Starshaped_99

Hi everyone,

I am a single 29 year old British female thinking of moving to the Aramco Dhahram compound in Saudi Arabia for a job and would love some advice from anyone who is currently or has lived there.

I have two main questions;

1) Can one have a good social life there? i.e. are there social events and things going on so I would not be bored / lonely outside of work time?

2) What is the dynamic of the expat community at the Aramco Dhahran compound? Mostly married couples and families or a mix to include other single people? Typical age ranges?

ANY advice would be very much appreciated to help me make my decision. It's an initial 2-year contract so I want to make sure there will be people I can get along with so I don't get lonely!!

Many thanks

The Dean

Social life is COMPULSORY at Aramco....

Also, if you work there too (which you obviously will) you don't have to wear an abaya.................

typical

It did seem like it'd be quite fun... still miss those hobby farm steaks.

You can even drive inside the compound(!)

nottmbantam

Well, straight away there are three things that you ( as a woman ) can't do in the rest of Saudi, that you can at Aramco.

1 - have a social life
2 - drive
3 - go without an abbaya.

Starshaped_99

Thanks for your replies so far....

My parents lived in Saudi and Mum used to go out without an abbaya (shopping etc.). She got a lot of hassle and got spat at etc for it, but she was 'allowed' to go around without one.

Is it the case now that you MUST wear one (for fear of jail or something similar), or is it just strongly reccommended for westerners to wear one?

The Dean

I can only assume your mum lived in the (much more relaxed) Eastern Province (near Aramco, in fact) where getting spat at is a small price to pay for striking a blow for feminist freedoms..............

........... if she went out without an abaya in Riyadh, she would also get spat at - by her fellow cell-mates.........

typical

The Dean is spot on.

I've seen women arrive at Dammam airport in low cut strappy tops, but out and about - and especially in Riyadh - no chance you'd ever see a woman without an abaya outside of a compound.

Not sure being locked up would be the worst of it. The PVPV have big sticks...

coffindodger

Just relocated into Khobar from Riyadh recently.
I am not far from Armaco itself.
Yes in side the compound it is relaxed dress shall we say, but outside and down town it is for ladies they do wear the abya's

Ronnie Biggs

I work in Khobar and you do see women without abayas. Either that or they'll wear the dress part but not the headscarf. It's great to see Saudi striding valiantly into the 14th Century

nottmbantam

Was talking to a couple who lived in Jeddah around 20 years ago, and by all accounts it was quite normal for western women to walk round without an abbaya, the compulsory wearing of it seems to be a fairly 'recent' instruction.

Your recollection of events would seem to support the above anecdote. However, these days, it is sadly compulsory for all women when off the compound. Oddly enough, most 'western' compound insist on the reverse - no abbayas are allowed to be worn on the compound.