Write of Return

Obscure observations, little celebrations and possible frustrations from the experience of a young, Saudi-Palestinian woman returning to the Middle East after living abroad.

Feb 24, 2020

Saudi Uncharted

The Saudi context has stripped itself from reality. Most of the truths people have lived by in the Kingdom have been overhauled…

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Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Dec 25, 2019

Raving in Rio

“You moved back to Riyadh at the right time” — were sentiments echoed by everyone I met, or reconnected with after a 10 year hiatus…

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Dec 14, 2019

The Sound of Silence

The audio landscape of our time has shifted without our consent nor a social code to follow. My internal chatter is as loud as the noise around me; it comes with a regretful acceptance that our silence has been robbed.

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Oct 15, 2019

Zero Degrees of Separation

Three days short of turning 29, I started driving lessons in Amman. Prior to this, I’d taken driving lessons one summer in Spain — only to find an instructor who only spoke Spanish, and the need for a Spanish residency to obtain a license; neither of which I had. And so, here I…

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Sep 3, 2019

At Home on the Dance Floor

I tacked on a few days of play to my first official business trip as a Co-Pilot at Whywander — mainly for a good…

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Aug 17, 2019

Love as a distribution of labor, family as a labor of love

As I return home and reintegrate into some hefty family dynamics of five very big personalities, I imagine our interactions as the ultimate labor of love. As a family, we take on roles based on our strengths and capacity to…

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Jul 23, 2019

Creative Destruction

Four friends sit in my apartment, each in a private state of disarray, sticky from the remnants of a summer Saturday afternoon. I am somewhat retracted, knowing that it’ll be the last time we’d occupy this space in this specific formulation. We’re all on the cusp of radical change; marriage…

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Apr 30, 2019

Twisted Sisters

There are a multitude of ways that we become sisters. The most natural ones — by birth — have been fundamental to my growth. Being by far the youngest of four girls, our roles and relationships shift based on circumstances. The only constant is our unconditional love. Being the youngest also meant…

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Feb 18, 2019

Bigger Than the Bus

The last time I saw my sister, Zeina, I was 8 years old and she was 17. I had just learnt how to ride a bicycle; proud of my balancing act and practicing in our backyard, Zeina left to go dye her roots — her parting words were some snide older-sister comment about my new skills. Zeina passed…

Haya Shaath in Write of Return

Dec 29, 2018

Fast Friends Love Hard

I was never one for small talk – I jump straight into the big, non-linear talk. My too fast too soon approach is unnerving for some, but for the ones that are in for the ride; our conversations go places, fast. I place little emphasis on the correlation between time spent with someone and…

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Write of Return

Obscure observations, little celebrations and possible frustrations from the experience of a young, Saudi-Palestinian woman returning to the Middle East after living abroad.

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