... It is about Saudi Arabia. Ofcourse, I was fortunate enough to live with my family .
First of all, to be able to go over there , you need a work visa . You cannot visit this place on a visit visa . Other middle east countries like Dubai, Abudhabi , Muscat etc, you can visit with a visit ... Read review
A review by Priyat on Saudi Arabia: General March 23rd, 2001
Author's product rating:
Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly
Advantages:
It is a great place to make money !
Disadvantages:
Very hot and humid weather !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
This is my general overview of the place , where I lived for thirteen years. It is about Saudi Arabia. Ofcourse, I was fortunate enough to live with my family .
First of all, to be able to go over there , you need a work visa . You cannot visit this place on a visit visa . Other middle east countries like Dubai, Abudhabi , Muscat etc, you can visit with a visit visa .
Saudi Arabia is a muslim country with strict laws . All the expatriates are expected to abide by the laws of that country . People who violate the laws are put in jail and executed every friday.
Saudi Arabia as such is a very grand country , comparable to U.S in all respects , except for the freedom. It’s oil wealth makes it one of the richest countries in the whole world ! Petrol is very cheap here .
You will find gigantic monuments everywhere . The roads are neat and broad. There are fabulous shopping centers and buildings made of glass. The country is ruled by a king. There are no political parties.
Saudi men wear a traditional long dress called Thobe ’. Saudi women wear a maxi-like long black dress called ’Abhaya’. Indian women call it ’Burka. Expatriate women are also expected to wear it , when they come out of their house to go anywhere . I wore it everyday when I went to school for work .
There are people from India , Pakistan ,Egypt , Korea , Philippines , U.K and U.S who work there . The official language is Arabic.
The currency of Saudi Arabia is the Riyal . 2.75 Saudi Riyals is equivalent to 1 Canadian $ .
Saudi Arabia is a good place to make money and save for future use . Food is very cheap. There is no entertainment like cinema , drama etc. You can watch a movie from a VCR in your house . There are lots of video shops to borrow casettes from.
Shopping is an enjoyable experience in Saudi Arabia. You will find most of the shops selling electronic goods, wrist watches , perfumes and gold ornaments . Saudi gold is famous for it’s purity . The expatriates take lots of gold coins when they leave for annual vacation . They sell it for a higher price in their country .
There are two holy places , Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia for muslims to visit and offer prayers. Non-muslims are not allowed there . Religions other than Islam are not tolerated . Non-muslims have their worship in low key.
Some places in Saudi Arabia still looks like a typical desert , though Saudis are trying to make the place greener by planting more trees . You can see desert cactus plants and palm trees . There are camels living in the deserts.
The weather is extreme being a desert place . It shoots upto 55 degrees C . Sand storms occur frequently and sometimes you even get rain . All the houses, cars and shopping centres are air-conditioned .Air - conditioning is a necessity and not a luxury there !
I would recommend this place for bachelors who would like to make some money before starting their married life . It is also good for people who are fortunate enough to get family status to live with the family .
...0% tax .
Living in Saudi is also very cheap, petrol is stupidly cheap, food is also very cheap, as is electricity etc.
Shopping is also a favorite apstime, again thats all tax free (remember 17.5% vat in the UK too!), with items from anywhere inthe world available openly and cheaply it really is a paradise!
You can also go to the souks where you can buy anything from the usual tat (coffee pots etc) to gold rugs etc, and barter for them (ppitrue ... ...to welcome you and chat. Saudi food is lovely, and you must eat a schwarma and smoke a shieesha (a hubbly bubbly).
The other great thing is the countryside, not just the images of sand dunes, there are those though! Most of hte country is a rocky desert, huge wadi's and escarpments dominate the desert.
Any visit to saudi would be spoilt without leaving the cities to expereience the desert. Simply drive of the road a couple of km's and you are in ...
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Advantages: Hot, Cheap, Good Living Disadvantages: Restrictive
I have not been to Saudi for almost four years now, but spent the first 12 years of my life there due to my fathers job. I hope this review helps you in your research of Saudi Arabia.
There are many expats in Saudi that are working in the health sector in Saudi. I also remeber people from all over the world working at the hospital. From Sudan, Egypt, America, Phillipines, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka to mention a few. A melting pot! ... ...all kinds of resturants in Saudi due to the number of expats in the country. Social events in Saudi are usually split between the men and women. Refrain from showing effection for the other half in public as well. Occaionally you might be asked for ID from the authorities this will be the Iqma and is a MUST when you travel. There are checkpoints in certain locations and at entrances to certain buildings. If you get invited to a Saudis house do go ...
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Advantages: Really hot climate Disadvantages: Not the same as western life, Feel uncomfartable in the country
...sun, sun and more sun. Saudi Arabia's climate as well you may know is extremely hot and the land is desert. Having been here for 6 mothsn on a work contract, settling down has been hard, rule rules rules is all there is. Being a male was not so bad, but you women out there, be prepared for it to be tough. Women are secondary people here, you have to be covered up and not show any flesh, you canot handle money, you cannot drive, you cannot even sit ... ...to the driver. Harsh penalties for driving offences, and crime, hands get chopped off, Riyadh city is not exactly Las vegas, very dirty, very hot, there are lots and lots of shops for souveniers, trinkets and the like, all at cheap prices.
Western women do live here, and most do show there faces, and wear the 'Abbaya' wich makes the ladies a bit nmore inconspicious to the Arabia men. All inj all it is a good country to visit, if not just for the ...
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