JEDDAH, 14 June 2004 — Security on the road between Al-Ula and Madinah was much more in evidence Sunday than it had been on Friday. Driving south with an Irish friend Michael James, about to leave the Kingdom after completing an eight-year teaching job, we were asked for our route by hotel staff in Al-Ula as we left.
“Security is concerned,” he told us. “They will ring ahead. They want to be sure you are OK.”
We were stopped at every checkpoint. “English and Irish — Ah! Yes,” was the response all the way to Madinah. It appeared they had been contacted — but nonetheless, papers were minutely examined. One young policeman was fulsome with his advice. “Bad in Riyadh,” he said. “Black out your windows — like this,” he advised, tapping his aviator sunglasses.
Saudi Arabia has changed. “It wasn’t exactly exciting,” said Michael James, “but it was safe.” Over his eight years in the Eastern Province, James has seen the Kingdom change from a secure place in which to live and work that allowed many expatriates a relaxed lifestyle.
“There is almost a fortress mentality among the Western community in the Eastern Province,” he said. The random nature of the attacks has increased levels of vigilance. “People are much more wary of the possibility of attack,” he said.
The British Embassy’s advice officially concurs. “The headline advice on Saudi Arabia remains the same — against all but essential travel,” said Barrie Peach, the embassy spokesman, yesterday.
In an official statement which authorized the departure of all non-essential staff and their dependents — advice very infrequently given — Peach said: “We believe that there is a continuing high threat of terrorism and that terrorists are planning further attacks in Saudi Arabia against Westerners and places associated with Westerners.”
In the general “good housekeeping” advice, the embassy advised all members of the British community who travel to or remain in Saudi Arabia to take all necessary steps to protect their safety and ensure that they have confidence in their security arrangements. “The decision to authorize voluntary departure for non-essential staff and dependents is a result of consideration over the last week,” Peach added.
The embassy said that the move to authorize voluntary departure for non-essential staff and dependents is consistent with the advice against all but essential travel that it is giving to travelers.
“This country is at a tipping point,” said Michael James, who taught young Saudis at a technical college and has long observed the challenges of the job market and the need for relevant skills that result in employment. “The Kingdom has developed a complex social structure with many competing pressures. The pressures will cause change — but whether that will be productive or destructive depends on the way they are handled.”
