Treatment of East Asians (Korean, Chinese,etc) / Sexual Harassment

its not bad, from what gave sern Asians are treated ok. now others like Bangladashes are not treated that well. it also depends where you are in Saudi and your profession. it can be boring though. i am going through that adjustment now.

Thank you for your comment, beridge. Have you come across many East Asians during your time in SA? And yes, I'm also very worried about being bored...

yes east asians sre here. There are a lot in Bahrain also. there are a lot of us on bachelor or single status. i have been here two mintgs and its ok. the hardest part is finding people to hang out with. there are a lot of british, austrslians here. There are less US here though. everyone is friendly though. if you want to maje some money its worth it. i think once i meet more people i will be fine. i have been to Bahrain a few times and like it so that helps.

phatchoi wrote:

I've gathered that South and Southeast Asians are generally subject to racial discrimination, particularly filipina women, who are often sexually harassed by Saudi men on the streets.

Welcome to EB @phatchoi and soon to KSA.

Wondering what's your source of info for the quoted. False and misleading I'd say.

You're safe here.  I know many Filipino women and none of them has ever complained of being accosted on the streets.  You just use your common sense, the same as you'd use in NYC, and you'll be fine.

Sorry i butchered my post, I hate typing on Iphone lol

Hi phatchoi!

Im a Filipino with a blood of Chinese so im all east asian, when it comes to being a Filipino its not a big of a deal for them, for they see us everywhere and i MEAN EVERYWHERE, while on the Chinese side , since i look more of a Chinese guy than a Filipino, you may get a glimpse or two , but meh, they dont bother that much i think they are used to east asian guys, for china products are well known here @_@, its no big deal, but being a female especially single, like allie said a bit o common sense will do, dont just be too adventurous, that might just give trouble a chance but the main point here is BOREDOM WILL STRIKE YOU IN WAYS YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO BE BORED OF! hahahaha

You are 100% right, especially boredom part. i am in Abqaiq living and work in Dahran until they gave me a place. walking to the commisary us my weekend fun.

Bryan

Could someone explain why boredom is such a theme for single women in Saudi Arabia?  I don't get it?  Couldn't you all meet together, form clubs, singing groups, play music, write poetry, play cards, do yoga, read books, do sports in the compounds where you live?  Don't you get to be fairly free in the compounds to swim and do what you like?  Please, someone explain in detail why the boredom.

JuliannaAnthro wrote:

Don't you get to be fairly free in the compounds to swim and do what you like?

The single women are usually  housed on compounds provided by their employers.  Mine isn't western and so there are lots of restrictions (even to the extent that there is actually a curfew--do you believe it? lol).

sexual harassement in the street it never happends calm urself down i had tonsof  filipinos cowrokers n they never risen up such issue so u will be safe here i assume

I have seen some guys harassing women for phone numbers at Olaya etc.. but i guess nothing much beyond that... except some horrific stories from lots of cabbies..... don't know how true that is.... but totally agree with Aliecat... Gotta use ur commonsense like as in any other place...

hi hun, am sure you will be safe over here but it depends where you will be living in Saudi xx

Ralph: That photo you posted of the night desert scene is one of the most beautifulest pics I have seen taken of Saudi. You should take up photography full-time. What a gift you have.

Maam Suzan, thank you very much for that compliment, i'm still a bit new to photography so that's a self esteem booster for me. will try and share more picture soon

Im from  LA too, i live in East of Orange County - Yorba Linda - and i have been here in Jeddah for over a year.. would love to help you out when you arrive, a good bank, places to go to or not to go to, phone plans, etc... it is quite different. take care

Hello,

I think your main concern wouldn't be safety rather boredom, Saudi is actually considered a relatively safe place to live in (for any nationality) with minor exceptions just like any other country.
As a woman, the activities that you can do alone here are quiet limited due to law restrictions (driving, going to beaches, etc..).

However; with the right connections, you might get your share of fun and good times but it would definitely be a 180 degree change from the states, which might be another challenge for you.

Technically; if you respect the rules and play it safe you would have a good experience in Saudi and save a really good amount of money like most of us are doing.

Hope that was helpful,

Cheers!

I've seen young Saudi men being disrespectful to Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Indians, other Saudis, Filipinos, and white people. I've not been in frequent enough contact with those of Korean/Japanese/Chinese descent to know if it goes on, but I'm sure it does, on occasion.

The disrespect seems to be magnified with an increase in perception that the person on the receiving end is of a lower status. Unfortunately race does come into it  but I see it often when their job is in the service industry, and they are (obviously) not well paid. An ESL teaching position doesn't fall into that category (although some might claim it does!).

I noticed it (the rudeness) a lot more in Khobar than in Riyadh, but maybe there was some cognitive bias involved for one reason or another. When it's 50+ degrees outside everyone gets a little hot under the collar (pun intended), I think if you look for it you can misinterpret a miserable git as being purposely offensive, especially if you yourself are not the happiest of campers.

The more important thing, though, is to make sure you don't get into a difficult situation. Which ever city you're in you don't go out alone late at night, accept invitations from strangers, be careful when crossing the road etc. I think the KSA is very safe otherwise.

Hi phatchoi,
I have the same qn and got the same warnings from my family n friends before i have decided to come here and work.. after coming here n settling down for 6mths, i find that it's relatively safe to be living in riyadh. Just be careful n alert with ur surrounding, and also go out in a grp.. when u willarrive in riyadh?

phatchoi wrote:

I'm curious if this is the case with East Asians (e.g. Korean, Chinese, Japanese) as well :

I really think that the locals (or even guys like) - could hardly tell! (whether you're east or south-east asian...).
Just keep in mind of the Do's and Don'ts in KSA, and you will be fine...and probably, feel safer!

let us know which city you will be coming to.. might be able to inform u a few activities for ur boredom