A good summer experience and quality time is what many expatriates here in the Kingdom are looking for. The three-month break this time is for some a time to relax after a hectic work schedule and to accomplish pending activities, while for others it becomes a monotonous rote of daily living. It is also a time when visitors throng the two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madina. “Summer vacation is the best time to make a trip to Makkah and Madina as my children are not drained out from school work,” said Amina Sheikh, a Pakistani expatriate in Jeddah. For the South Asian community, the summer vacation is a wedding-cum-celebration time. Many Subcontinental hotels here are going jam-packed with advance bookings for wedding parties. “We have around 12 to 14 weddings a month beside other social functions,” said Mohammad Ali, a local hotel manager. Ahmed Khan, a Pakistani living in Jeddah, recently held the marriages of his two children here. He said it is a less-expensive option. “The marriage of my son and daughter was a big responsibility, and given my meager savings, it was difficult to organize the ceremonies in Pakistan,” Khan said. He noted that an average marriage celebration which includes roughly 200 guests here would cost around SR10,000 (Pakistani Rs1,90,000) while the same would require him to shell out a minimum of SR16,000 to SR21,000 (Pak Rs300,000 to Rs400,000) if held in Pakistan. Khan said the law and order situation in Pakistan was also among other reasons for opting to celebrate the wedding in Jeddah. Expatriates not traveling to their homelands due to high airfares, inflation and other concerns are opting for nearby travel destinations to unwind. Those in the Eastern Province head-off to Bahrain for a weekend where they can enjoy activities like cinema, Indian and Moroccan music concerts, shopping among other activities. “A trip to Bahrain is always exciting and within budget,” said Amna Aliuddin, a Pakistani housewife. She said that they have been to Bahrain many times as, “it takes only 45 minutes to reach there and offers interesting holiday options like watching latest Indian movies in theater, enjoying live concerts and shopping, especially for pearls,” Amna said. She added that their family friends accompany them to such outings. Hill stations like Taif, Abha and Al-Baha are most preferred by the locals living in the hot regions of the Western province, thanks to the relatively cool and pleasant weather in these cities. Resorts and stay packages in the hill stations are reasonably priced, making them a favorable place for expatriates. “Taif is our all-time favorite for rejuvenation and the weather is always great,” said Abeer Syed, an Indian expatriate. She said the trip is cost-effective as a resort hut there costs SR300-600 per day. Corniche and shopping malls continue to attract crowds in large numbers. Discount offers, lucky draws and other promotional activities have caught the fancy of many expatriates and Saudis alike. “I enjoy going to malls,” said Aliya Rasheed, an Indian. “I may not be shopping but I like to entertain myself with window shopping; at least it is better than wool-gathering at home,” she said. Despite many local summer camps conducting their programs, many expatriates say they are unable to benefit from them, either due to lack of accessibility or unaffordability. The average fees of these camps range from SR1500-SR2200. Many women and children have enrolled for courses in Qur'an and handicrafts. “I am taking a course in flower making in these holidays. They also teach stitching and Qu'ran at the center,” said Ayesha Fatima, a Sri Lankan girl. She said she had made many friends at the center. The SR12milion Jeddah Summer Festival (JSF) organized this year was expected to attract around 3 million people. However, many expatriates feel that the 45-day festival had little to offer for them. “The JSF had a film festival but unfortunately it had no Hindi or Urdu films,” said Khurram Ahsan, a Pakistani. The Marriot hotel Jeddah organized a cartoon film festival in Arabic and English for children recently. “We noticed low participation among expats; there wasn't any enthusiasm,” said Afzal Ahmed Hassan, manager of Marriot hotel. __
