HELLO!.... my first post/intro/Hello!

Thanks for the detailed intro and of course a big welcome to expat-blog, exptariation & all the best for the adventures.

Don't u worry at all; the awesome bloggers here won't let you go 'islolated'

Do let us know what questions/concerns/apprehensions you have about KSA, we'll be glad to address.

Hi TheLegendLeads

mocha-choco latte with whipped cream yea... cheers to you too, thank you for your warm welcome, its much appreciated!

From what I have observed I do truly believe there are a bunch of nice expats in this forum... I been reading posts for a couple weeks before joining...

I'm often told us Brits have a weird and wacky sense of humour, I'm starting to notice it in my writing, i will reserve my questions after I recover from tonight's insomnia

speak soon and thanks again

Btwn-Fear-N-Hope wrote:

Hi TheLegendLeads

I'm often told us Brits have a weird and wacky sense of humour, I'm starting to notice it in my writing, i will reserve my questions after I recover from tonight's insomnia

speak soon and thanks again

LOL , Anyways welcome abroad and I hope you get all the resolution of your queries.

good luck

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Don't u worry at all; the awesome bloggers here won't let you go 'islolated'

I wished I had joined this blog before I landed here !!

saimans wrote:

I wished I had joined this blog before I landed here !!

It's never too late

saimans wrote:

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Don't u worry at all; the awesome bloggers here won't let you go 'islolated'

I wished I had joined this blog before I landed here !!

Thank you for the welcome Saimans, you may not have joined the site before arriving but that doesnt stop you making the most of it now, plus your experience could be real useful to us would-be-newbies.

I've recovered from the night before, so I'm thinking time for a couple questions....

What's life like in Saudi for teenage kids?

I've read some posts on other forums about how certain expat employment agencies fail to carry out adequate criminal checks on their employees, (granted if the employee is working in a school with kids, they may do the necessary checks) should I be concerned that a possible pedophile could be living next door?

as you can imagine my main concern in life is my son's welfare, therefore many of my questions will revolve around him please bear with me.

I thank all who respond in advance for their contributions!

TheLegendLeads wrote:

saimans wrote:

I wished I had joined this blog before I landed here !!

It's never too late

I really appreciate people like you and many seniors on the blog, who are giving the helping hands to the new comers. Hats Off...

Cheers and Keep the good work going on !!!

What's life like in Saudi for teenage kids?

It has to be school, sports, Friends (minus girlfriends), Games. I dont have a teenage kid. So these are the things i could imagine a Teenage kid wud do.

A very serious question (Pedophile) , but unfortunately i dont have any answer.

as you can imagine my main concern in life is my son's welfare

If safety of your son is concerned, then i would say that Riyadh is a very safe place. Except some minor issues here and there

And at last I'm sure more seniors will jump in to give you more conclusive answers.

Good Luck

Btwn-Fear-N-Hope wrote:

I've read some posts on other forums about how certain expat employment agencies fail to carry out adequate criminal checks on their employees, (granted if the employee is working in a school with kids, they may do the necessary checks) should I be concerned that a possible pedophile could be living next door?

Interesting question

I heard that in other countries, the employee is thoroughly checked before he's hired. His social profiles on FB, LinkedIn, Twitter are screened. I read somewhere that even his car is peeped through while he's in the interview. If he's bad at the interior of his car, he'll do the same in the job .

Unfortuately, background screening is in over-all nowhere in KSA private sector. However a strong infra-structure does exist.

Rest assured that KSA is comparatively a much safer place to live in versus the other countries. The annual number of psychic incidents (serial killing, kidnapping, pedophilia, harassment etc etc) is very close to ZERO!

saimans wrote:

It has to be school, sports, Friends (minus girlfriends), Games. I dont have a teenage kid. So these are the things i could imagine a Teenage kid wud do.

yes i would imagine too that all teenage kids participate in those activities + socialising with girls.

saimans wrote:

i would say that Riyadh is a very safe place. Except some minor issues here and there

what kind of minor issues.... and please dont worry about scaring me, i rather go in with my eyes wide open!

I can admit to having heard rumours through the internet grapevine that such nasty people exist in Egypt, having been here im grateful to have discovered the contrary, i see 4/5 yr olds going to the local corner shops alone with no hassle from anyone.

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Rest assured that KSA is comparatively a much safer place to live in versus the other countries. The annual number of psychic incidents (serial killing, kidnapping, pedophilia, harassment etc etc) is very close to ZERO!

TheLegend,

great sense of humour, yes in the UK we have such precautions taken, yet you still hear the kidnapping, murders and violations of not just kids but adults too..psychopaths are rampant... so are psychic who pretend to read your future.

I feel a whole lot better with that last paragraph.

when you say 'a strong infra-structure exists' is this between subcultures?

It has nothing to do with 'employment agencies.' 

We have  to have background checks and submit clear police reports before being issued visas.

Thanks @Btwn-Fear-N-Hope

Don't call me TheLegend I'm not and I don't anticipate I can ever be . Opening the secret, my nick is inspiration from the famous company slogan "The Legend Leads, The Rest Follows..." :lol

KSA is a very well controlled country in terms of law and order. It is governed & systemized in a way that the crime rate is immensly low; of course the great economy helped a lot in related investments. The cultrips are immediately tracked down and go behind bars in no time. The penalization system discourges any future pop-ups as well.

The side-effects are restricted customs, limited social life and the resulting boredom etc etc (and the list goes on & on...)

Welcome aborad BF&H
I believe there's a whole lotta Moolah to be made Btwn-Fear-N-Hope in this neck of the sands

saimans wrote:

TheLegendLeads wrote:

saimans wrote:

I wished I had joined this blog before I landed here !!

It's never too late

I really appreciate people like you and many seniors on the blog, who are giving the helping hands to the new comers. Hats Off...

Cheers and Keep the good work going on !!!

Many Thanks @saimans,

We are here to help regardless of anything.

Happy Expat-Blogging...!

Thank you all for your prompt replies...

@ Alliecat, does that happen for all people - spouses of workers etc

From what TheLegendLeads said earlier 'background screening is nowhere in the private sector' are there different visa/police checks for different sectors... and wouldn't private schools come under the private sector?

I really do appreciate everyone's response and just want as rounded a picture of life as I can possibly get.

@ TheLegendleads.... every man is his own legend, so you're a legend! lol, do you seriously object to being called the legend?

@ Musicman, thank you for the welcome, BF&H (best friend & husband) is a cool abbreviation, people can call me hope if my full nick is too arduous to type... I don't object to any abbreviations either.

Excuse my ignorance... what is moolah? I've observed you write it before. Is it equivalent to BS?


I've read a lot regarding the boredom and lack of social life in KSA... Do you think life with a teenage son to chaperon me (and I him) things would be easier ... or are there too many places where we would be separated?

Moolah = MONEY

Btwn-Fear-N-Hope wrote:

@ TheLegendleads.... every man is his own legend, so you're a legend! lol, do you seriously object to being called the legend?

Many Thanks, you made my day!

Btwn-Fear-N-Hope wrote:

I've read a lot regarding the boredom and lack of social life in KSA... Do you think life with a teenage son to chaperon me (and I him) things would be easier ... or are there too many places where we would be separated?

Life isn't hard here if you maintain a healthly social life. The genaral activities lack and you'll have to work on it diligently & constantly (and of course for both the souls; not only YOU).

There are not MANY places where you'd be separated. Anyways, kids can be brought up in a decent & cool way.

@Musicman thank you for the clarification and i totally agree whole lotta moolah to be made....

@TheLegend your very welcome.. and I'm truly thankful for your reassurances that my apprehensions are somewhat over exaggerated.

Come to think of it, before coming to Egypt and before going to Yemen I had the same concerns ... Egypt and Yemen were both liberal in the sense that even when mixing with local inhabitants of the country, me and my son were never segregated. In Egypt it went to the point that I entered the men's side of the masjid to make sure it was safe. I can't imagine doing that in Saudi.

My 2 cents: Egypt or Yemen are no-where in comparison to KSA with the safety point of view. And I bet you know it already

ooh my days, so you know the root of my anxiety... Egypt aint too bad like I said they allow me to follow him everywhere, segregated trains here - either I follow him to the men's section or he comes with me to the women's and no1 questions or objects.

Yemen, I was there for 2months and although we had a blast, my  son did not leave my side... safety was a great concern,I planned  my days so I would avoid any places/events that would cause us to be separated. Doing this short-term was exhausting, I wouldn't want to do it full-time yr in yr out.

@BFnH no issues here in Saudi whatsoever with regard to your movement from home and entering the Masjid.

Btwn-Fear-N-Hope wrote:

saimans wrote:

It has to be school, sports, Friends (minus girlfriends), Games. I dont have a teenage kid. So these are the things i could imagine a Teenage kid wud do.

yes i would imagine too that all teenage kids participate in those activities + socialising with girls.

saimans wrote:

i would say that Riyadh is a very safe place. Except some minor issues here and there

what kind of minor issues.... and please dont worry about scaring me, i rather go in with my eyes wide open!

I can admit to having heard rumours through the internet grapevine that such nasty people exist in Egypt, having been here im grateful to have discovered the contrary, i see 4/5 yr olds going to the local corner shops alone with no hassle from anyone.

The monir issues are that @ times the local kids are intolerable !! But you can always be sporty and leave it there as it is.

Just ignore the local school kids and they wont bother you. Driving is an issue if you are behind the wheel since you have to put up with so many thob wearing Michael Schumacher's behind you.

thank you for your responses,..

I'm now wondering why people complain, almost zero crime rate, kids are safe, the pay is good, the benefits great...

May be because I'm a Muslimah the abaayah is part of my dress and I can handle the niqaab. not driving? --- for my own safety I would not  drive in any Arab country, a chauffeur sounds great to me.

Do you think as someone who speaks a little Arabic, life would be tolerable outside a compound, specially since I'm not a total singleton.

Are there many Xpats living outside compounds?

Those who find it difficult to mix with locals (Saudis) is it because they (Xpats) are in compounds or are Saudis outside of compounds/work unapproachable?

Here are the answer in the same order

1- 80-90% of expats know a little/moderate Arabic only like me.
   95% of brits know almost zero Arabic.


2- Again, 80-90% of expats live outside compounds.
   In my rough guess 20-25% brits live outside. Someone correct me please.


3- Nop, not because of the residence. The biggest factor is the language barrier & cultural differences.

musicman wrote:

Driving is an issue if you are behind the wheel since you have to put up with so many thob wearing Michael Schumacher's behind you.

@musicman

musicman wrote:

if you are behind the wheel since you have to put up with so many thob wearing Michael Schumacher's behind you.

That was hilarious !!! You are actually under-estimating the thob wearing guy.

Wow, The Legend you're very prompt! thank you once again for the response...

Now I'm pleasantly surprised ... Most expats live outside compounds and therefore mix freely with locals...Am I mad for preferring that?

saimans wrote:

That was hilarious !!! You are actually under-estimating the thob wearing guy.

No, he's not @saimans. While moving on the roads, set eys on the accidents with a new approach. The results will be amazing.



The situation will be one of three:

1- Both of the guys will be Schumachers.
2- One of them will be a Schumacher [who actually caused the accident].
3- What if both are not???

Simple: Actually trust me there was a 3rd person involved, a Schumacher of course, who caused this and fled away from the site.

[Just extending the context to make some fun....no offense please!]



I know I know, it's

TheLegendLeads wrote:

I know I know, it's

actually there is no specific topic, just me asking random questions... all issues related to Saudi life are within topic     including runaway Schumachers.

I find Egyptian and Yemeni drivers to be dangerously skilled, are Saudis skilled or just pure dangerous?

No no, we are just kidding & making some fun. Most of them are good drivers but must be more careful. I don't call the cars on the road as 'traffic', I call it 'chaos'

Btwn-Fear-N-Hope wrote:

TheLegendLeads wrote:

I know I know, it's

actually there is no specific topic, just me asking random questions... all issues related to Saudi life are within topic     including runaway Schumachers.

I find Egyptian and Yemeni drivers to be dangerously skilled, are Saudis skilled or just pure dangerous?

They are purely dangerously Skilled !!!

saimans wrote:

Btwn-Fear-N-Hope wrote:

TheLegendLeads wrote:

I know I know, it's

actually there is no specific topic, just me asking random questions... all issues related to Saudi life are within topic     including runaway Schumachers.

I find Egyptian and Yemeni drivers to be dangerously skilled, are Saudis skilled or just pure dangerous?

They are purely dangerously Skilled !!!

That's hilarious! comforting to know there's some skill in there!

TheLegendLeads wrote:

No no, we are just kidding & making some fun. Most of them are good drivers but must be more careful. I don't call the cars on the road as 'traffic', I call it 'chaos'

TLL- It seems we should start a  thread " Sharing Driving Experience", I bet everybody will chip in with their hair raising or nerve wrecking experiences...... lol

I learnt & started driving in KSA some 7/8 yeass back. So, I call my self equally-dangerously-skilled.

TheLegendLeads wrote:

I learnt & started driving in KSA some 7/8 yeass back. So, I call my self equally-dangerously-skilled.

So I believe You are in making of the Schumacher !!! And I am in the stage where I'm learning how all the Schumacher's drive .....

Organised chaotic driving sounds just like Egypt! I'm 100% sure the car I'm in will collide, I brace myself, close my eyes, clench my teeth, open my eyes --certain I became numb from the tragic impact. Only to discover we still on four wheels and heading down the road.

I'm used to it now, but would never attempt to drive here or any other schumacher dominated country.. your both brave!