My Friends Say السلام عليكم (As-salamu Alaykum)

By: Mason Ailstock

One of my favorite quotes comes from esteemed American author, Mark Twain, in his 1869 book Innocents Abroad:

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

Almost 150 years later, Twain’s statement remains as relevant as ever. In today’s digitally connected world, we can easily believe that our access to news from around the globe is keeping us well informed. However, as Twain suggests, travel provides a much deeper level of knowing and being known, through personal interactions and the sharing of life experiences. This face-to-face communication with unfamiliar cultures leads to newfound friendships between people who discover they have much more in common than they thought.

For nearly three weeks, I traveled across Saudi Arabia, spending time in Riyadh, Dammam, Khobar, Jeddah, and Thuwal. While there, I met with business executives at global companies such IBM and General Electric, as well as representatives from Saudi Aramco, Dhahran Techno Valley, SABIC, and the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST). In addition to developing new professional connections, I also enjoyed a bike trip with new friends outside of Riyadh, where I spent time with Saudi Eisenhower Fellows, enjoyed the beautiful architecture of KAUST and bartered in the busy souqs (open air markets) of Jeddah.

In your own search to connect with different cultures, I hope you will consider and perhaps be inspired by three takeaways from my journey through the Land of the Two Holy Mosques.

1. The rewards of human interaction

There is much to be gained from seeking out and discovering the people and culture of Saudi Arabia. As in America, the global politics in Saudi Arabia don’t fully represent Saudis’ beliefs as individuals. The people I engaged with during my time there were wonderful and showed the sincerest hospitality I have experienced in my international travels. I spent time with business leaders and their staff, university faculty and administrators, and others. From the Uber drivers who took me around the Eastern Province to the clerks I met in stores, I was struck by their spirit of peace, compassion, generosity, and humility. Like Americans, the Saudi mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters with whom I spoke were all leading rich lives and held great hope for the future.

2. Hidden gems

Through my interactions with numerous Saudis, I found that they were extremely humble and often downplay their many achievements, including global efforts to support developing countries, Saudi business successes, and substantial progress toward realizing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. We must seek out and lift up the global good that we discover. Here are a few of the innovative places I visited during my travels:

• Glowork: The first Saudi organization dedicated to empowering women and advancing their employment opportunities in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
• KAUST: The top-notch researchers and students at Saudi Arabia’s first mixed-gender university exemplify a new vision for the future.
• Saudi Aramco Research Center: A 122,000 square foot R&D facility, under construction on the KAUST campus, which will accelerate the delivery of technologies across the entire value chain of the energy industry.
• Khobar Seafront: Restaurants and parks dot this beautiful, family-friendly outdoor space on the Persian Gulf in the Eastern Province.

3. Beware of generalizations

The same differences that make cultural exchange such a rich experience can also lead to misunderstandings and misjudgment. It’s unfair and inaccurate to make broad generalizations about religion, governments, people, or traditions. The Saudis I spoke with acknowledge the complex challenges and issues within their society. They expressed their desire for greater inclusion, increased equality for women, and expanded educational opportunities. Change requires persistence and determination to be significant and lasting. As an American, and in light of our long and continued struggle for equitable and inclusive social and governmental structures, I found it easy to relate to their expressed desires.

During my travels, I did everything I could to experience Saudi Arabia for all that it is and welcomed every opportunity to know and be known. My time there was nothing like I expected. I expected to be ignored. I expected to be isolated. I even expected to be fearful. What I found, and what I now know, could not be more different. I found friendships. I found understanding and mutual respect. I found a hope for a future that we can only create together, as global citizens committed to forming a more peaceful and compassionate world. I invite you to join in that hope by pursuing new travels and seeking the rewards of cultural discoveries and knowledge.

Mason Ailstock is a 2016 Eisenhower Fellow and was COO of The Research Triangle Park at the time of his fellowship. He is now President & CEO of Convergent Consultants, a North Carolina-based B-Corp. Eisenhower Fellowships is a global network of leaders committed to creating a world more peaceful, prosperous and just.