Tips for Saudis abroad

The recent killing of young Saudi student Abdullah Alkadi is a grim reminder that we live in a dangerous world, whether it is here in Saudi Arabia or abroad. Having studied in a foreign country for five years, I have come across, or had heard from fellow Saudi students, situations that could spell danger if we were not alert to our environment.
Abdullah Alkadi, a student at California State University, Northridge, had used Craglist to sell his car. Sending out a call to strangers inherently exposes sellers to dangers they would not normally face. And perhaps now is a good time to understand how to remain safe while living in a foreign country.
The new, quick and easy way to sell anything to the public is online. There are innumerable websites that offer free access, or at a small cost, to list valuables online. The items one wants to sell now can reach anybody to anyone in the world. But there are rules to follow. Never invite a stranger to your home or go to their residence to make the transaction. Make it in public at a restaurant, a food court at a mall, or better yet a bank where a large sum of money is exchanged. Never go alone.
Saudis, in my humble opinion, can be rather naïve when living in a foreign country. They are friendly and often open to new experiences. This often impedes judgment. Crime rate in Saudi Arabia is extremely low compared to western countries. It can make us complacent about our surroundings. What Americans, for example, take as a normal part of their day, it may never cross a Saudi’s mind not to use an ATM machine on a dark street or in a neighborhood known for crime. It’s also never smart to listen to music on headphones while walking in an unfamiliar area.
Women in particular should be mindful how they dress. When going abroad, we often save our money to buy a Louis Vitton handbag or some other expensive-looking designer fashion item that attracts attention. And speaking of attracting attention, that hijab may also attract unwanted attention. Leave the hijab on, but be aware of your surroundings. For example, when I lived in Newcastle, England, me and my fellow hijabis never went out in public on the day Newcastle United hosted football matches.
A steady stream of football fans excited about the match would flood the streets on the way to the stadium, and then stream back after the match several beers happier (or angrier depending on who won), making us targets for the haters. Another alternative is to wear a hat with your hair tucked inside as a way to blend in with the crowd.
This is not an anti-Saudi thing, or anti-Islam rage, but a reminder that each country has elements in society that expose us to danger. Like Saudi Arabia has dangerous roads, unenforceable traffic laws and its own high-crime areas, other countries have their own issues.
The key to safety — and Saudis are not particularly good at this — is to blend in with the environment where we live, work and study. Take tips from your hosts. Don’t overdress; watch how they conduct their business, how they get to the university, get home, and how they watch out for each other. Western women when socializing in public often do so in groups; Saudis, whether male or female, should adopt similar practices.
Universities should also play a key role, particularly during orientation. While domestic students may take orientation for granted, university administrators should make it a priority to acclimate foreign students to the culture of their country. It would help foreign students tremendously if university administrators introduced them to campus and city police officers, and government resource employees who can offer safety tips and provide information in the unlikely event they become a crime victim. Law-enforcement officials in the West are particularly responsive to crime victims. Their standards for investigating crime and protecting the public are far above that of developing countries. They are a foreigner’s best resource. As hard as this sounds, people often end up as crime victims through naivety, carelessness or the unrealistic expectation that every individual we come across is as open, friendly and honest as we are.
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