From 2020-2021, I taught in a university in the Qassim province of Saudi Arabia, which is considered to be the most conservative part of the country. It’s not known for anything except being ‘the date capital of the world’, and it’s more or less right in the middle of the desert.
I’d been out of Europe for a few years and shocked at how difficult it was to make a living on my return to Italy, and although it was great to see my old friends again, I was restless and curious as usual, and was grateful to get the chance to work abroad another time. I missed the energy of the Middle East, its young population, the heat, the sunshine, a good income, and some new experiences and opportunities.
Also I knew I’d be living on a compound so wouldn’t be shackled by the responsibilities of running a household, paying bills, getting things repaired, doing housework, or even worse, gardening.
Compounds are gated, usually relatively luxurious communities where expats are housed in Saudi Arabia, and accommodation on them is offered along with good job contracts. Some compounds had tanks, armoured cars, and guards with machine guns at their entrances, and barbed wire round them too, but life inside was pleasant. You just walk in and it’s all there for you…and there’s automatically a new collection of people around you, from all over the world.
My compound had well-tended and planned-out grounds, three swimming pools, and an interesting mix of residents as always. There were Indian dentists, Canadian businesssmen, American helicopter pilot trainers, English professional footballers, South African lecturers, Jordanian teachers, and a few reclusive American men, some who had lived there for years.
Out There & In Here 