It wouldn’t be difficult for anyone monitoring the long distance telephone call business here to find out why many people have given up other jobs and put their money and energy into this work. This highly computerized business is like the chicken which steadily lays golden eggs. It is entirely dominated by expatriates but Saudis too could easily benefit. The profits are so lucrative that the expatriate selling long distance calls makes enough money to pay his debts, if any, provide for daily needs and then pay the sponsor a reasonable amount.
I wonder if we Saudis have asked ourselves why this kind of business is flourishing in our country more than in any other part of the world. I asked some “experts” in the matter of long distance charges and I was told the reason was simple: excessive costs charged by the local service provider.
Compared to other parts of the world, especially countries such as the US, Canada and those in the Far East, the difference in cost is staggering. A one-minute long distance call made in the Kingdom through these shadowy operators could be a full SR1 or even more — less than that charged by the telephone company.
I know of a relative who used to ask his children in the West to make the calls from there because it was much cheaper than if he called them from the Kingdom. With a little calculation, the man discovered that he could save a substantial amount each time his children called him.
I remember long before the arrival of modern telephone services when the only way of making a long distance call was through an operator. Bankers, businessmen and other officials carefully made friends with the operators who would give them priority.
Others who were less free with their money would approach watchmen working at the homes of affluent individuals who were out of town and ask to be connected with relatives and friends.
The business of providing cheaper long distance calls has now become part of our culture. We shouldn’t be surprised if it is practiced by expatriate workers.
