Alamin was one of the Saudi managers I was working closely with, and he took me out for lunch on Monday, March 15th (2004). We went on a brief tour of Al-Khobar. Since it was prayer time, and the restaurants would be closed anyway, we decided to go to the shore, where city officials had a walking, jogging and biking path built along the shore. Two kilometers in length. The weather was very pleasant, sunny and breezy, quite temperate.
We went to Isfahani restaurant for lunch. He ordered sultani for us: strip lamb, with the customary rice, onion, and cooked tomato. I asked for bottled water, and the waiter said something that I didn’t understand. But he motioned with his hands, “Large?” So, I said, “Yes.” I thought he was speaking in Tagalog, because he was Filipino. Unfortunately, I hardly understand Tagalog anymore. When he walked away, Alamin asked, “Why was he talking to you in Arabic?” I retorted, “That was Arabic!” It was a funny, curious exchange.
Our conversation turned to customs and culture in Saudi Arabia. Alamin said that within the immediate family circle, the men and women, and boys and girls, are allowed to come together. But in public and outside this circle, they have to be separate. Even cousins of opposite genders are not allowed to be together.
On a related note, I learned from Ahmad and Khalid over our last kickoff dinner that Arabic parents facilitated the marriage of their children. They got together, then proposed that the young couple marry. Now, apparently, the couple has a say in it. They can choose to say, No. But they’re not allowed to date. If they decide to marry, the young couple can live with the groom’s family.
Alamin offered me lessons in Muslim customs, too: For example, God said it’s better to do brief prayers regularly (i.e., 10-15 minute prayers, five times daily), than doing lengthy prayers once in awhile. It was a perfect lesson, as I was walking through “I” of our Development FIRST model: Implement something everyday (something small and targeted).
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