Hi,

we are a family of British expats, with children in primary school age. Currently in Bahrain.

My husband got offered a job in Yanbu, attractive in salary and work experience.

However we have a lot of reservations about the quality of the schools there primarily and then about the quality of life.

Comments welcome about schooling for young children and number of british/western expatriates in that corner of Saudi.

Thanks
Helena

DON'T DO IT!!

Yanbu is a kip. Don't know anyone who lived there with family and kids. I passed through once and it was desperate.

useless comment, please do not reply with such pointless comments

Please comment about schooling and actual life there, I also passed by but it is not insider information.

Whoa,

You come on here asking for help and then we all get this attitude?

Wind your neck in love.

Schooling in Yanbu is great. Go for it.

Dear Acer,
I am sure that you will find Yanbu very pleasant, especially with your attitude.
I hear that the housing and schooling standards are some of the best in Saudi.
The expats are extremely friendly, as are the very forward thinking locals..you will have a blast darling..go for it..I wish you luck

Sorry guys for coming across like having a certain attitude, but I know that Yanbu is not the best place to live and so on. I am sure however that there are expatriates living there and I would hear the reasons why they have decided to live there. Apart from earning money, tax free salary, as this also I already know.

BTW I like your motto Patsy, a lot.

Thanks

The trouble is the families living in Yanbu are unlikely to come here to post about their experience as they are too busy having a great time. This is why we're not hearing from them, not because they simply aren't there.

Having said that, how old are your kids? In the early stages of primary school it probably doesn't matter much what the school is like. Plus you can home-school them, not that you'll have plenty of other things to do.

The last option is to setup in Jeddah and hubby can commute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9nDkYGXGus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanbu_International_School
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanbu_International_School (head lice alert)
http://www.the-saudi.net/saudi-arabia/yanbu/

just 'cos I am bored today.

Little bit of research unearths a reasonable (although quite desolate looking) compound and a school based on US curriculum.

http://www.thecoveyanbu.com/

http://isgyis.org/

Apparently there are 5 international schools.

http://forum.aramcoexpats.com/viewto...82c5da230a0a7a

Good Evening

I have just returned from 1 year in Yanbu working for a saudi construction company in the old part of Yanbu. I lived in Arabian Homes compound --near Holiday Inn, Very expensive for what it is .. 110K SAR PER YEAR FOR 1 BED APARTMENT!!!
There is pools galore, a restaurant, shop, tennis , squash but difficult to meet people.
I really met noone in my year there. Quite a few arabs live on the compound , even though it is classed as a western compound.
Seems as if there are alot of teachers who teach in the Royal Commission school live there.
Yanbu is just an old bedouin town --nothing there at all. I supermarket --PANDA- and some shops in the Royal Commission but other wise nothing.
3hours plus to drive to jeddah. It is on the coast and with a 4 x 4 its possible to find some beaches. Drive north towards Jordan border is ok but boring!!! There are some mountains/ wadis to explore but I have had one or two csary experiences with locals in the mountains.
I was there on bachelor status -thank god as there is really nothing outside the compound to do.
Sorry about the glum news -- However I am now in Riyadh and it is not much better !!!!

Regards

Trev

Thanks all, Trev thanks for the first hand experience. Not decided if we go for it, it is a matter of alternatives...if there is one we'll go somewhere else!
I lived in Ryadh, Arabian Homes, for one year. I had a good time there, although at times it can be boring as most of Saudi.