Fear Grows In The Company Compounds Of Riyadh After British Worker Is Shot Dead

Fear grows in the company compounds of Riyadh after British worker is shot dead

For many British expatriates in Saudi Arabia, the war on terrorism and the impending allied action against Iraq have had little effect on day-to-day life.

But the fatal shooting on Thursday of Robert Dent, who worked in the capital, Riyadh, for BAE Systems, has caused widespread fear among expats.

Although the Saudi authorities immediately arrested the alleged murderer, panic spread through British communities. "This changes everything," said a British worker in Jeddah. "We have had several warnings from the British consulate but, now we know that this could happen to any one of us at any time, it's frightening."

After a spate of car bombings in Riyadh in 2001, many expats began checking their vehicles every morning and limiting their travel around the country.

The bombings were blamed on British expats involved in illicit alcohol trading and two men, a Briton and a Canadian, have been sentenced to death.

Few people in the country believe there is any truth in the allegations levelled against those imprisoned for the series of explosions.

"It is obvious to many of us that the bombings and this recent shooting are nothing to do with alcohol trading," said Dennis, 43, (his name has been changed) a Briton working in Jeddah. "When you walk through the streets you get dirty looks from everyone, especially the Mattawahs [religious police]. There is a real tension in the air, everyone is just waiting for something bad to happen."

Although the country does not publicly oppose allied action against Iraq, the feelings on the street are savagely anti-Western.

A British couple driving through Riyadh last month were run off the road by a four-wheel-drive that had been following them, and late last year there were reports of a crowd burning American flags outside a hospital in Jeddah.

Even the local police who guard the British consulate in Jeddah are on the side of the Iraqi dictator, according to a British woman who used to work there. "It was obvious that we were not welcome there," said the 40-year-old expat who has recently returned to the UK. "It just was not worth staying there to find out the hard way."

The British consulate has issued several warnings to Britons to keep a low profile, and avoid areas of cities where they could be in danger.

Most of the estimated 20,000 British expatriates in Saudi Arabia live in secure company compounds. They tend to be men whose families remain in, or have returned to, their homes. Many of the wives of British expatriates working in the country return to Britain to escape the frustrating local laws. Women are required to cover themselves in black abayahs, they are not allowed to drive, they have to eat in separate "family" sections in restaurants and signs reading "No women" are displayed on many shop doors.

The men often remain after their partners leave. Alcoholism is rife among this group, despite the fact that alcohol is illegal. Few feel the need to venture past the compound gates for anything other than work.

There is big money to be made by the production of a homemade spirit called Sid – a shortened version of the Arabic word sidiq (my friend). Before being watered down, Sid is 49 per cent alcohol and undoubtedly affects the health of many who drink it. It is a popular drink among expats and sells for about £20 a litre, a much cheaper alternative to the £100 bottles of Johnnie Walker available on the black market. Expats say that the Saudi authorities are well aware of the alcohol peddling among Westerners. "They tend to ignore it," a British expatriate told me. "You have to be careful though, they know they can play the illicit alcohol card on us at any time and have us thrown out of the country."

There have been suicides and several reports have filtered back to Britain of bachelors dying and not being discovered for weeks.

Because of the lack of alternative entertainment, expat parties tend to be wild and often last well into the small hours. Some lonely Westerners make regular visits to Bangkok to sample its thriving sex trade.

"It's a strange kind of existence," said one British woman who recently returned to the UK to live. "Only after you get out do you realise how cut off from the real world you have been. It's a fascinating country, and an equally fascinating way of life but it has a habit of breaking up families."

There are no public cinemas or theatres in Saudi Arabia; entertainment of this kind is considered Haram (against Islamic principles) and some satisfy their need for entertainment by visiting a parking lot in downtown Jeddah to watch the beheadings that take place every week. This bleak way of life is the norm for many British expats in Saudi Arabia, but recent events have caused some to rethink their future in the Kingdom.

Dennis told me: "I think we are going to see a lot of people leaving their jobs and returning to the UK. With everything that has been going on recently, I'd say the time has come to get out."

Many remember the Gulf War, and talk of how their lives were changed by the allied action against Saddam Hussein then, but few are prepared to go through the experience for a second time, especially while living in fear of terrorist attacks.

I'm currently on a gig in Saudi, True it's a different kind of existance but I don't think it's fair to judge a country on myopic western norms.

>> panic spread through British communities

5 foreign nationals have been killed in the last 3 years here. What American city could boast those kinds of numbers? widespread fear, who know's just happenned the other day. Most folks haven't decided what to do yet. The British and American counselts has changed their expat advisory's from take care to non essensials should consider leaving..

Consider leaving doesn't sound like "panic" to me.

>> feelings on the street are savagely anti-Western

Bunk, most Saudi's drive American cars and like Americans.
I mean they've been our ally for what 50 years and we helped protect the country back in the gulf war. A more accurate statement would be that most Saudi's like Americans. Saudi's are also very critical of America's Israeli policies.. Israel is front page news here every day.. Front page top pannel probable 29 of the last 30 days.

>> Even the local police who guard the British consulate in
>> Jeddah are on the side of the Iraqi dictator

Well the local police outside the American embassy all have machine guns and some have 50 cal machine guns. Their's usually a croud of folks waiting to get in. If they were so anti westerners you think they're be an incident. Never heard of one. Rather they're there to protect the DQ (diplomatic quarter) and the embacies.

>> British expatriates in Saudi Arabia live in secure
>> company compounds.

Everybody in the entire country lives in a secure compound. Even the Saudi's it's part of the culture.

>> Alcoholism is rife among this group, despite the fact
>> that alcohol is illegal. Few feel the need to venture
>> past the compound gates for anything other than work.

Work, food, shopping and social events.. what else do you need? A lot of the compounds over here are like small cities.. why else do you leave your current city?

>> Because of the lack of alternative entertainment, expat >> parties tend to be wild and often last well into the
>> small hours.

I wish..

>> Some lonely Westerners make regular visits to Bangkok to
>> sample its thriving sex trade.

total bunk.. Some probable do this, but if that's what one was after why go all the way to Bangkok, UAE is just across the boarder.

>> some satisfy their need for entertainment by visiting a
>> parking lot in downtown Jeddah to watch the beheadings
>> that take place every week.

It's definitely there, but I've yet to meet anybody who enjoyed that type of "entertainment" or went out of their way to be down at chop chop square for the big events. Still some might find their form of justice more efficient and representative than our own. Ted Bunddy spent what 10 years on death row before he was killed in an electric chair. The dude tho killed Robert Dent will be at chop chop square next friday. Oh and if his wife decides to go, she will decide if her husbands killer is dispatched or not, nobody else. It's ruthless, but it definitely has a poetic justice no longer found in western justice.

As for some other points..

No movies... true, but you've still got DVD's.. although the legal ones have the best parts cut or blocked out..

Signs on Doors saying no women aloud... never seen a one.
It's much more likely no single men aloud as the shops in Riyadh where I live allow women all the time and have special days and places for women and family only. They stop un accompanied men at the door.

Ramped alchoholizm... haven't seen it, although there is some alchohol.

L100 for a bottle of johnny walker... maybe, if you can find it.

Sidhki... Heard of it, but haven't seen any.

You may well be currently ‘on a gig in Saudi’ and you are right – it is a totally different kind of existence.
You talk about not judging a country on western norm, yet you refer to the bodycounts in American cities!!! For over 13 years I have lived in Jeddah and bore witness to the all night parties and alcoholism. Many of the people who I knew had their stomachs pumped in hospitals, and one even died from alcohol poisoning due to badly made sid.
Just because Saudis drive American cars, doesn’t mean they don’t despise westerners – many do, granted not all of them, but during my time in the country I was beaten by mattawahs and many of my friends and colleagues got into bother for being white and Christian.
The incident at the British consulate in Jeddah was true – I was the one talking to the guard while he broke his fast one evening.
Again, I knew of many people who went to Thailand to get laid, in fact one actually went to find a wife.
As for exapats addicted to executions, it was a group of them who never missed a chop who took me there when I went – how do you explain that?

Oh, and ‘Sid’ is in most expat homes in Jeddah

Need I go on???? May I ask how long you have been there? I am a serious journalist with over 20 years experience in the Middle East, and although you may have had different experiences in Saudi, I stand by mine.
Francis Field

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