MY dear expatriates, generalization and overreaction are not the answers. This is my firm response as I read or hear about some of the statements often made by expatriates residing in Saudi Arabia reacting to the ill treatment of foreign workers by some Saudi employers. In almost all of the responses, you can 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 grasping 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 were human beings…and so-called ‘guest workers' were no more than just slaves,” and “…its (Saudi Arabia's) people have to improve a lot to reach the level of a normal human being.” 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 people native to a country 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 in these countries 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 beings — especially expats — 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 help 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 state or write about only one side of the problem. Foreign workers also share the blame in the so-called ill treatment some of them may receive in the Kingdom. In most cases, the foreign workers involved either break the law or do not follow given instructions. I would like to relate something from 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 did 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 to bear in mind that a large number of foreign workers are uneducated or have little education. This can be a negative factor. Their low education level makes them 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 of the parties involved 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]
