More fun & games in the Magic Kingdom
 

More fun and games in the magic kingdom. British expat and BWoS employee (married, with family in Kingdom) shot and killed while waiting at traffic lights in Riyadh. Unsure if the poor bloke was a target of opportunity or if he was selected because he was a Brit. Apparently the offender has been arrested, and is now being flogged with a wet tissue.
BWoS have advised dependants leave the Kingdom. The blokes have to stay a continue being target practice for *******s (oops - Saudi nationals)!
About three weeks a car load of *******s (oops - Saudi nationals) took pot shots ago another BWoS employee as he was driving around town. About 2 months ago another BWoS employee got monstered by another group of *******s (oops - Saudi nationals) and threatened with a knife.
Quite difficult going to work and being nice to the very same people that would happily shoot you later!
Beginning of the end methinks.

The Sauds have one of the nastiest regimes on the planet, supporting all sorts of terror groups. I'm surprised this sort of thing hasn't happened before. I guess that's why BWoS pay their employees a shed load of money to be in Saudi. My sympathy to the family of the dead man, of course. No doubt the company will issue some advice firmly bolting the stable door behind the fleeing horse.

Maxb,
It has been happening before. The Saudi's just have been placing the blame on alcohol smuggling. Since I have been in Saudi, the death toll of western expats is now up to five. The next couple of weeks could be very interesting.
I just wish they would bloody get on with it and stop farting about!!!!

Interesting to see that the British Embassy in Riyadh have issued a warden notice that effectively dispels any belief in the alcohol theory the Saudis used to deflect opinion and blame away from Saudi nationals in the bombing cases.

I wonder if the FO will now openly challenge the Saudis to release the innocent prisoners they still hold and are probably still torturing? Or is money the only commodity that talks?

BWos have made what appears to be..........a DECISION:eek: (of course it took an employee to be murdered by one of the charming local populace to do it:mad: )
Dependants are to leave the Kingdom ASAP - but the guys have to stay:rolleyes:
But it's OK, BWoS will pay for their car windows to be blacked out. Apparently blacked out windows can deflect an AK47 round.:}

Do many cars there have blacked out windows or have BWoS just signed an order for an unquestionally accurate Brit detector for the bad guys?

Blacked out windows
 

Sounds a very similar plan to the old style 'Im a serviceman place bomb here please' type of RAFG number plates we used to have. A case of history repeating itself methinks :mad: :*

Are the secondees still flying? R4 reports that the RAF are unable to get fast jets to the gulf because overflight rights are being refused. Must be tough for the boys in Cyprus!

Soddim - Yes, I'm still here, as are a few others, driving to and from the airbase in civvies as BAE Systems think that makes us merge in with the locals!

Rivetjoint - Some locals have blacked out windows on their cars but that's not the big giveaway. Driving a car that has tread on the tyres, working lights and generally devoid of any 'traffic rash' is a sure sign of a westerner's car, at least in the provinces!

I was under the impression that it was illegal to have the drivers window or the windshield tinted !!

Judging by the passenger loads out of RUH, it looks as if the evacuation has begun.

Mutt.

Captain Sand Dune - My contacts in the Eastern Region tell me that most wives are still 'standing by their man'. Is there a different BWoS policy in Riyadh?

After 7 years out here I think it's time to go home !

We've now lost our golf course and beach and can't even go downtown for a curry.

Soddim,

BWoS in Funsville have strongly recommended that dependants leg it. One or two resignations already recieved as well.

Soddim,

Sorry, my last post wasn't clear. The company have strongly recommended dependants go home, and most are taking up the offer - wisely, in my view. I reckon things are going to get worse before (and IF) they get better.:rolleyes:

Mutt, you're right - the windscreen and driver/passenger windows aren't allowed to be blacked out but the rest can be and that allows some privacy from the rear.

Last week, 25% of dependants had legged it from our compound but I don't know if that figure includes those who were on leave and have decided not to return!

Taken from this mornings Arab News......

Canadians Told to Leave
Agence France Presse

RIYADH, 28 February 2003 — Canada said yesterday it had asked relatives of Canadian staff at its embassy here to leave Saudi Arabia, and urged citizens to seriously consider leaving as well. In a new warden message, the embassy cited the “uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf” and the “heightened risk to Canadians in Saudi Arabia.” The message advised Canadians against traveling to Saudi Arabia, and said that, if their presence in the Kingdom “is not essential, they should leave.”

And.....

DAMMAM, 28 February 2003 — A man who allegedly attempted to throw a Molotov cocktail into a McDonald’s restaurant in Dammam two days ago has been arrested, Al-Watan quoted an official from the Interior Ministry as announcing. Police say that at approximately 6:15 p.m. last Tuesday a man threw at the restaurant a bottle containing the flammable substance while he was driving past it. No one was injured. The suspect, who was arrested two hours later, denies any involvement in the incident, claiming that material found on his clothing was from his work as a car mechanic.

Interesting times ahead.......

Mutt.

Captain Sand Dune - Interesting times indeed. Thanks for the clarification.

Hope you and all those who have tried to bring those undeserving sons of camel herders into the 21st century make it out of there safely with enuff money to satisfy our greedy little Brown scotsman!

Another car bomb in sunny downtown Riyadh killing one American.

Captain Sand Dune,

I cant find any reference to this on either the web or satellite news channels. Before i start telling people about it, can you reveal your source of information.

Cheers.

Mutt.

:\Please ignore my previous post reference a car bombing in Riyadh:\!! Seems it was a rumour which got out of hand. My apologies to all, and sorry if I caused any unjustified alarm.

It's going down the pan. Company advise us to stay in hotel or travel in large groups. Company-issue mobile phone unlikely to be useful in self-defence :rolleyes:

We're down in Jeddah - home of the Hajj. Harrasment, constant police searches, and had to run away, sharpish, from a decent sized mob in the soukh.

All flights through Bahrain cancelled as per FO advice and I was delighted to see one of our aircraft in full livery at Brize on the BBC, loading troops for Kuwait. What a publicity coup that was :D

Suggest buying a Chevvy Caprice, a hammer, sun-tan lotion and a fake beard. Apply hammer to Chevvy, sun-tan lotion and beard to face. Urban camouflage - I'm almost an expert !