Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CREATIVE CRUISING
If you think it might be difficult to survive a city with the most restricted entertainment scene in the world, spare
a thought for young Saudis. In a country where cinema is banned, singles are kept strictly separated from the op-
posite sex and nightclubs are nonexistent, young Saudis have resorted to novel means of making contact.
The least subtle of these are the
shebab
(teenage boys) with little else to do but 'impress' other drivers with
their speed. Cars cruise up and down outside girls' schools and the
shebab
sometimes throw their phone numbers
from the window in the hope of receiving a call on their mobile.
A similar charade takes place in the shopping malls (particularly the Al-Faisaliah and Kingdom Towers).
Called 'numbering', it's the Saudi version of a casual encounter. Blue Tooth technology has facilitated things still
further by allowing total strangers to text each other without even knowing each other's numbers.
Multiculturalism
Modern Saudi Arabia is a paradox; it's one of the most insular societies on earth, yet only
half of the population are actual Saudis. Official figures place the number of foreign ex-
patriates living and working in the Kingdom at 5.5 million or more. However, this is
widely suspected as being a gross understatement and certainly the large cities can feel
distinctly Asian rather than Arab.
Westerners often work in high-skilled and technical jobs for which Saudis do not yet
have qualifications or experience - something King Abdullah's educational reforms are
aimed at resolving. Non-Western expats (primarily Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indians and
Filipinos) perform mostly unskilled labour such as taxi driving, construction work and do-
mestic help, which many Saudis believe is beneath them. However, there is a substantial
and growing cadre of medical professionals and information technology specialists from
the Indian subcontinent who have altered Saudi perceptions. Many of these workers com-
plain of ill-treatment, exploitation and abuse, although Saudi law in theory protects its leg-
al immigrants. There is also a substantial headache for the Saudi authorities in the shape
of
umrah
and hajj pilgrims from poor Islamic countries staying on in the Kingdom to
work illegally. The local media often attributes crime to illegal immigrants, stoking tradi-
tional prejudices about non-Arabs and reinforcing conservative views that Saudi is an oth-
erwise crime-free country.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Religion
Islam is not just the religion of Saudi citizens, it's the religion of Saudi society and the
Saudi state, and is all-encompassing.
