When I was a kid, my relatives would often joke around while waiting for my father's arrival in the airport. They would ask me, "Pa'no mo malalaman na galing sa Saudi ang isang tao?" (How will you know if a person is coming from Saudi Arabia?). Clueless, I would just shrug and would ask how. They would answer, "Pag mukhang may Hepa!" (If he looks like he's suffering from Hepatitis!) They were pertaining to the color of the gold necklaces (layers and layers of it) and huge rings which most men from Saudi Arabia were wearing around their necks and on their fingers... YELLOW, which is also the color of the skin of Hepatitis patients (jaundice). I'm sure my father had his hine-Hepa phase too but I'm not going to remind him about that so moving on...
If oil is not enough to show how rich Saudi Arabia is, try putting gold in the equation. Saudi gold has always been a popular product from Saudi Arabia. There are many mines in the Kingdom including some in the Al-Madinah and Al-Qassim provinces; there's some in the Riyadh province, one of which is the Al-Amar mine owned by the Ma'aden Group. They say that Saudi gold is one of the best, if not the best, in the world. It has a rich bright yellow color that denotes purity. But prices of Saudi gold has increased through the years. I've heard several Filipinos, veterans in KSA, exclaim their disapproval on the prices today or their resentment that they did not fill their coffers with gold when prices were very low during their early years in Saudi Arabia.
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| Gold never goes out of style. |
But gold doesn't lose its luster. A lot of people are still into it. Not being a "jewelry person", I disregarded advice from friends to buy gold as an investment on my first year in Saudi Arabia. I'm just not into gold, or any other mineral turned into jewelries. As a matter of fact, I don't even wear any other jewelry piece aside from a sterling silver ring given by my parents after my high school graduation.
The brother is getting married later this year so he dragged us to three gold souks (traditional market) in Riyadh to look for the perfect wedding rings. This is also timely as we celebrate eid today. Most women would want jewelries as gifts on this celebration. Well then, don't just sit there! You're coming with me to see these souks! Hahaha.
