Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

I was at Saudi Arabia during June 2011 for Umrah or minor pilgrimage to Mecca. It is obligatory for able-bodied Muslims to perform Hajj or major pilgrimage at least once in their life but the Umrah is just highly encouraged as a precursor to the major pilgrimage. Nonetheless, be it minor or major, the tests for pilgrims are still evident throughout the whole journey while performing the rituals, mixing with people from all corners of the Earth. In fact, the tests carried on up to my last moments in the country at the customs checkpoint.

My family arrived at the airport very early due to some logistical issues but was hopeful to get some air-conditioning in the airport after the long and dry car ride from Mecca to Jeddah. To our dismay, we found out that we cannot check-in as we were too early and had to wait outside since there is not waiting area indoors. It didn't help that all the shops were closed as it was on a Friday and they were closed for Friday prayers and probably for the rest of the day too since Thursday and Friday is their weekend. The airport was functioning at its bare minimum for operations.

Once we checked-in and completed baggage screening, we were dumbfounded to see a row of empty immigration checkpoint counters! We looked around for assistance but couldn't find any and thought we could just go through the counters. We were about to do just that until someone came out of the blue to stop us. With an annoyed looked, speaking in a rough mixture of Arabic and English gesturing at us to take a seat. We enquired on what was going on and vaguely, we figured out form his words that the officers were out for their afternoon break! All at the same time!

The guy we spoke to was neither apologetic nor ashamed to reveal that, basically because, we are on their land and we live by their rules. It is their culture to have the mid-afternoon break usually for tea. In fact, in the Sacred Mosque Al-Haram, you will find Arabs bringing around tea in thermos flask with plastic cups to selflessly offer it to people in the mosque. Tea is an important part of their lives, and there is no way they are going to allow anyone stop them from having it.

Then there is the issue of productivity. It is neither something that they pride on, nor something that they see as important. This has partly got to do with the problems out of Saudi Arabia’s welfare state system. Unemployment and low productivity are the main by-products and even Britain faced the problems. The oil boom in the mid-20^th century brought huge amounts of riches to the country and generous welfare benefits to the country. Unfortunately, it eroded much of the grit, hard work and discipline which the earlier generations had in bringing up the desert lands to flood in the petrodollars.

There is no point in getting worked up over their attitude or the poor service. Knowledge on a particular people’s background is vital before you interact with them to prevent any miscommunication and animosity. Now that I am aware of some of the reasons behind their behavior, I learn to appreciate this diversity among people. Not everyone can be up to Singapore’s infrastructural and service standards but doesn't that makes things more interesting?