JEDDAH, nestled next to the Red Sea, is a city with a cosmopolitan lifestyle. With its teeming population of 3.4 million, Jeddah is the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia, offering a refuge to its residents, both Saudis and non-Saudis. “Living in Jeddah is relatively affordable and safe. Jeddah has a lot to offer,” said Rafia Raza, a 46-year-old Pakistani, who has been working in the Kingdom as a teacher for 10 years. She said she does not feel limited here being a woman. Her Indian colleague, Rafia Siddique, considers the Kingdom as her second home. “I can relate to the culture, tradition and religion here. But the biggest plus of Jeddah is its proximity to Makkah and Madina. My relatives always tell me that people living close to the Holy Cities are blessed,” she said. Jeddah is home to tens of thousands of working immigrants and foreign workers from the US, Western Europe, South and South-East Asia, and the Middle East. How do foreigners with their own culture, traditions and religion find living in Jeddah? Ashley Gerald, a young American woman who recently relocated to Jeddah from Utah because of her husband's job, said the idea of her family visiting her in Jeddah is inviting. “My family is very doubtful. They've heard some fabricated stories about the Kingdom. I want them to experience it firsthand. Living here is relatively inexpensive as there are no taxes and the petrol is cheap,” said Gerald, who works as a receptionist in Jeddah. She said that Jeddah is known to be liberal and tolerant of its diverse races. “Every person has to create his own lifestyle according to what his living place has to offer. I love Jeddah and have embraced its culture wholeheartedly,” Gerald added. But just like the silver moon that faces the earth, its dark side hidden from our sight, does an expatriate living in Jeddah experience a dark side as well? An Indonesian expatriate, who wished to remain anonymous, voiced his concerns about living in the Kingdom. “My major worry as a father is that of my children's education. After their high school education, I will have to send them away to college back home. Privately owned colleges here are expensive,” he said. Jeddah is home to many public and privately owned universities and colleges. However, university education is still a problem for many expats. Many families in this situation consider relocation to their home countries.” The entire family moving to a different country is intimidating enough,” said the Indonesian father, adding that life in Jeddah is easy, calm and slow paced at times. Naima Chaudry from Bangadesh, who was born and raised in Jeddah, is now studying at the American University of Sharjah. She said she misses Jeddah. “The thought of leaving Jeddah ate away at my heart. Although Sharjah is not bad, the boom of construction and fluctuating oil prices there hits hard on our lifestyle. It is expensive and you need to make a serious budget to get by. A toll system introduced recently in Dubai is an unnecessary added expense,” said Chaudry. She hopes that once she completes her education, she can come back to the place that shaped most of her childhood and adolescent life.
