Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the fifth-largest country in Asia and the second-largest Arab country. A Monarchy ruled by the Al-Saud dynasty, which follows the Islamic Law – The Shariah as the primary source of legislation. A country that holds Pre-Islamic history and is embodied with rich culture and heritage, which witnessed major civilization that turned the Kingdom into one of the richest country in the world. It is the world’s eighteenth-largest economy and a country with extremely high Human Development Index which provides better quality of education, health and improved standard of living.
Being home to the world’s third-largest immigrant population, the expats of the Kingdom certainly feel that there is no other place called Home other than Saudi Arabia. Though, it is heavily filled by their own kin, it is still diverse and has a good mix of all the cultures from around the world. You will see people belonging from every race, following different religions and customs, speaking different languages and yet no discrimination is faced. The Arabs are very accommodating and respectful to people of different traditions.
As an expat who’s living in Saudi Arabia, right from childhood you absorb the whole environment you’re surrounded with; a fondness for the Khaleeji Cuisine, the glitter and glamour of the cities, the infrastructure, lavish lifestyle and the best standard of living one can experience; in areas like health, education, etc. Medical Insurance is provided to all the residents so that makes healthcare more affordable and one can attain great medical services. For an Arab, education is free with immense diversity which prepares them for global economy. As for Expats, this facility isn’t provided like that of healthcare sector.
A child becomes more accustomed to the life in Saudi Arabia, than his own origin. That’s the beauty of Expat Life, you never seem to forget the influence it has on you throughout your whole life, even after you leave the Kingdom. You always seem to use Riyal instead of the national currency, wishing petrol was as inexpensive as it was in Saudi Arabia, having unlimited options for food and shopping; wishing you could easily get the gulf snacks elsewhere – Galaxy Jewels, Tasali Chips, Rani Juices, Dried Fruits, etc. Whenever someone is returning from Gulf, these are the things that their relatives and friends ask them to get. Always a treat for everyone. But above all, the school life of an expat is a new adventure.
A school filled with teachers and students of various cultures, speaking different languages, eating different varieties of food, following distinctive ideologies and customs all come together under one roof. Like a rainbow, a spectrum – different degrees of extremes on the inside yet looks unified and beautiful on the outside. That’s the elegance of having multicultural crowd, you are more accepting, and have an open mind, become multilingual and get habituated with diverse people. The educational curriculums at schools are diverse. They include a variety of subjects such as math, science, literature, history, commerce, local languages of different countries like Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, French including their native language Arabic, Value Education and Islam Studies. School Canteens are a Wonderland for many, because of the refreshments you get on hot sunny days like Sun Top, Shani Drink, and snacks like Al-Batal Popcorn, chips, Sour Punk, Samosas, Idli and Sambar, and so much more that we could get all these treats under 5 Riyals or less. This was the best part - felt so rich having so little money.
The Festivities were also celebrated in full swings, let it be Cultural Festival, Sports Day, Independence Day, Annual Day, Saudi National Day, Field Trips and so on. Every Festival that is celebrated in your home country is celebrated, to pay homage to the students motherland.
The Ministry of Education sets overall standards and oversees special education even for the handicapped.
The government continues to improve educational standards by offering quality training programs for teachers, improving standards for student evaluation, and increasing the use of educational technology making its students qualified for every area in life in creating a great future for themselves.
It’s certainly an emotional journey for an immigrant, knowing that this isn’t your own country but the people, the places, the emotions that this beautiful land makes you feel is what makes an expat call Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Home.
