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An oilfield instructor who lives in Saskatoon, but works 28-day rotational shifts in Saudi Arabia, says he feels safe where he is and feels no need to leave the country to come back to Canada right now.
Douglas Tompson said he’s been working near the cities of Dammam and Khobar for the last 10 years. At this time, he doesn’t feel like he’s in any danger.
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“If the Government of Canada tells me to return home, I’ll respectfully decline,” he said via video call from his hotel room.
On Thursday, Anita Anand, foreign affairs minister, said the federal government is working to try and arrange options including ground transportation and charter flights for Canadians who want to leave the Middle East, as Iran targets surrounding countries with drone and missile attacks.
Current travel advice includes avoiding all non-essential travel to a variety of Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia “due to the risk of falling military debris from intercepted projectiles, airspace closure, and renewed regional tensions.”
The Saskatoon father and husband who’s from the Varsity View area, says he feels safer walking at night where he is, than walking in downtown Saskatoon.
“I’m not a tourist … I’m at work. I’m pretty well established here. I’ve got my work. I’ve got my schedule,” he said.
“I’m quite happy being over here.”
Tompson says he feels “very safe” so far, where he lives in Khobar. (Douglas Tompson/Submitted)
Tompson said while there is concern for safety in the country, and airports are closed at this time, he hasn’t seen anything else out of the ordinary, other than very little air traffic and some extra security precautions at his company.
Some employees from Saskatchewan trying to get to Saudi Arabia, however, are finding they can’t get into the country right now.
“Another one of my students has to work an extra week because his flight that was supposed to leave either Friday or Saturday – it was cancelled, and so it’s a big problem for logistics,” he said, adding that a colleague from Weyburn is also trying to get to work where he is – without success right now.
Once Tompson’s rotation is completed in three weeks, if he still can’t get out of the country, he’s fine with staying a bit longer.
“If I have to work an extra week or extra couple of weeks until things sort out, then that’s what I have to do. My colleagues would do the same for me,” he added.
At this point, Tompson says his wife and son in Saskatoon understand there could be delays for him getting back to Saskatchewan.
“My mom is much more worried. She watches the evening news and she sees a little bit more of the dramatic things,” he said.
Tompson said everyone is simply going about their business, but they’re also mindful of any instructions that may come from the Saudi Arabia government.
He’s looking forward to being home in a month, and when that time is up, he said he’ll be going right back to the Middle East.
“I don’t have any concerns, backwards and forwards. I’m very fortunate to be working here.”
