Have you seen anything like this now. This has been doing the rounds on the internet lately and it is oddly peculiar. The Saudi woman is attempting to do some ‘street surfing’ in the waters that came from recent floods of the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. I guess it is not surfing per say, as it is technically wake-boarding, but it just shows that even the woman are having a bit of fun in the once very male dominated country. It is especially is light-hearted coming from the social and political reforms that are hitting the country recently.
Where is the City of Jeddah
Jeddah (or Jedda/Jiddah as it is pronounced), is a city that is situated in the Hijaz Tihamah region on the coast of the Red Sea and is a major metropolitan area in Western Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is the 2nd largest city in Saudi Arabia after the country’s capital Riyadh, the largest city in the province of Makkah, largest port on the Red Sea, and the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia.
The city is also the gateway to Mecca, Islam’s most holiest city, in which practitioners of the Islamic faith have to a pilgrimage to at least once in their lifetime. Jeddah is also the gateway to the second most holiest site to Muslims, Medina as well.
Economically, with a population o 2.8 million inhabitants, the city has been making innovations in science & engineering and has been highly invested upon by the government attaining 4th in the 2009 Innovation Cities Index for the region of Africa – Middle East region. The city itself has also been making huge efforts in tourism making it ‘different’ from most Saudi cities and is also perceived as the ‘open’ city in Saudi Arabia.
So What’s Been Happening There?
Saudi Arabia, itself has been going through some politcal changes recently happening after the crown prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman been raising a crackdown on ‘corruption’ by his anti-corruption. Purportedly, the $100bn corruption inquiry held many businessmen, 38 goverment officials and 11 of the princes in the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, aka prison in a 5 star-hotel. This news has been making the rounds recently, which many sceptics feel mght be a power move by the Crown Prince.
Recently Jeddah, has been getting unstable rainfall for a few weeks which has been having the civil defense authorities in Saudi Arabia to handle a few emergencies. At the moment, there have been 2 casualties by electrocution and around 2000 residents that have been affected by the recent floods. There have been a similar instance in 2009 in which the residents of the Red Sea City have been blaming a mismanagement of funds therefore creating poor infrastructure and response from authorities. There were few casualties there as well.
There recent politcal changes have been making ripples in the country where economic and civil freedom might be improving with the recent news that woman are now allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Woman Shreds it Floodwaters
This woman making the best out of today’s floods in Jeddah 🏄♀️, #Saudi pic.twitter.com/9KsnblKfXe
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) November 21, 2017
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
With the recent happenings though, this has not discouraged a Saudi woman who decided to do a little wakeboarding and shredding it on the floodwaters. of Jeddah. One reporter says: “This woman making the best out of today’s floods in Jeddah” on her twitter account.
This has been making rounds in social media recently as it is particularly amazing with the recent disaster, geopolitical changes and recent reform of woman’s right in Saudi Arabia, especially for the right to Surf. Of course, as a writer you do not think to see woman going street-surfing there as well.
There has been some controversies though that the video itself might actually be a guy.
With one guy saying: “That’s no woman alright. Its a male”.
“Yes. Taller than the average height for a woman,” agreed another one.
Well, the reader can decide.
What are the Waves Like in Saudi Arabia or Persian Gulf
Inconsistent waves and coastal development does make things difficult for a surfer in a region such as the Persian Gulf. Maybe the closest spot to surf being somewhere in Sunset Beach in UAE and the others being in Oman or Palestine.
Though who knows with the Saudi Arabian government pushing for reforms for their Vision 2030, that a Wave Ranch or artificial wave lagoon might be created in the near future.
One can only hope.
What’s Your Take
What’s your idea on the video? Do you think that it might be a man? Or might this woman be a future contender to do so surfing in the 2020 Olympics? Please feel free to write to me let me know your views.
Or if you really want to check the airfares there check it here.
Or you read about Bethany Hamilton shredding waves with a baby bump.
The Daily Pumpernickel 