Part 1

Part 1

Forget Lawrence, Theo is here J

Suitcase checked-in, gone through the passport control, the emotions are on a rollercoaster ride and I’m still wondering if I’m doing the right thing. Torn inside me, on the one hand I really want to make this experience, but one the other hand all what I read and heard makes me feel scared.

I have long prepared myself for this journey. One year ago, I once again started thinking about my future and which way to go. At a tipping point reached, in many ways, it was Christmas 2012 when I was searching for a solution, for a plan for my future life, future career.  

A world map was spread and my thoughts ran wild. Some countries were left out and not in question (too far away, not interesting enough, no career perspectives, too insecure, too hot, too cold, etc). After much pondering, I laid out some criteria: not too far away, good, climate, good income, exotic, etc. And this is how Saudi Arabia made it. KSA, as its actual name is, sounds like orient, adventure, mysticism, caginess, tasty food and scents. But also strict lifestyle and hot summers.

Never mind. The fact that it is a closed country with no tourism, makes it even more interesting and exciting and makes you want to explore, experience and to get to know it even more. Unfortunately, you don’t find much information about it. There are lots of blogs in which one can read many different things, but much of it is contradictory and at the end you don’t know what to believe. There are hardly and guide books and images are even harder to be found.  

I have bought many books and read several blogs, and after a year I’m finally here and I have to say that it is different from what I thought and read. Much is simply not true and the country is more liberal than you think.

I had a queasy feeling and thought, Oh my God, what am I getting myself into? And wouldn’t it be better to call it all off and stay home in Europe? Although I have been travelling across Europe since my childhood, this is my first time ever outside the continent. The tension grew with each passing day and defeated the fear in me, a fear I kept to myself and shared with no one.  

After a several hours lasting flight with a stopover in Cairo, I arrived in Riyadh at 3am. Although the flight to Europe was not quite like one within Europe, however, it wasn’t that extraordinary. Among the passengers there were Africans, Arabs, Europeans, men, children and women who were not veiled. The picture changed however in the waiting hall at the Cairo Airport. Many fully veiled women were sitting next to me and let their children play. When I raised my eyes from the iPad and let them wander, I realised that a) I was the only white person, b) the women were not accompanied by men and c) not all were fully veiled. Thus, the myth of the fully veiled woman in a black abaya who never leaves the house without a male escort, seemed to be a fantasy. When the children, who were romping around realised, that I was no longer looking at my iPad, came to me. A few stared at me, and it gave me the feeling that from now on this would be normal and I will be stared at, and some other said something in Arabic. Since I didn’t understand a word, I replied in English in the hope that one of the mums would understand something. They, in turn, smiled at me and said nothing. I reached into my backpack and produced a big bag of gummy bears, Haribo Gold Bears. At first the kids looked at the bag and its content hesitantly and with suspicion and distrustfulness, because they probably didn’t know what Gold Bears are, but after some initial hesitation, one of the kids took the bag and ran away. The others followed him. However, the content of the bag was shared equitably and the mothers thanked me.

Eventually we got on the airport bus in which we were taken to the plane. On board I immediately noticed the separation of the sexes. Men in front, women at the back and on my way to the loo I noticed that every woman was fully veiled. The stewardesses however were dressed in a western manner and were not even wearing a headscarf. But they were unfriendly. Perhaps it was due to the late hour, around midnight.

We arrived in Riyadh at 3am. Armed with my passport and a newly acquired visa, I got off the plane, into the bus and to the airport building. There I followed all the others who seemed to know which way to go. After walking down a long corridor, we turned into a hall in which many people were already standing and waiting. Above their heads, hanging from the ceiling were three signs: Re-entry, First-time-entry and something in between that I can’t remember. I went to the first-time-entry queue and joined in. With all the horror stories I was reading for months, I didn’t dare to look around. Something inside me was telling me that if I now make a wrong movement or look at someone or my eyes meet a woman’s eyes or I glance at a woman, an official would jump on me, throw me down to earth, shout something in Arabic and I’d find myself in a dungeon. Scenes from films like ‘Midnight Express’ came into my mind. I had the impression of being in a gulag or a country ruled by the Taliban. At some point I dared to look around and realised how beautiful the airport is. No gray concrete like our airports. Marble in different shades of yellow everywhere and a friendly architecture. Nothing dreary and dull that causes depression.  

Suddenly there was quick movement on the other side of the hall, mainly where Saudis were standing. We had to wait. Again, separation of the sexes. Before me an Italian, behind me a few Spaniards. Thank God I was not alone! I started a conversation with the Italian in Italian, to be sure that no one understood us. We spoke quietly and watched the hustle and bustle for a while. Around us were mainly Asians (Indians, Bengalis, Pakistani, Philippinos) and a few Africans. A few queues ahead stood young Asian girls who are likely to work as housemaids. It all went ahead very sluggishly and the border officials were drinking tea and were going back and forth. At some point we understood that the system wasn’t working, was down and that was the reason for the immense delay. An expert was called, did something and it worked for a few minutes. After that the system was down again.  

If you enter the kingdom for the first time, you have to show your passport plus visa. In addition, a photo is taken and fingers scanned. The fact that the iris is also scanned, is a tale. Over an hour in the queue and barely forward, I noticed that all the women were already through the control and all around me were only men. Another 45 minutes later, waved a border official me and the Italian guy to the front. We were allowed to jump the queue! I gave my passport to an official, my details were entered, my fingers scanned and a photo taken. Then the system broke down again and I had to wait. When I asked if I was ready, I received an unintelligible answer. Perhaps it was due to my fatigue that I did not understand. I asked “pardon?“ and got a harsh „system down!“ smashed at my face. Oha! Welcome to the stone age! Said my subconscious, and I wished I could take the next flight home.  

A few minutes later, I got my passport back and was allowed through the control and into the country. I found my travel bag on the floor next to the luggage conveyor belt. Great. Then my luggage had to be scanned once more before I was allowed to exit.  

Anes was waiting on the other side. A born in KSA Philippine, who was sent from my company to pick me up and take care of me. As we entered the car park, I saw that 90% of the parked cars were white. We got into a white Hyundai and exited the car park. Anes drove to the first petrol station, which was closed. It was shortly after 5 in the morning, prayer time, the first out of five. Welcome to Saudi Arabia, an Islamic Kingdom!  


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