dabseyman

Hi Folks

Is it permitted to take your wife to a restaurant outside the compounds so long as she is dressed like an Arab lady and covered up. I believe its also a very good idea to keep you marraige cert on your person.

Is it ok to travel around the heritage sites with your wife again she will covered up. I am just thinking that if ladies must be confined to compounds with the exception of leaving for work etc my wife will not be a happy bunny in Riyadh.

I don't know what to expect when I arrive. When my wife asks what life is like for a lady in Saudi I try to sound upbeat and positive(I have never before been to Saudi).

In a nut shell shall I leave my wife happily working away in Dubai and go to Riyadh by myself until such a stage as the global economy revovers or should she come with me. She is quite adaptable and easy going.


Thanks in advance for any feedback/advice.

Dabseyman.

typical

As long as she's in an abaya and the restaurant has a family section, there's no problem.

Yes, you will need to schedule visits during "family visit" time though. She certainly won't be confined to the compound - she might find she prefers to be there, sans abaya, though...

It's no use sugar coating it - it's a difficult life. But if you get a driver for her, she'll be able to hang out at coffee shops, shopping malls, etc.

The bigger problem is there's just so little to do in Saudi full stop.

Alexa

ok, here is how I have experienced living in Saudi (4 years)

I went out every day, shopping, yes, shopping IS an occupation in Saudi.
I had lots of friends on the compound and off.
There was always something to do, sunbathing, and shopping(lol, did I mention shopping???), having coffee, talking
Did I live a productive life? No, but it was a hell of a lot of fun !
Parties every weekend, lots of dancing etc.

I had all the time of the world to spend with my child.
Every weekend the whole family, as well as all the other families on the compound, would be at the pool, having bbq's a bit to drink, kids playing.
We did not venture to heritage sites and such, it was the year of the compound bombings and 9/11, so we felt we must not push it.
But, I believe by now it should be fine to go to those places.

Wearing an abaya was not a problem for me, it was kind of fun, actually. I did not look at the right and wrong of society and its rules, it is not my country, I have decided to go there, and I knew if I were to get involved in that, I would either go crazy or be in jail. So I took it as it was, something I had to do, khalas.

I met a lot of people that came from totally different societies, it was interesting and in some cases rewarding,I am still friends with some of them. I am glad that I had an insight into their lives, what they thought.

And in a nutshell, this is it.
It's pretty relaxed, I enjoyed it.

Hope you and your wife will too.
Good luck.

hala

thanks for all the info.actually i was thinking what to do when me nd my family arrive riyadh.shall i be wearing the abaya in the airport or any execuses!!!!we're lebanese british coming from the uk.we're excited to move from this gloomy country as itis extremly dropping.
i asked some of my husband's freind about the lifestyle.itis all based on compounds and social life,if u want to go out the compound to a rest,u nd ur family will sit in a cage !!!! i agree with the lady who mentioned that we' have chosen to come to this country and this culture so we should respect and stop nagging about all issues so take it or leave it.
i'de like to ask about the compounds names around the national guard hospital as my husband will work there as a dr.
any lebanese families there?can i get a job in HR or itis hard for women to work? thanksss

typical

You don't have to sit in a cage at all. There are plenty of open family sections (though they do have private rooms for families that request it).

It's very much advised to put on the abaya in preparation for landing. You can get away without doing so but you might find yourself the target of additional attention if you do not.

There are a fair few Lebanese families in Saudi, from what I hear more in Jeddah than Riyadh but you can't throw a brick in most of the Gulf region without hitting someone from Lebanon...

Grace O Malley

There are more Lebanese outside of Leb than in....

Millhouse

An activity that isn't practised enough sadly...

Grace O Malley

flares

That'll be the pastime more commonly known as 'Lebricking'

Riyadh Female

I have been here just over 2 months,I came from Spain where we have 20% unemployment and I needed a job. Still I am leaving this place - I had a job as did does my husband but really this is no place for a European lady. We are just not used to being treated the way that women are treated here - and that is often by other women. If your wife is happy in Dubai let her stay there. I have not lived in the UK for 20 years but worked and lived happily in France and Spain for the intervening years - I too like the clothes here makes it easy to decide what to wear, the problem with living here is much deeper than clothes and veils.