Most of us try to analyze and dissect change that starts to happen in our lives. We often look at change suspiciously and look for the negative. It is the unknown factors that scare us and we feel that maybe the world is out to get us.
As the world goes from how we knew it, to talks of AI (artificial intelligence), we experience fear in the older generation that knows their jobs will become obsolete. The thought of self driven cars and trucks lead Uber drivers and truck drivers to fear their future income streams and people who are scared of getting into cars without a person are scared of the safety of such a future. We are witnessing McDonalds where you don’t need a person to take the order anymore but rather screens that you yourself use to place the order on.
As I once again visit Saudi Arabia, my home country, I see the the crazy transformation I have been witnessing post Covid. Saudi Arabia has been criticized as far back as I can remember. From their lack of open minded western ideologies, to women not being able to drive, covered up in black abayas and the need for expats to work in their country. They have been criticized for being too rich, driving fancy cars and not having any manners when they go to various countries for their entertainment or philandering.
From Muslims who wanted to criticize Saudis for not being the ‘right’ kind of Muslim to non-Muslims who thought that the Islam Saudis practiced was just ‘too’ Muslim, I have heard all kinds of remarks for the country I love and call home.
When we love our country, we don’t deny that it needs improvement. Love is blind and its a sentiment or feeling that is placed in our hearts just like it is for our not so perfect family. It is a good idea to remain objective and at the very least, analyze and admit to our selves what is going well and what needs to get better.
But as I see Saudi Arabia changing, become more ‘modern’ or rather ‘western’ as some would say, with many laws getting relaxed and more needing to become relaxed, the criticisms continue as the fear of the unknown emerges in the hearts of those that are either skeptical or just wanting to bash the country once again.
Coming to visit, my religious side does find the blaring music, concerts and openness very disturbing. I am one of those people who loved Saudi Arabia AS IS. I didn’t care if women drove or not. I don’t care if they do either. I was content at its existence.
Yet despite some reservations on the change I am witnessing, there is the aspect of change that I am loving: The ease of travel, the youth working everywhere, women all covered up yet holding down jobs that they desperately needed. I see more proactive young Saudis and realize that a country that relied heavily on expats is eager to do the jobs, contrary to world view that they could not. I hear people admiring the new change of professionalism and realize this:
Over centuries, the world has experienced change in all kinds. From cavemen to farmers to industrial workers, blue collar to white collar jobs, the world has changed drastically – and survived. We only see what our few decades on earth show us and that becomes our reality. The kids being born today will think the most natural way to live is via AI whereas those of us that have seen other ways of living will find it disturbing.
The trick is to not compare but to embrace. To realize that change happens for a reason. Each generation will adapt to the change that comes. As long as we are able to keep our faith strong, work hard to learn and adapt, we’d be okay. When this world ends, it would have gone through thousands of years of change from the day it was created. It progressed, survived, and is being held up constantly by its Creator. Thank God!
The Saudi Expat 