By Zahida Afzal

I read the Saudi Gazette on a regular basis and I am sharing a piece on how an expat family, my own, is coping with this pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

My husband and I moved to Saudi Arabia in 2013 with our three children. My husband is a Family Medicine Consultant now working for John Hopkins Aramco.

He used to work here in Jeddah, but three years ago he changed his job and now is based in Abqaiq.

We as a family decided to stay in Jeddah and him visit us in Jeddah over the weekends as my children were well settled here in the British School and were in crucial years of their academic life.

I would like to say I feel very safe and secure living in Saudi Arabia, especially Jeddah one of the best places I have lived in. I am British born, and my three children were born in the UK.

Sameer, my son, now is 17, Zara, my daughter, is 14 and my youngest daughter Zainab is 10. Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah is home for them and they have made very good friends. We live in a compound that is very nice and accommodating to our needs.

Things have changed for us since the lockdown and travel ban, now my husband cannot visit us anymore, although we are very proud of him as he is a front line doctor testing for coronavirus but as a family we miss not having him around. His holidays have been canceled until further notice.

I suppose it is better for him to be working as there are no flights to Jeddah. Although couple of my neighbors husband work for Aramco as engineers and they are allowed to visit and come on special flights provided by Aramco. I suppose it depends on the departments you work for. My husband did request for Aramco to let him visit before Ramadan on the Aramco planes I hope he gets permission.

My father was visiting us on the tourist visa and was supposed to return back to the UK on March 21 but due to the travel ban he cannot go back, although I think it is a true blessing and he is much safer here in Jeddah than UK. He is nearly 80 and used to visit Haram every Monday and Thursday that he misses now. InshaAllah it will open soon.

Although I love living in Jeddah, recently I have had problems getting information. I am trying to extend my fathers visa and all the number emails I am sending to I get no answer.

I used to get zamzam water every month, 21 bottles, and as Muslims we have strong belief that zamzam has shifa for every illness but due to lockdown we cannot visit Makkah to purchase zamzam and we cannot get them in Jeddah.

I have asked many places but it is not available in Jeddah, it is such a shame we cannot avail the blessing of zamzam water. It would be great to have a zamzam water point in Jeddah or to order online.

I also find it hard to know what is going on about curfew restrictions and the shopping area we are allowed to go to. I am very grateful Saudi Arabia is doing a great job to keep us safe and I do feel safer than being in the UK.

Whenever I visit the local supermarket Panda is well stocked and very clean and well organized, unlike other countries with limited groceries and lot of panic buying by the public. We get checked when we enter, where santizers and gloves are available.

I think Saudi Arabia is well ahead of Europe and America and well equipped with everything, which the authorities should be proud of and they are setting an example in the world.

Just like to say not having my husband visit us for 6 weeks now, I still feel safe and secure. May we all get through this safely and work together and I hope Saudi Arabia can provide more information for expatriates and provide English-speaking helplines.

I am attaching a photo of my daughter Zainab, who asked me when you were growing up did you go through this? I said no this is the first and we all are learning from it. Zainab is finding it hard not seeing her father and friends and being normal. What will be normal after the lockdown?