That’s what the Governor of Mecca, Pr. Khaled Al-Faisal is calling for. In the aftermath of the floods that killed over 100 in Jeddah back in November, Saudi nationals are starting to publicly demand accountability of their officials. While many had griped and complained before, they always did it in private or in the company of a few friends they could trust not to go brunting it about. Now, with a catastrophic failure of infrastructure, they’re taking their complaints to public fora, including the Saudi media. There’s at least one senior official who understands what they’re saying—actually, there are more, but they tend to keep their comments general, perhaps overly general.
It is time, however, for Saudis to demand accountability, not only of government officials, but for themselves as well. It is individuals accepting responsibility for their own actions that leads to a civil and functioning society.
Governor tells officials to be more responsible
Muhammad Al-Sulami | Arab NewsJEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal urged government officials in Jeddah on Saturday to develop a culture of responsibility.
“This country has been successful in confronting challenges. This has helped us in developing a culture of saying ‘I’m responsible,’” he said.
Addressing a workshop on preventing the dangers posed by floods and rain in east Jeddah, Prince Khaled urged officials to move from being pessimistic to being confident and optimistic.
Officials from several government departments — including the governorate, the Jeddah municipality, the Civil Defense, the Transport Department and the Saudi Geological Survey — took part in the workshop which was also attended by experts from King Abdulaziz University.
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February:07:2010 - 14:42
A good move towards fixing what went wrong … but nevertheless, the prince will need to follow this to the end if we are to avoid the sea of Civil service bureaucracy that reigns over such implementation.
It is a tragedy to think how governmental departments sometimes operate in KSA, one can only hope that this one will be made sure to reach correct implementation and with a proper budget …..
As with responsibility … its a real issue over there, most people just pretend its not their problem, and blame it on someone else. Social responsibility is still looming in the distance, and it wont arrive easily, not without the education for a robust social infrastructure, where people take consideration of others and where the government takes consideration of the people its meant to be serving.
February:07:2010 - 15:11
I agree. It needn’t wait for huge government infrastructure projects, though. NGOs and even less formal groups can take steps to bring people into the concept of personal responsibility.
One thing I noticed in the Kingdom is the way public spaces are treated–or more often, mistreated. Citizens seem to think that it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that the streets are clean and that they have no role in it whatsoever. At the same time, while citizens keep their walled gardens tidy, they’ll often just throw trash over the wall and make it nobody’s problem (but of course, that means everybody’s problem).
Now, I realize that littering is small potatoes when it comes to social reform, but it’s a place to start. What many Saudis seem to think is asocial behavior, that is, of no importance either way, is in fact anti-social behavior in that it harms the whole of society by making things less pleasant, less clean, less a place you’re happy to live in. Dumping trash off the highways, abandoning cars that can’t be sold, walking by trash on the street (ok, the government could provide more receptacles)… all of these are things that would improve the quality of life for every Saudi, rich or poor.
Saudis could also start developing the idea of personal responsibility in their kids. From the Middle Class and upward, it appears that Saudi children don’t have any tasks around the house; that’s all left for the maids to do. Never mind doing their own laundry (a rather trivial task, given washing machines), how about just picking up their rooms? Making their beds? Clearing the table after a meal?
How about chores, daily or weekly? I think too much manual labor of the trivial sort is left to third-world employees to do–and then those employees enjoy the disdain of their employers’ children for doing those tasks. Any teenager is competent–with a lesson, perhaps–to wash a car. It seems as though in being raised to consider themselves pashas and princesses, Saudi youth lose the ability to empathize with anyone other than their peers. That’s not social behavior in most accepted definitions of the phrase: It’s narcissism.
February:07:2010 - 15:25
I agree John, it starts at home. People are amazed my kids help in the kitchen. Why shouldn’t they? They eat don’t they?
Getting people to care for public space is trickier. Part of why they don’t is they don’t feel any real ownership. The roads are in disrepair, there are no parks etc. and they get no say in the governance of it. And in some ways I think the gov’t wants it that way. If people take responsibility- they will also want more rights. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg thing.
February:07:2010 - 15:54
Paying taxes and the right to vote. Those two things encourage people to pay attention and take responsibility for the society in which they live. When the gov’t takes a chunk out of your paycheck, you quickly want to know why and how it’s being used. If you have the right to vote then you have some say.
February:07:2010 - 15:58
Chunks are just taken out without people ever knowing it LOL. It doesn’t have to be in the form of taxes but could be in the form of robbing resources, bribery and all other vices etc. For those who take much MUST be GIVEN BACK.
February:07:2010 - 17:31
I do think it starts young. Even in he USA you can see the effects in wealthy kids who had maids and little personal responsibility. Mom and Dad run to junior’s aide over everything and junior has no incentive to take himself in hand. EVEN IF someone in KSA employs a nanny or a maid, it is possible to remind the kids that these are people just like them who don’t have the GOOD FORTUNE of having enough money and they do a very hard job for minimal pay. That there is no shame in hard work and anyone who is willing to work hard for a day’s wage should be admired not scoffed at. The problem I think is that the kids don’t see these other people as human…simply someone who is there to cater to every whim. It produces a society that is lacking in any sort of empathy or compassion or self discipline. I personally like the American way where kids are expected to contribute to the good of the family unit by doing chores. It teaches them reliance, a mini work ethic that they build on as they get older, and gives a sense of pride that they did contribute. anyone who has ever had a child say, “I want to help” or “no, me do it” or “I can do it myself” can see that budding independence that is yearning to get out! There are no better “helpers” than children! And it helps lay the foundation for the future.
February:08:2010 - 03:41
Sad but true, The social problems in Saudi are huge …. and regarding the youth …. you just dont know where to start, from the higher middle-class and up its a mess. Because houses that can afford maids will usually not pay attention to the education and up-bringing of the child, and furthermore there is an even bigger problem, when they reach the age of 15 – 20 their fathers rarely have any presence with them and they just give them money so freely, this ultimately leads to being spoiled and corrupted, you see so many of them smoking, and engaging in culturally degrading behaviour. If we are to truly start social reform, it not only have to come from the political system, but rather has to be born out of the society itself, starting with the family.
As the political system doesn’t have to change 100%, and neither does the education system, but rather if Saudi’s become aware of their deteriorating social life, they may start to care …
Or … they may just continue saying ”Its not my problem”
February:08:2010 - 10:04
“It is individuals accepting responsibility for their own actions that leads to a civil and functioning society.”
From my reading of history, I believe that accountability of public officials is far more important than responsibility.
February:08:2010 - 10:32
I think public accountability has to follow individuals accepting responsibility for their own actions. If we don’t demand it of ourselves, how can we demand it of others? Sort of like love: if you can’t love yourself, why should you expect anyone else to love you?
February:08:2010 - 17:02
Sometimes in the face of such pain the finest parts of culture emerge as a release. We can only hope the same happens here.
February:13:2010 - 02:28
Terms like “culture of responsibility” and “culture of human rights” make me cringe.