thomas elliott

Hello one and all.
I wonder if their is a canadian either in Saudi or in Canada who can help me with a query.
I have accepted a position in Riyadh but am finding it difficult to attain the Application forms required. I live in B.C. about four thousand miles from Ottawa. Were I in Ottawa I think this may be much simpler.
In any case I have received the forms from Saudi Foreign Affairs sent by my employer in Riyadh. I know the procedure is then to request application forms from the embassy and send everything they require back to the embassy.
Can anyone tell me what tehy will require beyond the forms from Foreign Affairs in Riyadh. And does anyone know how long this process takes. (I have applied for the one year visa--perhaps a mistake0...but live and learn I guess.
I have been out of Canada until recently and it almost seems that the process of attaining this Saudi visa has been significantly encumbered by the events of 9/11? My imagination or correct?
If any Canadian has any information I sure would appreciate it.
Oh, two more quick things:
I want to take my P.C. with me, is this a problem at customs?
I have a Canadian and British passport. I want to stop in England on the way back, so I would like to carry the second passport? A problem?
Anyway, any good Canucks out there please respond if you can.
Tom in the B.C. wilderness

Bob

There's a canadian that's interested in DXB...
As for passports, they won't be a problem....computers, shouldn't be a problem, just don't have any porn on it...

But another question, are you ******* insane? KSA is a ******' nut job of a place and everyone's worst nightmare, just do a search of the forum for peoples tales and experiences there, and there's a few....no one recommends it at all...It's the least safe place to be, not including iraq *l*

thomas elliott

Thanks for the info Bob. I am going to teach, not build missiles. I appreciate what you have to say, it's nice to get a response. But is it not just possible that these |reports" are exagerated. Hey, I live ouside Vancouver. I'll bet downtown Riyahd is no more dangerous than parts of Vancouver. Maybe I am a ******* nut job but I am always bothered when I receive these reports. I mean, is shit happening and not being reported at all.

Tami2

Mr. Elliot,
Let me just say, you can certainly live and/or die anywhere you please. However, there are a few of us who frequent this on-line community who HAVE LIVED IN RIYADH and we are not EXAGERATING anything. The place is a hell-hole, a time-bomb waiting to go off. I lived there for 4 YEARS and I watched my husband beaten by 5 Saudi young men at a traffic light while my children and I screamed in the car. The police told us this is what the angry, drug-addicted Saudis do for fun these days. And, FYI, my husband is a non-Arab middle easterner, so he certainly doesn't even look western. I also lived there during two series of residential compound bombings, multiple car bombings, several drive-by shootings and one particularly nasty case of three western gentlemen who lived on my compound being picked up by the Saudi police and tortured for months on suspicion of being affiliated with the bombers. Of course, they were innocent and their respective governments eventually managed to get them released, but it took a long time and God knows what was done to them in the mean time.

Riyadh is a DANGEROUS place. The terrorists there are targeting westerners. You will be a target. You will have to vary your route to and from work every day. You will have to check under your car for a bomb every time you get in it. You will have to avoid obvious expat hang-outs. You will have to go to sleep every night wondering if your compound will be bombed while you sleep, or if the 18 year old Saudi with a gun stationed at your front gate will decide to play with his gun some morning as you drive by and accidentally shoot you in the head.

As I said, you will certainly do as you like, but please don't try to belittle the hell that many of us went through while we lived in the Magic Kingdom. We lived it....no exageration!

Bob

It doesn't matter what happens, if there's an accident and you stop to help, your *****ed....

You go to certain areas, your *****ed....compounds all have serious protection, machine guns to keep the nasties away from you, but when you go to work, your going through not very nice area's....there are good places and bad places...but the general rule is, if you can avoid the country, you'll live a lot longer. People are killed there all the time, it's not news so it won't be reported, especially as the people that are out there are being paid shite loads because of the risk...just ask why the benefits there are so much better than in the UAE or Qatar etc, because they have to be.

Search for posts by Jammy_Dodgers, Tami2 and Frans Wild

Here's one of the threads: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ighlight=saudi

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=saudi+arabia

And make your own mind up, good luck

Bob

There you go, didn't even need to pull up the old threads for you....your an adult and you can do what you like, but I was just pointing out the reason why it's not a great place to be.
Not to mention that it's hardly the most liberal of ME countries, women can't drive, booze is a big problem etc...It can be a major culture shock for anyone.

thomas elliott

Thank you for the thoughtfull reply. It sounds like you had a nightmare of an experience.I am not in a position to question those of you who have been and worked in Riyadh. That BAD, eh.? I should say that I would not be living in a compound but in a residental villa with three others, likely Middle Eastern gentlemen. Gee, I hope I don't have a subconsciuos death wish? Thanks for the reply.

Tami2

Good luck to you. I hope your strategy of living in a private villa works out for you. It certainly will help if you can blend in like a native, however, as I said, my husband is also Middle Eastern (Iranian and Moslem) and it didn't stop them from coming after him at random. Also, while the residential compound bombings did occur on gated compounds, the various kidnappings and car bombings occurred with people who lived outside in private villas. So, while you may gain something in anonimity, you will definately lose the small amount of security you would have being guarded by the National Guard on a compound. You mentioned that you will be teaching, so hopefully you'll be getting a good package to help ease the pain. I know most of the International schools in Riyadh are having a very difficult time finding people who are willing to come there, so the pay is quite good if you're willing to risk it.

Sorry for getting up on my soapbox about this, but I feel so strongly about the dangers there. Good Luck!
Tami

thomas elliott

[Thanks. Wow, these threads and responses are making my quiet life here in the mountains of Canada seem pretty darn good.
What in the world is this DBX thing. I'm guessing it means something like "Death by Beheading" Right? Wrong?
A quiet relaxed evening gone , now more anxiety.Does ANYONE have ANYTHING good to say about Riyadh. Just one person with One GOOD
comment

thomas elliott

No Tami. I hear you LOUD and CLEAR.
It must have been a hell of an experience.

Tami2

DXB is the airport code for Dubai! Good luck on something good to say about Riyadh. I doubt you'll find any!

Bob

Aye, Dubai...

Anyway, one good word...the golds cheap

thomas elliott

It seems you were right Tami. I have not received a single mailing indicating other than what you said. If it's that bad are there still any "infidels" still living there?
It would still be nice to hear from one soul who has something positive to say. The price of gold being cheap is not much consolation.

Is there anybody out there.
Is there anybody in there.
Just knock if you can hear me....

Bob

Well the pays pretty high, so there still there, think of the merc civilians in Iraq...it's the money.....
I think Jammy Dodgers is out there again for a bit...but there really isn't that much to say for the country, other than getting a visa is pretty easy.

You tried looking for jobs in other middle eastern countries? most of which are tax free, to a certain extent anyway...Brunei is always looking for teachers...

Tami2

Yes, there are still some "infidels" living there, primarily because they can't afford to leave. That's definately the case with the few families that we know who still live there. They are sending our CVs on a daily basis, looking for other employment, but unfortunately, there's just not much out there for them. Yes, the gold is cheaper than in the west, but even that's much higher than it was 4 or 5 years ago. Ummm.....I'm trying really hard to think of something good to say.....ahhhhhh....the food is cheap.....and the gasoline is cheaper? Well, I tried! LOL!