Will her Boshiya clash with her freckles?
August 15, 2009 5:28 AM Subscribe
Some of our favorite friends are being transferred to a company compound in Saudi Arabia. They are unsure what to think.
This is a liberal European family with two small children - they'll be there for two years working for a contractor for Saudi Aramco.
If you ever did this, what was it really like, especially for women? How often did you go off the compound? What should they bring with them, and what do they just have to forget about until they get transferred again? Finally, are there online resources to help them get a taste of real life there?
This is a liberal European family with two small children - they'll be there for two years working for a contractor for Saudi Aramco.
If you ever did this, what was it really like, especially for women? How often did you go off the compound? What should they bring with them, and what do they just have to forget about until they get transferred again? Finally, are there online resources to help them get a taste of real life there?
(Notice that there is a forum, and one specifically for "New Hires and Jobs," with 609 topics -- a goldmine of information and a place where they can ask very specific questions and get answers.)
posted by Houstonian at 6:56 AM on August 15, 2009
posted by Houstonian at 6:56 AM on August 15, 2009
I worked in Saudi for about six months in late 2007. I was based in Riyadh but traveled around the country to places like Jeddah, Tabuk, Dammam, and other cities. Got to meet a few "Aramcons", most of whom lived in the big Aramco compound near Dhahran. Every one said that the compound (which is massive) is very much a different place to the rest of Saudi: women drive, no hijabs, some liquor to be had (shh), and rather relaxed. It really seemed like a pretty reasonable place to be: Aramco seem to really go out of their way to be sure that their employees are content, and feel safe and comfortable while they're living in a strange and way different land.
They'll be pleased to know that the Eastern Province is home to the most Western people in the kingdom -- and since they've been around a while (Aramco and other firms have been shipping over people since at least the 30s) the people in the EP are a lot more used to Western foreigners running around. They should have no problems finding a lot of familiar-looking foodstuffs at the supermarkets on the compound. Also, Saudi has quite a few Carrefour hypermarkets (like a huge super Walmart) where they can buy lots of good familiar stuff too. I believe there are two in Dammam within easy shot of the compound.
If they really need to escape Saudi, they're real close to Bahrain too -- one can drive it in about 90 minutes depending on traffic over the causeway (it can get REALLY backed up Wednesday nights at the Bahrain immigration booths because of all the Saudis headed over for the weekend which is Thu/Fri). Bahrain is a bizarre-ass place in many ways -- a "pleasure dome" of many sorts for Saudis but a couple days at the Ritz Carlton resort with a bunch of cocktails from Trader Vic's does the soul good after too much time in the kingdom.
posted by lazywhinerkid at 6:30 PM on August 15, 2009
They'll be pleased to know that the Eastern Province is home to the most Western people in the kingdom -- and since they've been around a while (Aramco and other firms have been shipping over people since at least the 30s) the people in the EP are a lot more used to Western foreigners running around. They should have no problems finding a lot of familiar-looking foodstuffs at the supermarkets on the compound. Also, Saudi has quite a few Carrefour hypermarkets (like a huge super Walmart) where they can buy lots of good familiar stuff too. I believe there are two in Dammam within easy shot of the compound.
If they really need to escape Saudi, they're real close to Bahrain too -- one can drive it in about 90 minutes depending on traffic over the causeway (it can get REALLY backed up Wednesday nights at the Bahrain immigration booths because of all the Saudis headed over for the weekend which is Thu/Fri). Bahrain is a bizarre-ass place in many ways -- a "pleasure dome" of many sorts for Saudis but a couple days at the Ritz Carlton resort with a bunch of cocktails from Trader Vic's does the soul good after too much time in the kingdom.
posted by lazywhinerkid at 6:30 PM on August 15, 2009
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posted by unmake at 5:36 AM on August 15, 2009