Taking the green route

By Rolo B. Cena
Arabian Diaries
Dumaguete Star Informer
08 November 2009

Geographically, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, just like its neighbors, is located in the equatorial zone of the earth. As such, large track of wastelands abound. Bombarded with this theoretical feeds, one could always believe that the place is completely devoid of greeneries and waters.

Sans the commercially significant and economically important product called “petroleum” that lies beneath their vast wasteland, Saudi Arabia would not have been known in the world map. Apart from this fact, it is known for being its neighbor to the former world’s superpowers: Persia (Iran) and Babylon (Iraq) and the biblical Jerusalem. Registering fifth in the world’s highest oil reserves, Saudi Arabia has exceptionally bested its neighbors in terms of economic development notwithstanding to its being the most conservative of all Islamic countries.

The continuing drilling from their reserves accords life to the entire Kingdom. It propels the economy as it generates profit more than what the government needs for the entire populace.

Accordingly, desert is dry. Flora and fauna don’t thrive except the specie that is accustomed to heat and dry spell called cactus and the lousiest of all animals called camel.

But Saudi Arabia is not all these. When I had my first glimpse of the Kingdom in broad daylight, I was fascinated in awe by its splendor. Contrary to my belief, no tent-dwellers are visible nowadays; tent houses are replaced by either bungalow or high rise accommodations. Architecture, which are evident and reflective of the Islamic and baroque culture are prominently displayed in parks, thoroughfares and commercial buildings. The “green earth” that is suggestive of trees and plants abounds.

The coconut-resembling trees called dates, which is very unfamiliar to us Filipinos line the coastline, highways and city roads. Taking a quick gaze at these does not reconcile your senses with curiosity on how these trees are grown and propagated. More to this, one’s curiosity can never be satisfied by just taking a look at these trees; you have to eat the fruit of these trees. It is proven, according to them, that the fruit of dates supply energy to men; it is an aphrodisiac. Most Saudi says taking considerable quantity of dates before indulging into sexual activity helps and gives extreme “ops” in terms of results and satisfaction. These fruits are harvested in the months of July to September and are preserved for year-round consumption. Dates are extremely sweet but sugar is friendly; no diabetic effect.

In some areas, especially cold regions like Tabuk and Burayda in the north, Qassim in the South or Al-Hassa in the Northeast, fruits and vegetables are commercially cultivated for domestic and familial consumption. Most of these varieties are tropical and which can also be grown in countries like the Philippines.

Flowers and ornamental plants embellish the pavements, parks and gardens just like the archipelagic Philippines. In the famed Corniche Park or Boulevard in Al-Khobar, the commercial district of the Eastern Province, magnolias, hibiscus (gumamelas), bougainvilleas, carnation, santan and a lot more are grown that an OFW can’t help but to reminisce the heydays back home.

In Riyadh, the Capital City of the “Land of Contrast”, the same sceneries are available. Jeddah, the western city that is facing the biblical Red Sea, a stop-over to the pilgrim site called Makkah (Meca), displays the same landscape as Riyadh and Al-Khobar and other places of the Kingdom do.

But the most intriguing question has to be answered: How does Saudi Arabia sustain the life of these species when water is scarce?

Scarcity, arguably, propels the creativity and innovativeness of one that is affected by it. In Saudi Arabia, water is costlier than gasoline. One liter of gasoline is only 45 halala (cents) while 1 liter of water costs 1 Riyal. Conversely, the price of one liter of sweet (mineral) water is equivalent to more than double the price of gasoline.

Which is why, the government ventured into desalination, the process of reducing the sodium content of sea water and finally convert it into sweet (mineral) and household waters. One of the prime movers of this process is the Americans who partnered the Saudi government in most of its projects and businesses.

This process made the life of these nomads-in-history easier and better. Desalinated water accords them sweet water to drink, clean water for their household consumption and needs and sodium-reduced water for the plants and the trees.

In all areas, water hoses are visible right where the roots are; the water comes out almost twenty-four hours a day. In this way, there is no need for a warm body to do watering the plants, technically. And nope, it’s not a waste of water! It would be a waste of life if they don’t do it.

Taking the green route for countries like Saudi Arabia is not easy. Water is scarce; temperature kills these natural species almost year-round. The (right) attitude of the nationals, if I may put my two cents in, is nil. But because of supports from the government, the mandate becomes easier to contradict the questionable attitude of the constituents.

Taking the green route once again for countries like the Philippines is so easy. Water is abundant; temperature blends with the requirements of the natural species year-round. The (right) attitude, if I may opine, is balanced. What we need is the intravenous process of medicating Filipinos to achieve fully the discipline to do the “right things” and to do “things right” and the full supports from the government.

Taking the green route is taking things into the artery of relief. Once undertaken, no doubt, life will be easier and healthier than used to be.

Can we take it now?