New member - coming to Riyadh

Wellcome to the Expat forum PeterBeach

Welcome to the Kingdom as well.

Welcome to KSA Simon, you sound like someone I'd really like to know, can't remember the last time I did something unusual lol. When you arrive to Riyadh let me hear from you and we'll see what we can do...

Till then, be safe

Will do, good to meet some new faces !!Speak soon.

Welcome peter:).I m hoping u would have time in Riyadh...Its only possible if u get good place to live or things may not turn so cool.This blog is wonderful and I m sure u will fine good friends through it

Welcome to Riyadh Peter. Hope you enjoy Riyadh and inshallah will be accompanied by all expat friends.

Welcome to Riyadh PeterBeach!

so you will come in Ramadan! everything is different, all Muslims are fasting during this holy month from first light of dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations On the moral, behavioral side, one must abstain from lying, malicious gossip, quarreling and trivial nonsense. Maybe you are wondering why they are fasting in Ramadan, I will tell u the reason, the fasting person gains true sympathy for those who go hungry regularly, and achieves growth in his spiritual life, learning discipline, self-restraint, patience and flexibility.

another thing you have to know that KSA is so closed, I mean it's not like the other countries, so maybe you will feel bored

again, welcome here to Riyadh. I hope u will enjoy here.
I will be happy to help you if u need any thing just email me!

Hey Peter (or Simon),
As mentioned, you'll be arriving during Ramadan. But I believe that'll be the last week of Ramadan, so you'll only endure a week of staying up late and having a weird schedule for things. I personally like it because I'm a night person, and shops during Ramadan stay open until 4am. It's Las Vegas style (minus all the great and highly needed entertainment, haha)

You'll be able to do some golfing, no problem. As for the football, you talking soccer, or american football? American football will be hard, but soccer should be easy. Gym is also easy, there are tons of those here, and if you reside in good enough compound/complex, they usually have that facility inside.

Your beer habit will slightly change, maybe in the taste bud sense. There's also an abundance of non alcoholic beer here, which doesn't taste the same. haha...but that's for another discussion.

Finally, enjoy your trip, get your mind set ready for "work" as this is primarily a working environment and don't get too much of a culture shock. I just got back from a quick trip back home in Canada, and it reminded how boring it gets here sometimes. It'll take some getting used to, but in the end it'll grow on you (hopefully). Let me know if you need anything, and I hope your work set you up with a place to stay, especially if the wifey expect you to be ready in 3 months time :p Oh, and on a final note, expect to pay a little extra at times to get some papers pushed in the right direction, or to speed things up. This is just the way it is, some people won't need that extra push, and some people might. It's all about who you get. In the end, you might just have to go with it. It's frustrating at first, but then, just like everything else. It grows on you :p

Thanks for the info. Think I settle well to different cultures, quite open about things. As long as I can have a kick about "football" Im usually quiet happy. Dont mind the workaholic bit, and probably realise its not what you know its who you know, and as you said sometimes you have to do things to help move things along. Looking forward to the role, speak soon.

Welcome Peterbeach, to the surreal world of Riyadh.

If it's not built on, it's going to be built on and if not it's a dumping ground. You'll notice that one of the pastimes here is moving piles of sand, rocks or rubble around. I wish I could drive one of those digger things, it looks so much fun - NOT.

See you sometime.

Dave

Thanks Dave - quick question is SKYPE available in KSA ?

PeterBeach wrote:

Thanks Dave - quick question is SKYPE available in KSA ?

Skype is available in KSA.

Skype is available, but there's a better alternative for people who dial US / CAN.

Hit me up if you want to know, it's a larger up front cost, but pays in less than a month, or week (depending on how much you talk)

Thanks - will do.

Well go for Voip...Its best....in 10 euro ,it gives unlimited calls to USA mobile and LAnd lines plus Europe and many other countries

Hi Peter,

I am not really well placed to say welcome as I am not in Riyadh yet, but I will be arriving early September. Was it the Adventurists Mongol Rally you did? I looked at that and also fancy doing the Indian Rickshaw one some time in the future. Sounds like you have some good plans.

Hopefully you can find all of the things you need when you get there.

Martin

Hi everyone, just like Simon, I'll go to riyadh too for 2 yrs work contract within this month. I have heard good and bad things about riyadh from those who have been there. But still, I wanna go and meet new people in different culture, I have known that it is a closed country so since I dont have any vises, I can easily cope with some of the restrictions. who is famillar with SAUDI DELTA CO. here? anyone can tell me about this company? I would appreciate...

Well, I'd say there's no such bad things in Riyadh! lol
I mean, you'd get to be a pure man, that's for sure! Believe me, the guys here are so cool, and they have the sense of humor, I'd say almost all the Saudi guys have a bit of that! lol
Anyways, you're most welcome to the real Arabian world, and really looking forward to meeting with such nice and cool people such as you guys!

Ramon,

Hi Guys, Simon, Martin and Romartz wecome to KSA - it is a great place to be. It is just conservatively moral and the conforming to the moral is what some people cannot manage. Saudi will be very grateful for your skill to teach their own people - you will feel greatly respected...and remunerated.

Thanks for all the welcoming feedback. I already feel like I have settled into the new life already. Very thoughtful of the community !

Inshallah

Simon.

So your moving into a Telecoms role - have you asked your employer for some names of westerners already based in the company. I did this and rang them, you get different feedback from each person so you take the good and the bad, weigh up what you what, and then its decision time. Im an EX BT man. Plenty of fibre optic experience - Ethernet Delivery, and mobile backhaul infrastructure. Im not Tetra expereinced something I lack. Happy to help in any way if you need anything. Cheers Simon.

Nothing is either good or bad, only thinking makes it so [Shakespeare]

Wednesday I arrive !!! Flying in at 7pm should be at work Thursday morning and day off Friday. Keep an eye out for a rather pale looking western chap, with his Arabic Phrase book in hand. Looking forward to meeting everyone, should be fun. Take care Inshallah - Simon.

what better place than Riyadh to get that paleface look out of the way and enjoy a real tan...?

I'm well up for some 5-a-side in the desert, lad!

see you when i get there!

Hey.. I'm pale!  And I am convinced that's why I get the big (?) bucks here!

hello there!!!

I am a newbie here!!!...wanting to have friends and know more about Saudi Arabia culture,life style and most specially about your religion!!!
I am looking forward to meet you guys and share some ideas to each other!!!
I have met this someone very special friend of mine from Saudi..
and hopefully to have a dipper relationship with him so that i wanna be aware of everything about where he from...so i can adjust...
thanks guys!!!

Alliecat wrote:

Hey.. I'm pale!  And I am convinced that's why I get the big (?) bucks here!

times have changed puddytat, now even the tree climbers are smiling all the way to the bank

welcom PeterBeach

Hey PeterBeach,

Hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread?! I guess there's gonna be a BIG influx of 'Pale-faces' coming over. Thought I'd try and keep it in one place.

Hope your first couple of weeks are going well and you're settling into 'The Kingdom'. I'm hoping to be shipped out in the next couple of weeks to start teaching and am really looking forward to a break.

I'd be WELL up for kicking the pig skin around sometime as would my mate who's coming over around the same time.

Take care and Hi to Everyone on the board!!!

Mailman

'pig-skin' ??

bloody hell mailman, you've got a lot to learn, son.

also, i never knew you were such a big fan of the 'inverted comma' haha!

enjoy proud mary on friday!

There used to be an era in the 70s/80s when the 'palefaces' ruled the roost in most government and private businesses at the highest levels. That has changed immensely over the past few years post 911.

Hey Saq,

As an English teacher I feel I should lead by example! This doesn't translate to every corner of my life - so don't worry.

Looking forward to Proud Mary pal - should be a corker!

Simon - cheers for the PM ;0)

is that the same CCR Proud Mary that we once knew?

musicman wrote:

is that the same CCR Proud Mary that we once knew?

Left a good job in the city ...
working for the man every night and day ...