How They See Us: Sophia The Saudi Robot That Gets Saudi Citizenship Before Kafala Workers
20 October 2017By Tariq A. Al-Maeena
Irrespective of the fact that we became the first country to grant citizenship
to a robot, the fact remains that we are not immune to criticism from
different quarters for the best of our intentions. Sophia, the Saudi robot,
became the target of many long-term residents and sons and daughters of Saudi
mothers who felt annoyed that citizenship was granted to an artificial being.
"This robot has gotten Saudi citizenship before kafala workers who have been
living in the country their entire lives," said a foreign journalist. A Saudi
mother was upset that her children remained without their mother's nationality
while "something made of metal and wires has more privileges to call this
place home." And a Lebanese journalist, Kareem Chahayeb, chimed in that "A
humanoid robot called Sophia got Saudi citizenship, while millions linger
stateless. What a time to be alive." The robot will undoubtedly be the subject
of debate for some time to come.
Moving on, for months now I have been observing the progress of a villa being
built very close to mine. I couldn't help it. I had to navigate through
treacherous terrain of wood beams, cement blocks and metal rods and every
other imaginable roadblock to get to my place.
It seems that every other week since the foundations were laid for the villa,
there has been some modification or alteration to the style of this structure.
One week, there were two narrow entrance gates. Sometime later, it was changed
to one large gate, and one narrow one. There were square window openings in
the beginning. They were soon changed to oval ones. There was a rocky and
stony façade all around the villa. That too went off the drawing boards to be
replaced by smooth walls.
On several occasions, I would notice the prospective tenant and his family
visiting the site accompanied by the contractor. No sooner would they leave
than another modification was put into effect. And this on the exterior alone!
And there were many other such changes. Continuing sagas of build and tear
down. This was getting to be a costly affair!
Finally, my curiosity got the better of me, and one day on my way home, I
stopped the Bangladeshi watchman living on the site. I asked him why there
were so many changes. Was the contractor not building according to the agreed
specifications? Was the original building plan not being followed?
"No, no, no," replied the Bangladeshi with a vigorous shake of the head.
"Saudi fuloos katheer, mukh galeel, (Saudi much money, little brains)," he
deadpanned in earnest. "Kullu yom (every day) change design."
Wow! I had to withdraw with a smile. But just before I left, I looked him
square in the eyes and replied, "Listen, don't be surprised if you find more
and more Saudi mukh katheer, fuloos galeel (more brains, less money)
nowadays".
On another theme, Sameer, a middle-aged Saudi professional who has been out of
a job for the past 18 months met up with me the other day with a despondent
look on his face. Over coffee at a seaside hotel, I inquired, "No luck yet,
Sameer?" With a glum nod of his head, he went on to tell me that he had left
his resume at over 50 establishments, but had yet to get a concrete or
positive response.
Most of these companies after giving his resume a quick glance mentioned that
he was overqualified for the position. He is a graduate in Business
Administration from Florida State University, has worked here for 20 years,
and the positions available were mostly entry level. With the exception of a
few Saudis or Westerners, most of the decision makers in the human resources
department at these companies were Arab expatriates, he added, and were
usually very quick in reaching their decisions.
"Come now, Sameer," I replied. "You don't mean to say that they are
deliberately stonewalling your application?" I asked. "Job security, Tariq.
Job security," replied Sameer wearily, as he sat across from me sipping his
coffee forlornly.
And finally, on yet another note, the sporting community of cricketers of
Saudi Arabia recently managed to pool their resources and put together an
impressive function with attendees from all corners of the country. I was
encouraged by the participation of young Saudis taking up this sport, albeit
in small numbers so far.
The approach to sports through the myopic path of soccer somehow needs to be
re-evaluated. Let there be more choice, more avenues, and more forums for all
other sports. Invest in basketball and tennis courts, in swimming pools and
gymnasiums and have them easily accessible to the masses. Not all Saudis are
Maradona wannabes!
— The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
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