Recently I had a chance to attend a conference in Saudi Arabia and I went, of course, since the opportunity to travel to such an exotic location, especially as a single female, is exceedingly rare.  In addition the conference was being hosted by a member of the royal family so I knew we would be well taken care of.  The conference, covering topics in science and technology with emphasis on space, highlighted the long term plan that the Saudis have to change their mainly natural resource based economy into one driven by technology and knowledge. Truly it was a unique experience even though it was different than visiting other countries where it is easier to “mix” with the local population.

The Ritz Carleton at night. Even more impressive during the day. The hospitality that we received was absolutely amazing!

The conference was held in Riyadh at a local Science and Technology center.  We were bussed, with police escort, from our hotel, the very fancy Ritz Carleton rumored to be in former times a guest house for the palace, to the conference site.  I think the police escort was more due to the special treatment we were getting from our royal host than any overriding concern about security.  The traffic can be a bit congested and our escorts seemed to provided quick passage through traffic snarls. At the conference hall, interestingly enough, they had an entrance for VIPs and a separate entrance for ladies.  We, the foreign men and women guests, went through the VIP entrance.  I did not think anything more about the ladies entrance until during one of the sessions when I heard a Saudi woman ask a question.  Only then did I look around and realize that there was a balcony above us and that was where the local women were sitting, shielded out of site.  Looking around our gallery on the first floor I saw were only foreign guests (men and women) and local males.  The women did participate in the sessions, asking pointed questions in fluent English, it is simply that they were segregated physically.  This was to be a recurring theme- the women and families were always segregated from the general population of men.
My main impression of the visit was that Saudi is a country very much in the throes of change.  During one of the sessions we were briefed that 50% of the population is 25 years old and younger;  family sizes tend to be large with 10 or more children not unusual.  The government, looking towards the future, is investing lots of money in education and has been sending tens of thousands of their young people abroad to be educated (one statistic I heard was that there were about 150,000 Saudi students studying around the world).  These students, when they return to the kingdom from life abroad, wherever they have been, will have a long term lasting impact on the culture of the country and I am not sure that is not part of the plan for change.  The government has also been investing in their educational infrastructure, from teachers to buildings, to developing curriculum.  In any event, with that many young people, approximately 50% of their population, there will be some challenges ahead, which I believe they are well aware of, to find employment for this generation and create opportunities for them.  Hence the long term drive to a knowledge based economy.  In some ways  they are experiencing the exact opposite of the problem we have in the US with the retirement of the baby boomer generation.  We are struggling with how to support a very large percentage of our population in their elderly years and also replace some of the skill sets that are leaving the work force.

View from the bus as we were traveling between the hotel and conference center. There were some skyscrapers but most buildings were built closer to the ground. Flat roofs were common.

Interestingly enough I met a lot of Saudis who were studying tourism, which might seem strange in a country that remains relatively closed.  Again I think there is a vision that at least part of the government is working towards to create a new industry- mainly tourism.  There are some very interesting historical sites in the country, not counting the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina.  Near Riyadh is located Dharabi the first capital city of the kingdom and a UNESCO World Heritage site, currently in ruins but undergoing restoration. It is not clear to me how soon this new industry would hatch but a small group of people are definitely working towards this end.  Change such as this, the establishment of a whole new industry which brings in many uncontrollable outside influences, will happen slowly.

Talking with some of the guides and people I met (both Saudis and Expats) I got the impression that there is a precarious truce, constantly under tension, between the progressive and reactionary forces in the kingdom.  Forces that favor a conservative, strict interpretation of Islam can exert a lot of pressure to keep in check some of the more progressive agendas held by others.   This constant back and forth which directs the rhythm of daily lives is very real and evident especially in the middle of the country, where a more conservative idealism holds sway.  One of our guides, from a coastal city, indicated that in his city the men are not required to wear the traditional dress nor do the women cover up completely.  So, according to him as you move away from the center the situation in the country is already undergoing change.

Dharabi restoration site. A UNESCO world heritage site. Maybe some day many people will get to come and see.

My visit provided only a brief, and perhaps inaccurate or incomplete, snapshot, but fascinating none the less.  Here in the west we get so much distorted news and information with bias that it is hard to know what to believe.  The one strong impression that I took away with me was that Saudi Arabia is going through change and is a fairly dynamic place.  While I was told several times, by many different people, that they have a long way to go, there are clearly forces at work to move them forward.  What happens next and how they continue to evolve will be interesting to watch.  I have high hopes for their young women though!