A NUMBER of Saudis have expressed their anguish over the shameful and irresponsible behavior of some compatriots, including tourists, students, diplomats and official representatives when they visit foreign countries, giving a bad name to the Kingdom and its people. At least 4.5 million Saudi tourists take at least one holiday each year and they spend as much as six times as Western holidaymakers, according to statistics published in local media. "Some Saudis think that they have the freedom to do anything when they are outside Saudi Arabia. This attitude is ridiculous," said one Saudi, who requested anonymity. He stressed the need to punish such individuals who tarnish the Kingdom's image by preventing them from foreign travel. Foreign media often highlight the shameful behavior of Saudis abroad to discredit Saudi Arabia and badmouth its culture and traditions, he said. "They also use such incidents to deepen negative stereotypes about Saudis and Arabs in general," he told Al-Madina Arabic daily. Al-Madina contacted frequent Saudi travelers to highlight this important issue as part of its efforts to educate Saudi tourists and students and inform them how their irresponsible behavior affects the image of their country, reputation of its people and their religious faith. Some young Saudis engage in unusual and unbecoming activities while in foreign countries to get publicity. They boast about their shameful and sinful acts and publish video clips and photos on Facebook and other social media platforms. "We have noticed a considerable increase in shameful activities by Saudi students and tourists abroad," said one Saudi tourist who spent his summer vacation in London. He said a large number of Saudis had visited the British capital this summer, compared to previous years. "It's unfortunate that some of our tourists do not respect the country's rules and regulations as well as its culture and traditions. I have witnessed several instances of unbecoming and unacceptable behavior by Saudis at public parks, shopping centers, restaurants and hotels," he added. Salim Al-Abdullah, a civil engineer, said he used to visit foreign countries annually thanks to his membership in timeshare, a way to own vacation property and ensure an inexpensive vacation. "Greater openness and an increase in the number of Saudi scholarship students abroad have changed the Saudis' concept of foreign tourism," he told Al-Madinah. "In the past people traveled abroad after amassing enough money through hard work. They visit other countries to witness the culture and lifestyles of their people. They were highly disciplined in their behavior and won the respect of officials and people in countries they visited," he explained. "Now travel has become easy and people know where to go from the Internet and social media networks. The presence of Saudi students in various countries has encouraged their relatives and friends to visit them and their universities," Al-Abdullah said. "Unfortunately some of our tourists and students misbehave while in foreign countries without respecting the laws of the country and its people. Most of them lack deep knowledge about the country they visit and behave shamefully antagonizing its people," he said. Rawiya Abdul Fattah, a bank cashier, said the bad behavior of Saudis abroad was disgusting. "These foolish people think that everybody has the same brain and mentality," she said. She spoke about an embarrassing incident she had at a reputable restaurant in France. "When we visited the restaurant for lunch the owner stopped us and said you are not welcome. He was very angry because of the bad experience he had from a Saudi customer." The Saudi tourist after taking dinner with family at the restaurant refused to pay the bill, arguing it was more than expected and engaged in a verbal conflict with the cashier, causing embarrassment to other customers. The owner then decided not to allow any Saudis to avoid similar problems in the future. "I talked to the owner and was able to convince him that there are such people in every society," Abdul Fattah told Al-Madina. Samir Al-Ali, a government employee, spoke about another bitter experience. He has seen some Saudis harassing women including Saudis while in foreign countries. "These people think they can do anything abroad making use of the newfound freedom. This is shameful." Aabid Ahmed, a businessman, downplayed the issue and said only a few Saudis engaged in such silly and shameful activities, giving a bad name to their country and other Saudis. "We cannot call it a phenomenon because the majority of Saudi tourists behave nicely when in foreign countries and they are welcomed by foreign universities, tourist resorts and businesses. But the bad behavior of a few has tarnished the image of Saudis and their country," he said. Ahmed cautioned that the enemies of Saudi Arabia would exploit disgraceful incidents involving Saudi tourists to discredit the Kingdom. "They are looking for a chance to exaggerate mistakes of Saudis and describe them as uncultured and uneducated people," he said. Officials in the tourism sector have another viewpoint while agreeing to the fact that the ignoble behavior of Saudi tourists and students abroad was on the increase. Mohammed Omar, director general of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, said such deplorable activities take place not only abroad but also inside the Kingdom. "This is very embarrassing. We have to enlighten our tourists inside and abroad as they are ambassadors of our country. Any bad behavior from their part would tarnish the image of their country," he said while attributing it to lack of education and proper upbringing. He referred to the destructive activities of some Saudis at Jeddah Corniche, which has been developed into an international tourist destination, spending millions of riyals. "Society should take up the responsibility of enlightening young Saudi men and women on how to behave properly inside and outside the Kingdom, giving a good picture of Saudi culture and traditions and enhancing the Kingdom's international reputation," he added.
