Scottyboy86

Hi everyone,

Hope you are all well. Just been offered a Job in Bahrain and looking for a bit of advice. How are things on the street day to day? Is it at all representative of what is portrayed by the media?

I have been offered a salary of around 1100BHD p/m, with a housing allowance of 500BHD p/m and a car allowance of 85BHD p/m. I will be living alone, can I live comfortably off this? Also, what's the safest place for a 25yr old British male to live?

One final question, I've read a lot about the 3month visa
On arrival situation being changed to stop the possibility of
A visa run. Any more info on this? It's just my fiancée will be looking to
Come over to visit on a fairly regular basis and I'd hate
For us to get stung with this should it come into force.

Al advice greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance!

Desert Dubliner

You should be able to share a 2-bed in Juffair and take a small second hand car on loan from your house and car allowance. You can just about get by on that salary after making allocations for medical, holidays, airline tickets, etc.

Scottyboy86

Thank you for your prompt response!

Thankfully medical, return flights etc are also included in the offer so all I really need to pay is social expenses and food/drink. Is this figure ok for a comfortable standard of living?

Cheers!

Desert Dubliner

It's sharing-a-2-bed-driving-a-corolla-having-10-decent-nights-out-a-month-plus-some-clothes kind a package. Is that a 'comfortable standard of living' - could be when you're 25.

Paracletus

You can get a 1 bedroom flat for 450 in Adliya (decent standard fully furnished inclusive of utilities)..quieter than Juffair, less american navy guys is what I mean..less traffic. I don't think rents have increased much in the past year, but I could be wrong..A lot of options on your doorstep still in terms of going out and shopping essentials. Cafe's, restaurants and bars as well as some more culturual things like a couple of galleries and the famous shwarma strip. I highly recomend a trip to Jan Burger. A large Jan Burger with cheese will set you back just about 1bd if I don't remember incorrectly..a shwarma will set you back a mighty 700 fills..Live on that and you'll be saving massive amounts on food. It also has what is probably the only tiny stretch of a full pedestrianised street in the country..Ugly as hell, but at least it exists.

Living alone, that should suffice at your age, and you should be able to save a bit as long as you're not out drinking too often as that's a major expense. A lot of the posters here are in quite senior roles and live the expat dream..their perspective is a bit skewed...Essentially you won't be living the high life, but neither would you if you start a job at your age in the UK from my own experience..So go for it, it's a good experience.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it once you break into the social scene. What do you like doing? What sort of places do you like to go to? There's quite a lot of young'ish people around, western expats. But don't fear..I personally at least, made quite a lot of Bahraini friends as well as Saudi friends over the course of my stay..They are generally very friendly, but just keep your eyes out for the idiots who try to start shit..Arabs are..a bit hot blooded to put it mildly.

What are you going to be doing in Bahrain out of interest? Where abouts will you be working? You should be able to arrange transport to and from work for about 45bd a month as well with a 'taxi' driver..ask around when you get out there.

One last thing though..it's worth mentioning I think. It's not really the norm to provide much in terms of training and mentoring at work in Bahrain as you would in the UK or elsewhere in the west..I'm sure others have mentioned similar things for other parts of the ME too..Just keep that in mind. But hey, who knows..your employer might work differently.

IndieDarling

Hey Scottyboy!

I'm moving to Bahrain in the summer. I can't offer too much in terms of advice, but I'll be making less than you and people seem to think I'll make out okay.

So, depending on what you like and how much you like to drink, you should be fine.

popsicle

For a single chap, that sort of money looks absolutely fine to me...You can get a decent apartment for 500, although you might need to top up on the car allowance. Even if you went out twice a week, spending 50 bd a night you'd still have loads left for food, clothes and odds and ends.

Brit.Loz

Welcome to the board.

I moved here less than 2 weeks ago and so far I have nothing negative to say about it at all. The media back in UK was definitely painting a picture, and whilst these events are true, it's not likely to affect your daily life unless you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

At 25 it should be a great new experience for you. It may not always be perfect, and probably not always easy, but I would expect you will not regret it.

You will, like me, benefit from lots of good advice and help from people on here, some of whom have replied to you already.

Good luck and hopefully things will work out.

Scottyboy86

Hi Guys,

thank you so much for all the responses, definitely helped me to make my mind up!

Looks like I'm going to go for it, I enjoy my job here but this is far too good an opportunity to turn down! I was over in March and the country is beautiful!

Do expats often meet up for a beer?

Cheers!

Desert Dubliner

Living in Adlya meant I was always 2 minutes away from the Brit Club and there I could always find someone I know for a pint or five.

Work Widow

Apologies in advance if this is considered hijacking a thread, but it is a question about Bahrain.

How good/bad is Internet in Bahrain? I currently enjoy very fast broadband and would like to know the standard in Bahrain. Which ISP would you recommend/not recommend?

I am a bit of an addict when it come to the Internet, and I'm considering talking on extra study online-is it feasible in Bahrain or do the PTB (powers that be) block usage etc?

popsicle

Internet isn't as fast as the UK, but it's fine. I may be totally making this up, but it seems to me that the internet slows down quite a lot if it's a bit feisty out and about on a Thursday and Friday. You do sometimes get sites blocked, but nothing that a VPN can't sort...

Tockalosh

agree with everything everyone has said. I do know of a rather decent looking 2 bed apartment in a relative new build block at the bottom end of Janibiya bordering Bani Jamrah on the Janibiya highway. OK it can get a little feisty down there but at 25 you will probably enjoy that and the best bit is that it is only 150 bhd a month so that would leave you 350 extra. From that you can take the extra 100 you need for your own car if you want one.
You should get a decent apartment for 350 -400 easy near the Brit club.
No problem with the Mrs travelling but probably best to get something here. The winters are cold dont you know

Have fun

Tockalosh

Forget Batelco. Try MenaTelecom. (google is your friend) various packages dependent upon the speed you require. I have 2 meg for 20 dinars a month. Skype is a bit slow on it but doable. You can get faster for not much more. Its a plug in the wall unit so you can take it with you wherever you move which is a plus.

Tockalosh

Lmao, I picked my mother in law up from BIA last Thursday night. On my way there at 11pm the main Saudi causeway road near the Jid Haffs turning was ablaze with molotovs as the disloyals targeted the two police cars that park on the hard shoulder. On the way back at 0100 (delay is a long story) you would never have known the molotovs had happened.

If you dont see it, it didnt happen so eyes shut and keep drinking the beer