5
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Arrival in the country... First Years
.................................
7
The
State Foundation Centenary
.......................................
26
Physical Characteristics
..................................................................
50
The Bedouins
..................................................................................................
65
Riyadh,
the Capital of the Kingdom
..............................
77
The Fauna
............................................................................................................
108
The Gold Market and a Tour in the Desert
........
138
A Wedding Ceremony
.......................................................................
147
The
First Saudi State
.............................................................................
160
Customs and Traditions
..................................................................
176
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
......................................................................................
196
The Story of Two Families
......................................................
206
The Governorate of Hijaz
............................................................
221
The
Eastern Province
.........................................................................
250
Diplomatic Life
...........................................................................................
261
Conclusion
..........................................................................................................
281
8
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s
Spouse
high-ranking level.
The month of April at Baku was exceedingly beautiful
that year. I roamed through the narrow streets of the old
city and inhaled the spring odors that had dwindled into
oblivion, enjoyed the pleasure of warmth under the rays
of the sun which had not yet become too hot, in an attempt
to record this impression on the pages of my memory. I
visualized the spectacle of the yet invisible phase of our
life. I was not keen on foretelling the future and predicting
what is in store for us, as I knew that this matter is not
warranted nowadays.
Surrounded by a gathering of friends and relatives who
came to bid us farewell and who wished us happiness and
safe landing, we climbed up the aircraft steps and seated
ourselves in the parlor of a Turkish airline plane.
The noise of the engine, together with the fretting
associated with the initial phase of travel, have triggered
a series of ideas in my mind. I could not but think that
this new embassy beyond our borders is radically and
amazingly different from all previous ones, not only in
respect of the country of destination, but also because
my husband’s activities this time will have a different
significance. It is as it were a pioneering one and would
be directly linked with the history of our state. Whether
we like it or not, it is going to be a distinctive phase, albeit
not a big one, of this history. At this juncture, it dawned on
me that I must prepare a diary book which could serve as
the basis of a book in the future. Who else could do this if
not myself, a living witness of such events.
For us, the Middle East region was not a remote and