Music and files in Hard Drive

i dont think any probs with the music unless its not a video....
these days they are not checking as before but i always hear: on a bad day, even a chihuahua can bite you even if u r travelling on a camel

Very sensible! Thank you very much, Shahab.

Shahab is right in one sense...it really depends on who is on customs checking, how busy the are, if it's the end of their shift and if their pissed off about something else.

Many of our companies tell us to be prepared to have our computers and laptops confiscated and checked (which can take quite a while) before being returned to us.

In reality, if you are an upstanding looking family, not overly "offensive" then you will breeze through.

There is no music which is "illegal" really.

Be nice, smile, you should be okay with music.

MisterStretch wrote:

In reality, if you are an upstanding looking family, not overly "offensive" then you will breeze through.
Be nice, smile, you should be okay with music.

Thanks Mister! I think I can be nice Just joking! Very useful information as we are actually getting worried over the small things now.

They will not check your hubbys HD unless they smell a rat.

Music or even Music Video is fine as long as the content is "clean".

I carry my laptop up and down all the time and never been checked yet. I have stacks of music.

Don't bring christian folk music

MMMMM.......will a portable dvd played and cartoon dvds also be an issue in hand luggage?

I can appreciated your worry and caution - we were the same before we arrived!   But relax! 

We have never had any issues going through customs (and we travel a bunch!) and I don't think you will either.  Bring those dvd players and dvds, you'll be fine. 

I had heard they confiscated bootlegged DVD's (and I have a ton of them I picked up in China) but as I said in another post, I've been in and out of country six times so far and nobody has even opened a suitcase of mine.

Of course, that's not to say they won't.  Thing about Saudi is that things aren't done with regularity so about the time you begin to feel comfortable, something happens lol

Stretch and shababy are right.

Thank you ladies for your reassuring replies. We don't have much to worry about. No copies, only surf dvd's and reggae music!

I don't know about that.  We all know people who listen to reggae music smoke marijuana. 

Hmmmmmm... 

Is that prejudice or are you being serious??? Hmmmmmm...

We all know people who listen to reggae music smoke marijuana

We also all know that even if that's the case, they won't be doing it HERE!

Absolutely!
So if only the music, I suppose it would be fine? Thing is most of the roots reggae do have some discrete, or not so, reference to marijuana here and there. Our question was mainly what happens if they do confiscate the music and listen to it? Am I being paranoid ? Or just plain ignorant?
Thank you all.
Dali

but they sure smoke hubbly bubbly here, reggae or no reggae

hubbly bubbly also at the outskirts!

So if only the music, I suppose it would be fine

I'm sure it will be.  Stop worrying, you'll be fine with the music.  Even if they listened to it, their English is generally so bad they'd never catch the references!


Sidenote: hubbly bubbly is gonna kill you! 

Alliecat wrote:

Sidenote: hubbly bubbly is gonna kill you! 

Thanks Alliecat. I'll stop worrying...
Now, can someone please write a "forum list of terms"?
Hubbly Bubbly??? Oh-Oh!

Hubbly Bubbly = Hookah
Try Googling that and you will find out about the pleasurs of the 1,001 Arabian Nights

Have posted a pic for you

Was joking, amiga...

Nao fica preoccupada...

@Musicman - Thank you very much! I've learnt now. Also learnt to do my homework before making stupid questions

@Stretch - Sem problemas! At the moment I'm only worried about the footy! Thanks

Guess you don't have to worry about that anymore, eh? 

Let's not talk about it anymore, shall we?
To make things worst, Ghana lost the last chance of Africa to be in the semis... But I suppose this post should be in another topic in this forum, ah????

Ghana's a Goner.... sadly

I'm getting paranoid about my music and videos too! What do o do with certain films, like, let's say, Sofia copolla's Marie Antoinette, that has some slight but totally innocent nudity in it? Do I leave my DVD back here or do I bring it with me?

Our move to Saudi is getting closer so I'm starting to feel a bit jittery about packing stuff! Can't live without my DVDs!

Just bring your DVDs and relax. 

Whats the worst that could happen?  A little jail time my be fun - it would be an adventure that you could share with us AFTER you're released!  IM ONLY KIDDING!!!  Relax. 

Bring your dvds, put them in your household goods shipment and all will be fine. 

innocent nudity is nudity after all...
i wanna say some more but its gonna be bad so i dont wanna sound innocent pervert

bb, I brought in over 500 DVDs, packed down at the bottom of my bags.  No problem.

Also depends bb, if you are coming in through Bahrain or flying into Dammam.  Bahrain is better...and at the land crossing there is only a cursory check of foreigners who've flown in.

Have to check whether I'm coming through Bahrain or Dammam, you're right Mr Stretch! My hubby came in through Dammam but I think I can ask them to book Bahrain for me.

Can't believe I'll be arriving in Saudi at the height of summer in Ramadan. Whoooaaa.

If you fly into Bahrain, just realize that you will have to get out at Saudi immigration on the causeway and get your fingerprints done as it will be the first time you have activated your visa.

If hubby's company has a handler (they should) use them.   If not, tell me and I will give you the contact information of a reputable taxi service that I use...and he walked me through the whole thing with no problems.

Thanks a bunch MrStretch! As I know, there will be a handler. Thanks for the info re: immigration and fingerprinting. How are you handling the heat? Apparently the heat is unbearable there at the moment!

It sucks...

Not too bad on less humid days, but lately there have been days that just drive you indoors.

And that's where I spend those days...indoors, with my 500 movies.

Its HOT but not unbearable. Life goes on as it always will, blow hot or blow cold... Thanks to Freon.

Hi there
I'm going to Ryad in one month. I would actually worry about reggae music...why don't you grab the music from the net after you settle down there? Also do you guys know if you can bring musical instruments with you in the Kingdom?

Hi Ritchie,

Welcome to the forum and welcome to Riyadh, when you get here!

Don't know about the musical instrument, but one thing I did to get all of my pirated DVD's (I have several hundred)  from China into the US (and then into Saudi) was to buy a couple CD holders (they hold 100 each).  You know the kind--resemble an elongated book and zip up.  I always thought this would draw less attention than a lot of cases in a suitcase (plus a way to keep them neat!).