THE Gulf youth of both sexes we see in the new malls and streets of the Gulf corniches, cafés and restaurants have spread their influence everywhere like wildfire to suit their comfort. We see these young people riding in their big SUVs and this gives the feeling for the young motorist driving alongside that he/she is above all and the person in the SUV looks down at the rest of the cars, drivers and passengers as diminutive because he feels he is ‘superior’ and they ‘inferior’.
These are the youth from the middle class, while the youth who belong to the wealthy class drive ‘wow’ class cars – expensive sports cars that are immediately singled out because of their colors, accessories and outlook. The young people from the ruling class or the wealthy Gulf citizens not only pamper themselves inside their homelands, but they travel with cars which are transported by airplane to European countries, mainly to England and its capital London, and France in the French Riviera, Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo.
Saudi Arabia-based newspaper Al-Sharq Al- Awsat published an interesting analysis of this wealthy Gulf class saying that despite the end of the summer season in London which is the end of August, the wealthy Arab tourists still show off in the streets and neighborhoods at ‘Mayfair’ and Knightsburg daily, with the British fans expressing admiration and taking pictures of these ‘super cars’.
The residents of those high class areas have filed a complaint this year saying the very presence of these cars create congestion to such an extent even some roads are blocked by the fans, who crowd the area to take pictures of these cars.
The Londoners call this phenomenon ‘the invasion by super cars’, an annual phenomenon that occurs in the summer, and is divided into an Arab team showcasing the latest super cars, color, options and unusual accessories, and another team of fans, both Londoners and other tourists, who picks up those pictures that quickly appear on the social media.
The visitors to these luxurious streets in London, Nice and Monte Carlo witness the disturbing phenomenon of trivial issues and disturbing noises on their compatriots in these streets. The social media have recently provided us with pictures or films to show off one of our youths, a senior government official in a sensitive department recently suspended from work. This official is seen on one of those streets with his expensive car, brimming with pride and smiling.
We say to this youth and others who are part of this notorious phenomenon: “Is it not enough for you to disturb us in our countries that you have to go to those civilized countries such as London. We have stopped going to these places because of your likes — the youth of Kuwait, the Gulf region and the Arabian Peninsula — because you hunt ‘ducks in public parks’ and lakes of the cities in London and Geneva and cook and eat them in the same place, and take the hookah to the Eiffel Tower Gardens.
By Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli
Former Minister of Oil
