Personal Experience in Saudi Aarabia

First , I would like to introduce myself as a Sudanese who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia !and even after I left for Egypt to continue my high studies , I used to return home "Saudi Arabia" every year to spend my summer holiday as I am doing now after graduation .I can't say how much I was happy once the plane landed in Ryiadh,the Saudi capital ,Finally I m back ,!!!!!!!!!!
I should admit that I have never felt good about Saudis who are usually viewd by others -specially those who live here- as stupid ,arrogant, not friendly at all ...........................etc .However, I used to say to myself that I was born in this country and that I should be more adaptive : why not?! as I can see people even from non-Arab states who know well how to enjoy their times in this over-conservative country!Everybody knows that people in Saudi Arabia are banned from many intresting things : no Cinema ,no free press.no no no no no !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Web surfers are also denied access to porno ,many political and anti-Islam websites, which are controlled via proxy (I m not against the prohibitition of such sites partcularly porno sites, but when it comes to politics ,I think that we should not be closed to ourselves : we should be much more tolerent, at least on the web!!!!!!! Regarding the situation of women ,I think that u know every thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sorry for the long introduction, I just tried to give u a brief idea about what is going on in Saudi Arabia , before telling u what I have gone through in less than 15 hours! Last sunday , me & my younger brother took a bus to one of the huge traditional markets in Riyadh which is located far from our district .On the way ,I remembered that I left my residence liecense at home ,however ,I did not care much about that .Suddenly,a policeman stopped the bus and he asked passengers in an agressive way to show him their ID's , OH MY GOD! It was my turn! Once I said that I left it at home ,he grapped me by collar and tried to drag me out of the bus ,he addressed me by "the donkey" , I could'nt hold my tempers and I repaid the insult in kind !!!!!!!!!"WHAT?" he shouted !he was about to slap me ,but I pushed his hands away.he was almost to lose his mind and he called his colleage and they took me by force out of the bus !Along the way from the bus to the police car , both of them used whatever mean to insult me ,one of them said : "even blacks boast themselves!!!!!!!!!!!!" .In order to cut them to size, I said " listen , I am a university student " they paid attention and then they said "It's over" ,I said :I m a graduate !!!!!!! they just gazed at me and pushed me violently to the car ! I looked through the window to find my brother talking with them and with other policemen who were standing around ,he was trying to find me a way out,however ,it seemed that they did'nt like his way ,and so on ,they trapped him too in another car. I was afraid that they would trap him in something else that he did'nt commit:he would be charged with whatever crime that he did'nt commit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Any way,there were 3 poor workers from Bngladish,Pakistan & India whose residences were expired.Together we were moved to an empty yard where similar cases were over there, we stayed for less than half an hour and then we were moved to General Directorate for Passports. I forgot to mention what I have seen in the pre-mentioned yard :I saw a policeman beating an Asian worker with no mercy while other"policemen" were jus looking and laugh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!In the The General Directorate for Passports we were reported & questioned and then taken to a small & over-crowded room (I gotta say that it was air-conditiond!!!!!!!!) we were treated just like animals .A cameraman was there whose task was to take photos for each one of us while holding a board on which our names and certain numbers were written (just like criminals!!!!!!!!),then,we were sent jails to be detained in custody .I should admitt again that jails were air-conditioned and too wide to room us(we were about 100).oooooooooooooh!! I forgot to mention that my pockets were empty and that I had to pay 10 Riyals"about3$" in order to get a certain card that must be held by all the detainees" .I was really lucky when one of my (comrades)-his name is AlMo3ez- insisted on lending me the 10 riyals. He looked very poor,but he was very kind just like most of Sudanese.It was mid-night,a policeman got in and he began to distribute matresses ,whoever takes more than one matress was wiped !!!!I saw 3 aged Sudanese beaten by this policeman who didnt even consider their old age .Any way , I spent my time gossiping with Almo3ez and both of us told the other his life story .Almo3ez overslept,and lights were turned off , I did'nt know how to entertain myself.As an avid smoker ,I was looking for a cigarette ! A cigarette cost 3 riyals(about 1 dollar)!So ,I had no way out but sharing a cigarette with one or more of the detainees every 4 hours . Even cellular phones chargers were rented for 5 ryials per hour!!!!!!!!!!!! It was really hard to just close my eyes ,coz I was thinking about my family and how much they were worried about me,I was also thinking about my brother whose destiny seemed indifinite to me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Finally ,I fell asleep,but the noise woke me up at 8 AM , to find that breakfast was ready ,each 5 gathered around a taple, my Sudanese mates insisted on grabbing a bite with them ,Actually ,the breakfast seemed good :it contained fava beans ,Halawa as well as bread,However ,I did'nt feel like eating .2 hours later ,we were (stormed) by a policeman accompanied by a Pakistani man holding shaving machine,the policeman said "every one will have his hair shaved for 5 riyals or u won't be released"My hair was already cut ! so,keep this stupid barber away from me ,about 10 of detainers had advanced to have their hair cut .However ,It seemed that the barbar got sick and he got out with the policeman who felt bored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Any way,we were moved to another jail,where we found some of those who have been detained for along time ago :2 months, may be 3,4,5 or 6 !!!!At 12 O:clock "noon",I heard my name ,I ran to the door to find my brother ,I could'nt believe my eyes ,he said "u will be released ,we paid the fine"penalty" this levy was about 1000 riyals!!!!!!!!!!!!OH MY GOD,I paid more than 300$ just because I left my ID at home !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My father and my brother suffered alot in order to get me released.They moved from the 1st floor to the 2nd ,from the 2nd to the 4th ,from floor to the 2nd ,from the 2nd to the 4th ,from this building to that one,they talked to this and that...........etc.Can u imagine that one of the officers working in The Directorate said to my brother dressed in a yellow T shirt:( I will release your brother just because u are a fan of Nassr team just like me) note: Nassr is one of the popular football teams in Saudi Arabia whose kits's colour is yellow"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! another one said :(nooooooooooo,I like hilal ,so I will not release him)Hilal is another Saudi popular team!!!!!!!!!! Anyway ,I m at home!!!!!!!
NOTE: (I forgot to tell u that my brother was Charged In Attack On Officer!!!!!!!!!!!! .but he was released after being given two choices (resorts): weather to be beaten or to be detained!!!!!!! he picked the first one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)