Happy new year from Riyadh

December 2020, Riyadh

The last time I wrote home, I was preparing to hunker down for a hot summer staycation here in Riyadh.

In early March this year, international travel in to Saudi Arabia came to an abrupt halt, thanks to Covid-19. Realistically, I thought, “for the sake of a month or two, how hard can this be?”.

Little did any of us realise that Covid restrictions were going to become a Groundhog Day that would run into many months and leave us all hoping that someone would step up and press stop on this crazy and surreal science fiction movie of our lives!

I have been happily living and working in Riyadh for more than three years. Ordinarily, I would regularly travel back and forth to Ireland throughout the year, as the notion might take me or simply when I’d need a family fix.

But 2020 has been a draining period of roller coaster emotions as travel plans were dashed repeatedly. All anyone can do is remain stoic and positive, since we are all in the same boat in one way or another.

To date, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reported about 361,000 cases and 6,122 Covid deaths. That equates to some 10% of the population infected with Covid-19 in the last 10 months.

The kingdom has previous experience with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which first emerged in Asia in 2003. Therefore, the authorities did not take any chances and were swift to action.

I think everyone here feels that was a good move. The borders closed almost immediately and from that point, only repatriation flights were available, until about November.

At the time of writing, there have been some 79,500 cases in Ireland and 2,158 deaths. Worldwide there have been 1.69m deaths and that number continues to climb. It is a sobering realisation, given we are still nowhere near beating this virus.

The first real inkling for those of us based in Saudi that we were in for a significant event was when the Saudi authorities cancelled Hajj, the holy event for Muslims for which many millions make the annual pilgrim to Mecca to pray and give thanks for their good fortune in life.

The Hajj pilgrimage had not been cancelled since the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.

As the year rolled on, every major religious event around the globe was reduced and moved online, held in private or worst-case scenario, cancelled.

Whole communities were advised to keep their distance from family and friends at all costs. Easter, Eid Al Fitr, Yom Kippur, Holi, Thanksgiving, and Hanukkah all suffered. Perhaps the higher powers we believe in seem to have conspired to teach us all a good lesson this year.

Some time ago Leo said ‘don’t come home for Christmas’. It really hurt the diaspora to hear this, but the truth is Leo made a good call. So, Christmas 2020 also moved to Zoom. That does sort of take the fizz out of it a bit! Personally, I succumbed to Zoom fatigue in October!

This Christmas day, which tends to be busy enough for everyone at home because they are distracted by basting the turkey and perfecting the roast spuds, I was bothering everyone with Zoom calls! When we eventually connected, we did our best to mimic the usual jolly, happy, cheery, cork-popping gatherings we are used to.

And what comes next? Well, it is not long till we pull back the curtain on 2021. I am almost afraid to go there. What is in store for us? Here in Saudi, we have already commenced the largest coronavirus vaccination operation ever in the kingdom. The first consignment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has arrived and distribution started.

Saudi Arabia will offer the vaccine free to all residents in the kingdom. Authorities are keeping a watchful eye out to avoid any second wave of infections. With the exception of a few rule-breakers, most people have followed the guidelines of mask-wearing, social distancing, and limited gatherings.

Yesterday (Monday December 21) the Saudi authorities once again closed the borders, this time for one week, in a bid to corral a new variant strain of the Covid virus and stop it from reaching Saudi. Again all travel is cancelled.

So looking towards 2021, I suspect we will continue to improve and adapt to living most of our lives online. If world powers and the best minds can’t find a quick solution to this pandemic, then I think we may have to perfect the art of living in vacuums or bubbles and Zooming.

So my Christmas and new year wish for you is, be extra kind to yourself and those around you. It’s fair to say it’s been a really tough year. I hope to be home by March, but don’t hold me to it, just in case!

Wishing you all a safe and happy new year from Riyadh – Hilary McCormack, a native of Mullingar