Prayer in Saudi Arabia

The discipline of the faithful, here in Saudi Arabia, is incredible. Every morning they get up at first light and go to a mosque to pray. At this time of the year it happens around 3:15 am. (The earliest morning prayer is actually around June 13 at 3:10am.) Five prayers are required every day and happen at very specific times based on the position of the sun and stars. The first is at first light; the second at shortest shadow; the third when the shortest shadow has doubled in length; the fourth when the sun sets; and the fifth when the first star appears.

Accomplishing the prayer starts with a ritualistic washing of face, neck, feet, hands and arms all the way up to the elbow. Special floor level wash basins are often found in public bathrooms to accommodate this sort of washing but if they can't be found, it isn't uncommon to see men with their feet up in the sink, and water all over the bathroom when done. After the washing the worshiper goes into the mosque barefoot and makes either two or four prostrations (depending on the time of day) in the direction of Mecca usually on a rug. While prostrating in a very specific way, verses of the Qura'an are quoted by the individual or a chosen leader of a group. All this takes about 5 to 10 minutes.



The company I work for provides pocket sized prayer calendars so we can keep track of them. It's good to know when a prayer is imminent because everything shuts down during prayer time. All stores close their doors and if you are in a store you will not be able to purchase anything or conduct business until the prayer is done. You also might not be able to get out of the store. This prayer time can last 30 to 45 minutes, so the prayer schedule is quite handy allowing you to plan your day around them. If you plan it right you can order a meal and have it served just before prayer and then enjoy it during prayer since you won't be able to do much else. All Muslims are expected to participate in these prayers and all Saudis are expected to be Muslims. Special exceptions are granted travelers and the invalid, but even travelers are to make their prayers up later if they skipped some during travel.


Prayer is one of the "five pillars" of Islam and is a fundamental part of a Muslim's daily existence. It provides structure, solidarity, identity and a strong bond between fellow Muslims. No other religious practice that I'm aware of is done so frequently. It's like going to church 35 times a week!

I've Been Interviewed

So, I just got interviewed today by a blogger friend of mine Malaine Wolfe. You can check it out at http://writinginthelandoftornadoes.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-with-pilot-and-saudi-arabian.html

Finding Our Way Together

We have been in Saudi Arabia for a month now, as a family, and are far from a comfortable routine. I've been busy with work and endless other appointments for permits, licenses, I.D.'s, etc. that only I can do as I'm the only legal driver here in our family (women are not allowed to drive). Nikki, on the other hand, has been a bit stir crazy, unable to do much or go anywhere as Maddy comes home every day from school for lunch, and there really isn't time to get anywhere and back on the bus to go shopping etc., during the 2-3 hours Maddy is at school. So, often we join each other at opposite emotional levels - me wanting some peace and quiet, and Nikki longing for an exciting trip somewhere.

Speaking of exciting trips, the driving here is incredible! Since our new location doesn't come with a crew car service, I've been driving myself to work. My rental car shows about 4000 kilometers in the "trip meter" now in the last 4 weeks, while I've been waiting to get the proper documentation to drive our newly purchased '91 Honda Accord. During that time I've had to learn a completely different way of driving. Now, half of my attention is in the mirror, as I struggle to stay alive. Typically I'm on a highway with about 2 or 3 lanes and it seems like no one goes the speed limit. They are either 20-40 kph slower or 50-100 kph faster. So if you are cruising along in the middle lane at the speed limit (120 kph - or about 75 mph) you will invariably come across a slow service truck or guy on his cell phone going 80 kph. You will slip into the outside lane to get around him, and maybe two or three others he's following. Before you can get back into the middle lane, you will suddenly realize someone has come out of nowhere, and is tailgating so close that their windshield fills up most of your back window. Either that or you are being passed on the left shoulder by someone going literally twice as fast as you, and your car rocks from side to side as they whiz by within inches of your side mirror. This is an every day occurrence.

Exit lanes are also used very ...efficiently. Just the other day I took the exit off of one highway and had stopped at the end to yield to traffic on the next road I was going to take. I decided I wouldn't cut anyone off so I politely wait for a comfortable space to merge into. While I was waiting I suddenly realized cars were coming around me on both sides perfectly content to turn my one-lane exit into a three lane mass merging free-for-all. I was a sitting duck. I decided to let go of all courtesy and force my way into the crowd, as I really had no alternative. It's a different world out here. I usually can't wait to get to work so I can strap myself in an airplane, get it in the air, and finally relax.

Routines are starting to develop, however. Nikki has been going to Maddy's school to help out for a few hours a day. She's also been able to do some circuit training and yoga, and even has some Arabic lessons lined up. Thursdays (equivalent to Saturday's in the U.S.) usually are family days when we can go to the swimming pool, or library, and then come home, take a quick snooze in the hammock out back before we settle down to a rigorous game of monopoly. Fridays we go to a small Christian church on the compound, and maybe hit up a delicious brunch at the diner. I think I'm going to try to rejoin my water polo group on Friday afternoons, but I'll have to see how everyone else is feeling about that. Gone are my regular workouts and uninterrupted reading, but the sacrifice is well worth it. Peace and quite are not worth loneliness and separation in my book. It's much better this way.

Let's Get This Thing Started

So here it finally is. My own blog. I've spent most of the last 14 months in Saudi Arabia, and the experience has been so entrancing that I've found myself irresistibly drawn to journaling. Since I was separated from my wife and kid most of the time (geographically), I sent some of these journal entries home as email attachments, so that they could get a bit of a taste of what life was like for me out here. My wife decided to send them around to friends and family, many of whom seemed to enjoy it. (The rest have wisely kept quiet.) Now that we have sent close to 40 entries out via email, it seems long past due that I step into the blog community and do it properly. So here goes...

I make no promises about frequency of updates or specific themes or content. Let's just see where it takes us. I'll start off with my last journal entry ...which never got sent to anyone ...due to distractions. If I can figure it out, I'll try to put some of the older entries in the archive section. Feel free to comment honestly. Polite platitudes will not be tolerated. Give it to me straight up.