JEDDAH: Saudi students from local institutions, such as Dar Al-Hekma, King Abdulaziz University (KAU) and the College of Business Administration (CBA), yesterday participated in an event in which they learned about the US political process and voiced their enthusiasm at the American people’s decision to elect Barack Hussein Obama as the country’s 44th president.
The event — entitled “2008 US Election Watch” — was organized by the US Consulate General and held at the Al-Qasr Ballroom of the Jeddah Hilton hotel. It began with a presentation showing the students the importance of campaigning and how the Electoral College system is implemented. The event also included an open panel discussion.
The discussion, which was moderated by Maisah Al-Sohbahi, a professor of English literature at KAU, focused on local opinion on the election results and how Obama’s election will impact the Kingdom and the Middle East economically and politically over the next four years.
The panelists, who included a Saudi businessman and five CBA students, congratulated Americans for choosing Obama, and said the new president’s top priority should be to tackle the ailing US economy. They said that this would not only be a positive step forward for the US but also for the Kingdom and the global economy.
“I am optimistic that Obama’s victory yesterday and his new policies will be welcomed worldwide, especially in Saudi Arabia, and that he can bring about change by first fixing his country’s problems and then fixing problems in the world beyond, especially the Middle East,” said Mohamed Yousef Sanad, a CMA student.
Sanad said he believes that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has more of a chance of being resolved now. “Obama yesterday made history by becoming America’s first African-American president. He now has the chance to make history by resolving the Palestinian issue,” he said.
Thanking the US Consulate for organizing the gathering, Ahmad Mahayri, vice president of the Jeddah company Legend’s Mist, said, “It is important for me as well as a lot of people in the Middle East to express our readiness for better Saudi-US relations.”
Panelists also expressed their hope for a friendlier and relaxed attitude toward Saudis and Muslims under Obama.
“I am sure, Obama, with a black, Muslim father and a white, Christian mother, has shown his diversity and that he can truly understand international issues. I believe that this will positively affect us by bringing change in Islamophobic views and help the US and the world see Muslims and Saudis in a positive light,” he said.
The students said that one reason why Saudi students opt not to go to the US is the difficulty in entering the country. He said they would now like Obama to assist in speeding up the visa process and ease security checks not only for Arabs but for all foreigners wishing to study or work in the US.
At the end of the discussion all agreed that Obama is the right man for global change and that he would only be successful if Saudis and Arabs alike unify in helping to make that change.
