Moving to Saudi

[frosama]

Some questions I've had

so pretty difficult for a male to get citizenship even if he has been living as an expatriate in the country for many years?

Is the heat unbearable, as in do you have to stay inside all the time because of the heat?

Is it true that saudi is mostly desert and has little vegetation? Is it possible to have a small personal garden or is it difficult due to the weather?

Are sandstorms very dangerous if you cannot get indoors or are they not that bad?

 

[crayon]

Thanks I edited the questiosn to add these

Also if you work and you want to go back to the UK or something for a month what do you have to do? is it very complicated?

Also, if you own an apartment in a block is that the same as owning land>?


I was thinking land in Jeddah

Also if someone wants to send you money say from the UK is that easy? Like if I had family in the UK sending me money whilst I worked in Jeddah

I sold my photos to a london based company a while ago, and they wired me the money without any trouble, so inshallah that wouldn't be a problem.

If by going back to the UK for a month you mean like a holiday, then I'm pretty sure it would be easy, since a lot of foreigners work here, they usually try to visit home during the summer.

Not sure about your other question, though.

frosama- yeah, very very difficult to get the citizenship unless you've done something extraordinary or have connections.

I've never been here in the hottest months of the year, but the heat is tolerable because you don't go out in the street much. It's from air conditioned car to air conditioned house to the air conditioned mall- air conditioning is a must here. I actually forget I'm living in Saudi sometimes because most of the time you don't even feel the heat.

There was actually a big sandstorm about 3 days ago, but I didn't even notice it until my dad mentioned it to me on the phone. I've never been outside during one, though. They're not as common as you might think.

 

[Umar001]

I sold my photos to a london based company a while ago, and they wired me the money without any trouble, so inshallah that wouldn't be a problem.

If by going back to the UK for a month you mean like a holiday, then I'm pretty sure it would be easy, since a lot of foreigners work here, they usually try to visit home during the summer.

Not sure about your other question, though.

Yea, like going back to the UK to earn abit of money or something?

Alsobefore it was said that it owuld be better if the friend would employ me as a manager or so cos the wages of the normal staff is low, but its upto him how much he pays me right? Like no matter the position if he chooses to pay me x amount he can?

 

[Mercedes]

Also if you work and you want to go back to the UK or something for a month what do you have to do? is it very complicated?

you have to get an exit and re-entry stamp on ur passport which usually takes 24hours. no problems, and most big companies pay for ur vacation.

Also, if you own an apartment in a block is that the same as owning land>?

No, you own the building, whoever else owns the land , usually the gov't, would pay you off for your building if they ever decided they wanted their land. you are quite protected by the law under a foreign investment license.

I was thinking land in Jeddah

Land within jeddah, on the outskirts of jeddah, or in the developing areas of jeddah?

Also if someone wants to send you money say from the UK is that easy? Like if I had family in the UK sending me money whilst I worked in Jeddah

very easy, there is Western union here, or you can do a wire transfer thru banks. many banks here are UK, USA, France, Dutch, affiliated.

 

[Umar001]

Also, if you own an apartment in a block is that the same as owning land>?

No, you own the building, whoever else owns the land , usually the gov't, would pay you off for your building if they ever decided they wanted their land. you are quite protected by the law under a foreign investment license.

And then they'd kick you out since you wont have a business?

I was thinking land in Jeddah

Land within jeddah, on the outskirts of jeddah, or in the developing areas of jeddah?

The cheapest to be honest I aint made of money lol.

Also if someone wants to send you money say from the UK is that easy? Like if I had family in the UK sending me money whilst I worked in Jeddah

very easy, there is Western union here, or you can do a wire transfer thru banks. many banks here are UK, USA, France, Dutch, affiliated.

Masha'Allah, so I could work in a real cheap job but get funding from home in the UK which would help me out, would the pound be strong when converted to the Riyal? Meaning I could survive on low funding from the Uk?

 

[crayon]

I'm afraid I'm not sure if there's a certain time limit you can stay out of saudi else your contract is annulled or something like that. Maybe you can read up on it on the saudi foregin affairs online? I tried to access it in english, but it's not working. Not sure if you know arabic, bu here's the arabic version anyway: http://www.mofa.gov.sa/

Yeah, I don't think there's anything like minimum wage here or anything, but I could be mistaken. And that's definitely correct, you should try to get a managerial position if you can, a normal position would pay much less and probably not be enough. Before you accept anything, though, calculate how much it would cost you a month to live here. Rent, healthcare, food, car (public transport here isn't that great), gas money, etc. Then figure out how much salary you'll need to be able to make a bit of money or break even. If you're offered less than that, you would be paying out of your own pocket, and eventually be completely screwed. So you've got to weigh it out and see whether it works or not.

 

[crayon]

According to google, 1 British pound = 7.46084182 Saudi riyals.
A can of soda is 1 riyal if that's a way to gauge it by, heh.

 

[Umar001]

Is there an age where say you are like 80 they dont kick you out even if you aint working? If your not saudi?


Also if you are not saudi, you have to pay for your kids to go school right? What if you cant afford it? Is there an age where they pay for them, like obligatory age for everyone to be at school and then they can leave?

 

[Mercedes]

Is there an age where say you are like 80 they dont kick you out even if you aint working? If your not saudi?


Also if you are not saudi, you have to pay for your kids to go school right? What if you cant afford it? Is there an age where they pay for them, like obligatory age for everyone to be at school and then they can leave?

As long as u have residence here (work/business visa) your kids can go to either public (unpaid) or private schools.

NO, as long as u have an investment in the country they wont kick u out, and there are other means to stay here even without a job.

 

[Umar001]

As long as u have residence here (work/business visa) your kids can go to either public (unpaid) or private schools.

SubhanAllah! This was a part that was worrying me.

Wht about me, could I go study at places whilst I am also working? Like night classes or weekend ones, if I find them?

NO, as long as u have an investment in the country they wont kick u out, and there are other means to stay here even without a job.

What other means?

 

[Mercedes]

The sandstorms usually come at the change of season. In the summer months, people generally dont go outside to wander around till after asr. you will see people picnic-ing in the dark the months of november, december, january and february are cooler, with temps going as low at 10 degrees in some places like Madeenah and riyadh. the mountainous regions far north sometimes get snow, like this year.

You will find KSA much more developed than the desert we all imagine it to be. there are high rises and skyscrapers that make NYC look like ants

 

[pauper]

I'm afraid I'm not sure if there's a certain time limit you can stay out of saudi else your contract is annulled or something like that. Maybe you can read up on it on the saudi foregin affairs online? I tried to access it in english, but it's not working. Not sure if you know arabic, bu here's the arabic version anyway: http://www.mofa.gov.sa/

Yeah, I don't think there's anything like minimum wage here or anything, but I could be mistaken. And that's definitely correct, you should try to get a managerial position if you can, a normal position would pay much less and probably not be enough. Before you accept anything, though, calculate how much it would cost you a month to live here. Rent, healthcare, food, car (public transport here isn't that great), gas money, etc. Then figure out how much salary you'll need to be able to make a bit of money or break even. If you're offered less than that, you would be paying out of your own pocket, and eventually be completely screwed. So you've got to weigh it out and see whether it works or not.

I rest me case , crayon seriously you are not giving the people here the correct impression of the country , you talking about it everything negative and nothing positive .

Why dont you tell us how nice it is in syria under Assads rule ? in another thread off course .

 

[Umar001]

As Salaam Alaykum Akhi,

What was wrong with what she said there? Im confused akhi

 

[Mercedes]

SubhanAllah! This was a part that was worrying me.

Wht about me, could I go study at places whilst I am also working? Like night classes or weekend ones, if I find them?

Yep. you can always go to the Islamic university for a diploma in arabic and further ur degree in shariah, fiqh, hadith, quraan, etc, or if u prefer academics theres many vocational colleges and training centers. The american open univeersity is available in Jeddah and currently being developed here in Makkah.

Other means being you can seek a saudi for sponsorship, or simply make a deal with the company u worked for to keep u under their sponsorship.

 

[Mercedes]

What was wrong with what she said there? Im confused akhi

Whats wrong is shes only giving u it as SHE sees it, very opinionated and unfactual and not the way it is generally.

 

[Umar001]

Yep. you can always go to the Islamic university for a diploma in arabic and further ur degree in shariah, fiqh, hadith, quraan, etc, or if u prefer academics theres many vocational colleges and training centers. The american open univeersity is available in Jeddah and currently being developed here in Makkah.

Is it very expensive though? On average.

Other means being you can seek a saudi for sponsorship, or simply make a deal with the company u worked for to keep u under their sponsorship.

So I can ask them to sponsor me until I die even if I dont work for them no more?

Whats wrong is shes only giving u it as SHE sees it, very opinionated and unfactual and not the way it is generally.

Wa Alaykum Salam sister,

I meant before what was wrong with that particular quote, and she has said if I am not mistaken that she is only giving her experience view, everyone understands that insha'Allah, some people may have bad others have good experiences.

 

[Mercedes]

Well to be honest brother, If i went by Crayon's account of what life in KSA is like , i wouldnt be too motivated to ever move here, i would be rather put off

 

[Umar001]

Ok, but I would have thought people would understand that different people have different experiences sister, and the more readin you do the more you see how nice t can be there and that it is not all bad, specially compared to other places/ Alhamdulillah,

 

[Mercedes]

I know that Akhi, but when someone asks for advice u have to be unbiased regardless of your experience and tell it the way it is and not only the way it happened to you. Remember this isnt just any other country we r discussing, this the land of islam regardless of its faults (by cause of man's hand) and the home of the Rasul (peace and blessings be upon him).

 

[Umar001]

I know that Akhi, but when someone asks for advice u have to be unbiased regardless of your experience and tell it the way it is and not only the way it happened to you. Remember this isnt just any other country we r discussing, this the land of islam regardless of its faults (by cause of man's hand) and the home of the Rasul (peace and blessings be upon him).

Wa Alaykum Salaam,

I understand I didnt think it had been shown to be that bad, SO everyone is advised to read further stuff and not just this thread

Anyhow:

Is it very expensive though? On average.



So I can ask them to sponsor me until I die even if I dont work for them no more?



Wa Alaykum Salam sister,

I meant before what was wrong with that particular quote, and she has said if I am not mistaken that she is only giving her experience view, everyone understands that insha'Allah, some people may have bad others have good experiences.