Job Discussion Forums

[sheikh radlinrol]

I read today in El Mundo (Spanish paper) that the Saudi ambassador to Spain considers Saudi cuisine limited but tasty. Can't argue with that but he goes on to say that Saudi culture is hospitable and when a foreigner arrives the Saudis argue among themselves about who will be first to invite the outsider to their home. It certainly doesn't ring a bell for me. I would say that KSA is a less than hospitable nation. I would also say that Nafoura (a chain of Lebanese restaurants in Riyadh) is the only culinary memory I took away from the Kingdom.

[trapezius]

[Queen of Sheba]

Dear Sheikh, I know your time in Saudi was difficult and the haram workers didnt go easy on you - and yet its touching that you keep your Muslim name. I think its important after the epic comments of Trapezius in particular to put this into perspective. ESL teachers are white, not blue, collar workers and not exactly on the same respectability level as ambassadors (since this comment came from the Spanish Ambassador) or even engineers and doctors. Consequently, the people we work with in administration are exactly well bred and well mannered by local standards themselves, and they dont feel that have to impress us and show us a good time either. I doubt that all of them hold college degrees either. I think comments about "Saudi hospitality" apply to higher level positions at banks, hospitals and so forth much more than they do to English teachers. In fact, some Saudis think the fact that they allow expats, especially non-Muslims into the country at all is a sign of hospitality. They are a closed people in many ways, and yes, I agree that they arent as "kind" as the majority of other Arab nationals such as Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, and so forth. These reasons may be interesting to explore, but in Najd I attribute it to the isolation of the region. Even the prophet Mohammaed spoke about the difficult people of Najd in his time - although people try to discredit these comments because it probably hits too close to home. Having said all of that its interesting to note that where I work the students make more attempts on the whole than administration and have much better manners and concern with being "hospitable."

[sheikh radlinrol]

I'm sorry QOS but I find your reply incomprehensible.

[007]

In KSA, you have to differentiate between the administration, government, and the normal people as individuals. In general, the Saudis as individuals and as families are hospitable to foreigners, both Muslims and non Muslims. You might find some Saudis who are rude and non-hospitable, but they are minority.
The Saudi culture does not have a special cuisine known worldwide! Their main traditional dish is Kabsa, and other types of cuisines are taken from other Arab cultures, like Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, etc.

[trapezius]

So what is the administration (at institutions) and the government made of? Isn't it the same "normal" people?

If so, are you saying that people in Saudi are in general hospitable, but when they go to their jobs, they become asses for 8 hours, and then are again nice when off-duty?

If not, where do these "normal" Saudi people (who are nice as you say) work?

[sheikh radlinrol]

I think I may have been misunderstood. I found the Saudis to be polite, friendy and adept when it came to social skills. However, I find it incredible that their ambassador to a major European nation has the balls to tell a journalist from one of that country's most popular papers that Saudi stands out for its hospitality. You would find find it tough to get a visa to go and visit the place and if they gave you one - don't carry a Bible in your suitcase.

[007]

[007]

[Queen of Sheba]

[Cleopatra]

[yeehii]

I haven't read all the posts on this board, but 007 seems to have been quite polite, reasonable and informative here.

I am happy that somebody with a different perspective is here. We can see our own ideas better sometimes, when they are bounced off somebody else.

[Queen of Sheba]

Yeehii, this fact of your newness on this board, is why you don�t know what I am talking about, because you have been on this board for 2 weeks, and don�t understand our references. You also don�t know that 007 used to use other alias names' that were deleted and banned two different times from the forum and entire board for irritating others with his verbal regurgitations. Furthermore informing me of obvious information isn�t informative to me at all, it is arrogant and uncalled for. If it is useful to you, then you would have posted a topic about it - like you have for everything else that has occurred to you thus far.

[sheikh radlinrol]

I have to disagree with Cleopatra. It is not the job of an ambassador to sing his country's praises but to be that country's representative. It is not his job to make outlandish statemnents about his own country which have little or no truth in them.
I think back to the young guy who filled my tank at the Al-Drees gas station. I bet he was overwhelmed with lunch and dinner invitations when he arrived in the Kingdom. The poor labourers on the golf course whose ''salaries'' were often unpaid for months on end. They were probably bombarded with similar invitations from the Riyadh elite.
Going back to QOS first post. Who are the ''haram workers''?

[dmb]

Does anyone else find it amusing that this thread is all about hospitality?