Saudis

At the end of last month, at reference 1, I was wondering about the Saudis and their neighbours. How, given all the circumstances, could they remain reasonably sane and sensible?

The book mentioned there, 'A Hologram for the King' by one Dave Eggers, has now been sourced and read.

As it turns out a book with an interesting story, some good jokes and some humour. One read it fast enough, but it had, nevertheless, its longeurs. At 312 pages, albeit not very closely printed, was too much for the ingredients available. There was a tendency to skip.

An interesting story about bidding for a big IT contract - involving a very flashy bit of new technology from a big player from the US - which rang true. Harking back to my own modest days of IT contracting, as seen from the buying side, it did indeed ring true. This was how it might be in a relatively new and immature country with a great deal of money to play with.

An old-fashioned monarchy where the monarchs still carry swords and falcons in the way that King John might have at reference 2. Where they have to hold together the tensions between the newer, eastern, Persian Gulf side of the country and the older, western, Red Sea, side. The former with the oil (formerly pearls) and the latter with the Holy Places. Between the citizens and the many gastarbeiter, many of whom one imagines to be treated rather badly - or worse. Between the old and the new, particularly in the matters of religion and the place of women. Not to mention gays. Between the rich and the poor - with this book suggesting that there are still some of those, in the mountains if not in the towns.

Also a moral tale about a country - the US - which had outsourced all its real work to the New World, mainly of the east. And which was now starting to pay the price. A moral tale brought into focus by a sub-plot about the demise of a once famous and respected brand of bicycles.

But most of all a moral tale about a country where too much easy money has meant that far too many able people, particularly women and young people, do not have a proper role, do not have a proper job to do. So the answer to my opening question is that they don't. Maybe it shows in substance abuse and mental health problems. Maybe lots of them leave in hope of something better.

In any event, there must be better books about it all than this light weight.

PS: having recently seen 'Cast Away' on the telly, I can see why one might have thought that Tom Hanks would do well in the lead of the film of the book. The parcel enthusiast of the FedEx scenes before the crash morphs into the IT enthusiast of Saudi.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/idle-wonder.html.

Reference 2: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/seconds.html.