15
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
commercial centers. I think Riyadh is one of the rare cities
in the world where there is almost no pedestrian crossing
in its streets. Actually, there was no need for them, because
all the people moved in cars, although the city means of
transport therein are non-existent with the exception of
taxi cabs. A flow of small buses would rarely be seen, but
I never saw, not even once, a bus stop.
The great majority of Saudi citizens use their private
cars. As to foreigners, their employers provide them
with this type of transport (for your information, this is
an obligation in any employment contract). I think that
this state of affairs is dictated primarily, more than the
absence of city transport and the great expanse of the city,
by the inclement weather in the Kingdom. In the heat of
the summer (55 degrees Celsius in the shade), it is not
easy to wait at a bus stop. All cars, including taxi cabs,
are air-conditioned. Riyadh is most probably the only city
where one does not see a single police officer standing
in its streets or at its cross-roads, with the exception of
policemen in charge of organizing the traffic. But these
would be sitting inside their cars and their presence is
manifest and tangible everywhere. In case of a traffic
accident, policemen would arrive at the scene within no
more than five minutes.
Students go to their schools riding their private cars,
which are driven by chauffeurs. Hence the traffic jams
between twelve noon and three p.m. near schools. Expert
drivers are keen to make detours round these places. As
to the children of foreigners, these are transported by
the school buses. Sometimes, one could see an eleven or
16
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
twelve--year-old boy sitting behind the steering of a big
jeep driving such a large car skillfully. I think this is not
encouraged by traffic police, but they do not prevent or
preclude it.
The habitual practice of opening embassies is for a group
comprising one or two diplomats to arrive in the country
of accreditation, together with a specialist in economic
administration to look for am appropriate building for
the embassy and a convenient place for residence, and to
rent and prepare same properly. In our case, for certain
reasons, everything was the other way round. It transpired
that the vanguard group of the embassy was confined to
my husband and myself.
A few days later, we moved to a smaller hotel that
comprised family flats and started looking for two proper
buildings for lease. Here something unexpected happened
to me. Throughout my life, I had always complained of
the lack of leisure time and used to dream of practicing
things that I liked, such as writing a book, painting a
picture, sewing or embroidering, or at least practicing
my collection hobby. But now I had plenty of time and
there was no trace of managerial problems. But, strangely
enough, I found myself disinclined to do anything. Before
my eyes, the white pages of the diary book were open; but
what can I or should I write about? I had no children, no
friends, no relatives close to me. Elman, on the other hand,
was soon plunged in work and was always absent, while
I was alone without books or newspapers. Because of the
tightly shut windows, there were no disturbing noises, no
blowing of wind, no barking of dogs, not even the caress
17
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
of breezes. Only at night could we hear the screeching of
the brakes of cars driven by hasty and adroit drivers.
I felt like a prisoner. After sun-set we tried, my husband
and I, to go for a walk, but we gave up this idea. Even
in the evening, there was the humid weather that was
suffocating. Two or three minutes later, there would flow
on our backs under our clothes a string of melting sweat.
Thus the best thing remaining for us was to run for the
air-condition.
Fortunately, I finally I found something to keep me
busy. During the first half of the day, my husband used to
pay visits. But in the second half, we used to go looking
for two buildings for the embassy and for residence. This,
of course, was no mean matter, if we consider the tiring
heat and our financial status.
Every day, we used to inspect 3 to 4 buildings with the
assistance of a real-estate agent. All in all, we inspected
more than sixty buildings, and, in doing so, we had
actively studied, within one month, the residential assets
of the Saudi capital.
Eventually, we stopped at two buildings: the embassy
building, which is a two-storey villa, that consists of 11
rooms, a large courtyard paved with marble slabs, a tiny
house that is appropriate for a driver, a shed for the car and
a swimming pool of medium dimensions; the second, was
the residential home, which was more modest, consisting
of a one-floor furnished house. Later on, within a few
days, the embassy rooms were repaired, furniture was
purchased and oil paintings were hung. Then, which is
quite an accomplishment, the Encyclopedia Britannica
Dostları ilə paylaş: |