From Saudi Arabia, he tells us about his experience.

By: Juan Carlos Monzón. Journalist, Communications Advisory Office

Así como en el cuento Alí Babá y los Cuarenta Ladrones cuando el protagonista pronuncia la palabra mágica “ábrete sésamo” y se abre mágicamente la entrada a una cueva en donde hay un tesoro, así le pasó a Sandra, pero al abrir un correo. “Era una oferta laboral para ser profesora de pilates en Riad.

Yo no me presenté porque esa no era mi especialidad y no hablaba inglés. Yo lo que conocía era el tema de ciclismo. Si había hecho unos cursos de pilates, pero nada más. No obstante, la persona que hacía la convocatoria y que me conocía me llamó y me animo a postularme, pasé todas las pruebas y me aceptaron, firmé contrato con un gimnasio por dos años”.

She then submitted her paperwork to the embassy, hoping that her childhood dream of leaving the country would finally come true. “They are very strict in granting visas. I had to undergo many medical exams and gather documents, but in the end, they gave me my visa.”.

Así aterrizó en el reino del príncipe heredero Mohamed Bin Salmán, hombre que ha implementado importantes reformas como ella misma lo reconoce. “Llegué en un momento en donde estaban los cambios para las mujeres. Antes de eso no podían manejar, ni salir solas y la policía religiosa llamada Mutawas si veía a una mujer que mostraba si quiera los tobillos, de una la castigaban.

Eso ha ido cambiando poco a poco. Él aprobó también la apertura de nuevos gimnasios, eso sí, unos para mujeres y otros para hombres por eso de mi estadía acá, pues no tienen personal para esa labor. Todo dentro de su programa Saudí 2030 en donde quieren desarrollar sectores como el turismo para no depender tanto del petróleo”, comenta.

However, there is still much to be done in this theocracy where the Quran and its 6,236 verses dictate the fate of its inhabitants. “I have Saudi women I know who, when I suggest we go out for coffee, have to ask their husbands or fathers for permission if they are single. Likewise, many still wear the abaya and hijab—garments that cover the body and head. We foreign women aren't forced to do that, but we are expected to dress modestly, without showing anything suggestive.”.

The idiosyncrasies of Saudi society are quite curious to a Westerner. “They are good people, they pay quite well, and they treat us with respect because they are basically people who don't work in the strictest sense of the word. They occupy the management positions at all levels; the operational workforce comes from Europe, Latin America, the Philippines, and India. In general, there is a good standard of living here. There isn't much to do because it's all desert where temperatures can reach 48 degrees Celsius in the summer and one degree in the winter,” he explains.

As a result of the pandemic, she couldn't come to Colombia last year, so she dedicated herself to traveling around the country. “I took a trip through much of Saudi Arabia. I couldn't visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina because I'm not Muslim. In fact, when you travel to Jeddah, there's a highway that passes through those cities, but it's only for followers of Muhammad, and another road is for non-Muslims and doesn't go through them.”.

Regarding her English, she says she perfected it through YouTube and interacting with people. “That was the tool I used the most because since I arrived, they had me teaching Pilates courses with some British people, and that was tough for me, but over time I loosened up and now I speak it quite well.”.

Finally, when asked for a message for the students of UCundinamarca, he doesn't hesitate to speak with conviction. “Take advantage of everything our university teaches. I looked at the course on play-based learning and thought it was silly, but who would have believed it would be so useful here? I had to put it into practice in my classes. I also know that most of us who pass through its halls come from low-income backgrounds, like me, but the opportunities are there waiting for you. Seek them out and take risks. I know the path isn't easy, but you should always aim high.”.

At the University of Cundinamarca, we continue to strengthen our relationship with our graduates. If you would like to share your entrepreneurial or professional growth story and inspire others, please write to us at the following email address: [email protected]

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