A recent visit to Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, left on the mind of this writer some living memories that are worth sharing with readers. The first time this writer was in Riyadh was in October 2013 when he was invited to attend a seminar at the National Centre for Assessment in Higher Education; popularly known and called “Qiyas” among residents of Riyadh. Ten years after this initial visit came another invitation for me to represent the Academic Society for Arabic Language and Literature in Nigeria (ASALLIN) at a seminar organized and hosted by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language; specifically, to discuss the teaching and learning of Arabic (outside of Saudi Arabia) in twelve select countries of the world including Nigeria. ASALLIN was invited to speak on the Nigerian experience. The other eleven countries invited to attend and speak on their individual experiences included Britain, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Sudan, Chad, Mauritius, Pakistan, and South Africa.
My departure for Riyadh from the Abuja airport about noon on Sunday March 12, 2023 took me through three other airports to arrive at the Riyadh international airport the following morning; all because Nigeria lacks a national carrier that would operate direct flight to Riyadh. So, the aircraft that picks you up from Nigeria will first take you to its home-country before putting you on another aircraft that will connect you to your destination. The Ethiopian airline that I had its ticket had no flight to Riyadh on that day. From Addis Ababa, I boarded another Ethiopian flight to Jeddah, and then took a domestic flight operated by Flynas from Jeddah and arrived Riyadh about 7.15am on Monday March 13, 2023. Going through all the boarding checks and procedures at the Abuja, Addis Ababa, and Jeddah airports were far from being a routine that could arouse any excitement in an air traveler. Moving from the international wing to the domestic arm of the King Abdulazeez international airport in Jeddah alone, though within one vicinity, was a trip of about twenty kilometers.
The contact person was there at the Riyadh airport to pick me on time and by 8am, we were at the hotel. By the schedule of activities prepared for participants, I had only one hour to rest, take a shower, eat breakfast and get set for the event I was invited to attend. Other participants had arrived either the previous day or night. At past 9am, we were on our way to the Arabic Language Academy, and at 10am on the dot, the programme started with the master of ceremony (MC) calling upon the Director-General/CEO of the Arabic Academy, Prof Abdullah Al-Washmiyy, to declare the seminar open. Besides the punctuality, general courtesy, and respect for colleagues, the way the MC took us through the programme was remarkable. Unlike the way MCs are used to flattering and extoling chief executives with unnecessary praises in Nigeria, the Saudi MC went straight to the point without eulogizing anyone called upon to make his presentation. When any MC at a public event in Nigeria fails to sing praises of the chairman or other VIPs at the occasion, he would be accused of not knowing his job; and may risk losing the privilege to perform same role at the next available opportunity.
Prof Al-Washmiyy gave a short speech that was closely followed by a report presented by Prof Sa’ad Al-Qahtaniyy on the contributions of the King Salman Global Academy in the service of Arabic language. Thereafter, the participants one after the other took their turns and made their power-point presentations. Not one second was added to the 15 minutes assigned to each participant. After about one hour, it was my turn to deliver my 30-page paper which I did and with ease and comfort. With two tea-breaks in-between presentations, the day’s programme started and ended without an opening or closing prayer. Any Head/CEO of an MDA in Nigeria who deliberately ignores this routine aspect of the agenda at any function could be seen, typically by those seeking to be holier than thou, as anti-Islam! The day’s session came to a close at 2.30pm after we returned to the hotel to take lunch, and then rest.
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At 4pm, we were taken out for a tour of the Riyadh city; arriving at the Saudi National Museum at 5pm; a wonderful project that is turning the Saudi city into another Dubai in the Arabian Peninsula. As the tour-guide of the museum ushered us into the main hall, we still struggled four hours later to finish going round various sections of the complex at past 9pm. Few steps into the main/reception hall brought us to a 275 tons meteorite found on an unspecified date in Saudi Arabia. It was also fulfilling seeing inscriptions signifying the history and development of Arabic writing in the Arabian Peninsula.
It took us more than one hour to see the section on the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his message and lifetime. The technology and electronic devices deployed to preserve historical materials and artefacts were quite amazing. Given how people forge materials and information about the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) these days, let me quickly add that nothing like the Prophet’s hair, footwear, clothing, turban, kettle or personal effects exist in the museum. I asked the museum-guide if such items are being kept elsewhere and he said, “Not at all” because they actually do not exist there in Riyadh or elsewhere. A scanned copy of the hand-written version of the holy Qur’an, otherwise referred to as the “Uthmaniyyah” copy is on display in the Prophet’s section of the museum. The museum-guide told us the original version of the Uthmaniyyah copy is currently in Turkey. A beautifully designed architectural model of the Prophet’s Holy Mosque in Madinah is also on display in the museum.
Also in the museum are old currency notes and relics of ancient weapons and armored vests used in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To list all the items being preserved in this mega complex requires twice the space of this column. The second and concluding part of this serialized discourse comes up next week insha Alllah. May Allah spare our lives to be able to write and for you to read it, amin.
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