ALKHOBAR, 16 November 2007 — Expatriate women have been reporting some strange incidents that have taken place over the last two weeks while they have been out in Alkhobar. In every incident the woman was alone and each demonstrates the need to be more aware of personal safety, even while going about everyday chores.
In the first situation, a woman was sitting in the family car, parked in the street near an express shipment office. Her husband had gone inside the courier company to collect a package that had arrived from overseas. The vehicle was idling, so the airconditioner would continue functioning.
“I was sitting in the car listening to the radio and suddenly I heard a sound at the door,” said Sue. “I looked to the left and saw a man in a red and white shirt at the driver’s door. It wasn’t my husband and I started screaming. I was so frightened that I couldn’t get my seatbelt off, but I had my cell phone out and I did manage to call my husband.”
When Sue started screaming the man ran away. Her husband rushed out of the courier company and arrived at the car in under a minute. Once he understood the problem, Sue’s husband became aware that as he’d exited the office building, he’d seen a man in a red and white shirt driving away in a small white car.
This may all have been a case of an absent-minded individual simply attempting to enter the wrong vehicle, or it might have been something more sinister. The security guard who followed Sue’s frightened husband out to the street advised the family to keep their vehicle doors locked at all times — even when they were inside the car. Sue did the smart thing in screaming, as it draws attention and deters ne’er-do-wells, and keeping her cell phone close at hand was also a great move.
A locked car door might also have saved another woman from a terrifying experience. Diane left the Alrashid Mall area in a taxi last Thursday morning, headed away from Alkhobar.
“The driver had accelerated to a speed of about 80-90 kpm, when leaning slightly forward in my seat to adjust the A/C lever, I suddenly saw my taxi’s door flying open,” Diane explained. “I looked at the open door and then at the kid in a white thobe hanging out of the car with his arm extended as he returned into the maroon-colored Nissan Altima. That car sped away abruptly. In seconds, I grabbed the taxi door and slammed it shut!”
Both Diane and the taxi driver were “freaked out” but Diane insisted that the driver pursue the speeding car to identify it. Diane and the driver then drove to a nearby police checkpoint and reported the malicious activity as well as provided the car’s license plate information.
“The police officer was on the radio reporting the matter when we left the checkpoint,” Diane said. “This could be a random act, a one-time prank or the latest trend. The taxi driver said he had been here seven-and-a-half years and this was the first time anything like this had happened. It’s a good thing I always wear my seatbelt. I keep thinking if I didn’t and I was leaning on the door arm rest, this could be a different story! Or if the car door was locked, the stupid guy could be road kill.”
The final incident to mention is one on Prince Faisal bin Fahd Road. Returning to a waiting limousine after picking up some purchases for a party last Monday, Miriam was accosted by two men in thobes who were pointing to her attire and shouting.
“I don’t understand any Arabic, so I just hurried the last few feet to the car and got inside,” Miriam explained. “But the men didn’t go away and one went around to the driver’s window and started shouting at him. I told the driver to ignore him and go home quickly. I thought these men were from the virtue commission — especially when they got in a blue Crown Victoria and started following us.”
Miriam was just a few minutes drive from the compound where her family lives. The blue car had continued to follow the limousine until they reached the first compound checkpoint, and then the car made a left and quickly drove off. Miriam reported the men’s actions to the compound security officers who immediately notified their superiors.
It is important to note that the men harassing Miriam were pranksters, not government authorities. Back in June, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice held a press conference. Many expatriates were out of the Kingdom at that time and may have missed important information provided by the commission chief, Sheikh Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al-Ghaith.
He stated that all commission employees wear official badges “on their chest in a visible area.” The badge contains the commission’s official logo and its name in Arabic and English. The commission members, also known in Arabic as the Hai’a and incorrectly as the “Muttawa,” often travel in official vehicles, marked with their logo. They are unarmed.
Al-Ghaith stated that anyone who does not have an official badge is not a member of the commission. He noted that in the past, negative actions were attributed to the commission which were actually carried out by individuals with no affiliation to the commission whatsoever.
Any woman who feels that she is being harassed or who is the victim of a crime is advised to proceed directly to the nearest police station to report the incident. In Alkhobar, the police station is located near the seaside at the corner of Dhahran Road. All drivers are aware of the location. If you are in trouble, hail a taxi and instruct the driver to take you to the police. Some officers at the Alkhobar police station speak English and English-speaking translators are available. From personal experience I can state that the Alkhobar police are quick to aid any woman in distress.
If you are at a distance from the police station, security personnel at any compound or checkpoint are under orders to provide assistance in an emergency. Hotels, hospitals, shopping malls and banks all have their own security guards on duty, as well. Do not hesitate to ask for help.
