FAHD BIN JLEID Al-Jazirah Saudi tourists are usually known by how they pay their bills; on this basis alone, prices can change.
If they pay cash, this shows they are a visitor. If they pay via card, then things become more complicated for restaurant owners, as it's harder to play with prices when paying electronically.
We are the nation who's citizens are most likely to carry cash. This is unhygienic and dangerous. Both the government and the private sector are working hard to implement electronic banking and cashless payment methods. And it is easy to return to the subject whenever there is a need.
But the reality at sales points at the Kingdom's gas stations, cafes on highways or small grocery stores is very different. On the contrary, they wage a war against this culture.
The world is developing rapidly, and we are well into the electronic, digital age. It is possible, today, for a person in a neighboring Gulf country to use an app on their phone, or go online, and reserve a table at a restaurant or café while on the way to it. They can select from the menu, place an order, specify their arrival time and the number of people. They can pay online through their bank account. Once they complete the transaction, all that is left is for them to sit at their table without the need to talk to a waiter or give them a tip. The customer can evaluate the service, or even change the order.
These developments threaten jobs and reduce the number of employees a business may need. Not only this, but it also decreases human-to-human interaction.
Neighbors may meet face-to-face and neither of them will greet the other. However, the moment they meet through WhatsApp or on Twitter, for example, you will find them to be among the most interactive people, welcoming and warmly congratulating one another as if they were on an electronic planet.
We are currently experiencing a big transformation in our relations. We must rescue the situation before the founder of Facebook launches his solar-powered plane to transmit the Internet wireless to the world, free of charge.
This project may finally do away with the remaining human-to-human dealings, except for the Saudi citizen who will remain the sole champion of cash payment.
