AH30

I am contemplating a move to the middle east for Business reasons and am considering either KSA (where I will be working) or commuting from Bahrain. My problem is that having been to KSA many times, I'm not sure I could survive their from both the heat and the culture. My question is what is it like to live in Bahrain and is it much better than KSA? I know that Bahrain is not as conservative as KSA but was wondering what the expat community is like etc and what there is to do on weekends etc as in KSA I think I would die from boredom.

norsk

Of course you can survive the heat and culture in KSA, but that's not the point though is it? Bahrain is by no means a perfect place nor does it have the kind of entertainment options you find in Dubai, but it is a hugely better place to live than KSA.

I spent 5 months in KSA before moving to Bahrain and starting my commute, and every time I crossed the causeway back then it felt kind of like what I expect it would be like to be released from prison. Finally I could relax!

I don't drink every day and only eat pork once in a blue moon, so it's definitely not about the alcohol or the availability of pork..

There is a different feel to Bahrain. People are more chilled, and I'm not just talking about the expats. Even the Saudis change when they cross the causeway...

And if you have a family there is no question that Bahrain is better....

The Dean

Ditto.

Mr Edward

l lived in saudi arabia for 22 years, riyadh, and left in 2007, stay in barhain especially if you are employed in the eastern province [ dammam / khobar ] lm a man of few words but l know! everything there is to know about saudi arabia, stay in barhain.

Bahtatboy

Ditto all the above.

I have to visit Al Khobar a couple of times a month. Sometimes I stay there a night or two, but generally I stay in Bahrain and go over the causeway. A colleague has just moved there and goes to AK every day--just make sure you won't have to cross at the really busy times.

I'm currently searching for someone (an expat) to be based in our AK office, but would seriously be worried by someone who would contemplate living in Saudi...

AH30

Thanks for the replies above. It seems fairly obvious that Bahrain is a lot better than KSA, but I was wondering what kind of expat lifestyle is offered in Bahrain. Is there a large expat community and if so where are the best places to live. What kind of entertainment and cultural options are there and are there frequent social events etc for expats? I'm a fairly outdoors kind of person so I'm guessing that even Bahrain will be restricted in that regard. Was also wondering if there is good scuba diving in Bahrain?

norsk

There is a decent expat community considering the size the country, and there is plenty of stuff going on in relation to the various expat clubs (Dilmun Club, Yacht Club, Marina Club, British Club, Rugby Club, Country Club, Royal Golf Club), but as I said in previous post it is nowhere close to how it is like in Dubai.

In terms of culture and entertainment you have loads of cinemas and once in a while there are concerts and other shows taking place. Don't expect Beyonce to rock up anytime soon, but then again Abu Dhabi (which seems to have this role sown up for the region) is only a skip and a hop away.

In terms of outdoors activities there are plenty of opportunities even in tiny Bahrain, but obviously there is no proper deserts to go cruising in for example. However if you're working in Saudi you can always go across the border whenever you feel like it for some desert fun...

Diving is big in both Bahrain and Eastern Region of KSA (contrary to what many believe). Yes it is not the same as Jeddah, but there are some good places to dive just a short boat-trip from Bahrain (a few reefs and wrecks and also opportunities to pick pearls if that's your thing), but from what I gather Jubail has the best diving in the area. There are any number of PADI dive centres in Bahrain and also a few in Khobar.

Dilmun

We heard rumors here in Jeddah, that they will forbid diving for women? Anyone heard anything about it???

The Dean

Diving...... driving............ what's one letter to the Saudi authorities?

Mr Edward

90% of Saudis hate Saudi Arabia, this situation has been created by the Saudi goverment following their misinterpretation of the Koran, in 22 years working in Saudi l never knew one citzen that couldn,t wait to get out, even to Barhain just for the weekend, but mainly they went to Dubai. The problem with Saudis, they always go berserk when they are abroad, they are free....
from the restrictions that their own goverment put on them, ie muttayha, religous police, the whole society is controlled by these fundamentalists, and believe me they are crazy in the mind, they are from the desert, bedouins, l spent 22 years in Saudi, these nutcases shag sheep, and l have seen it ! on a farm one night, How can they be employed by the Saudi goverment to monitor public behaviour, l know....with a population of around 6000 in the royal family....... whats that....the royal connection. They are all insane, l watched a saudi prince [1 of 6000 ] run a pakistani guy over on takhassussi st in Riyadh and never stopped, because he was a prince. The religous police have royal connections, thats why they will never be dissolved, they maybe told to calm down, but just for a short while, forget Saudi Arabia

Mr Edward

Dont believe what the Saudi Interior Ministry tells you, its shit ! l was in Saudi Arabia in the early 90s, when the interior ministry of saudi arabia were blaming

Mr Edward

If you read the websites that are available on the internet,early 1990, you will realise that the stories about the British bombings in Riyadh were all put down to the alcohol trade, all rubbish. I can tell you now it was not, it was car bombings targeting westerners, because of the Iraq war........l was controlling all alcohol coming in to Saudi Arabia, with a few partners, namely Ken Hartley who was my best mate, this just goes to show that the saudis are stupid, we were bringing in Black Label in petrol tankers from Dubai, and using Sri Lankans to empty the petrol containers, the car bombings were nothing to do with the alcohol trade.

norsk

right..black label in petrol tankers..

The Dean

Ken Hartley? Ken Hartley? Oh you mean the Ken Hartley who will be in jail when someone in authority reads your post.................

Could you please just shut up? If there is anything in what you say, you shouldn't be saying it - and you shouldn't be naming names - I thought you said you were a 'man of few words' - good. Now prove it. STFU.

AH30

I agree that most Saudis go berserk when abroad, though this is usually tempered with a genuine fear of god. Like the Saudi that I saw looking at a picture of a naked woman on the computer screen, he kept saying how bad it was but then kept looking at it, then he was off to the mosque for prayer time.