The image of Saudi Arabia abroad is of a land teaming with wealth and opportunity — the “oil-rich desert Kingdom†as the international media insist on saying. Inside the Kingdom, it is a rather different picture. Yes, there is wealth and opportunity — and massive development — but there is also poverty. The slums of south Riyadh or south Jeddah are real and shocking. It is not expatriate laborers who live in such places; it is poor Saudis. They cannot afford anything better. Nor is poverty confined to places like Qarantina in Jeddah or Suwaidi in Riyadh. There is serious rural poverty as well; as elsewhere, it manifests itself in substandard, rundown accommodation.
For many years, Saudi poverty was a taboo subject, unspoken by those who saw it as shameful and who foolishly imagined that by ignoring it, it would go away. It was Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah who, as crown prince, broke the taboo. His unprecedented visit to the slums of Suwaidi just over three years ago brought poverty into the open and with it a determination address the issue.
Today, there is both good news and bad. According to the King Abdullah Charitable Housing Foundation, set up in the wake of the visit to provide accommodation for the poor, a million homes are needed. What makes that good news is that the problem is clearly now being assessed and quantified. The bad news is that it is an enormous mountain to climb. We must be thankful for the foundation’s plans to build 13,000 homes for the poor over the next few years — all extra homes are welcome — but the fact is they barely scratch the surface of the problem. At this rate it will take 100 years to meet the target.
When one hears the name “Saudi Arabia,” poverty isn’t usually the first thing to pop to one’s mind. That’s as it should be; compared to many countries, Saudi Arabia is not poor.
But as this Arab News article makes clear, there are poor Saudis. The issue was hidden, as were many other social problems, for years, for decades. This was largely due to the “shame factor”. Admitting that a problem existed implied that someone was not doing his job adequately. That implication is now seen as a given: bureaucrats–even senior ones–are human and they make human mistakes. By putting the issue in front of the people, however, at least the doors to discussion and solution are being opened.
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January:20:2006 - 13:24
I agree with you John issues need to be discussed even if we are not proud of them. This is another example of how we are always trying to convience ourselves that we are a perfect society that is incapable of doing anything wrong. The whole media frenzy and social blow out over Raja AlSanea’s (Girls of Riyadh)is another example of us not wanting to hear anything bad about our society because it scratches at our belief that we are perfect.
January:20:2006 - 13:24
I have to say the artical is interesting but not shocking as the world is faced with a major issue of the haves and have nots.
Interesting enough is a company out of Canada that has spent many years compiling many technologies inorder to develope a low cost housing mass production system. A company the kingdom might consider looking at partnering with as last I heard they have something planed for in North America and seeking to partner with other governments from around the world.
Actually the released a statement back in 2003 or 2004 about building 1 million low cost houses for the poor. If I recall they will do it quicker then anybody else within some newly advanced factory making I think 400 houses a day?(wow).
under google if you search “ayess housing” all kinds of information on them comes up.
You might want to consider the solution they have?
Scott
January:20:2006 - 13:24
Wow that is some good information hopefully it will wake people up around the world that poverty exists everywhere.
Here in Canada people run from friend to friend sleeping on a couch for one night then another friends the next. Amazing how the governments like to hide the problem. I have to give the Saudi Government total credit for really being the first to speak out against poverty.
I am surprised they have not looked at a company that has some interesting new mass produced housing concepts to help solve the homeless issue. I am not sure if the company is Canadian or American thou. Ayess Industries International is the name if anyone knows what the stock symbol is please let me know as I would be interested in buying some stock.