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Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Old Sep 17th 2013, 7:10 pm
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Default Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Hi Friends,

I was offered for a job in Saudi Arabia with a well known company there. They provide a housing in a company compound, but due the city is very small and the education resources are very limited, they recommend to live in the nearest big city located at 70 kms from the company and the will provide a housing allowance to pay the rent.

The allowance is not enough to pay a house within a compound, so I would have to rent in the "normal" residential area. What do you think about it?... is recommendable to live in a "normal" area being a western citizen?... The western citizen use to live only in a compound or there are many expats living outside?

I will be moving out with my family, mi wife and pre-teenager daughter, so, my intention is to make the cultural impact the less shocking possible.
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Old Sep 18th 2013, 6:13 am
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Tricky one this, personally I don't live on a compound .Most people will tell you that it is hell on Earth if you're not in one .
That hasn't been my own experience . A lot of it probably depends on what you want to do in your time in KSA .
A lot of women especially don't like wearing the Abaya when they go out somewhere and in some of the larger compounds then there probably isn't much need to go out .
I don't really do much differently to what I would do anywhere else as a man . I walk around in shorts everywhere and it's not a problem . I drink at home etc . We go out as a family and apart from the odd w***ker cabbie there aren't really any issues .
It's probably easier to make a social life for yourself if you're on a compound and find more westerners but that doesn't mean that any of that is impossible if you're not .
I quite like living where I am , I go for a run around the area quite often , people are very friendly , it's definitely not hell on Earth . I don't really get what a lot of the issues are that people have . If you can't handle wearing the abaya then you should really think about being somewhere else .
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Old Sep 18th 2013, 8:41 am
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Depends on who is in the company compound too.

I know a growing number of western women choosing to wear the Niqab for safety reasons when out in public. Give this a consideration too.
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Old Sep 18th 2013, 12:36 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Hi friends... thanks for your comments.

My primaries concerns are my wife and preteenager daughter. As a man, I know that I won't have any problem, but the most important is to be sure that they will have their social lives while I'm working, even if we don't live in a compound with western neighbors.

My daugther loves painting and music and my wife loves handcraft, so I would like to find any place where they can do those activities.
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Old Sep 18th 2013, 12:36 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Hi friends... thanks for your comments.

My primaries concerns are my wife and preteenager daughter. As a man, I know that I won't have any problem, but the most important is to be sure that they will have their social lives while I'm working, even if we don't live in a compound with western neighbors.

My daugther loves painting and music and my wife loves handcraft, so I would like to find any place where they can do those activities.
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 4:48 am
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

If you can get a reliable and safe cabbie that they can use then that will make a big difference . They can go out where they want ,when they want and they or you won't have to worry .
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 4:51 am
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Originally Posted by Beakersful
Depends on who is in the company compound too.

I know a growing number of western women choosing to wear the Niqab for safety reasons when out in public. Give this a consideration too.
I don't know about safety reasons as such but definitely for less hassles . My wife took the kids to school last year and many times she would have people toot there horn ect or give her their number . When she covered her face this didn't happen.

Only yesterday she had a guy in Panda try to give her his number , a quick f***off though and he was gone looking very sheepish
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 5:55 am
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Originally Posted by nonthaburi
Only yesterday she had a guy in Panda try to give her his number , a quick f***off though and he was gone looking very sheepish
sorry that was me..I'm a persistent bugger though. It's +966 55 498 3420 can you pass it on thanks
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 1:33 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

I guess that my wife won't want to use a niqab... it's enough for her to have to use the abaya and cover her hair.

I thought that it is not allowed for men talk with women in KSA... How is possible that those guys were trying to give their phone number to your wife?
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 1:33 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

**Duplicated**
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 2:53 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Originally Posted by VenExpat

I thought that it is not allowed for men talk with women in KSA... How is possible that those guys were trying to give their phone number to your wife?
It's not permitted to drink alcohol in KSA, but it still happens....
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 2:53 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Originally Posted by saudiflares
sorry that was me..I'm a persistent bugger though. It's +966 55 498 3420 can you pass it on thanks
haha , you'll get a leg of lamb in your face next time !
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 2:58 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Originally Posted by VenExpat
I guess that my wife won't want to use a niqab... it's enough for her to have to use the abaya and cover her hair.

I thought that it is not allowed for men talk with women in KSA... How is possible that those guys were trying to give their phone number to your wife?
Happens quite frequently ,

I guess that :

1) She's not Saudi so normal rules don't apply.
2) She's Asian , people normally think she's Filipina or Indonesian ( she's Thai ) and as such a maid and therefore easy pickings .
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 2:58 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Originally Posted by OleJanx
It's not permitted to drink alcohol in KSA, but it still happens....
my grape juice is nearly ready
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Old Sep 19th 2013, 3:02 pm
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Default Re: Living oustside a Compound in KSA

Originally Posted by nonthaburi
2) She's Asian , people normally think she's Filipina or Indonesian ( she's Thai ) and as such a maid and therefore easy pickings .
A Fili nurse I talk to online says at least one of them gets molested when they go out, even in a group, by a variety of nationalities.

Don't neglect the personal safety of any females in your entourage. Time will tell if the niqab is a readily accepted option.
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