nemom

Hi everyone
My husband has a job at a British school in Jeddah - he has his work visa and leaves next Fri. We have 2 kids and are keen to get out there as soon as possible. I have trawled sites, called agents and I never seem to get a straight answer! I thought getting residency in Qatar was a nightmare! All I want to know is are we talking months before we can get out to start our lives? My daughter is 13 and I don't want her to miss too much school, plus living with the mother-in-law for months could turn ugly
If his iqama is done in a reasonably timely fashion, is the family visa fairly straightforward?

northbadawi

Nothing is straightforward in Saudi (maybe except driving in roundabouts )
Check this thread: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=773821
Note that schools usualy refuse to accept your daughter until she gets her iqama (of course there are wasta-exceptions)

nonthaburi

In my case I had to wait about 6-7 weeks for my Iqama and once that happened the visa for my family was very quick , about 2 days after I sent them the yellow receipt from the government . They got their Iqamas about 1 week after arriving .

scot47

It is all up to his sponsor ("Kafeel") who has to process things at the Saudi end. Competent ones with good connections ("wasta") can do it quickly. That could mean up to 12 weeks.

If he is with one of the two reputable schools in Jeddah it should be okay.

nemom

Thank you so much everyone for your replies. The school is Jeddah Prep and Grammar - the British and Dutch embassy school - with any luck, the iqama will be quick inshallah
For anyone else needing a family visa, this was an excellent link - straightforward and made some sense of the amazing amount of bureaucracy!
http://workinginsaudiarabia.blogspot...di-arabia.html

With any luck we should be in Jeddah before Xmas...

nemom

weird - I replied to thank you guys but it hasn't shown up...

surreysaira

can I ask what compound you guys decided to stay in?

scot47

I think the employer - in this case Jeddah Prep - will determine where they live. Getting an accommodation allowance and looking for your own place is not a good idea. The property market in Saudi Arabia is no place for a newbie !

surreysaira

Oh gosh really?? That is what I am trying to do! My husband will be working in Rabigh so we have decided (been recommended by his employers) to live in Jeddah whilst he commutes. I am looking into compounds via internet blog recommendations!

scot47

Get the employer to find accommodation - or at least help you. Rabigh has developed in recent years and it could be that there is now decent accommodation there

http://www.rabigh.com/

nemom

My husband has been given a dire apartment on the JPG compound....we were promised a villa as there are 4 of us and the kids are 13 and 20 months...there is water leaking through the ceiling, and it is tiny.....not sure what to do now - do ultimatums work out there?

surreysaira

You have to create drama and kick up a fuss - that is the only way things are done around these areas. Seriously, its our Eastern mentality

nemom

Thank you surreysaira! But maybe a big, scary looking man kicking up a fuss may freak them out! But it is worth a try. In all honesty I just want to get out and start our lives there - everything else sounds fantastic about the school and the life that goes with it - it would be daft to do an about turn for the sake of bad accommodation. Then again, maybe I am just missing my husband too much to think rationally!

scot47

Did you get the housing sorted out ?

sham6900

Hi,
have been in Jeddah for a month and am English.
I would like to learn Arabic. Can anyone recommend anywhere?