I’m keen to offer a different perspective

‘You’ve got to have a kind of curiosity …’ and maybe a touch of guts, I reckon. Back in 2011, Hotel Management student Jessica de Bruin headed off for a work placement at the JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai. That adventure eventually took her – as the very first Dutch tourist – to Saudi Arabia, where she now lives and works.

‘I’ve always travelled loads,’ Jessica tells me as I connect online with the Middle East, ‘and for my placement I had Australia, Malaysia and Dubai on my list. I got the chance to work in Dubai at the Hofbräuhaus – Marriott’s German restaurant – but I turned it down because I wanted something more management-focused. Eventually Marriott Dubai came back to me – they really wanted me as an intern after all. And just like that, I left two crying parents behind at Schiphol and off I went.’

I didn’t even dare drink a bottle of water

‘Before me, there’d only been one student from the programme who’d ever been to Dubai, a German girl – she wasn’t that enthusiastic. So I had to figure it out myself. I spent six months sharing a studio flat with a Kenyan woman, quite a challenge as we were so different. I didn’t know anyone and knew nothing about the country. I arrived during Ramadan and didn’t even dare drink a bottle of water. I didn’t know what I could or couldn’t do, but I never really had any bad experiences. In fact, as a single woman, I’ve always felt safe and free in both the United Arab Emirates and in Saudi Arabia.’

I sometimes slept in the office

‘I got used to Dubai and chose to do my graduation placement there as well. That quickly turned into a permanent job. I was working 13-hour days, sometimes slept in the office, and graduated during a month’s leave back in the Netherlands. When my aunt fell ill six months later, I quit my job and flew back to the Netherlands. During that time I travelled loads, but the Middle East kept pulling me back. So I went back.’

It’s more nuanced than people think it is

‘I quickly realised that in the West, we have a distorted view of life here. I’m not saying it’s wrong – but it’s definitely different from what many expect. I see a lot of positive things. For example, as a woman, you’re given priority when queuing – out of respect, here in Saudi as well. Women are no longer required to cover their faces. If they do, it’s their own choice. So yeah, it’s all a bit more nuanced than people think it is.’

You’ve got to have a kind of curiosity

‘And that’s exactly why I set up the website SaoediArabie.nl with a business partner. I’m keen to offer a different perspective, the innovative one. I got a lot out of Geoff Marée’s lessons in Imagineering, learning to look at things from different perspectives – you’ve got to have a kind of curiosity, about people, about other cultures. The cross-cultural workshops I did during my studies are really coming in handy now.’

I was the very first Dutch tourist

‘Saudi Arabia was closed for a very long time. When I first went there in 2019, I was the very first Dutch tourist. I’d been interested in the place for absolutely ages, did loads of research on it, had contacts there through work as well, so I felt like I already knew it. It was only an hour and a half’s flight away, but I could never actually go there. All my earlier attempts to get a business visa had fallen flat.’

Saudi Arabia is surprisingly welcoming

‘I had two jobs at the time. I was working as Dutch Community Manager for Dubai Tourism and also as a Recruiter at Swisslinx. The latter is quite funny, actually. My mother worked at ABN AMRO, and I always said I definitely didn’t want to do anything in finance, yet I ended up working there for over two years. At the end of 2019, I quit my job at Swisslinx and finally travelled to Riyadh on my tourist visa. For a country that isn’t used to foreigners, I found it surprisingly welcoming.’

On the street, I wear an abaya

‘It sparked my interest. How open is the country really? To what extent are you held back as a woman? You can just walk around in a t-shirt. But on the street I wear an abaya, that’s a long overcoat – it’s not compulsory, I choose to do it myself out of respect for the local culture. Saudi Arabia is the 12th largest country in the world. The distances are huge, so I travel by car a lot. That does get some funny looks – not many Western people dare to drive here because of the Saudis’ mad driving style.’

I mainly see the good sides

‘When I lived in Dubai, it took ten years before my dad came to visit – that was for the Dubai Expo, before that my mum always came on her own. When I moved to Saudi, they told me they didn’t want to come anymore. Thankfully my mum is coming soon now, even though she doesn’t understand how I can live in a country where there are so many human rights issues. But I mainly see the good sides – the nature, the people and their incredible hospitality. I respect the rules and engage in conversation with people. That’s how you discover the other side as well, the one we don’t hear about in the Western world: that women here are actually encouraged to work. The number of women in the workplace here has gone up by 35% in recent years. With Vision2030 we’re looking to the future, not the past.’

A positive story is important

‘I can see a future for myself here as well. I’ve always chosen my career. In terms of tourism, there’s still so much to develop. I’m working in the hotel industry again and as head of marketing I’m responsible for all 44 IHG Hotels & Resorts in Saudi Arabia. So the story comes full circle. I was one of the first students to go to Dubai, and I was definitely the first to come back with a positive story. That positive story is important. I want to inspire people and help develop the hospitality industry further – something new here, after all.’

Interview: Maaike Dukker-‘t Hart