gills-here

Hi,

Ill try once more to see if I get any serious replies instead of people taken the mickey out of me......Is there any females out there who are in Jeddah...just I am moving out there in January.

hoofie2002

Read my previous reply to you - it worries me that you may not realise what you are going to get in Saudi Arabia. I honestly hope I'm wrong but do some more research - and grow a thick skin.

Spugsy

someone told me that they dont let any women in under 40 who aren't married - that can't be true can it?

benzonar

No it isn't true, certainly judging by the number of African "nurses" that used to frequent my old compound in KSA - well under 40 (age not clients)

gills-here

Hi I have done a lot or research on Jeddah so I DO know what it is like for a women.....all I was asking was a few questions that I have NOT been able to find out in all my research...but beleive me I do know what it will be like and things will be restricted ALL I was trying to find out was about the private beaches that ARE there for expats and I DO know there are resturants that females CAN go to that have family parts...it was mainly comments that i think they where called Blue Cat or something similar left for me. As whenh it is the first time someone posts on a message board then they get an reply like that it doesnt give the board a good name....as the way I looked at it was this isnt a serious board

Gill x

commander

it isnt a serious board, after all we have western women who want to move to Saudi..

Blue Cat

seriously have you visited Jeddah? (not you Commander - Gill)

Shadya

I had heard a similar rumour about African women not being granted iqamas unless they were over 30 and married. Many of those so-called nurses/maids are probably married back home. Indeed you will be surprised how many Filipinas leave their husbands and children back home, some even get married here too but that's another story...

gills-here

No I havent visited Jeddah, as a women you can't just go into Jeddah or even Saudi as you have to be invited to go into the country, hence why i was asking a few questions, which to be honest I didnt thing I had asked any thing that weird......I could have understood if I had asked something like can you walk round the shopping mall in a short skirt and tshirt!!! Guess you can if you want but as long as you dont mind spending the next year in jail!!! Or if I had said where can I park my car in Jeddah!!!! As I know women are not allowed to drive!!! Less hassle for me any way to not have to drive....let the man do it I say, saves me on finding a parking space!!!

I have read a lot about life in Saudi but with it being a 'male' country re women it is very very hard to find out things for women or what women can do.....as it IS a male country........but I have ben given a list of expat beach clubs and also been given hotel names like the Hilton that you can stay over night and they also have a private beach that you can use. I will only have 1 day off a week and do know that for the other 6 days my life will NOT be mine....but I can put up with that for a year, as after a year I will be taking a year off to travel the world BUT not travel in Saudi!!!!

Gill x

nottmbantam

Yes, there are private beaches in Jeddah, I've been to a couple of them and as expected, the costs varies and increases for the weekend. Al Bilad beach is quite nice, as is Al Murjan. Most compounds will arragne some sort of travel from the compound to the beach.

But yes , correctly stated, it is a male dominated country, so the activites for women tend to be conducted behind closed doors, so naturally, I don't get to see or hear about them. Depends what you are into as well.
There are clubs which go for walks out into the desert, and I'm sure you woudl be able to arrange lifts with them, and also get to meet others.

THe British Consulate ( north Jeddah ) has a club night every few months (invitation only ) which is quite a good social gathering.

I guess its a case of get here first, then try some of the things you can do. Ever considered scuba diving?

gills-here

Hi Yeah I had a feeling re activities for women wernt advertised as I have done lots and lots of searches on this on th enet hence why I thought it was best to ask on a forum........but thanks for the info re the walks and the British Consulate (ill pack a dressey dress now!!!!!) I had a chance to do scuba diving last year when I was on a Round The World trip as I was on a 5 night cruise in Cairns but only did the snorkeling...so you never know this time I might try scuba diving...

Thanks again

Neena

Yesss! i am a jeddah girl! k, so im currently not living in jeddah - im in canada actually, but i was born and brought up there and go ther like every summer and all my cousins and every1 live there, so its like my liffE!

k, so wat i hav to say to u is, understand b4 going ther that ur life is gonna b diffrnt ther, BUT thats not to say it'll b crappy

sumthings u might find annoying - like havving to wear and abaya and not being able to drive (which apparently u dont mind, so that works well for u)
but other than that if u go ther thinking positively trust me u can have a blast!
first of all, try not to feel like a foreigner ther, make sum good frends ther with arab girls - but b careful cuz if ur white then the ones who'd b sucking up to u wud b the rich ass snobby ones
but once u do, u'll realize that life there can b pretty sick
first off, there malls r just fantabuloussse!
they've got like 300 of them and every new one is better
right now the biggest one is called red see mall but my fave is mahmood saeed owaisis mall - omg it is soo pretty! u'll recognize it from far away its this huge beautiful purple building
they have a lot of cool international stores in the mall too like, esprit, gap, puma and if u wanna go higher then deisel and all that too (omg i saw like the cooles white jacket ther but it was like over a 1000 bux - just go to the local markets and get a duplicate)
the beaches there r really nice especially in good weather but i say get a good experience of corniche ite my fav, not private but jeddah to the heart.
there's this amusement park ther called shallah ppl ther r crz about it but i only liked one ride there and apparently its jedda's biggest roller coaster - but it was good. and if u go ther on tuesdays then its all girls day so u dont have to wear ur abaya and all that
and about the male dominated stuff i say screw that shit, go around and be proud of being a girl dont feel inferior or anything and if u get annoyed by the looks from guys then just show them the finger

but seriously dont think about it so negativly just go in thinking ur gonna have a neat experience and trust me u will,

like i wud give anything to go ther!

highlander393

joining the local hash is always a good way to meet westerners living there

Slingshot

hopefully you have got the answers you need. my flatmate spent most of his life in Saudi. his sister still lives there so if you have any questions you would like answered please send me a private message and I will run them past him

nottmbantam

I have the contact details of the Jeddah Hash House Harriers - let me know if interested. Will be looking on getting out on the hash when we're back there in early Jan.