Saudi attacks shake expat workers

"I'm very, very frightened. We still don't know whether we are going to stay or not, but I think it's really time for us to leave," an American teacher, who would not give her name, told the Associated Press. She said she and her husband had decided to stay after past attacks in Saudi Arabia, but this time was different. "The last time we were thinking about leaving, we thought about all the benefits we would lose. But, honestly, now I don't care," she said.

If others follow the trend of ABB-Lummus's employees, the Saudi economy could be seriously hurt, economists say.

"There are an estimated 38,000 Westerners working mostly in management or as experts in the oil, banking and finance, and medical sectors," says Omar Bagour, a professor of economics at King Abdul-Aziz University. These sectors are the main income generators in the Saudi economy, and oil alone accounts for 80 percent of Saudi income, he says. "If they [Westerners] decide to leave in the span of one month, it would cause a drop of about 50 percent in estimated economic growth for 2004."

Mr. Bagour says that there are very few Saudis available to replace the expertise of departing Westerners, both in the energy sector as well as in other areas like the medical field.

By local estimates, several thousand expatriates left after last year's compound attack, and last month about 25 nonessential personnel and families of American diplomats returned home following an ordered departure.

But so far there hasn't been a mass exodus. Many expats know that such threats come with the territory. They know that the Saudi government and their companies are bolstering security. But another major attack targeting foreigners could change minds quickly.

At the Saudi Arabian International School several teachers and students didn't show up the day following Saturday's attack, Thaxter says. A number of his teachers and some parents have talked about leaving. But no one has made a firm decision yet. "I think they're in a wait-and-see mode. If nothing happens in the next couple of days they might stay; if something does happen, many will probably leave, which would be devastating to the school," he says.

The school's fine-arts festival went ahead on Sunday, and social-studies teacher Michael Szweko stood by the wall watching the Middle School orchestra perform the Cool Cat Shuffle.

Mr. Szweko's wife returned to Florida in December because of the security situation. But Szweko, who's been in Jeddah for two years, wants to at least finish the school year, despite his growing apprehension. "The news was very shocking. It was so barbaric it hasn't even sunk in yet," he says. "I'm afraid to get a taxi, to go shopping, and to eat out."

The school went into level-one lockdown after news of the attack Saturday morning. with students remained in his class with the lights out, blinds drawn, and doors locked for close to three hours.

Thaxter, the middle school principal, has signed on for two more years, and says he's taking things one day at a time.

"You've got to keep things in perspective. Jeddah is a city of 2-1/2 million people and it really is relatively safe compared with many cities in North America. The threat here is different, but it's not unique to the Middle East."

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