I am writing with regard to Khaled Almaeena's article “Our thanks to all expatriates!” (Nov. 30). I am a Pakistani national working in the Royal Commission for Yanbu and Jubail. As an expatriate, I am playing my role in imparting knowledge to Saudi youth. Every point that Mr. Almaeena raised in his column speaks to the feelings of all the expatriates working in the Kingdom. This reflects his deep insight and contemplation on societal and socio-cultural issues in Saudi Arabia. Reading the article gave me a great sense of pleasure and satisfaction as it demonstrated that there is someone among the throng of Saudi intellectuals who acknowledges my contribution toward the building of the Saudi nation. I pray to Almighty Allah to bless you for your professional integrity and to give “Barakah” to your pen so that you can keep enlightening us with your magical words. Muhammad Khalid Shabbir Leghari, Yanbu II. Thank you for writing such an amazing article. The expatriate community is touched and feels that it has been heard after a long time. Thank you! Salman Abdulaziz, By email III.
Thank you for the fantastic article. I am a 25-year-old expatriate. I am grateful to have lived here in the Kingdom all my life. However, it does pain me to see how the Saudi government has been making its rules more stringent for expatriates, especially for people who earn basic wages. I am glad to see that you are a voice of reason.
Farhan Ahmad, By email IV. Thank you Mr. Khaled Almaeena. You understand how expatriates feel when they read any news which hurts their feelings. Thank you for writing these golden words for expatriates many of whom are still expatriates after serving here for more than half of their life. Mohammad Jamil Rathore, By email V. No words can fully describe the feeling of being acknowledged especially by a person who truly expresses his honest and sincere feeling toward strangers. Allow me to thank you and your government for having us in your great country. We may have mixed feelings, experiences and reactions, but that is the way it is. The bottom line is that we all live in harmony and a symbiotic relationship has developed among people. The experiences we had during our life in the Kingdom remain with us when we finally go home. Paul Fernandez, Online response VI. On behalf of my fellow guest workers, I would like to express my profoundest thanks for your genuine appreciation and for writing in detail what your countrymen should feel, and how they should treat and think about expatriates. In more words than one, you specifically mentioned our role in keeping things running smoothly, be it in the health, industry, and business sectors or in private households. May your article be an eye opener for those who always view expatriates as liabilities. Zahra, Online response
