Cairo: For around 13 years, a Saudi man has kept a house in Riyadh to host people from different nationalities and religious backgrounds.
Known as Am (uncle) Mohammed Ebrahim, he has become popular for his generosity, cheerfulness and spontaneity.
Outside the house, a car fitted with a rotating red light is lifted on props to draw the attention of the would-be guests.
Sometimes, a large banquet is hosted, costing 10,000 riyals, he told MBC TV.
“This guesthouse aims to receive people from all nationalities, religions, tribes and families,” he added. “Anybody, a worker etc, is welcome,” said Mohammed, described as an icon of generosity.
“When this aim has been fulfilled, I’ve forgotten about the time and the cost.”
Mohammed, also nicknamed Abu Ebrahim (father of Ebrahim) is famous for his catchphrase: “Welcome. A thousand welcomes. You’re invited to your dinner.”
His guesthouse also contains a quasi-museum featuring rare heritage items and mummified animals to entertain the guests.
Generosity is an inherited tradition in Abu Ebrahim’s family.
In recent months, Saudi media has carried reports about benevolence inside the kingdom.
This attitude usually peaks during the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage season.
One of them is Abu Adel, a native of the Saudi holy city of Mecca.
For around 30 years, he has kept the tradition of serving cold drinks for free to Muslim pilgrims to help them beat the scorching temperatures.
Usually situated on a sidewalk near the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site in Mecca, Abu Adel said he serves the drinks daily during the Hajj season from noon until 1am. “This is a charity inherited from the father, the grandfather and benefactors,” he told Al Arabiya TV.
In the same vein, for more than 30 years, Ayad Al Jarhadi has annually used his private car to transport pilgrims free of charge from a border town to Mecca.
Al Jarhadi was quoted by Al Arabiya TV last June as saying he has volunteered to provide rides for the faithful from the Saudi northern border of Arar to reach Mecca to perform Hajj.
“I transport the old people and women for free in pursuit of Allah’s contentment,” he said.
