Resurrection after Six Years in KSA

Just over a year ago, I promised that "whatever happens" I had already written my final Saudi Season blog post and would never write another one. Perhaps promises are meant to be broken. Also, who could have ever predicted that the world would swerve in such a dramatic fashion in 2020 that life might never be quite the same again? I guess that's why I'm sitting here in Saudi Arabia resurrecting this blog. These are unprecedented times and it feels like the right season to put a few of my thoughts down online to look back on in years to come. If, of course, the world even has a few years to come.

At the beginning of 2020, the world seemed relatively sane. President Trump was happily tweeting in his bed eating McDonalds. Boris Johnson, after winning a comfortable majority in the UK Parliament, claimed he was the man to deliver the will of the British people: Brexit. A few bushfires raged uncontrollably in Australia. And China innocently reported the first death from a novel coronavirus. Thankfully, the World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted there was no evidence of human to human transmission, so the world had nothing to worry about there! Meanwhile, my family and I were having eight magnificent adventures in Riyadh and living the Saudi dream. To be honest, nothing seemed out of ordinary at all. 

Two months later and full blown insanity began to grip governments across the globe. Strikingly similar population lockdowns were implemented worldwide to quell full blown contagion of a virus which now had an ominous name: Covid19. Airlines grounded entire fleets. The WHO suddenly changed its tune and talked up the hysteria by suggesting a fatality rate of 4%. 

On March 1st, 2020, twelve days before Saudi Arabia closed its airspace to all international flights, my wife and son flew out of Dammam to the UK via Lebanon. At the time, I felt relieved to get them out of KSA. However, when panic buying (especially toilet paper) and fear took hold across the western world, Saudi Arabia suddenly felt like the best place to be. I casually pointed out the stockpiles of toilet paper in Khafji in a funny Instagram story which went viral and increased our follower count to 10.4K. 

While I might have felt blessed to be in a serene Kingdom, it didn't take me too long to realize I should be with my family in these life-changing times. By mid-March the educational institute where I work reverted to online learning on Microsoft Teams. A couple of weeks later, in a way that I can only describe as a miracle, I got company approval to fly to the UK on a Saudia Airlines repatriation flight for an extended period of leave. This seemed a lot more attractive than an entire summer locked down alone in the Kingdom. 

I left KSA knowing it might be the end. Saying goodbye in such an abrupt manner wasn't the way I wanted to leave a Kingdom I had come to appreciate so much. Therefore, I never fully let go of the idea of returning throughout the seemingly endless suspension of international flights. The Saudi authorities kept repeating that flights wouldn't resume until the pandemic was over, so it was easy to think they'd keep borders closed until 2021 or beyond. 

Thankfully, I made the most of what turned into six months' leave by spending quality time in England with my wife, son, parents and brother, taking a romantic trip to Santorini, Greece, and rebuilding lost friendships with old friends during an extended stay in the Irish Republic. In addition, time outside Saudi brought a single fact sharply into focus: if I managed to get back, it was time to set a date for final exit, claim the end of service benefit prize, and find a way to live again beyond the Covid nightmare.

With just two days' notice, Saudi authorities resumed international flights on September 15th. Six days later, two other stranded teachers and I met in London for a rather expensive Covid test and a night in the relatively swanky Hilton Garden Inn @Heathrow. I had flown into London from Ireland the night before feeling somewhat resentful that my company had given us very little time to organize everything in a reasonable manner.

On September 22nd, my teacher friends and I took an uneventful flight from London to Riyadh. My iqama residence permit and reentry visa were both just nineteen days away from expiring. Against the odds, I had made it back to Saudi just in time. 

In the weeks that followed, life quickly returned to a familiar routine: morning swim, nine-hour work shift, evening swim and video call with family. And that's where I am right now: sitting in an empty classroom resurrecting this blog for posterity more than anything else. What comes next is anyone's guess in a world obsessed with Covid. All I know for sure is, whatever happens, I'm leaving KSA forever in exactly 26 weeks. But I guess I've said "whatever happens" before.