3 arabian nights - qahwa

just got back from riyadh. i will be posting my impressions in several installments over the next few weeks, along with appropriate tunes of course. the music posted are not strictly saudi but from all over the arab world since it was mostly egyptian pop and pan-arab top 40 icons like amr diab blasting from the radios in riyadh.

looking west from the persian gulf, riyadh sits just off the center of the kingdom of saudi arabia. as my plane dipped below remnants of southern mediterranean cloud covering and started its long descend through the arabian deserts into the kingdom’s capitol, for a moment, the arid and unforgiving landscape below looked like southern new mexico.

i was in riyadh for the launch of a new research center and was met at the gate by naif, the center’s us-educated but traditionally attired director of communications. he whisked me into the vip lounge and waved an underling off to process my papers and collect my luggage. in the lounge, naif had an attendant serve me saudi coffee (qahwa), a light tea-like amber liquor perfumed with cardamom and a hint of saffron that barely covered the bottom of a small ornate cup.

i drained it in two sips and naif asked if i would like more. i said no and thanked the confused-looking attendant while handing the cup back to him. naif told me it is saudi custom for the host to show hospitality with small servings in order to draw out the visit, and if i’ve had enough, i should rock the cup gently between my fingers.

“he would give you a full cup if he doesn’t want you to stay,” naif added.

the ride into riyadh was disorienting, but only partly due to jet-lag and the fact that, thanks to the ever efficient air france, my only luggage went awol somewhere between paris and riyadh. the highway into the city cut through the vast desert spotted with stunted vegetations and giant billboards that sprung out of nowhere to hawk everything from yogurt to electronics. once in town, we were promptly ensnared in rush hour traffic on king fahd road, riyadh’s main commercial artery, but it did give me a chance to take in the scene.

in general, there seems to be two types of architecture in riyadh: small, sand-colored, one story houses or shops and huge, magnificent buildings that are often hotels or government institutions. incongruity’s everywhere: skyscraper rising from crumbling “old riyadh,” burger king with an arabic marquee (it’s bugged to me anyway), and sophisticated businessmen in italian suits (almost every other person i met have a mba) followed by women swathed head to toe in abaya.

in a land of over 27 million, almost 40% are younger than 14, all bound by islamic tradition, plus an extraordinary sense of the family. consanguineous marriage represents 60% of all marriages, highest in the muslim world, which only further reinforces fealty to the tribe. this genetic isolation makes the saudis an incredible resource for research; the more homogeneous genetic background makes for easier gene-hunting. as one of the researchers at king faisel specialist hospital said with more than a hint of pride, “we’re a goldmine.”

it wasn’t until i got to the intercontinental that the reality of where i was finally set in. concrete barricades forced my car off the main road and into the hotel’s guarded entrance. my driver popped the hood and the trunk and a severe security/paramilitary guy got a good look at both before nodding to his equally severe partner to lower the steel and concrete gate. as my car slowly zigzagged its way around a maze of staggered barricades, i felt kind of relieved all of a sudden. “that would slow any motherfucker down,” i thought to myself.

Posted by cellpharmer at April 19, 2006 09:49 PM