DAMMAM, 17 February 2003 — Foreigners living in Saudi Arabia by and large feel that present-day Saudis, unlike their predecessors, mistreat them, put on airs and tend to look down upon them, Al-Watan newspaper reported in a study of social trends.
As a result, there is little or no social interaction between the local community and the expatriates, who make up almost a quarter of the Kingdom’s population.
Saudis were not always the way they are today. In the past, they would look upon foreigners with courtesy, kindness, generosity and a great deal of hospitality. That hospitality is now something for the history books.
Times have changed, and so have the people and their social attitudes. Foreigners surveyed by Al-Watan attributed the unpalatable metamorphosis to the rapid economic, cultural and social transformation witnessed by the Kingdom in the past few years.
“We have felt lonely ever since we came here 15 years ago,” said Um Muhammad, a 40-year-old Egyptian.
“Saudis are not social and they do not like to have any relationship with us. I find this very strange. They may not like our culture; they may not like the way we raise our children; they may not like our Egyptian accent.”
Palestinian Mohammed Al-Rasheed, 56, has been in Saudi Arabia for over 35 years. He is a teacher and has lived in many Saudi cities and villages. He described his history, saying that his family refused to come and live here with him because they wanted to resist the Israeli occupation.
Despite the fact that Saudis in the past lived in poor conditions, they were hospitable and kind to non-Saudis, he said.
“In the past, Saudis respected teachers and looked upon them as role models, but not any more.”
He thinks that neighbors have too few relations with each other. In the past, they cared about — and visited — each other. Today’s Saudis are not interested in the non-Saudis who live in their neighborhood.
So how did the government treat him as a foreigner?
“In the past, Saudi government employees did not recognize foreigners as people with any rights. They favored Saudis over anyone else. Foreigners were used to persecution by Saudis, but we do not see this any more,” he replies.
He added: “I used to have very good relations with some Saudi friends when we were in school. But once we graduated, most of them acted as if they did not know me. Even when you go up to them to talk, they make excuses about being too busy.”
Some of the difficulties he faced included frequent transfers from one city to another. Added to this was the problem of salary discrimination between Saudis and non-Saudis who did the same job and had the same qualifications.
Ali Abdulkadr, a 36-year-old Egyptian, who has worked here for 13 years as a marketing representative, told Al-Watan that he always kept himself away from both Saudis and non-Saudis because “that is my nature.” He thinks there is no need for relationships unless both parties benefit from them.
As an expatriate Abdulkadr faced problems such as his expensive house rent — he pays SR7,500 annually out of his monthly salary of SR1,500. He was also a victim of long working hours which stretched to 14 hours a day, and to make matters worse there was no end-of-service reward for him. He was not allowed to bring his family here, which made him frustrated and unhappy.
Musleh Mohammed, a 58 year-old Yemeni working in a clothing shop, said: “Life in the past was simple. People were so polite to everyone and there was very little difference between Saudis and non-Saudis, especially for us Yemenis. Now neighbors — and even brothers and friends — do not trust each other.”
One of the difficulties he faced was the sponsorship system. He was no longer free to travel anywhere whenever he liked. He felt like a stranger in the Kingdom.
“But I consider Saudi Arabia as my second home. You cannot stereotype people; I have Saudi friends everywhere and we are still in contact with each other.”
Reem Al-Helali, a 35 year-old Moroccan, also spoke of life in Saudi Arabia.
“I feel lonely most of the time. In Saudi Arabia, I have no relatives or friends. Talking to my family on the phone is not enough; I am dying to see my family and children. Being alone in Saudi Arabia is very difficult. In my country, we visit each other. People walking in the street greet each other. Even when we are in a public park, people invite us over to sit beside them. You do not see this in Saudi Arabia — maybe it is because the people and society are so different. Saudis are not encouraged to form relationships with foreigners,” she said.
One of the problems she faced was the high cost of living in Saudi Arabia. It was always difficult to make ends meet with her monthly salary of SR1,200.
Arji Dardinal, a 26-year-old Filipino nurse, said she was nervous and uneasy talking to Saudis.
“If it was not for my friends from the Philippines, I would not have continued living like this,” she said. “I support 10 people at home. I have to support my brothers who are in school. Saudis treat us as if we were machines with no feelings or emotions. When I am on duty in the hospital, people shout in my face for no reason. Many people are unpleasant and inconsiderate, but of course not all of them. There are nice people out there, but they are only 30 percent of Saudi society.”
