How Being Stuck Outside the Kingdom Has Renewed My Perspective
By Hana Nemec
On March 8th I left Riyadh thinking I would be gone for a seven-day business trip to Boston. Six months later - and counting - I am still stuck in the homeland. This has not been an uncommon phenomena for expatriates living in Saudi Arabia, some of whom were outside of Saudi by chance and others who decided to take the organized repatriation flights when travel into the Kingdom was halted in mid-March. Unfortunately, what has been unexpected is the length of time that has gone by without answers on when a return is to be expected... until today.
As the new Digital Communications Coordinator for our organization, I have gone through my first fully digital on-boarding process, and I cannot help but wonder if this is how recruitment will be from now on. The nervewracking experience of a first day on the job meeting my esteemed colleagues has been curtailed to this informal introduction via newsletter being written in my make-shift office at my grandmother’s condominium in Cleveland. The office doubles as a kitchen, and my grandmother still does not understand the concept of not using the screeching microwave during my Zoom calls. My apologies in advance. That being said, I am looking forward to the opportunity to physically meet you in person in the future, hopefully in a less distracting environment.
Overall, I should not complain. This pandemic and the subsequent uncertainty has cost some their livelihoods and others extended time away from family. It has surely created a feeling of hopelessness for many American expats that call Saudi home like myself. While I can appreciate the additional precautions being taken to ensure that the pandemic does not gravely impact the healthcare industry, I was quite anxiously awaiting further instruction and living life on pause until today’s announcement regarding return flights. I had been updating the Twitter feed of the General Directorate of Saudi Passports (Jawazat) more often than I care to admit.
Many of us who have been fortunate enough to remain employed have shifted to a “new normal,” of online meetings, teleconferences, and record-numbers of screen time on our phones. It is particularly difficult for those stuck outside but with work inside the Kingdom to maintain normal working hours despite the vast time difference. While the world is curious as to what will happen to the way that businesses operate in the future and if telecommuting will be a permanent change, those of us stuck outside of Saudi - in America and elsewhere - just want to walk in our front doors again.
Thankfully, after months of uncertainty, we have word from official sources including GACA that return flights to the Kingdom will be opening as of September 15th. My bags were packed no more than an hour after the announcement. I have never been so excited at the anticipation of the Arabic coffee that they serve on Saudia flights.
With the new announcement comes an almost bittersweet feeling, however. The one element of this experience that I hope sticks around after I do finally get back is my new appreciation for the activities I once considered chores. I never thought that I would say I am excited to go to meetings that could have just been phone calls, but the pandemic has even changed my outlook on this common complaint. Sincerely, this pandemic has changed the way I view many of the most mundane daily tasks that I cannot wait to get back to. I am not only excited to return, but I am excited to maintain this new perspective on the value of human interaction long after this is all over