So it’s winter time, and the temperatures are even starting to drop here in Saudi. Of course we’re no where near cold enough for the kind of weather conditions that have ground the UK to a depressing halt, but that doesn’t mean we’re missing out on melodramatic behavior – quite the contrary. 

Looking at the weather report for Al Khobar for the next few days the lowest temperature we can expect is 11°C; perfect, T-Shirt wearing, comfortable weather. Not according to the locals.  

Instead of cool air conditioning, or nothing at all as there really is no need, everywhere is swelteringly hot. Walking into my office is like entering an enclosure for tropical plants and animals. After the relief of the general humidity and burn of the sun dying down everyone in the office has gone bonkers and upped the temperature, as if they miss the Arabian summer heat!  

I’ve never been as cold indoors as I was this summer. The A/C blasted ice cold air all around me and I spent the summer in jumpers, layered up to the eyeballs trying to stave off frost bite and hyperthermia. Now the weather is reasonable we’ve hit the other extreme. Hot air making me sweat rivers at my desk. You can actually feel the heat hit you as you walk through the revolving doors. That’s quite normal in the summer, but as you leave.  

As if making those of us with blood in our veins melt in our chairs is not enough to keep the Saudi security guards and other staff toasty warm, they’re all walking round – indoors – in scarves, hats, gloves and big wooly jumpers over their thobes! The most you need outside at the moment is a light jacket, and that’s only if the wind is up.  

It never ceases to amaze me how these people can wander around in 50°C plus humidity and not bat an eyelid, but when the temperature drops the teeniest bit you’d think we were living in the arctic. It makes me wonder how quickly Saudi would grind to a depressing halt if it snowed here, it’s bad enough when it rains!