Ethnic Kaleidoscope

The lights of the football field reflect on the smooth surface of the Arabian Gulf, resembling a sheet of light broken only by occasional small waves. The flickering lights of ocean-going oil tankers come and go in the distance as they travel up and down the Gulf.

In the background, loud voices ring out from a group of friends shouting as they play football. The players are from all over the world, a kaleidoscope of nationalities and ethnicities. It is nine in the evening, hot and humid, but it is a terrific time to play soccer on this September evening in Saudi Arabia. During the day, it is simply too hot.

"Abdullah, I'm open—pass the ball!"

"Mark, watch out! Ali's coming your way and he's hard to stop."

"Time out! Hamad is hurt!" A minute later Hamad stands up. "I'm all right. Come on, let's play!"

"Good shot, Paulo, but you can't score with me at the goal!" Salim shouts.

"Great goal, Mahmoud! You were able to sneak by Khan and score—nice! Malcolm couldn't stop you—the poor guy ended up face down on the ground!"

"How about the twins? They are terrific! By the way, how can you tell them apart? When I try to call one of them using the name I think is right, the other one answers. It's confusing and embarrassing."

"Don't be confused, Chandra. Here is how you tell them apart George is taller and a few kilos lighter than Ahmad. Ahmad is more serious, whereas George is always joking.

The friends are enjoying the evening. They come from around the globe to work for various companies in engineering, telecommunications, and many other fields; mostly providing services, in one way or another, to the oil industry in the area. Expatriates working in Saudi Arabia on single status typically work six days a week and travel home once every few months. However, some go home only every year or two.

An Unplanned Trip

"Hi Ahmad, it's Mark. We finally have a long weekend. Are you and George coming over for the barbeque tonight?"

"We wouldn't miss it!"

"Time to go home, George!" Ahmad shouts to his brother, who is in the next office.

"In a minute. I'll meet you at the car," George responds from the other room.

Ahmad waits at the car. More than fifteen minutes later George arrives, a big smile on his face.

"What took you so long? And what's with the smile?" Ahmad demands.

"Relax bro; hold your horses! Did you know that we can get a visa to the United Arab Emirates at the border?"

"No, but so what?"

Ahmad is impatient. He is highly particular about time and insists on punctuality. For him, it is six in the evening. That means work is over, and it is time to go home, so why the delay? On the other hand, George is more spontaneous. He has a relaxed view of time, along with other things in life.

"So what? It is a long weekend, brother, and I certainly do not want to spend it like every other weekend: football, food, and the same old stuff. So we're going to Dubai," George says with authority.

"How can we go to Dubai with no passports and no planning? Where are we going to sleep? And you know it's probably more than a ten-hour drive." Ahmad is anxious and a bit annoyed at this spontaneous outburst. It is just the kind of thing his twin brother is known for, and Ahmad cannot get used to it.

"Come on, A, relax! I just stopped by the office, to get the passports and print a map off the Internet. That is why I am late. Dubai, here we come!"

"George, be realistic. It is evening already, so we cannot leave now. And we need a plan."

"What's there to plan, Ahmad? Why do you always complicate things? All we need is water for the road, clothes for the weekend, and cash for fuel and food. Come on, we'll have fun."

The brothers start to debate, but George is quite persuasive and Ahmad is finally convinced, on the condition they leave in the morning because driving at night would be too dangerous. Some sections of the road are in poor shape, and there is always the possibility of encountering a camel that has broken through one of the barrier fences along the way. A collision with one of those massive beasts could be deadly. Further, not to mention the large transport trucks that move goods among countries in the region. They are frightening when they pass cars on single-lane roads.

As the brothers drive home from work, Ahmad calls Mark to let him know that they will not be able to join the group for dinner. They get home quickly, throw some clothes in a suitcase, and go to sleep early. Ahmad and George will leave before sunrise, and if the trip goes well, they will be in Dubai for a late lunch.

It is four in the morning, and the twins, known collectively as AG to their friends and family, are up and ready to hit the road. As they dash out of their apartment, Ahmad grabs the box of CDs and off they go—suitcase in the car, fuel tank full, coffee mugs in hands, and map on the dashboard.

Once Ahmad and George are out of the Dammam-Khobar area where they work, the road is fairly straight. There are not many cities to go through; the route is mostly desert and sand dunes. They pass through part of one of the largest deserts in the world, the Rub'...