Small City of Saudi Arabia

Rahima, Saudi Arabia is one of many little cities in this Middle Eastern nation. This one in particular is right outside the Aramco compound, Ras Tanura. This small run down city holds an abundance of delicious Arabic foods as well as the American fast foods KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and Baskin Robbins Ice Cream. In the old tattered shops there is everything from expensive gold souks to fake brand clothing stores, and of course the traditional clothing of Saudi Arabia.

The layout of the main shopping area of the city is two main streets that enclose about four perpendicular side roads. One of these roads contains the gold souks, there is a men's street and women's street, and the last street contains Abdulah's Jewelry which caters to westerners as well as some electronic shops.

Rahima is filthy. Trash and oil marks cover the sidewalks and streets. The buildings are all a tan color covered in dust from a previous shamall. Many people live above their shops, so AC vents drip on to the pedestrians. Mangy cats walk around, indifferent to the people. But what makes the distraught nature of this city interesting is walking into a gold souk or Abdulah's Jewelry. When walking in the heavy door the clean air is refreshing. The pail floor is spotless. Shiny gold hangs in the windows and along the wall in glass cases. Under glass tables white spotlights are delicately placed to enhance the sparkling diamonds inlaid in gold on the soft off white trays. It is amazing that those stores can have such beauty and richness inside while outside lies the dirt and chaos of the street and the honking horns of cars.

When the time for Prayer approaches, all of the shops close up with metal blinders locked at the floor, the dirty streets are free of the chaos of cars and people that are now at the mosque. But it is still not quiet. Prayer call echoes through the streets. There are multiple mosques throughout Rahima. Most are simple square buildings with a tall standing minaret. There is one large mosque which is not a sore sight like the rest of Rahima. It has four minarets surrounding the large dome with a crescent moon on top. I have never been inside, but I have heard it is very pretty. Intricate designs adorn parts of the walls and there are areas of stained glass. Prayer call occurs five times a day: two thirty minute prayers and three fifteen minute prayers.

There are many cities in Saudi Arabia with the same characteristics I described, so Rahima is not exactly the impoverished city, but rather the norm, especially for a small city. There are also many people who live in Rahima who are from a different country which has worse conditions so they work in Saudi and send their money home. I have also never talked to anyone who lives in Rahima because the majority of the people out

are men and Sharia Law forbids assosiation with someone of the opposite sex.

A trip into Rahima is always chaotic with its horid drivers and timing the trip between prayers, but non the less it adds a little diversity to the day and a pit stop at a shawarma stand is always enjoyed.

Video of Islamic Prayer Call
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GiZPyII-hg