jia

how much does it cost to hire a driver for day time aprox 8 to 9 hours till hubby comes back from work.we will be providing the car ,main reason it to pick and drop kids to schools as bus is not available in the area.please let me if you have any info as we really need to make a decision for that compound . but we are worried as no buses are available for the school.
Thnaks so much.................

Spugsy

I think for 12 hours its AED500, which seems like a good deal to me. Call up and tell them, rather than just flag one down.

Cry haddock

I think OP is talking about hiring a guy for chauffer duties. I know of a person who did it a few years ago and i think they paid in or around a thousand a month for a couple of pre-aranged trips a day - to and from work, to and from shops and pub at weekends etc. A strange arrangement but it saved her money on cabs (60 Dhs a day = 1,800 on taxis) and at least you have the guys number. However, this guy used his own car.
It is also dodgy, especially if you are not going to be there (sendiing kids on their own to school etc) - anything like this would be in a right banger of a car. All in all - not a great idea.
However, a lot of companies employ drivers - the guys in our office are very good and i would trust them, but I am sure they cost a load more.
Alternatively, just get a maid with a driving license....
Best of luck,
CH

jia

you are right i ,i meant hiring a guy for chauffer duties, i dont know how we can get one, i like the idea of going through the company who employ drivers, any idea how much aprox i am looking at if going through the company , do u think we can get someone for 1 or 2k per month.and how does it work, like does the driver would be with us during the day time or the only come for one or 2 hours.
you are right we need to be extreamly careful specially sending kids alone with them to school.
i am really upset as to how the kids will go to school if we cant find anything inside a comp.


if you know the tel #s of any driver companies realible please let me know.
Thanks........

Blue Cat

current rate for drivers is approx 3500 dhs per month and you have to sponsor them and provide the vehicle. You may well be able to get an independent driver but remember if someone is working for you you have to provide them with a visa etc. Try the Gulf News Classifieds to see if there are any agencies who provide drivers. I haven't heard of any as yet.

jia

Thanks for the info ,i guess i didnt clear it in my thread that we are in riyadh saudia arabia not in UAE.
so i 'll be looking at the rates for saudi riyadh.
Thanks

Nic1

Many people here employ drivers who have a visa from a local with a no-objection letter to work for someone else, so you don't have to sponsor them. It costs around 3000sr apparently for a driver who has his own car who works for you full time - ie. is available 24 hours a day. If you live on a compound you can book a compound driver and you will be charged by the trip (anthing between 30sr to 100sr depending on where you are going and whether you want them to wait for you), or you can find a driver who works within the compound, but not for the compound, and again pay by the trip (I do this and pay him at the end of each month for the times I've used him - I send my kids out with him at times and he is honest and trustworthy and doesn't drive like a pillock as many of them do). It's cheaper to do this than have our own private driver - and to be honest with husband and I working and children at school he would spend a lot of time twiddling his thumbs . . .

Living off compound you will need a driver - and good ones are hard to find. It took a friend of mine 5 weeks to find a driver who was capable of driving sensibly with her children in the car . . . Perhaps as has been suggested you can come to an arrangement with your hudband's company and use one of their drivers until you get yourself sorted ?

Re compounds it might be a good idea for your husband to visit them personally and ask about availability. Does your husband's company have any influence at any of the compounds ?

Good luck
N

leena

hi

i asked my father and he thinks it will cost 200 SR. with the driver !

it depends on what car do you want of course ..

anyway , it's not that expensive in here

comparing with Europe and other countries

Nic1

200 sr for what ?

N

leena

to hire a driver for day time aprox 8 to 9 hours in Riyadh ..

of course i mean the car and the driver from them " the company "

jia

Thanks for all the replies, we have our own car and need the driver to drop my children to school and take me to shopping if i need to.i guess woman can go to malls in the back seat with the drivers.would i be able to get someone say in between 2000 to 3000 per month.

Nic1

Hi, if you are providing the car then yes that should more than cover you. You might want to try and hire someone who can help around the house too with housework, ironing and maybe watering the garden, as he will have quite a bit of time on his hands . . . . Watch out as costs quoted will vary depending on your nationality!!

Cheers
N

Charismatic

Crikey, so the EU has sold us out and formed a new super state .

leena

yes i think it's possible to hire a driver with 2000 per a month ..

wish you all the luck in finding a good driver

jia

very good idea Nic1,about asking him to help with few household stuff, the other question i wanted to ask was that on another expateriate site i saw a lot of ( driver with family ) adds ,i couldnt understand why people want driver with family .Is it so the driver's wife can help in the house ? or she needs to be in th car when he drives us to places?
The other main question is would i be able to go out to malls with the driver in the back seat alone or i cant? plz let me know as we were unable to find anything in a compound so we rented a new house in sulaiymania near OLAIYA. how is this area,it is safe security wise .we are muslims so not worried abt the other kind of security but like bulgary or house break in etc. I personally havent been in riyadh but trying to gather as much info as possible. i have read the RIYADH TODAY , but people living in riyadh can give me more clear picture than the book.
Again i thank all who are replying to my thread.