9
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
obscure place. Moreover, as I have already said, we had
lived for a large part of our active life in the Arab countries
and were able, particularly my husband, to properly
understand its problems. The two years Elman Arasli had
spent in Egypt as a beginner orientalist, working there as an
interpreter; and subsequently as a senior economist, at the
Commercial Representation of the Soviet Union in Cairo;
the seven exciting years that were fraught with events
in Iraq during what I consider to be the most prosperous
days in the life of this country, indeed in our private life as
well, in his capacity as the Director General of the Soviet
Cultural Center and Advisor to the Soviet Union Embassy;
and the five years, in the same capacity, in splendid and
unforgettable Jordan; the four years in difficult Yemen,
but which in any case remains stored in our memory – all
these years have given us in-depth knowledge not only
of the characteristics of this part of the world, but also
knowledge and concern for the interests of these peoples.
However, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is another
matter. We have of course consulted a few books which
we found in our country on Saudi Arabia, from which we
gathered scanty and partly obsolete, and in many cases,
biased information. It is only natural that Saudi Arabia
should be associated in people’s minds with great wealth,
and I was no exception in that respect. I had known that it
ranked first in the world in respect of oil, its extraction and
export, that its citizens have one of the highest standards of
living, and that, being the cradle of Islam, and the location
of revelation, it plays a prominent role in the spiritual life
of all Muslims throughout the world. Finally, its unique
10
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s
Spouse
geographic position, at the cross-roads of Asia, Africa and
Europe, has enabled it to control the most important sector
of the world communications between East and West. It was
obvious that this was not enough or adequate. Theoretical
knowledge is never a substitute at all for actual, living
impressions, which none of those around us possessed.
Until the time of the embarking on change, which came
to be known as the reconstruction process, the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia did not have diplomatic relations with
the Soviet Union. No Soviet individual had access to this
place, although many years ago a wise person, who is an
old friend of the family, the Academician Ghafourove
was somehow and mysteriously able to visit the Arabian
Peninsula, even met King Faisal bin Abdulaziz and told
us a great many interesting and cute things about Saudi
Arabia.
After a four-hour flight, during which the monotonous
noise of the engine filled our ears, we began to feel
drowsy, particularly as it was past midnight. Every now
and then I would look through the window and could see
nothing but thick darkness. Three or four of the first-class
passengers were fast asleep, and one passenger drew near
to my husband and they had a refreshing conversation.
It transpired that this fellow traveler was a Turkish
businessman on a business trip to Saudi Arabia. This
young man has later on given us precious assistance that
was quite necessary for us during the first stages of the
establishment of our embassy.
Then came the announcement of our being close to
landing. I looked again through the window, and lo! What