Tariq A. Al-Maeena A body comes into existence. If nurtured well, this body grows and matures into a healthy being. Along the way however, steps have to be taken to ensure the continuous growth and development in a manner that will produce very little setbacks for a healthy and productive life. These necessary steps are what are called "maintenance". The same philosophy could very easily apply to all around us. Not just to humans, but to the vast infrastructure around us. In the ‘70's and ‘80's the development of the infrastructure in this country was massive and formidable. Billions of riyals were spent to forge, build, and implement projects for the enrichment of the people. Communities sprouted practically overnight in places where there was only dirt and sand. Smaller towns quickly sprawled and transformed into large metropolitan cities.
Hardly a day went by when one did not hear of or witness a new scheme or development beginning to take roots. Workers from all parts of the world contributed in their own way and with their own expertise to the challenges faced with this mammoth boom. The maturation of society was rapid and occasionally painful, as the citizenry was over awed by a rise of activity all around them, the volume of which had never been witnessed anywhere in the peninsula in the last century. Today, most of those workers are gone but left behind are the vestiges of their efforts. After the decades some, sadly I may add, are beginning to show the ravages of time and are on their way to simply become chronicled monuments of a recent era. This does not have to be the case. The key element missing here is maintenance, something we tend to ignore in just about every facet of our lives. We tend to neglect our bodies, and on a larger scale, tend to neglect everything around us. After all, why bother with something that works just fine for now? This illusion is fine so long as things work well. But the moment that something falls apart, we are taken off guard by the unexpected. The evidence of such a demeanor is all around us. Take to the roads today and tell me how you feel. Are they being properly maintained? Is the electricity service to your home steady and reliable? Is the water supply piped in constant or intermittent? Walk into a modern and state of the art building or structure built in the last decade or so, only to notice the beginning stages of neglect and decay. Or try using a service, which although recently introduced has fallen to hard times. Our philosophy and indifference towards maintenance is a major factor towards this decline. An individual buys an expensive automobile, yet may search for the cheapest of labor to operate it. The same attitude could apply to those investing in factories or industries. Just about any responsible individual or party is more concerned with the initial investment in a project than the continuing expenses of maintaining his investment. Is it indifference or ignorance? I sometimes wonder. Does not the analogy to a human body apply to just about everything we build or create? Admittedly, maintenance comes with a price. But the cost of neglecting this necessary function is far greater than imagined. It is easy to complain and criticize, but how could one go about addressing this issue. Well, we hear a lot about the high rate of unemployment among Saudis. Why not train some of them to become part of the maintenance cadre that will address wear and tear within public service environments? Sooner or later, the expatriates may leave, and with them so will a huge pool of talent. Utilize that expertise now while they are here and develop a maintenance team of nationals, dedication to the proper preservation of all things around us. It takes more to build a community. It takes planning ahead, creative ingenuity and diligence to maintain it at a level acceptable to all. And yet that is a challenge which many of our public service agencies have yet to fathom.
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