Nic1

Not necessarily, people I know recently got a villa on Kingdom, not on the waiting list, simply turned up and asked. They are Egyptian and she covers her hair . . . They are, however, extremely nice people so perhaps that helped ?

N

still.unsure

embarassingly so, how did you guess?

btw, the racism here is absolutely stunning... something that i don't think i could've prepared for and something that i hope i never get used to...

HOSNI

Sorry, Sir Awoowoowoowoh

But Hua error, please contact Connie Aguid language is not English but used an interpreter

I apologize for the error that happened

See you

Nic1

still nsure - been in ME 15 years and have never come across such blatant racism as we have here. Some of the Westerners we have met in Riyadh are the most racist people we have ever met. I cannot believe what comes out of some of their mouths . . . .

N

ps. are you still unsure ?

HOSNI

I think you missed the right thing in this
We in Riyadh we do not have any racial Bsttna some conflict with the law and they are reportedly very present in many countries, even in Britain, America and Russia and I know one of my friends was killed in a street in London from the Group of racism

Does not take much for the conduct of one individual that act of state or city that completion of this injustice

We must sit Sawa and Mapina in a dialogue and solve the causes that lead to racism

We humans Fbhak humanitarian live with some

still.unsure

one of the things that makes me uncomfortable is that i ask some of my colleagues for pointers on things (how long paperwork takes, access to malls, general stuff) and am finding a completely different experience from what they've had. it's only then, when i 'look' at them, do i realize that their experience has been harder/worse because i'm white and they're not...

and to be honest, the racism (and the bloody red tape) is about the only discernible(spelling) gripes that i can see with the place. (disclaimer, haven't been here for a month yet so am sure i'll add to that list!)

p.s. yes, am still.unsure, but i'm here and grinning!

Andy665

The more I look at how life is in the UK the more I want out. We live on a reasonably nice new development that is pretty quiet. Wife went out today to find that someone had stolen the Christmas wreat that was on our front door. Its this kind of thing that sickens me about life in the UK, I look at my 16 month old son and honestly feel that I owe it to him to get him out of the UK - Saudi seems far from perfect but can it be any worse / frustrating / sickening than what the UK provides.

still.unsure

ouch! that's a really hard call to make and am sure you'll get some pretty varied opinions on here. comparing Saudi and the UK is a real case of apples and oranges. probably the only thing that makes Saudi doable is a bit of a mercernary attitude rather than a family one. (i.e. am hear for a couple of years to make a wad of cash then i'm off). it seems that you tend to move to saudi to work, not to live.

as far as the family and raising a child is concerned i would imagine that compound lifestyle for young children is probably pretty good. they're close-knit communities with plenty of facilities and kids can roam freely around without the constant worry of 'the bogey man' or whatever dangers there might be. if you're into the more traditional parenting model, there are limited working options for women so there's no pressure to go out into the workforce. but i would imagine that after a certain age this gets a bit hard. (can't imagine how a teenager would survive here). also, your child may be fine, but your partner needs to be considered too. (in some senses, it's hard to tell if the compounds are for keeping the bad guys out, or keeping the westerners in)

i don't think you should look at saudi as being an alternative to the uk, no matter how rough things might get. personally, if this was a decision i was looking at (where to 'live'), saudi is a viable alternative to a war zone, but am not sure about it as an alternative to anywhere in 'the west'.

but you'll need the opinions of more family orientated and experienced types around here to give you a better view.

Nic1

As an escape from the stresses and problems of UK Saudi probably isn't the answer . . . Peronsally I think brining children to Saudi when they are very young gives them a more warped view of life than bringing them when they are older and know this isn't real . . . . My kids (12 and 14) are able to laugh at the ridiculousnesses of Saudi living, know it's not real and have a balanced view of men and women within society. I do wonder about some of the children here who have lived here all their lives . . . But that is probably a whole different thread.

We haven't had the wreath knicked from our front door but my son's skateboard has been taken from the front doorstep AGAIN . . . . So crime doesn't stop when you move here. But of course the more violent crimes dont tend to occur on the compounds - altho it's not been unknown. Do your homework, ask lots of questions, research, research, research . . .

N

ps. bit rambly and disjointed, sorry

Andy665

Nic1 - thanks for the response. Have been thinking of moving out of the UK for a good 3/4 years now.

Opportunities in my line of work are always going to be limited in the marketplace, TBH Saudi isn't my preferred option but the job I have a chance of is a great job. I'm thinking that if I don't give it a try I'll always wonder "what if", if we make the move and end up coming back after 12-18 months then at least I'll be able to say that we tried.

Nic1

Andy - quite agree, it's eaiser to move around when your children are small as the school issues aren't so important, or non-existant even. Working in Sauid for a couple of years could be a jumping board for jobs in other Gulf countries - it's a very transient place and many people of this board, I'm sure, will have lived and worked in more than one country.

Biggest issue as always - get your housing sorted before you arrive.

Good luck
N

Andy665

Nic1 - housing is certainly one of my main areas of concern. My wife is currently a working mum but has always dreamed of being a stay at home full-time mum. A compound that is geared towards children / family is I think absolutley essential. The Company that I'm talking to have stated that accommodation is part of the package, appears to me that off-compound is not an option and sourcing accommodation myself would be a real struggle.

Nic1

A lot of the bigger companies here have houses on compounds that they move staff in and out of - so that may be the case with your employer. As you hve a young child good compounds for you would be Al Hamra, Kingdom, Eid. Arabian Homes is nice but not many young kids I think.

N

typical

There are more than a couple - such as the ones living next door to my villa But I've definitely seen more in the other compounds.

Lots of unguarded pools though, young kids would need hawk-like supervision (and maybe that's why you don't see so many kids out and about).

flash_gordon

Hi everybody

Sorry to barge in like this - just arrived last night and my sponsor company put me up a in a -1 star serviced apartment somewhere in Malaz.
If anyone knows of a compound that offers short-term apartments (monthly basis) or a nice serviced apartment elsewhere, please let me know.
Will also be looking for a compound villa once wifey and kiddies join me, any tips would be great. Used to stay at Najd last time I was here ...

Cheers,

FG