Web Images Video Shopping News Maps More | MSN | Windows Live

Ciao - for people with opinions

Home > Travel > Middle East > Saudi Arabia > Other Destinations in Saudi Arabia > Saudi Arabia Experience > Saudi Arabia: General > Reviews

Review of

Saudi Arabia: General

Overall rating (4): Overall user rating Saudi Arabia: General

All Saudi Arabia: General reviews

Write your own review

Review Read full review

Work few years here for a better life in future

Mar 23rd, 2001

Advantages:
It is a great place to make money !

Disadvantages:
Very hot and humid weather !

Recommendable: Yes

Detailed rating:

Value for Money

Shopping

Nightlife

Ease of getting around

Family Friendly

Priyat

Priyat

About me: I have a flair for writing. I write articles and poems for local newspaper and magazines. I enjo...

Member since:12.03.2001

Reviews:18

Members who trust:7

Review rated by 24 Ciao members on average: very helpful

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 .

Write your own review

Next review »

Add a bookmark

Evaluate this review

How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision?

Comments about this review

Priyat

01.04.2001 17:08

Thanks Hansjorg . I will check out that British website. Priya

From_The_Continent

01.04.2001 15:32

This sounds like a very interesting place, but it can't provide the lifestyle for bon vivants like myself, just too many restrictions. Very good op though. You might be interested in checking out Britishexpat.com, a website developed by a fellow ciaoer for those who live abroad.

Priyat

23.03.2001 16:08

Yes, the silence may be due to strict laws prevailing there . People want to be on the safe side. As you have noticed , there is no alcoholic drink sold there. Only non-alcoholic beer and other stuff!

read all comments