MAKKAH, 3 September 2006 — Not far from the beautifully-built Grand Mosque in the bustling city of Makkah lies an area off-limits to ordinary Saudi citizens. Just as the city’s Hosh Bakr black-market, the Gudan Guda is like the jungle. This is a side of Makkah that most Saudis, let alone pilgrims and visitors, do not even get to see. Everything in this neighborhood — from the way the buildings are built to the people that live there — makes you feel you’re definitely not in Saudi Arabia let alone Makkah.
A journey inside Gudan Guda discloses many strange happenings. It seems like as if there is an unseen sign at the entrance of this neighborhood that says “No Saudis.”
With an aim of investigating this area and finding out what happens inside I discarded my Saudi costumes and put on a pair of trousers and shirt. Wearing a thobe attracts a lot of unwarranted attention and in order to perfect my disguise I even spoke in Egyptian accent.
I entered this out-of-limits area around 11 a.m. and wandered through the meandering streets until I came across a group of people who had gathered around an African man selling bottles of a so-called aphrodisiac. I listened attentively as the man began listing the benefits of this medicine, which he said is many times stronger than Viagara. What was even stranger was the fact that the medicine could be purchased for just SR3. I stood there for sometime watching. Then I began haggling with him — at the end he was ready to sell me two bottles for one riyal. Amazing.
I continued my trip inside until the streets became very narrow to a point when they were just three meters wide. Fearing that I may get lost I memorized the way and continued treading forward until I came to a place where a group of African men had set up an outdoor barbershop that charged SR2 for a head shave. The men were sitting on boxes and were working under the heat of the sun — there were no signs and operating licenses. Even the equipment seemed to be non-sterilized contrary to Saudi health standards. So from a distance I observed and took note of what I saw. One of the men was busy washing the customers’ hair with soap and another was shaving the head while a third man sat in a corner washing the apparatus used by the hairdresser.
People would not queue in an orderly line; instead they pushed and shoved each other to be next. But what is perhaps more strange was the way the barber shaved two heads simultaneously, something that I saw for the first time in my life. The barber sits between two men shaving their heads with two razors — one in each hand. After each swipe he wipes the blades on his forearms. When a person’s head bleeds the barber wipes the blood off using his hands — a practice that could apparently cause the spread of diseases, including AIDS.
I looked on and noticed how the barber used the same blade on all his customers. I also noticed that none of the people questioned the barber whether the blade was new or old or whether they were sterilized or not.
I ventured further and came across an African man sitting on the ground with a pair of scissors next to him. I was curious to know what he does and asked him what sort of services he offered. He told me he provided a manicure service and asked me whether I would like some attention. As I stood there asking further questions, a man suddenly came and sat down stretching his feet. The African started working on the man’s toenails. The man’s feet began to bleed but the African continued working while wiping away the blood with his bony fingers.
As I moved further on, in a narrow alley, I came across a black woman selling colorful African clothes onto which were attached pieces of wood. I told the woman in an Egyptian accent that I wanted to buy an item and asked her what the wood was. The woman explained that the wood was a charm that repels adverse effects of magic and that it would ward off evil spirits. Looking at the woman I got scared and quickly moved.
On the other side of Gudan Guda was an area where a lot of buying and selling takes place. Carts selling smelly fruit could be seen everywhere; the stench indicated that the fruits were rotten and unfit for consumption. I left that section and then came across a pile of skinned chickens on the ground. They were being sold for SR3 each.
There were restaurants in the area and people sat outside eating. Risking food poisoning, I decided to eat something and asked for the best dish in the area. A shop vendor told me the best dish was strangely called “Leave Me Alone” and consisted of a boiled chicken that looked like it had died before it was slaughtered. The smell was terrible but the food was cheap and very popular among the people that live in the area.
I felt tired and rather sick so I decided to sit and watch the crowd. An African man approached me and asked about my nationality. I told him that I was an Egyptian and not Saudi as he suspected. He told me to come with him to an African sheikh if I had some money. He told me that the sheikh would be able to triple the money and that I would become rich. He also added that the sheikh would not take much commission. It sounded more like a scam and so I told him that I would return with some money at night and continued on my way.
I exited the neighborhood thinking of the ordinary people that were probably victims of scams like this. The man came running after me before I left and promised me harm if I was not serious about doubling my money.
Gudan Guda is wild and lawless just like the jungle. When will the authorities seriously work to bring law and order to these sorts of “no-go” areas in our cities?
