Saudi

[sayers]

Okay everyone , looking for a bit of general advice, i see lots of members here with overseas locations, this is the reason for my request for help

 

I have an opportunity to take employment with a division of my company in Riyadh, Saudi,

 

has anybody else had first hand experience of the climate, culture etc etc and can offer me sensible comment

 

thanks

 

Neil

[Gio]

I'd chop yer hand off for an opportunity to work in Saudi :arabia:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791936.stm

[leo-r32gts]

What would be the basis of your contract? to live there permanently, or to travel back and forth with the majority of your time spent there? Would you be living in a house, or a hotel etc.. Do your family go with you (if you have any)?

[sayers]

ill be upping sticks and moving , ill be with my children ( no wife) kids are aged 9 and 12 and yes i would be in a company house. a lot of important questions need to be asked and answered satisfactorily before i decide for or against , key to me initially is the quality of life for my children i girl 1 lad, work life balance,the culture and integration into it , and the environment and society in which people live ( ie, yoof culture, etc etc) . education facilities for the kids .

[Medallion Man]

I'd say that most of these questions could be answered by your company.

If it were me, I would rather my children stayed in a British culture compound.

I'm certainly not racist but i wouldn't be keen on integrating any daughter of mine in a middle Easter culture.

I would also be concerned about both my and my children's safety.

 

BUT then again that is just me.... good luck on whatever decision you make.

[Kaza Steve]

if its a company house the chances are that an expat teacher will be provided to teach the english school curriculum as it was with us in Tunisia ,

 

keep at the front of your mind all the time , you are a guest in their country treat it with respect and you in turn will be treat likewise, ther is no Yob culture in Rhiad

no drug problem or related problems ..plenty of petty theft ..mobile phones , things left laying about but thats life over there ...what is provided must be taken...in general i would have no concerns moving there....the climate is fantastic and what an opportunity for your kids to learn Arabic so early in life .....a must do is make yourselves known to the English embassy there as soon as you arrive , find out the contact details of the UK ambassador and keep it at hand, any problems can easily be sorted..oh and hire a driver ..dont drive yourself you would be asking for trouble.....

[leo-r32gts]

I'm guessing the company will be taking care of the kids' schooling too? Hopefully in an environment with other european kids? I think the middle east could teach Britian a lot about how to bring up kids - from what I've seen. But I've seen relatively little of that tbh. There certainly isn't a problem with yoof culture in the UAE.

 

I think you would be fine - I'm not convinced your kids would enjoy it so much. Approach it with an open mind however, it could also be the best thing to happen to them in terms of their employment prospects / education etc. There would be much less chance of them falling in with a bad crowd..

 

See what people say who have lived there and experienced it first hand - I'm sure there are some differences between the UAE and Saudi. Dubai is (relatively speaking) quite relaxed about its alcohol laws and things like that, but I doubt Saudi would be quite so. Not that you'll be wanting to go out and get smashed every night, but their attitude towards that is indicative of their general acceptance of western culture. I think Saudi would be a step further back than this - but providing you abide by their rules it shouldn't be a problem.

 

One thing though - its fooking hot as hell! :sweatdrop:

[Javelin]

Well you would get great pay and status for being british firstly. I stayed there for just over 5 years while studying due to mum being a doctor and she was posted there for 5 years. Great place to live if you got a british passport (not joking). Things are damn cheap and you can really enjoy life with the money you get, so nothing like the uk lol. Pretty warm all year long and sometimes gets really hot (45+). Exchange value for the currency is ridiculous and also gas is dirt cheap ;). All the best if you do decide to move there.

 

Only bit i didnt like previously which i beileve has improved now, is thier strict muslim laws in all aspects of life and that in certain areas all women have to wear the burka. Every friday be prepared to listen to the prayers, as its played loudly through speakers throughout the areas (doubt this has changed as its part of there culture and religion). However this was back in 2000 so from what i hear from friends a lot has changed and now its a pretty decent place to live. Also your weekend would be thursdays and fridays, not sat and sundays.

 

Schooling is a lot more tuff there and the grades and classes are worked out differently. Overall education will be of higher standards for the kids. You will get exposed to different cultures in the schools, which is very good.

 

So overall i would say yes its a great place to live and living expense compared to your salary is lower, unlike the uk. UK the way i see it is just going down economy wise. Middle east are wealthy countries as they hold all the oils :) So you and your family would have good future prospects there. You would also enjoy the money you get paid rather than paying half of it in taxes :)

Edited May 26, 2011 by Javelin

[mac300zx]

My Godmother's family (from Yorkshire, if you want a cultural contrast) lived and worked in Kuwait for many years back in the 70s/80s and they say it was the best thing that ever happened to them.

[derek_g2001]

A lot of good advice there from the lads, and I agree that it could be a very good opportunity for you and the family.

 

You say it is a posting with your current company. Would you be able to talk them into a short working visit before you need to give them an answer?

 

Maybe a month posting, and get your Mrs. out for the third week or so?

 

Gives you enough time to suss out the work life.

 

All the family care package is something that you really need to discuss / negotiate with your company. The other thing you need to consider is duration. If for example, it was a fixed duration like 3 years, would that mean you would be pulling the kids out of school at an important point like exam time or similar?

 

Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

I am in and out of Kuwait like nobodies business, and love it. I would happily settle there long term if I got a proper job.

[Javelin]

Also the medical care in the middle east will blow you away too, everyone is seen within 5-15 minutes, upon arriving at the hospital !!!, why not go out there by yourself for a month or two as derek said, i think thats a great idea!

[Medallion Man]

Maybe a month posting, and get your Mrs. out for the third week or so?

 

sorry mate but he's a single father with two kids!!!

 

It will not be a family member looking after the kids he will be 100% reliant on paid care for them.

 

------------

Sayers,

 

I know all people are different and what suits one doesn't suit another...

i was moved countries twice as a kid, once to Mexico when I was 7 and then back to Oz when i was 10... I really am NOT grateful to my parent for the experience. but then they didn't have English schools where we went so I had to re-learn English when we went back to Oz and that was no heal to my education.

OK, so I did learn about another culture but i also got a big taste of prejudiced and racism and I can say that has left a nasty taste in my mouth.

 

So it's not just about giving your kids a good experience it might also be one that is unhealthy.

 

sorry to shove that on you but there's a lot of things to consider. I really don't think you should be considering integration even if you do go over.

[derek_g2001]

sorry mate but he's a single father with two kids!!!

 

Sorry for that one - I realized I made an ar5e of of too late :blushing:

 

Hired help is freely available if that's an option you would consider. Standard varies as does cost.

 

I really don't think you should be considering integration even if you do go over.

 

Agreed. Different for adults or older kids, but at that stage of their lives, if it were me, I would go for it only if it was a proper Brit community / compound.