Mahmoud Ahmad

IN a world that is being buffeted by forceful winds of change, people who had allowed their lives to drift in the seemingly calm and pleasant winds that pushed their sails suddenly find their boats being rocked or floundered on a rock. The harsh reality the expatriates are facing is the prospect of making decisions that would uproot them from the decades of idyllic life they spent in the Kingdom. Expatriates, who had come to Saudi Arabia on an initial two-years contract, did come with the surety that they would have to go back if the contract does not get renewed. But with the Kingdom embarking on a solid pace of development, the expats’ stay got extended as they played their bit in the Saudi growth story. As the years rolled on, the expats got indolent with the comfortable life here, and pushed the idea of going back out of their minds. Three to four decades later, with occasional or yearly trips back home, they got more used to the life >mahmad@saudigazette.com.sa Twitter: @anajeddawi_eng