SAUDI ARABIA: Sandra Mackey and Japue White

Sandra Mackey is in the news these days. The wife of an American physician who taught in Saudi Arabia, she is now a journalist living in Atlanta. She has written many books on the Middle East, those on Iraq and Iran being most in demand for political reasons However, her base was in Saudi Arabia, Since Jaqui White was in Saudi Arabia about the same time and likewise was married to an American physician who taught there, I thought she might known Sandra Mackey, but she did not, Saudi Arabia being a big place. Jaqui writes:

"Usually the great majority of ex-pat doctors were in the Riyadh and Dharan area, where the large hospitals, universities, populations, and royalty were. Fortunately, we were in Abha, the southwestern corner of Saudi Arabia, in the Asir Mountains. We were 8100 in altitude, so the weather was enchanting - Spring all the time. King Saud University was there, and 26 kilometres distant was Khamis Mushayt, a military base and hospital. It was a two hour drive to the Red Sea, where we went diving most week-ends. The point of all this is that we were more or less in the hinterland, thank goodness, and not in a large city. When I would go out walking there would be bands of baboons wandering around. We did not know any other US doctors - Paul was the only one. All the other doctors were from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, or Africa, and of course, Saudi Arabia. We were all very close, and adored each other. Each region has its own prince and princess, and the royalty is extremely democratic - one may go and visit and have dinner with them whenever one likes. We lived about thirty feet from their palace in a villa where they lived while the palace was being built. They were extremely pleasant, well educated , friendly, and generous. We were invited to their "ranch", and they insisted that we use their tents when we were traveling in a desert area. The tents are there permanently, with hot and cold water, with the camels corralled nearby - this was my first experience drinking warm camel's milk...The tents are lined with lovely paisley fabric. All Saudi Arabians have an extremely strong primal link with the desert, and cannot be away from it for long. On week-ends they all go out in the desert, put down their Persian rugs and drink tea. The peace of the desert salves their souls, so they may exist in civilization for another week. I really loved living in Saudi Arabia, and hated to leave.."

Jaqui's report confirms stories of Arab hospitality, and it gives a different picture than the stereotype of Arabs as dangerous terrorists. This is the counterpart of the Arab stereotype of Americans and Jews. All very unWAIS. You may be surprised that there are baboons in Saudi Arabia. since their habitat is Africa. They come in different colors according to the region of Africa. My guess is that the ones Jaqui saw were hamadrayas, or sacred Anubis baboon which lives in Egypt and the surrounding area. They are among the largest, weighting about 40 lbs. They may attack humans if they see they are carrying no gun. My guess is that Jaqui was not carrying a gun. She just stared at them down with an imperious eye.

Ronald Hilton - 7/9/02