Saudi Personality # 5

Hi friends,

Today I am nominating two Saudi people who I have come to appreciate deeply during my short stay there. I am not going to disclose their names, not because I fear for their lives or anything, but just don't want to for privacy's sake.

These two Saudi boys are working at the two jewellry shops I had gone to with my mom. As we all know, Saudization has been making waves in the nation, and it has met with turbulence and ups and downs. The Saudization process has not been easy. One of the industry the Labor Ministry has targetted to Saudize is the jewellry business. Soon, all the Indian experts on gold and silver were to be replaced with Saudis.

Initially, it became obvious that Saudis were not as competent or knowledgable as the Indians who had been in the market for years and years. However, having said that, on this recent trip, all of that has changed.

Al Rehaily Jewellry in Internation Market has a young Saudi teenager working. He was very knowledgable, very friendly, courteous and extremely helpful. He made my mom and I feel very welcome, so much so, we actually returned to his shop twice. The third time were there, he gave us an awesome discount on this gold "Allah" pendant of about SR 150. I just had the heart for him, and I was so pleased to see a Saudi guy working at a shop. With no feelings of dis-respect to the previous workers, I think a Saudi working just made the whole experience of shopping so much more pleasant and fun!

Al Thobaithy Jewellry in Basateen Mall was my favorite place. My parents had come here to get a necklace for my sister's birthday. I was with my parents. The young Saudi guy there served us so professionally, I was just awe-struck watching a Saudi guy handling his job so professionally. Call me a softy, but I had such a warm heart for him, in other words, all my wishes and prayers went out to this guy. My dad got talking to him, and he revealed that he plans on going to the UK to pursue his Masters in Metereology and Geology. I was so impressed by his attitude. He was not the kind of guy who would hang out in a mall, dressed in baggy jeans and bandana, throwing pieces of paper to the opposite sex, but someone who had an ambition in his life!

I am sure there are loads of other Saudis out there working in the jewellry business, and I wish them all the best in their endeavors to handle their job with success. In any case, whenever there is a process like Saudization happening, there will be bound to be a rough patch as the workers are being replaced, but give it some time, the process will smooth out itself.

So, here it is to all the new Saudi jewellers in Saudi, good luck, especially to the two Saudis I mentioned above!

Mansur