SUSRIS - Jeddah Flood Volunteering Khashoggi

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ITEM OF INTEREST
January 14, 2010

The Importance of Volunteering
Amr M. Khashoggi

Editor's Note:

The November flood in Jeddah that took over 100 lives and caused major damage has been the subject of reporting in SUSRIS and on the SUSRIS Blog. Most of the coverage has focused on the public reaction, the backlash, over infrastructure shortfalls and mismanagement. Another part of the story, covered to a greater extent in Arab News (links below), has been the volunteerism of citizens to care for one another in a time of need. "This is what families do in times of crisis," said one young volunteer who stepped forward during the Jeddah crisis. Another told Saudi Gazette, "This is the first time that I have been a part of a campaign on this scale. In fact many of our volunteers are first timers. It has been an eye-opening experience which has re-enforced our belief in the capabilities of the people, especially Saudi youth. It has brought about a sense of nationalism and unity that many believed did not exist in Saudi society."

Today we are pleased to share an essay by Mr. Amr Khashoggi, a distinguished Saudi business leader, recounting "The Neighbor For the Neighbor" initiative set up by his company to deal with the damaged lives and property caused by the flood and calling for a greater sense of volunteerism. SUSRIS readers will recall Khashoggi's thoughtful contributions to the dialogue on U.S.-Saudi relations through his 2006 "Open Letter from a Businessman" and our follow up interview with him. He said, "Whenever I talk with my American friends they are always expressing kind words and heart-felt sentiments. These are encouraging and do give me greater impetus to stay the course of building bridges of understanding between our two nations. I believe that this effort must be energetic, continuous and for the long haul, to have any meaningful and lasting impact." Encouraging words from someone concerned about building bridges who is now devoting energy to building a better community.

Lastly, we join the people of goodwill from around the world who are deeply saddened by the tragedy unfolding in Haiti following a catastrophic earthquake on Tuesday and encourage our readers to take a minute to contribute to any of the responsible aid agencies committed to providing relief.

The Importance of Volunteering
Amr M. Khashoggi

Volunteering is extremely important in keeping the community together and in creating a true partnership between the people, the business community, academia, nongovernmental organizations and the government.

However, it needs to become a natural part of our lives. We need to have training programs and drills, so we know instantly what to do and who to contact in situations of emergency or disaster. Such programs can be given in schools, colleges, businesses, ministries, and all types of institutes. Volunteering helps build character and boosts confidence. It took the calamity of the recent Jeddah floods to wake us up out of our stupor, and we should not permit ourselves to return to our previous somnolence. The torrential floods that swept through the city of Jeddah on Nov. 25, 2009 demolished everything in its path at speeds exceeding 30 kilometers per hour. Nothing could withstand the sheer force of these floods: Trucks, buses, cars, and people were equally swept along, through the streets, to a fate that proved to be deadly for so many. Walls came tumbling down; homes filled up so quickly that those inside drowned in just a few minutes; businesses and factories were ruined.

The scale of destruction was of such magnitude, that we are only now beginning to understand it. The scars left in the aftermath of this flood can still be seen, especially in many East Jeddah neighborhoods, such as in Quwaiza and Kilo 14.

The flood caused extensive damage to Zahid�s Truck Assembly, and other facilities in Kilo 14, carrying massive truck engines and components to distances of almost half a kilometer as if they were made of papier-m�ch� (chewed-up paper). Our offices were filled with water and mud, instantly rendering useless all computer systems, files, furniture, fittings, and other equipment. Watermarks reached over one meter, warping wooden desks and strewing documents and files all over the place. The flood did not spare our warehouse, where almost 50 percent of our massive spare parts inventory was destroyed.

At Kilo 5, the Zahid Housing Compound was badly damaged, drenching furniture, clothes, and ruining appliances. By the Mercy of Allah, no human casualties occurred. A massive clean-up effort was immediately launched, first to take care of our employees, and second to bring our businesses back to as normal a condition as possible. With the tremendous effort of everyone, we were able to return our operations to 85 percent of normality within 10 days.

At the same time, we were witness to what was happening to our city, community, and, especially, our neighbors. We at Zahid Group set up an initiative called "Al-Jar Lil-Jar" or "The Neighbor For the Neighbor," to assist those in desperate need of help. We are most proud of our employees, who immediately signed up for this volunteer work.

Under this initiative, we started a clean-up effort at Kilo 14 and Quwaiza district, helping the flood victims there rebuild their lives. Unblocking pipes and cleaning bathrooms and septic tanks using our teams of plumbers and engineers was one effort that was much appreciated. Mattresses, bedsheets, pillows, blankets, clothes, food, water, cleaning and other essential items were obtained in quantity and distributed to the affected residents. Many of our friends and business associates in the neighborhood joined us and added to these efforts.

There is still much to do in Quwaiza and Kilo 14, where more than 500 homes have been destroyed or substantially damaged. More volunteers to help in those areas are badly needed.

I was no less impressed by the spirit and energy of the youth of Jeddah. They independently organized themselves, and began helping people by distributing much-needed essentials to the victims in the worst-hit areas. Men and women from every walk of life came forward to offer help in anyway possible.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry formed the Coordinating Committee of Social Societies, chaired by Mazin Batterjee, which brought all the volunteering work under one umbrella, better focusing and organizing the relief efforts. The committee needs all the help it can get.

We immediately answered their call, as others did. We provided trucks, trailers, forklifts and hand pallet trucks to work at the Exhibition Center, which became a beehive of activity. Water, powdered milk, cleaners, clothes, furniture and anything people donated to the victims were organized and distributed from there.

Many of the roads, especially in the University District, were blocked with mud, water, debris, and vehicle carcasses, preventing access to many victims� homes. In cooperation with the Women Charitable Organization, we provided bulldozers, wheel loaders, and dumpsters, to clear up the roads in that residential area. In Al-Ghulail area, near Kilo 5, we provided additional wheel loaders and dumpsters to help in the clean up process.

The culture of volunteering is an essential part of any civilization, and our religious tenets urge us to cooperate to do good for mankind. The calamity of the recent Jeddah floods opened the eyes of many to the positive effects of such volunteer work. It is our communal duty to encourage this spirit of social service, to continue both in good times and in bad.

About Amr M. Khashoggi

Amr M. Khashoggi is VP, corporate affairs at Zahid Group of Companies. Mr. Khashoggi is a member of the Committee for the Development of International Trade (CIT) in the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry. He holds a B.Sc. from Menlo College and an M.B.A. from Yale University School of Management. Email: [email protected]

This essay was published in Arab News on January 7, 2010 and is reprinted with permission of the author.

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