Hey

My name is Nadine, I am 42, I am French, I live in Dubai. 

A few weeks ago, I started a blog in French to talk about my life as a French living in the Gulf. I have been living in the region for almost a decade, but only now I feel I understand the Gulf countries enough to write about them.

It wasn’t exactly my objective at the beginning, but I started writing a lot about Saudi Arabia. I just can no longer comfortably read all the misconceptions French have about Saudi Arabia, and do nothing about it.

I am not really sure though, that my articles about Saudi Arabia are interesting the French very much. I see the stats of my blog and my other articles, about the real life of an expat living in the Gulf, are much more interesting to them. Saudi Arabia is not a popular topic but I continue, hoping that at some point a mainstream media will pick up on my blog.

You might want to ask how I got interested in Saudi Arabia. Well, as it turns out, your Crown Prince caught my attention and precisely, something he said at the very end of an interview he gave to The Economist in January 2016. He said “We always take criticism from our friends. If we are wrong, we need to hear that we are wrong. But if we are not wrong, we need to hear support from our friends. What I request is that the thing you actually believe, to say it.”

I thought that this was really interesting, because back then, the media were pushing the idea that your Crown Prince was an arrogant young prince. But I thought an arrogant young prince would never say such a thing. I thought that man was interesting. So I started researching about him and in turn, I researched you.

I like things that are complicated, I like understanding things that are not so easy to understand. It makes me happy to understand Saudi Arabia, because you are, by all standards, a culture that is difficult to understand. But really, the more I understand about you and the more I realized that probably every culture, including my own French culture, is difficult to understand at an intimate level for a foreigner.

I don’t work, it gives me time to do this and I do it with the same dedication as I would if this was a job. I love to work but I haven't had a job in 3 years. Back in France, I used to work in communication, I worked for brands but also for ministries and public organizations, I loved what I was doing. But then as I moved to the Gulf, things became difficult.

I have 2 masters and 15 years of experience in business and marketing, and I think this is precisely the reason why I struggle. Work-wise, I feel Dubai is not a place for someone like me, I ask too many questions, I question things too much. Yet, sometimes, I have this incredible belief that precisely, this region would need more westerners like me. I didn’t come here for the money, I don’t even go the beach.

Three years ago, when I lost my job, I decided I was not going to go back. It’s hard for me not to work, but I felt I needed to think, I felt I needed a break from those jobs I was wildly overqualified for. I have been enjoying fun afternoons with my son. Despite the financial struggle that comes with my situation, I realised I needed that breather and I know I made the most of it.

Last year, at some point, I sent a message to a friend of mine who is Saudi-French-Spanish... I don’t even know exactly what passports he holds but his dad is Saudi from Jeddah and my friend has lived in Saudi as a child. I know him because we were classmates in that business school too many years ago. I told him “Ismael, I kinda want to be a communication advisor for the Saudis, this young Crown Prince. What do you think?” He must have laughed, I guess he knows what an idealist I am, he is one too. He answered ” That is an excellent idea. They surely need people like you.”

Since then, I have been trying to figure out how to reach someone. Apart from Ismael and someone I now know at the Saudi embassy in Paris, I have no contact in Saudi Arabia. And you are not easy people to reach, let me tell you. I wrote letters and emails, more letters and more emails. But I guess things don't work that way in Saudi Arabia. You need to be introduced or else, you need to be famous on social media maybe. I have been reluctant to do that, it's not my education to stand in the lights. But what to do, let me try that now :)

For about 2 years now, as a communication professional, I have observed the way Saudi Arabia communicates abroad, and the way people in the West perceive you. I would admit the West misunderstands you but it’s not just a problem on their end. Honestly, I think you could communicate much better. What you are doing is not bad but it is not efficient enough, it doesn’t reach enough people, it doesn’t impact them enough. To me, it is as if you were giving loads of aspirin to a man with multiple fractures. It’s not going to hurt, but it’s probably not going to help much either.

I have the feeling that, for a country which wants to attract foreign investors and tourists, this is not something you can afford. I would actually question why you need foreign investors so bad, I don’t think you need them as much as you think you do, at least not in the short run.

But I have this idea that right now this image issue is not the most pressing problem Saudi Arabia is facing. I recently read that unemployment is higher than it has ever been, despite the fact that 800,000 foreigners have left the country over the last 18 months.

I am sure your Crown Prince has a plan, and I am even more certain that he is working hard to make things happen. Your Crown Prince is a smart man and he seems incredibly dedicated. But sometimes, we all need a few ideas and thoughts from our friends.

I hope I can find a way to help you by helping him. Until I can, this blog is to share my thoughts and my ideas.