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 .
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