SAUDI ARABIA - A KINGDOM OF UNCONVENTIONAL DREAMS
EDITOR ' S NOTE
SAUDI ARABIA - A KINGDOM OF UNCONVENTIONAL DREAMS
BY JEETHU ELZA CHERIAN
It ’ s never easy for me to write about Saudi Arabia , the place is Home in my heart . Whenever I tell someone that I grew up in the Desert Kingdom , I receive mixed reactions . Most of them tend to be negative . It disturbs me and I spend the next few minutes convincing them that their perceptions are influenced from the global and western media ’ s depiction of the Middle Eastern country — the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is nothing like that . In fact , I have only fond memories of growing up in Riyadh . Imagine this was during the late 1990s and early 2000s . The magnificent kingdom has only got better with time !
As a long-term expatriate , I find myself wincing when the kingdom gets little coverage except for when there is bad news , such as perceived human rights violations or stories about women not being allowed to drive . But even when I was back there , women could ride around in a taxi without a chaperone and there were a large number of women working in hospitals and schools . My mother worked with the Ministry of Health , and her boss was a Saudi woman ! Now , the scene is changing in the sense that more and more educated Saudi women are finishing college and entering the employment sector .
The experience that you gain growing up overseas is fantastic ; learning about different cultures , visiting new places , and working with local people as well as expatriates from all around the world . It broadens your perspective and makes you more open-minded . Whatever I am today is because of my formative years in the multicultural environment of Riyadh . I studied at the International Indian School in the capital , made friends with children not only from every Indian state , but also with children of my parents ’ colleagues who were from other countries . Growing up in Saudi has also made me keep an open mind about Islam . When most of world is suffering from Islamophobia , some of my best friends are Muslims . I don ’ t look upon the Burkha as a form of repression either . In fact , we girls at school considered it a fashion statement . You should see the variety the garment offers — a far cry from the loose plain boring black garb that is shown in movies !
Another fond memory of mine is the wonderful cuisine . Even the simple shawarma has such charm ! Even after so many years in India , I am yet to have one exactly as the Saudis ’ made theirs . Having also been to a couple of other countries , I can say for sure that no other place celebrates Ramazan as beautifully as Saudi Arabia . We used to look forward to shopping , the awesome iftar parties , and the palm trees being decked up . So , if you ’ re up for unconventional scenic beauty and a different lifestyle , drop by this desert kingdom sometime !
As Saudi Arabia is celebrating with pride yet another national day on 23 September , here ’ s me wishing my second home a wonderful journey ahead . I hope I can go back someday ….
AMBASSADOR ' S MESSAGE
On September 23 , the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will celebrate its 88th National Day . It marks the day the Kingdom was unified under the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1932 . On this occasion , we also celebrate the progress our great nation has made over the last nine decades to become a modern state and a major player on the international arena .
Yet another milestone event in our nation ’ s historic journey under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman , is April 25 , 2016 – the day Vision 2030 was announced . The Vision expresses our long-term goals and reflects our country ’ s strengths and capabilities . Our leadership ’ s vision is of a strong , thriving , and stable Saudi Arabia that provides opportunity for all . The Vision emphasises scaling up economic diversification , raising the skill level of the Saudi young men and women and wisely utilizing the Kingdom ’ s abundant natural resources .
The Saudi Government is exerting continuous efforts at diversifying its economy to achieve the goals set under Vision 2030 . The ambitious $ 500 billion mega city project , NEOM , is underway . The 26,500 square kilometres zone will focus on diverse industries including energy and water , biotechnology , food , advanced manufacturing and entertainment . Additionally , the project of Al-Qiddiya - an entertainment , sports and cultural destination- a first of its kind has been launched earlier this year near Riyadh . These diverse cities will be significant in creating new employment opportunities , and accelerating the growth of the Saudi Arabian economy .
Our eyes are set on the future . Our New Solar Energy Plan 2030 is the world ’ s largest project of its type . By 2019 , the Kingdom ’ s first two solar generation projects with 3GW and 4.2GW of solar capacity will be commissioned and by 2030 ,
14 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 9 • September 2018 , Noida