A middle-aged Saudi Arabian widower claims to have been living on the streets of Bahrain for four years and was banned from travelling home after a currency misunderstanding over rent arrears.
He says he mistook Saudi riyals for Bahraini dinars when he signed an agreement thinking he only owed BD500 not BD5,000. At the time, he added, he was not thinking straight as he mourned the death of his beloved cancer-stricken wife who had been receiving hospital treatment in the kingdom.
“Who would have thought that from staying in a beautiful apartment in Anwaj Islands I would end up living on the streets?” Abdullah Al Enezi, 53, told the GDN.
“My wife was only 46 when she died from breast cancer and I was heartbroken. She had been receiving medical treatment at the King Hamad University Hospital. I have four daughters and a son and need to get back to Saudi to see them.
“I have been sleeping in gardens and abandoned buildings before I was lucky to come across a group of people in a coffee shop who have provided me with shelter in their majlis and bought me food and clothes.
“God has given me patience to deal with these tough situations and I will make it through this. I’m grateful for everything and everyone who is helping me.”
His plight was recorded and posted on social media and the video has gone viral in recent days as he pleaded for clemency from the authorities to end the travel ban.
Bahraini Ali bin Saeed Al Mamari, who opened his doors to the stranded Saudi, said it was the least he could do in the circumstances. “It’s the holy month of Ramadan and we’re doing our best to help our brother Abdullah,” the 40-year-old told the GDN. “He is staying with us in the majlis in Budaiya and we have a lot of people willing to help him after I put the post on social media about his plight.
“We also have a charitable society that has provided us with bank details where people can send money to help him solve the issue.”
Mr Al Enezi explained his situation on the posted video, saying: “I signed a piece of paper that said I owed BD5,000 and I thought it said 5,000 riyals (BD500).”
He went on to claim that he left the keys with the property’s security because he was unable to make contact with the landlady.
“She later said that I owed her money because I had not informed her that I had left,” he claimed.
The matter went to the civil claims court and a judgement was ruled in favour of the property’s owner and BD5,000 has to be paid to remove the travel ban. He added that he did not have enough money to cover the debt and he appealed for help. “I walked to the embassy many times but my issue has not been resolved,” he added.
Mr Al Enezi claims he lived in Anwaj Islands with his late wife for 12 months, had been paying BD550 a month and claimed unpaid rent included a period of time he was no longer a resident.
No one was available from the Saudi embassy to comment.
noorz@gdn.com.bh
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