US Consul General Martin Quinn left Saudi Arabia after his tour of duty on June 30. Before leaving, he bared his beautiful impressions of the Kingdom in an interview with Muhammad Murad for the Saudi Gazette. The interview follows:Q: You have visited many cities in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia, what do you think these cities need to become one of the famous cities of the world? A: I think Jeddah is really a remarkable city, I have to say. It's got such historic depth, it's got beauty, it's got the sea, and it's got the proximity to the holy places. I really have come to love this city, as many people who have lived here any length of time have. But other cities… I really enjoyed my visit to Abha, I enjoyed the visit to Najran, I enjoyed the visit to Taif very much, the cool air, the mountains, the cable-car ride. And even up to see the petrochemical area in Yanbu, I enjoyed that very much. So I think that the cities are undergoing a fantastic development plan right now. And I would have to agree with those who say, “Wait until you come back in five or ten years to see what the western part of Saudi Arabia looks like.” Q: You have visited many projects and one of them is Emaar, the economic city. What are your thoughts about this project and other ones like it? A: Well, I think again it's an applaudable initiative. I think the idea of King Abdullah Economic City is very important, with a new port that attracts the high-tech industry and a health and technology base and that serves as one of the engines of that city. I mean the project has not moved ahead as quickly as people thought because of the world economic crisis. There weren't as many people with money to invest unfortunately after September ‘08. But with KAUST already up and going right next door, that's going to be an incentive to do more work there, I think. Q: How many years have you been in Jeddah and how do you see the people here, and what will you tell the people in the US about the Saudis and Saudi Arabia? A: Well, I have been in Jeddah now just about 21 months in fact, almost to the day. I've really enjoyed my time here very very much. It's my second time in Saudi Arabia. My first time was 1984-85, when it was my first tour in the Foreign Service in Riyadh, and I visited Jeddah at that time. I always felt that Jeddah was different, but really to be here has been a wonderful experience in my life. The people are friendly, welcoming, social, enthusiastic, and energetic. They really do extend themselves to make you feel at home, make foreigners feel at home. I've been happy to be able to participate in the life of this city actively since almost the day I arrived. I have to say I enjoyed everything. And I will tell people that Saudi Arabia isn't what people might imagine it to be. It is a lot more diverse. It's a lot more varied. It's got everything that any other country has. And it's a large regional country, so there is much to see in the various parts of this marvelous country, which spans the area between the Red Sea and the Gulf. Q: You have arranged many festivals in Taif, Abha and other places. How do you evaluate these festivals, and what is the feedback you have received on them? A: Well, the first festival we had was before I came here, which was in Abha, which had actually been a suggestion of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal. And so we did a festival there, which was very successful, so much so that we were inspired once again this past year in Taif. And now we are thinking of doing one in the fall in another city; it may be Yanbu, it may be someplace else. But I think these were cultural, commercial, educational festivals, so it was a great outreach opportunity, and the one that I participated in last spring in Taif was really, I think, very rewarding. We could showcase American products and companies dealing with American industries and also distribute a lot of information about education in the United States. As we know, there is a tremendous interest in Saudi Arabia, and there has been for a couple of generations, in education in the US. So we had very positive feedback about these festivals, and I would encourage my successor who will be arriving at the end of June to think seriously about continuing that. Q: How do you see the future of Jeddah after being in a flood crisis that caused deaths to many Jeddah residents? What does Jeddah really need to be like Dubai? A: Well, the flood was shattering for those of us who were here when it happened. The morning of the heavy rains, I saw that the Consulate grounds were flooded and a couple of trees came down. I had no idea until much later in the day that the flood was as serious as it was. This was something not expected because Jeddah is not a place where it rains a lot. But I think the volunteer response was remarkable. After the impact, the people went out to help the flood victims. In fact, the government, police, and rescue services also moved very swiftly. A flood can be devastating; you don't think of a flood in a desert environment. But of course, it can in fact happen anywhere, and it happens periodically in this region, every 20 years, 30 years maybe. So, I think people learned from the flood. I think there will be thought to improving the drainage system in Jeddah. But I think that it was a crisis, but people came through the crisis, and I think they will be better for it as usually happens. We've had crises in our own country. As you know, right now we have the Gulf of Mexico oil crisis. We had Hurricane Katrina. People and societies do have to cope with these problems. As for if Jeddah can be Dubai, I lived in the UAE for three years and I've been to Dubai many, many times. I don't see Jeddah as a Dubai really. I think it will be something else. I don't think it should try to be like Dubai, and I think it actually has a much more solid financial base than Dubai. Also demographics are different in Jeddah, and it's a much older city. So I don't know if Jeddah is going to be like Dubai, but certainly there are projects that resemble Dubai in terms of the construction. It will be a somewhat different experience here. As much as I enjoyed the time I spent in the UAE, I have to say that Jeddah has a different quality altogether. I think it will develop in its own way. The signs are clear that it is going to take great leaps forward. Q:What are the memories that you carry with you as you leave Saudi Arabia? A: I think memories of all the people that I've met, all the wonderful people that made me feel very much at home and feeling like I have belonged here, like I was welcomed here. I am very glad to have done a lot of outreach during my almost two years here, in terms of getting to know people, although getting to know people also means that it's kind of sad to have to leave them. But I have learned, being in the Foreign Service and diplomatic corps, to move on when you need to move on, and I think that I am leaving with a very positive feeling, with a feeling that I could still do more if I stayed longer, but this is probably the right time to leave for me. We're bringing families back to the Consulate; I think that is wonderful. Families will come back and it will be a fully accompanied tour. People will stay for two years instead of one year. I think that probably in of itself is a good reason for me to move on now. I have nothing but positive memories of my time here. It's been very positive, and I will miss the people most of all. Q: What did you most admire about Saudi Arabia? A: I guess you could say that what I most admire is the cohesiveness of the society, and the very warm and genuine feeling towards the United States. I have to say that the number of Saudi nationals who have been educated in the United States over the last sixty years, and it has in fact been that long, is extraordinary, and of course they are even more now, something like 24,000 a year being educated there. So, the number of Saudis I meet who have very strong connections with the United States is always a source of satisfaction to me. It's very sincere when people come to me and say the country that we most tend to visit and like to visit is the United States. So there is this real tie, which I have to say I never quite appreciated until I came to Jeddah, that how sincere and pervasive that tie is. So, I think Saudi Arabia and the United States are great friends. We have a great bilateral relationship; we talk about every subject of importance to both countries. And I think that there is a glowing and better understanding of each other that is developing and that will develop in the future, thanks to things like King Abdullah Scholarships and the fact that more Americans are also now coming back to Saudi Arabia. Q: What were your goals before starting your work in Jeddah and have you achieved them? A: Well, I guess one goal was try to open up the Consulate. After the terrorist attack here five years ago, the Consulate was on a very high security alert, and we needed some time to recover from that experience. But we thought the time was right, and the Ambassador at that time felt that the time was right too, and so my mission coming here was to try to bring the Consulate back into a kind of normal way of operation. And that has been my effort. I am glad to say that as I am leaving families are coming back to Saudi Arabia, to the US mission in Saudi Arabia. It will be a normal mission with normal tours. I had thought that I might be leaving at the time when we would be moving to a new consulate compound. But we are not going to be doing that right away. The project has slowed down and it will not be completed on schedule, so that will be for my successor to take it that far. But I have to say that I have fulfilled some of my goals, others of them are to be aspired for, but I am pleased to be leaving Saudi Arabia with the feeling that a great deal of what I wanted to see happen in fact has come about, and we have a wonderful team here, our local employees and American staff. I think that the feeling that they are going to be productive and that they are working well has given to me a sense of satisfaction. Again, I have had a wonderful experience, a wonderful tour, and I carry away many, many fond memories of my time in Saudi Arabia.
