73
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
the powder is poured in a special coffee pot which has
a long handle and water is poured over it. Then it is put
on burning coal. After boiling for a few minutes it is put
aside; then the liquid is poured into another receptacle and
saffron powder and dry carnation is added together with
peeled cardamom in order to give a pleasant flavor to the
coffee.
Every phase of this traditional process would be
performed with great decorum, which is aimed at making
the guests feel comfortable and at ease in the tent. All
this takes place to the accompaniment of expressions of
pleasure by the host because the guests have honored him
with their visit. As to the partaking of coffee, this constitutes
an important part of the traditional ceremony, which
involves a series of acts beginning with the preparation of
this golden drink. I have already touched on that and will
not repeat it . All I can add is that the coffee pot is raised
to head level or slightly higher and that the doze of the
cooked coffee beans should not exceed the right amount.
To be able to achieve this correctly, the host should have
special expertise and previous experience.
Thus coffee is poured in a small quantity, enough to
hide the bottom of the beautifully decorated cup, and
enough for one sip. To ensure this, the ancient bedouins
used to stuff the mouth of the coffee pot with a bunch of
date tree fiber. One can have many such mini sips, but it
is not proper to fill the cup to the brim, as this would be
considered a deliberate insult. The ceremony of the offering
and sipping of coffee, like other aspects of bedouin life and
pattern of behavior, have been documented in their poems
74
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s
Spouse
that are characterized by original and exquisite meters
and rhymes. I have often observed desert poets sitting
absorbed in contemplation round their fire in their tents
that have white and black stripes, as their cattle grazed,
and as they gazed through the flat, seemingly endless
horizon,
or looked up to the wide, blue sky.
I saw in this their desires and aspirations, their skills
and their ability to beautify their lives and make it sweet
and precious with the few ways and means for satisfaction
and ease that are available to them. On some occasions, I
was able to detect on their faces grim and sullen smiles,
and on other occasions I could see looks that reflect utter
happiness and bliss, as well as docile and gentle looks that
emanated from eyes from whose bright whiteness there
radiated the wisdom of centuries and the satisfaction of
contentment. They well deserve all this, as they are the
prominent heirs of the Arab and Islamic culture, which
they were able to carry, transfer, convey and preserve in
almost its original form and prime condition for many past
centuries and up to the present time.
Obviously, Saudi society could not be considered as
having one unified way of life. Thus, in the wide expanse
of the vast country, there live beside the nomads, a
population that lead an urban and semi-urban way of life.
However, the roots of the majority of such population go
back to the tribal way of life. It should be pointed out that
the time element that penetrates through the socio-political
structure of society and its structural entity has been the
unifying factor, at least for more than two hundred years,
during which it spread out until it included all categories