What is your idea of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

perfect place to hibernate 

if you have some goals in mind and looking for a place to work on them this place is perfect to concentrate no distractions and nothing to drive you away from you point of Focus

people related to technology you might find lots of equipment to play with but wont find some one to share you Experiences or do some group projects cause mostly people are so frustrated that there first most hobby or goal of life is to find a date

if you have party in mind you might not find it

I have a bad mentality when i first came here i tought all people here are cruel like what i always saw on the news but i was wrong. as of now i dont have bad experience here but who knows maybe soon lolz.. just kidding..

hi everyone... i am currently here in the Philippines and im planning to move in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia this month for a 2-year contract work.. I've been in Jeddah & Dammam and i enjoyed living there. Its my first time in Tabuk, can anyone give me some information about the life in Tabuk? because honestly i dont have any idea about this place.. thank you so much...

[please post in English]

hi kuya... thanks sa reply.. yea i heard about it, once a year i guess.. aside from that po merun pa? hehe

boredomsucks wrote:

Umuulan daw po ng yelo dun sa tabuk...

Is there a reason you replied in tagalog?  This is an English forum.  When you speak in tagalog, most of us can't understand what you said.

hi allie cat.. maybe because were both Filipino and we speak the same language.. sorry for that.. thanks

MsCatsha23 wrote:

hi allie cat.. maybe because were both Filipino and we speak the same language.. sorry for that.. thanks

I realized that, MsCatsha, but nevertheless this is an English speaking forum

Allright, i just want her to know that i am from phillipines too by speaking our language and sorry im just new here i dont know most of the rules..hehehe

i never been there but maybe its like jubail or kafji, goodluck.

boredomsucks wrote:

Allright, i just want her to know that i am from phillipines too by speaking our language and sorry im just new here i dont know most of the rules..hehehe

All she had to do was take a look at your profile! But I understand about being new so why don't you do a quick read to catch yourself up?

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=190518

And welcome to EB   I'm sure your contributions will be valuable!

Alliecat wrote:

boredomsucks wrote:

Allright, i just want her to know that i am from phillipines too by speaking our language and sorry im just new here i dont know most of the rules..hehehe

All she had to do was take a look at your profile! But I understand about being new so why don't you do a quick read to catch yourself up?

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=190518

And welcome to EB   I'm sure your contributions will be valuable!

Mabuhay Alliecat!

That's "long live Alliecat!", I think.

My sole reason for coming to Saudi was because of  religious reasons, I wanted to better my Islam learn the religion Quran, Hadith  and perform Hajj etc, my idea of this country was that the Arabs were similar to the Sahaba in their daily lives, I have met great people here in Ar'Ar and some really rotten apples, now my husband and I are only here to save money as we have performed our Hajj already.  I will leave it at that because if I elaborate on things someone might click  the report button

Zulfies wrote:

My sole reason for coming to Saudi was because of  religious reasons, I wanted to better my Islam learn the religion Quran, Hadith  and perform Hajj etc, my idea of this country was that the Arabs were similar to the Sahaba in their daily lives, I have met great people here in Ar'Ar and some really rotten apples, now my husband and I are only here to save money as we have performed our Hajj already.  I will leave it at that because if I elaborate on things someone might click  the report button

What you are saying is not unusual.  Muslims come here thinking it will be a saintly place are often extremely disappointed at the reality. 

Not being Muslim, I had no expectations and realize that even though this is the land of the Prophet, most Saudis are just people trying to do their best, like anywhere else in the world.   Of course, some 'do their best' better than others (the rotten apples you refer to).

Best of luck.

Zulfies wrote:

My sole reason for coming to Saudi was because of  religious reasons, I wanted to better my Islam learn the religion Quran, Hadith  and perform Hajj etc, my idea of this country was that the Arabs were similar to the Sahaba in their daily lives, I have met great people here in Ar'Ar and some really rotten apples, now my husband and I are only here to save money as we have performed our Hajj already.  I will leave it at that because if I elaborate on things someone might click  the report button

Welcome sister in your socned contury .. Im glad you are finish your hajj ..

I think Zulfies you change your mind about Sahaba and the similarity of saudi people because no one will act like them from my perspective . Speaking about Ar'Ar my grandmother was born there .. Tell me hows Ar'Ar i never been there ...

Private :

God exist everywhere in the universe ..

Ml7 wrote:

God exist everywhere in the universe ..

Arar is actually very nice, not as busy as Riyadh and Jeddah, clean and you don't have any traffic jams etc.
Here are no malls and nothing to do but that's ok for me because I like to be at home.

I spent a few months there about 2 years ago. Well coming from Los Angeles, I totally enjoyed the fact that I found myself completely relaxed and stress free from the time I got out of the plane...even tough I probably the most hyper person in the entire city of Riyadh, to me it was a stress free record I achieve since I became a young adult (long time ago).

Then as soon as I return to the US, bang ! I was super stressed again.

I loved the fact that you can be somewhere, leave your purse on a chair, and come back 10 mn later to find out nobody even touched it I felt very safe at all times.

What was difficult for me was the fact that I found the people in Riyadh not to socialize at all, I mean even among each other, it seems people don't randomly exchange a few words among themselves if they don't know each other.

I have to admit, I love the shopping part, cheap and nice stuff compared to the US.

Arabic food is the best

I am guilty of loving having a chauffeur and not having to drive ...I am from LA, where we hate to drive.

I hated that as a female, you are extremely limited to enjoy walks, go places etc if not accompanied.

I loved to discover the kingdom, it felt so different than any other places I visited, and there is something very exotic about the landscape, the colors of the sky, even the dust has it's charm...

And last but not least, I absolutely love desert trips and CAMELS, one of the most mysterious animal to me...

hola comastas

@mohamed ayoubi - English please

for me it just OK being anywhere in the world and SA is no exception at all.

[moderated: off topic + post an ad in the job section]

Jameel2014 wrote:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula. It occupies an area about the size of the United States east of the Mississippi River. Saudi Arabia's population is 27 million, including 8.4 million foreign residents (2010 census),  and its capital city is Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia's geography is diverse, with forests, grasslands, mountain ranges and deserts. The climate varies from region to region. Temperatures can reach over 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the desert in the summer, while in the winter temperatures in the north and central parts of the country can drop below freezing. Saudi Arabia gets very little rain, only about four inches a year on average.

This area of the website offers facts and physical information about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Here you can read about early Saudi Arabian history, which as part of the Middle East was the birthplace of civilization, and how the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came into being in 1932.

Learn about the Saudi government and how the Kingdom's political system is rooted in Islam's traditions which call for peace, justice, equality, consultation and respect for the rights of the individual.

Read about the modernization of the Kingdom's transportation and communications infrastructure and the special emphasis on sports and recreation being accessible to all Saudis.

Facts and figures provides an overview of the physical country, including time zones, currency and more.

Thank you for taking the time of copying that from the Saudi Embassy site

salem ahlikum

i come from paris

i think for one muslim!!!!ksa its better place in the world
subhanallah!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought I should post here to add to the pot.   My experience here might be a little different as compared with everyone else's but I think it's good to share as there might be someone else who can relate.

First off, I should mention that we are a Muslim family who moved to Jeddah to be near Makkah and within driving distance to Madina for and feeling like fish swimming somewhere in the current somewhere, compared with against it.  We're a fun loving, large family who wish to slow things down and spend time with the kids and teach them well.

So, when we were in the U.S. my husband had to work really long hours, all around the clock. We had no time for anything. We couldn't even go to a park and him not get calls.  I am also a full time student online and I had no time to balance the kids, my studies, the house, and life.   Then, when we wanted to go to a restaurant, finding places we can eat at were essential zilch!!!  I love steak, chinese food, chilies kind of food..but none of that was available because we are practicing Muslims and so.  This always created extra trouble when we'd travel. We would suffer a lot and just eat tuna subs or cheese pizzas.  I could go on about how we were fish going against the current but I think one can get the idea.

In my mind, I was looking at Saudi Arabia like a kid about to enter Candyland. We were completely and utterly......excited.  Yes we knew of how much we'd also have some restrictions...like I can't drive. But you know what.... I say THANK YOU GOD because it's not my favorite thing to do because I always have a tiny baby crying in the car, kids fighting, getting in and out of their belts..and let me tell you....I have to pull over many times to make them behave. It's so distracting to me and I can't concentrate on the road. But what do you do if you have 5 kids under 7 years old??  My 7 y/o just turned 8 and well I still have a baby.  If I can't drive, ok fine....I got a driver. Kalaas.

So here we are, in Jedddah, and now things are settling down. We're making our way around. We have a full time sponsored driver, very good domestic help, kids are in kind of a kid heaven here because of the compound we live on, and we are the happiest we've ever been in our lives.

We live on a majority Muslim compound, with ladies' timings for all the facilities and separate pools, gyms, beauty salon, tennis courts, squash courts, brand new soccer field, ladies aerobics, our own mosque very near our house..etc etc.. Everyday the kids go and play with their tons of friends in the garden play area in the front of our place. On Thursday nights, about 20 kids and adults get together for cricket games and soccer.

My husband and I can finally go to dinner together where as in 8 years we hadn't gone out a single time alone. Not once.   And we have great places to go and eat at. 

There are fabulous malls to take the kids to where there are indoor rides and fun.  There are ladies only timings for the water park and that's awesome because there is zero opportunity in the U.S. for a woman like me.  I would never be able to enjoy anything like this back home. 

The salonssssss......I could NEVER find a salon to go to where I lived which were for only women.  I cover my hair so finding a place where there were no men.

Is it perfect always?! Nooooo.  We have issues that come.  We are not thrilled about customer service.  We are not thrilled about the traffic being so horrible.  But our life has improved a million times over.  We have a alot of time with our kids, plenty of resources to take advantage of. We have so many awesome friends on our compound who are becoming like family. 

Most of all, we can go to Makkah almost any time we want. We can spend the weekend in Madina with no problem.

We have no bills except for food, internet, cell phone, very little gas bills for our SUVs, our domestic help, and that's it --- maybe all in all about 7,000 SR per month because we live life freely.  No kids' school fees, no health insurance premiums, no doctor bills, no medicine bills, no rent, we have a large enough place etc, no electric, no water bills, no trash bills, no tolls to pay every 5 minutes, 

Our kids are VERYYYYY safe on our compound and I don't worry as much as I used to in Dallas. We have layered security who will not let in anyone without permission. There is almost zero % chance of being robbed or our house broken in to.  I can't say zero I guess, but I feel like there is zero chance.    We know almost everyone here.  Everyone who lives on our compound works with my husband, and we are friends with majority of people on our compound and we feel so much relief from our stresses we had in the U.S.

We feel like this is the perfect place for us to spend the next 10 or so years...or however many they let us stay here.  We are VERY happy here.   

I know this is a very different review than what a lot would have to say.   It's not only because we are practicing Muslims but also because my husband has a good employer offering good benefits, salary, and accommodations. If this were not the case, I may be writing how much I hate this place.

I wrote only to show that all of our experiences are different.  For some this is a heaven and for others, just a hot, suffocating place.

(((sorry for typos---in a hurry)))

myyams wrote:

(((sorry for typos---in a hurry)))

Welcome in your second country myyams ...

The Muslims can't loves two places more than Makkah and al Madinah and you are lucky by living in the middle between the two holy places ..

My best wishes to you and your family ..


Private :
About women driving No comments ..

nice to join

Good money stable job, food is good. Maybe good for families but as a bachelor its hard

I agree about the food part

I love it!

More than 50% would be afraid that if any expatriate

myyams wrote:

We feel like this is the perfect place for us to spend the next 10 or so years...or however many they let us stay here.  We are VERY happy here.   

I know this is a very different review than what a lot would have to say.   It's not only because we are practicing Muslims but also because my husband has a good employer offering good benefits, salary, and accommodations. If this were not the case, I may be writing how much I hate this place.

I wrote only to show that all of our experiences are different.  For some this is a heaven and for others, just a hot, suffocating place.

I can relate with you very well Sister. For a Muslim revert like me living now in the house of my Catholic family, Im really struggling so hard to be a practicing Muslim here in my home country. I've been working in Jeddah since 2010 as a private nurse until I decided to go on final exit last September 2013 to find a job in the hospital. Yes, there's no place like home but adaptation is a challenge when you decided to do something that is entirely different from the lifestyle you're used to. Im so anxious to get back to the Kingdom so I could live normally as a Muslim. Although it will be painful to be apart from my family again but I feel much comfortable to live there.

Some of the awkward situations I had here was finding a salon for a haircut and hair treatment. Most of the salons here in the Philippines cater both genders and I had to search the net for shop exclusively for girls but to no avail. Found a salon that has a private room which they used for their celebrity clients but I paid additional 30% on top of the services I had.  Dining out is a struggle too coz I have to be sure they serve halal foods and mosques are nowhere to be found in my place. And I miss the sound of adhan too (though I have an App for salat, I'd still prefer the sound of adhan coming from mosques)

Alhamdulillah, I got an offer in one of MOI hospitals in Makkah so I'll be back soon, yipee!!! A little more patience and I'm back on my feet.  I'll always consider Saudi Arabia as my second home and I'd be more willing to stay there for good, hopefully with my family too, insha'Allah.

good luck po sau te......

Culture shock :p

Well, I've been here for 3 months now...i am still adjusting with the culture...to wear abaya most of the time if you will go out, not mingle with men and so on...n but you see I really have to follow  all the rules being implemented here....but eventually I will love staying in tabuk because of the simpler life....

for myyams from Dallas -Very well written speech,

I would not want to physio analyse you, I would rather admire you, I think a lot is to do with your  شكر فقناعة  صبر و.as a muslima.

But wait a minute, I think it is the money that speaks, your husband's employer pays the rent for your compound villa which is probably twice as much the salary of an average professional in KSA. I think this thread is for the majority of expats who are struggling to make the two ends meet. who have the difficult task of doing a justice between living well and saving well. Who have brothers and sisters back home who are studying, sisters who would marry when the dowry is arranged, parents dying of cancer or heart problems  who will never be cured but one would do the best till they live.

All the people are equal here, some of us are more equal than others.

I Will like to live there for the weather and for the cool people,your is amazing fabolous country with a old culture and dreamy costruction

Asalmalik Dear salman According to me the kingdom is the best place to live and work and if PR option is availaible i will leave countries like canada and Danmark for kingdom this is what i have felt when i was living in the kingdom for 2 years i met many guys (Saudi  and Non saudi alike) (Good and Bad) from every community but the culture , envirnment and the people u get to know in the saudi u will never find anywhere this is what i felt  ,
And i am an engg by profession My name is Asrar Ahmed Farooqui and i used to work for Industrial cities de
velopment and operating company located in Dammam 2nd industrial city for there R.O plant,waste water,U.F  .


Regards

Asrar,

Nice to see that you feel so positive about your experience in Saudi Arabia.

I have very similar feelings, though I did not spend a lot of time in here. I have seen both the extremes, some of the expats were always moaning and complaining about Saudis and other things but never gave up living here either. The other category has been positive, energetic, long time ago I read some where:

Positive thinking results in good words in your mind and on your lips.
these  make healthy habits
simple habits determine a lifestyle
the lifestyle we adapt makes our destiny

So the choice is ours!