Abdulateef Al-Mulhim | SUSRISblog
Abdulateef Al-Mulhim, Commodore, Royal Saudi Navy (Retired)
When I was in elementary school in Al-Ahssa, Saudi Arabia, in the 1960s, I was taught by some Arab teachers from Arab countries such as Sudan, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and Syria. And it turned out that some of them are still in Saudi Arabia after all these years. Some of them have been living here for more than 45 years. And about 30 years ago my older brother brought an Indonesian nanny for his first child. It turned out that after 30 years in the Kingdom, she doesn’t want to go back to Indonesia. And more than once, she was paid extra money just to persuade her to visit her relatives. But, two days after her arrival in Jakarta, she turned around and made a reservation to return to Saudi Arabia. Now, she is part of the family and not a nanny any more.
Just a few weeks ago, a friend of mine wanted me to join his father’s company as a consultant. The day I went to the company I met an Egyptian engineer who simply knew my cousins and friends by their first names. It turned out that this engineer has been in the Kingdom so long he didn’t want to tell me, because he didn’t want to reveal his age. There was an Indian in Dammam named Ali Koya who lived in the Kingdom for almost 40 years, and I can recall many more examples such as these.
All the expatriates mentioned above are more Saudi than they are Egyptians, Indians, Pakistanis, Palestinians or Indonesians. The dilemma for those expatriates is very severe. They have children who are born in Saudi Arabia and all their friends are in Saudi Arabia. Their relatives and friends back home already forgot about them after years of absence from their countries. And if they were to leave Saudi Arabia, they would be foreigners and strange people in their own countries. These expatriates only know Saudi culture and the Saudi way of life. And they have very few friends back home. Some of them, especially the young generation born in Saudi, don’t know anybody in their native countries. And those young expatriates always ask the difficult question: What if my family had to leave Saudi Arabia for any reason? Those young men and women could suffer cultural shock among their own people back home, lost in their own native country and semi-strangers to the culture.
We do understand the rules in Saudi Arabia regarding the naturalization process, and it is very difficult to get the Saudi nationality. And as a Saudi, I respect the rules of naturalization. But, it is very important to study this issue on a case-to-case basis. Some of these expatriates have a lot to offer to the Kingdom. We saw some of these experienced and talented expatriates leave the Kingdom and go to the West, especially to Canada and America. And these countries accept them because of their talents, especially the physicians. I met some expatriates in Canada and America who had lived in the Kingdom and gained experience while they were here. However, they ended up leaving and giving the fruit of their experiences to other countries. We saw nurses and head nurses who worked on the most advanced medical equipment in our hospitals. And we saw technicians who worked in the most sophisticated industrial plants. However, they too, after years of working in Saudi Arabia, leave and take their families and their knowledge to the West.
We, in Saudi Arabia have to reconsider the rules for a number of expatriates with exceptional qualifications and skills. Besides, some of those expatriates consider Saudi Arabia as their home. Even some Western nationals feel the same way. Once, an American from New York, who works for Saudi Aramco told me he had been in Saudi Arabia for such a long time, that now Saudi Arabia is his New York. And finally, what would a Sudanese young man named Samer who was born and raised in Al-Hassa do if he was to be sent back to Khartoum, if all he has ever known is this country and its people?
— Abdulateef Al-Mulhim is a Commodore (Retired), Royal Saudi Navy. He can be contacted at: almulhimnavy@hotmail.com
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Also by Abdulateef Al-Mulhim:
- Atlanta and the US-Saudi Business Forum – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – Dec 6, 2011
- America Fired Itself From a Job – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – Nov 17, 2011
- September 11 and the Longest Ten Years – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – Sep 10, 2011
- Airline Diplomacy – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – Jul 17, 2011
- President Ahmadinejad: Iran Doesn’t Need Enemies – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – Jun 8, 2011
- Expats and Loytalty – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – May 29, 2011
- Improving Saudi Tourism Prospects – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – April 14, 2011
- What if Arabs had recognized Israel in 1948? – Adulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – April 5, 2011
- Reflections on the Foundations of US-Saudi Relations – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – Jan 22, 2011
- Is there a larger role for Saudi Aramco? – Abdulateef Al-Mulhim – SUSRISblog – Jan 12, 2011
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
It is a shame, and not very true to Islamic values. I did my senior high school year in Jeddah in a private school. Maybe 85% of the students were children of expatriate Arabs, whose parents had been working for the same company for over 20 years and had these kids in Saudi Arabia. The girls were schooled in Saudi, and most of them, returned to Saudi even after receiving their higher education outside.
I worked for a year in a private company where I was the only Saudi. Many of the employees (my generation) were the kids of long-time expats who received BA’s outside and returned to Saudi. They could not imagine returning to their countries; their identity is closer to Saudi than anything else. It is not completely Saudi, though, because we give them a hard time living like Saudis. Saudi is a good place for expats, because it allows this rooting and its people integrate with everybody. The Saudi society has established a strong social system to absorb people and it is really a good example of the traditional live and let live collaboration that contributed so much to the region hundreds of years ago. Let’s not mention the Islamic scientists and theologists. Let’s go far back to the Prophet’s move to Madinah. Wasn’t he and the other Meccans absorbed and treated as members of the community? The Saudi society in its majority understands this. But the civil rights system is reluctant to revise its view.
If the country is so much against granting citizenship, it could consider the American green card system, at least, where green card holders have the right to most of the privileges citizens receive without becoming active members of the political system. We could create a similar system, where long-time expats can buy land in the country and travel freely and educate their children in Saudi Universities and marry Saudi citizens and have their children receive the citizenship. They’re already a part of the social fabric; might as well acknowledge it civilly.
Thank You So Much Sir Jazak Allah Khair for raising such issues , really expatriate like me born & bought up in Saudi Arabia i dont know any thing about my home land , i wish if i can get citizenship now.
Thank you Abdulateef Al-Mulhim for writing this and Muna for sharing on Facebook, I always wanted to write about this subject because I am a victim of alienation, I don’t have a single friend back in the country of origin, i have spent most of my vacations surfing the deserts of this country, My kids are going to Saudi Schools despite that i couldn’t speak fluent Arabic, we love Saudi Culture and respect it the most and trying to set examples where we can; I was told to find another country to host our future when the country throws us out; but truly, we don’t want to go anywhere, we love it here, the land, the people, the society… i am hoping my next generation with proper education in the Saudi Environment would be able to flourish.
It is a great great story writen from the depth of heart whcih touchs every one’s heart here.
Thanks to Mr. Abdulateef Al-Mulhim (Commodore (Retired), Royal Saudi Navy).
I’ve been married to a saudi engineer since 18 yrs. and every time I apply for natinality they tell me a reason that is not convincing .. I have one daughter and I am bachelor of arts … yet they still insist that I lack one point to be Saudi … I am v. sad …
Very much true Mr. Abdulateef, i totally agree with your prospective of thinking for the expats not even a single word of yours is ignorable i have many friends here in KSA who are born and brought up in here and as u have mentioned they are very much unaware of their own maternal and paternal relatives so there is no chance for even thinking about friends and most of them haven’t yet visited their country for once. I have just been here for about 3 years and i am so very much adapt to the saudi culture, alhamdulillah i have friends saudis and arabs from day 1 here and it has helped me learn to speak arabic fluently. It is surprising that though me being an Indian i have no indian friends here except my couple of cousins. If time permits and given a opportunity inshallah i would definetly want to spend the rest of my life in Saudi Arabia for sure, Jazakallah Khair…
Dear Sir Abdulateef Al-Mulhim (R),
Thanks for highlighting this issue, I am Pakistani and I came Saudi Arab in 1994 and stay there almost 9 years and in this period I never felt that I am far from my country and I love to leave Saudi Arab b’coz I was going mosque with every AZAAN not due to mutawa b’coz all Muslims moving towards mosque with AZAAN and as a Muslim your steps automatically moving towards ALLAH house, I was simple science graduate and having IT diploma but learned and worked on SAP BaaN in Saudi Arab b’coz my Saudi Boss always encouraging me and treating my like his younger brother. today I am working on key position and its only ALLAH bless that i got such good professional experience in Saudi Arab and a loving and caring boss like Saudi Brother. May Allah always protect Saudi Arab, Ameen.
Atlast I can request only with Saudi Govt plz give atleast green card type permanent living permit for those who served Saudi Arab and still leaving in Saudi Arab with family.
Lots of love for all my Saudi Brother and Sister.
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