The Saudi I Know

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13 September

I was born and partially raised in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and I do intend to go back once my academic goals have been achieved. It saddens me that many Westerners see Saudi as a hostile place vulnerable to terrorist attacks on any given day. The truth of the matter is, a very small minority of Saudis are extremists, do not allow 100,000 or so terrorists from hundreds of nationalities set a stereotype for 300 million+ (2001 est.) Arabs. Over 100,000 American and European expatriates currently reside within our borders and most will tell you that Saudi is being misrepresented by the global media.

Although you may disagree, Saudi Arabia can be associated with peace and tranquility; such attributes are rarely found these days. I had the best childhood anyone could imagine and I don't believe I would've had it anywhere else. Furthermore, I used to be able to go out in the middle of the night without having to worry about a murderer or a kidnapper waiting for me around the corner...How many people can truly generalize that about their country? I myself grew up in the city of Jeddah, nicknamed the bride of the Red Sea. Basically, my life consisted of the American way of life without having the stress of taxes. I used to regularly go to the arcade, I used to play my PlayStation, I used to go to the amusement parks lined up against the beach, etc. I have American, British, and German friends that love it in the country.

The Kingdom will begin to issue tourist visas next year to revive the sagging tourism sector of the economy. Whether you desire to walk on the beaches of Obhur, tour the vast array of shopping venues, or simply experience the essence of the Middle East, you'll find that and more in Saudi. Besides, 6.5% of annual real GDP growth will do wonders to the modernization process that's already in its latter stages.

I have a collection of pictures on the left-hand side of this blog.

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	sherifawrote: Thank you ^_^ 31 Mar.
	LEUCANTHA wrote: Thanks for stopping by my space. I enjoyed reading about Saudi. I have to admit I only know what I have seen and read in the media. I assume it is biased. (It always is about the stories I have first hand knowlege of anyway.) I hope the travel the world someday and visit the Middle East. I do love the desert and would like to see what other places look like. Nora 22 Dec.
	Kai‌‌Allard wrote: Your space is special. Its nice to hear from someone from saudi arabia. I have not read anything written by an saudi arabian before! hahaz. 22 Oct.
	awriternaut wrote: Thanks for stopping by my space, and thanks for defending me. I like what you said about the problem with generalizing about a whole country. I feel that way sometimes about living in the United States. I would love to someday travel to the Middle East and visiting some of the beautiful and exotic countries and people. I wish people were open-minded enough to know that not all Arabs are terrorists and that some Americans can also be terrorists (we've had our share of Timothy McVeighs and Unibombers, not to mention the destruction we've caused for civilians in war-torn countries. Thanks for your insights. I FINALLY updated my site! Hope you'll stop back by. Have a great week. -Sandy 21 Sept.
	-CurlySuze- wrote: hey, firstly, i really like your space. it's very original & informative- not the usual blabla... anyway, i was wondering if you'd mind filling out a 2-minute-survey for me. it's for my research (master's degree) and i'm looking for saudi internet users. if interested, please send an e-mail to kcl-research@hotmail.com and i'd send you the word-document. thanks, susan 17 Sept.

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