VOICES FROM THE INTERNET Saudi poverty For people who have never been to Saudi Arabia, the fact that we are one of the biggest producers of oil often gives the impression of affluence. And in major tourist attractions around the world, every Saudi tourist is thought to be a member of royalty. That's why I believe it's important to show that that privilege and extravagance is only true for a very small and shrinking faction of Saudi society. Some of the rest are well-off as a middle-class. And then we have the majority; people living from paycheck to paycheck or some who can't find jobs. The growing unemployment rate and the rising numbers of households who cannot make ends meet have been a throbbing headache. It is depressing that in a country where there are nine million people brought in on worker contracts, many of whom are low-skilled, our own Saudi youth go to waste from joblessness and idleness. Young men who have to compete in a market where a Saudi's basic salary could get the employer three men from India, Sri Lanka or the Philippines. I know that some accuse Saudis of being pompous and lazy but I know for a fact that the majority are hardworking and hungry for opportunity. These imported workers are willing to work 10-12 hour workdays and even live at nearby cramped quarters assigned by the employer. And all at a salary that could barely sustain an individual in Saudi Arabia, never mind households. How could a Saudi compete with that? – saudiwoman.wordpress.com Stray cats Saudi Arabia simply abounds with hundreds if not thousands of stray cats when you think of the Kingdom as a whole. And finally there is a very noble organization in Saudi, Saudi Paws, which is taking proactive action towards not only bringing attention to these cats but getting the word out that these cats are creatures deserving of loving homes. First of all a group of volunteers, which includes dedicated veterinarians and cat lovers, have networked throughout the Kingdom to spread awareness of the need for the TNR (trap, neuter, return) of Saudi street cats. This process makes a significant difference in decreasing the stray cat population. In essence stray cats are trapped which usually involves placing food inside a cat carrier. The stray cat is usually always hungry and will enter the carrier to eat. As it eats, the carrier door gets closed effectively trapping the cat inside the carrier. At that point the cat can be taken to a vet where it is either neutered or spayed and receives other immunizations at that time too such as rabies, Feline AIDS and Feline Leukemia. After the procedures are completed the cat is returned back to its “home turf” where it is then released. While taking measures to decrease the Saudi stray cat population is important, perhaps even more essential is finding individuals who are willing to adopt a Saudi cat.
