lanarkwitch

Ok, so I've been off sick a bit the last 3 weeks, my punishment is to get sent to our new project in Saudi a couple of days per week, although the work will be interesting I'm not sure what to expect on a day to day basis, I know I have to wear the abaya, but to what extent? And what else do I need to be aware of.

No bum steers here it's a serious question

Grace O Malley

Well it will interesting and something new at least. What do you do lanark, i would love to go just to see it.

edinburger

I have only been working here for a few weeks and I am speaking from a male point of view, but I do work with 3 Saudi ladies here and have met a couple of western ladies that work here. To tell you the truth I think you might find it a bit difficult coming out for a couple of days a week unless your firm has accommodation in a decent compound. Otherwise you will simply be driven from hotel to work then back again which you might find a bit restrictive/boring, one of the reasons I enjoy it here so much is because I live in a great compound. Regarding the work I don't believe you will have too many problems getting on with colleagues, I have found most people (expats and locals) very welcoming and people are genuinely interested in find out about yourself.

lanarkwitch

Thanks Edinburger, I believe we will be staying in an all ladies hotel which means we can take the abaya off when we finish work, most of our staff there are brits we've moved from other projects so I know most of the folks that are going to be there which isn't too bad really

kaz lou abu dhabi

Ha ha ha - i knew your boss was sulking for you sciving off work but thats a bit harsh sending you to Rehab, soz Riyadh. The Womens hotel is lovely, so i believe. just make sure you get transport sorted from the airport to the hotel. Hurry up back - we miss you, its bloody quiet in the office without you lol

lanarkwitch

FFS is must be bad when it gets you out of lurking on here. It better be nice, do you mean we don't have adriver yet? I'll be back tomorrow, I believe my assistant is in hospital!!

Dulge

how's this new project going now? Still in Riyadh?

sassypilotswife

Just when I had the UAE all figured out and about to start my own co here, I received 2 offers for employment in Jeddah. One is working at the fire dept. The other is teaching which is something I have been waiting to do fulltime. So here goes the same questions I asked almost a year ago. Whats it like, Is there a good expat network, what is housing like, how easy is it to have alcoholic beverages ? I know I have to wear the Abbaya and actually that will save me countless hours a month of staring in a catatonic state in front of my closet trying to decide what to wear each day. I know stores and biz's close during prayer and any other information you can pass on will be much appreciated.

orlra

welcom in riyadh

atpcliff

Hi!

I have read that Jeddah is the most Westernized city in Saudi, and there is a BIG Western contingent there.

Interesting story about my friend in Jeddah:
She was in the first group from my military unit that went there in 1991. Never happened before, so no protocols in place, so our unit was ops normal.

She was driving (a humvee?) around on business, by herself, in uniform. She was stopped by the religious police, who were armed, and stopped her at a roadblock. They told her to get out of the car (were going to arrest her for driving).

She whipped out her pistol and told them to get out of her way, or she would shoot them both! They relented, and she drove back to base.

After that, they set up some protocols to avoid a big mess! No problems afterward!

cliff
NBO

hoofie2002

I remember hearing that story when I first arrived in 1991 in Jeddah. I didn't know the mad, short-thobed, bearded lunatics were armed - I never saw them with any guns. The cops with them were armed but rumour had it they weren't given any bullets in case they hurt themselves !

I knew a british girl then who got stopped in Taxi by the religious boys. She was also hammered drunk at the time. They wanted to put her in the back of the suburban and take her away [no doubt for a spot of gang-rape] but the policeman intervened, put her back in the taxi and told her to go away - she then drove to the party 200 yards up the road where she promptly told us this story.