Leaving the Middle East

personal
#1

Hello everyone
I’m a queer saudi and my friend suggested this website for me. I recently came back to saudi from studying abroad and I been experiencing anxiety and dark thoughts. I really wanna leave the country and go somewhere safe for LGBTQ. Are there a lot of successful stories of people migrating? I know some middle easterners were able to get asylum in Canada but they also publicly got arrested.

#2

Best wishes for you,dear​:heart::heart:

#3

i can understand you wanting to leave, it’s tough. many of my saudi friends had similar experiences coming back and realizing its for the best that they leave again to be safe somewhere else, and be open about who they are and be able to date without worrying and being paranoid about everything.

i hope that you do and that you pursue this option seriously. its the right decision for you, and you can be happier. how i would recommend is either through a job, or asylum (but with asylum you’ll need to accept that you might not be able to travel to saudi again or see your family so this option is very hard especially these days), or secretly marrying someone and applying for residency permits through that.

probably through work will be a good option until you meet someone there and once you decide it’s serious you can marry them and reside there and still be able to travel back to saudi (make sure you get a private marriage certificate there are some countries and states in the U.S like california that allow for this it will add more protection for you.)

#4

Welcome to Ahwaa! I haven’t heard much stories about gulf arabs migrating to somewhere else. Probably because of news blockage. I have some friends but it seems they’re either too scared to leave their family or they’re just contented with the life they have. Who would not be?

Are you ready to give up the lifestyle you have in the gulf?

#5

I just read about Sarah Hegazi, an Egyptian lesbian activist who was arrested and tortured after flying a rainbow flag at a concert. She was able to move to Canada but she committed suicide. Reading this broke my heart and I so, so wish it’s different for people like us.

I’m planning to move to a western country through work, I think it’s the safest route. Or you could get a study visa, study there, and then eventually get work. It won’t be easy AT ALL but it’s worth a shot. It’s ridiculous how willing I am to move away from everything I know just so I could be gay LOL.

Best of luck with everything! You have a whole community here at your back :heart: