a new car every year. It is done for the sake of change with no regard at all to the losses incurred by the buyer, his family or the country at large.
Imagine a car bought for SR100,000 being sold a year later for half that price. If the car is bought on credit, the loss will be doubled with the poor owner finding himself saddled with debt.
Car manufacturers know how to play the game — and very well they play. We consumers, however, instead of caring for safety and durability, care only for car’s external appearance, fancy accessories and the like.
Billions are spent importing cars and the money goes to car manufacturers all over the world including those in East Europe who export junk to us rather than decent cars.
The national economy is denied this money at a time when the number of cars on our roads at any given time is sufficient to enable the country survive without importing new cars for at last ten years. In these ten years we would save SR400 billion — enough to make the state coffers overflow.
By banning the import of both new and used cars, the public would learn how to maintain cars for longer periods of time. This would help improve the appalling safety conditions on our roads by bringing some sense of discipline and respect for the law. Why not try the ban for a time and then wait to see the result?
— Arab NewsFrom the Local Press 19 January 2003
