“This whole ‘Shabab are trouble’ tag is a little unfair,” said Mohammed Khatib, a 26-year-old Jeddawi. “Yes, the culture here leaves us a little humdrum and dry. I do not agree with guys harassing women on the streets, in cafes or malls. No, that is not my argument. But instead I feel sad for them. They really have not much to do and are deprived of a normal culture.”
Young Saudi men feel they are unduly scrutinized as they are stopped for random security checks, not allowed in malls at most times, and face struggles to enjoy the limited number of activities available to them.
“You can’t always blame the frenzy on the shabab,” says Hassan Ali, 22. “We are the way we are for a reason. Yes, it is stimulated by the lack of opportunities here. No one is looking at why. Everyone is comfortable with ignorance. We can’t even go into malls as singles, so yes, these dire situations lead us to little fanatical activities. But it is not our fault entirely.”
Mohammed said his exposure and open-minded family is why he is neither ultra-conservative nor one to indulge in the tactics young men resort to in Saudi Arabia.
“Blame it on the culture,” he said. “All they can do is play football, smoke sheesha, play cards and when they get bored they succumb to the medieval activity of chasing girls. It is in their nature. They won’t harm you; they just think it is fun. And I know it scares women, so it is undoubtedly wrong.”
He also pointed out that providing more opportunities to interact “normally with society” would encourage young men to behave themselves, “but the majority of their families prohibit anything that is not an all-male activity, hence they rebel, too.”
Jamal Ahmad, 21, wearing a grunge T-shirt and a long mane, said he hates when mall security profile him as riffraff whose only purpose for going to the mall is to bother women for their phone numbers. “Why are they so prejudiced? Didn’t the Prophet (pbuh) have long hair? I know I cannot be comparing our generation to theirs, but if you are going to say it is not Islamic, do your research on Islam first.”
Jamal feels there is prejudice against young males in general and it tarnishes the credibility of youth in general.
“A lot of shabab are taxi drivers now. At first customers are skeptical to sit in a cab if it is a young Saudi driver, but they get used to it,” said Amjad Alamhar, 25. “I was scared when I saw a 'shabab' pull up. To be honest I thought he stole the cab and was going to rip me off, because in general you do not expect young Saudis to be hardworking. But he was proficient.”
Shiban Ehtisham, 29, points out that many young Saudi men are respectful and professional about their jobs: “They are not going go crazy, racing and chasing girls.”
Shiban feels the social affairs officials should incorporate their efforts and create more activities, and in the process give young men more exposure. “Most Saudi men who have never interacted with women socially could learn to network and also keep themselves busy with other recreational activities,” he added.
