RIYADH: A Polish man and his family have developed a considerable affinity to Saudi Arabian culture, particularly the country’s language and historical sites.
Polish national Paweł Juchniewicz, who recently attended a camel show with his family, said that he enjoys visiting two of his best friends who are Saudis.
Juchniewicz was invited to the festival by Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, a young Saudi whom he befriended in 2018. “Several weeks ago, he invited me to visit the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival. I welcomed the idea because I love getting to know new places related to traditions, in addition to establishing business contacts,” Juchniewicz told Arab News.
“At the festival I saw, for the first time, many wonderful camels that are not popular in Europe. They are very beautiful animals and I learned a lot of interesting facts about the Hagen camels racing business.
“Arabs have used camels for different purposes such as riding, during combat, movement, as well as for transporting water and in farming. My family and I are pleased with the visit where we learned about the ancient culture,” he said.
Juchniewicz said he was “amazed” by the organization of the event in a desert area where there are paved roads, markets and uninterrupted internet access.
This was his fourth visit to the Kingdom since 2018, but he has hosted many Saudis in Poland from 2012. “For 10 years I have been helping Saudis who come to Poland for treatment, work or tourism purposes. I can say that two of my best friends are from Saudi Arabia,” he said.
One of Juchniewicz’s best friends is Abdullah Al-Ghosson whom he met in 2012, when the latter was just 17 years old and in Poland for rehabilitation. “I helped him … showed him Poland, taught him about life and Europe and he taught me Arabic words and (the) language.”
Together, the duo visited Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. “He is a very strong Saudi man as he wasn’t able to walk since birth, but he has (shown) other people with disabilities how to live a normal live in a wheelchair. He is also a businessman as he sells the best honey in Saudi Arabia produced by his family.”
In the Kingdom, Juchniewicz and his family have visited many sites and institutions including the historic Masmak Fortress, the Riyadh Center for Cultural Heritage, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, in Dhahran, the Buraidah Winter Festival, and the Al-Musawkaf Market in Unaizah.
“During my recent stay in Saudi Arabia during the month of Ramadan in May 2022, I wore traditional clothes on a daily basis. I attended feasts and visited a mosque. I really like wearing Saudi clothes.”
Juchniewicz said his wife and children are similarly in awe of the Kingdom’s culture. “I love the Arabic language very much. I love greetings such as ‘asalamu aleikum,’ ‘sabah alkhayr,’ and marhaba.’ I also like vocabulary of a religious nature such as ‘insha’Allah’ or ‘alhamdulilah.’ I love people’s respect for each other and I love hearty food and great Saudi cuisine.”
“Saudi people are open minded, friendly, love to help people, and have a desire to learn about other cultures around the world, they are very generous. Here, I met many learned people, but even the simple ones were kind, I like people who stick to tradition a lot,” he said.
Juchniewicz feels “comfortable and safe” in Saudi Arabia where he has “lots of friends.”
“I was (at) the Saudi-Polish match in Qatar and despite the loss, the Saudis were very polite to my family. I have met people I didn’t know on the border with Qatar, they invited me to visit Alkhobar (in eastern Saudi Arabia) for dinner,” he said.
