Ah...Abha!

Abha surprised me...

When I received an offer to work in Saudi Arabia, I was just happy to pick it up. After all, I was not a stranger to the Middle East. With my previous experience of being in the UAE, I had within me a picture of what to expect: magnificent cities with elegant cars, bordered by sprawling desert lands with majestic camels.

But Abha is different, as I was soon to discover.

Located in the southern province of Assir, Abha sits on mountains. Even as you fly into Abha, you see the desert terrain giving way to mountain ranges. And from the airport as you drive up to the interiors, you get enchanted - gaze around to

see the rocky mountains that punctuate the roadsides; let your eyes wander far to rest upon the lofty peaks that etch out a marvelous skyline on the horizon. Amidst this sits Abha - a village in the 21^st century, a meeting point of tradition and civilization.

Abha is a tourist destination. Be glad that there isn’t much of man-made tourist attraction. What mainly draws the visitor to Abha is the cool climate (the temperature is mostly around 20^oC in the day time, and it never goes much beyond 30^o when it hits 50 in places like Riyadh). And here you have the natural calmness of an unexploited countryside, offering the much coveted relaxation to the work-weary Arab. Tourists from different parts of Saudi Arabia and also from other Middle East countries travel to Abha in the summer months of July and August. Catering to them are many furnished apartments, or ‘shikkas’.

Leali Abha

and Toufeeq, the shikkas where I lived

I was in Abha to teach English in Prince Sultan College for Tourism and Business. This is an institution that trains young Saudis to take up professions in areas related to tourism. I was part of the Preparatory program, which helps the

Prince Sultan College Campus

students to develop their linguistic and computer skills before they are enrolled in any one of the three BBA programs. It was an experience to have before you some 20 students dressed in the traditional Arabic garb – the cassock-like thob, shimak (head gear) and egal (the black band over the shimak). You get a batch with you for 2 months. Meeting them 4 hours a day, you will definitely enter into a personal level of relation with all of them. Some of them have a good command of English, and some need constant support; some are studious and some may not be. But there is a common wave: they love you.

Al Souda is a marvel. It is the highest point in Saudi Arabia. A well-favored picnic spot, Souda is well maintained. The Ministry of Tourism has set up descriptive boards that speak of the history and significance of the place.

Far and removed from the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, Abha maintains a conservative culture. The aura of Islam surrounds you as you move through the place. A good place to enjoy the spirit of Abha is the souk talaatha

Souk Talaatha (Tuesday Market), which is just a rustic market place. Vendors (and this includes abaya-clad ladies too) squat with their wares in front of them, and they have almost anything that you need: live poultry, pets, honey, herbs, household utensils, fresh vegetables and fruits, toys, cosmetics, incense, clothing and the like. In days of yore, this place served to be the platform for any public announcement.

Abha has its cosmopolitan culture as well. The many hospitals around employ doctors from places like Jordan or Egypt, and nurses from the Philippines. King Khalid University and my college have teachers from the Western world and South Asia. There are many people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and North India working in the construction and labor sectors.

Just like any other place in the world, here too there are Malayalees (people from the South Indian state of Kerala, to which I belong). Move around Abha or its neighboring town of Khamis Mushayat: there you

see them, mostly in some field of business.

Don’t be surprised if you see shopboards or advertisements in Malayalam.

For me, it is time to quit. Exposure was good, and insights great. As I go back, I consider myself enriched: rich in culture, wealthy in experience.

So, with satisfaction, from a sincere heart – farewell to you, Abha!

Ma salaama, Saudia!