Generalizations and overreaction are not answers. This is my firm belief as I read or hear about some of the statements often made by expatriates residing in Saudi Arabia who are reacting to the ill treatment of foreign workers by some Saudi employers. In almost all cases, you find harsh, dramatized, generalized, and over-reactive statements. The following are examples of statements made by some expatriates: “…[This] is really an eye opener for Saudis if they have kind hearts and fear of Allah.” In a similar statement, you read or hear, “…to anyone gasping for breath in an environment of affluence.” Or, “Workers do suffer at the hands of their Saudi employers.” Other remarks include: “….[W]e endure suffering at the hands of inconsiderate Saudis…”, “…only Saudis are human beings…and so-called ‘guest workers' are no more than just slaves,” and “…its people [Saudi Arabia] have to improve a lot to reach the level of normal human beings.” I maintain that there is no perfect society on earth. All phenomena, including those equated with social, political, economic, and educational spheres, exist in every society on the globe. The only difference is in the degree of existence. Expatriates are ill-treated around the globe, even in their own countries. It is unfortunate that expatriates are viewed as second- or third-class citizens and that native people wish they had the power to dispatch them back to their home countries. I have been in a number of countries on different continents and have heard time and again from people who work there that their hosts were discourteous and inhumane, to say the least. After talking to so many expatriates around the world, I have reached the conclusion that human begins—especially expatriates—tend to see only the negative and overlook the positive in the places they temporarily live. Yes, I have to admit that a number of Saudi employers badly mistreat their non-Saudi employees, especially those who come from the Third World. I have written a number of articles criticizing the way a considerable number of Saudis treat their foreign guests, especially house helpers and maids. In all of my published essays, I always emphasize the fact that my discussion is not intended to generalize. Furthermore, it is not right to talk or write about one side of the problem. Foreign workers must also share the blame. In many cases, foreign workers either break the law or do not follow given instructions. I would like to relate my own recent experience. A few weeks ago, I hired some workers to do some repairs in my house, telling them exactly what I wanted them to do beforehand. Whenever I saw something that they did not do the way we agreed upon, I would point it out. Eventually, they got angry, stopped working, and asked me to accept whatever they had done and give them the agreed upon amount. In another incident, I hired a painter and gave him some money in advance as part of the deal but never saw him again, even though I called him several times. These are just two instances and space does not allow for countless other experiences of mine and of others. I would like expatriates in the Kingdom to bear in mind that a large number of foreign workers are uneducated or have little education. This can be a negative factor. Their lack of education causes them to behave inappropriately, which eventually provokes strong reactions from their Saudi employers. Cases of mistreatment of foreign workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia do indeed exist. However, all involved parties have their share of the blame one way or another, including employers, foreign workers, and the government represented by its rules and regulations for non-Saudis. It is nonetheless an issue that deserves our great attention and requires quick and effective remedial measures. (The writer is a Saudi academic who can be reached at [email protected]) __
