Saudi life - FAQ Frequently Asked Questions (of us)

We have been contacted by many people who have read this blog with specific questions about life in Al Khobar and in Saudi in general. These are people who may be moving to Saudi and are finding that there is very little practical advice as to every-day living here. There are a lot of tourism, history, travel and politics sites but scarcely any that can answer questions to do with expat living.

Much of the information about Saudi Arabia as presented in news sources is sensationalist and inaccurate. Saudi is different. Its crazy, amazing, maddening, satisfying, frustrating and wonderful. To many this will be one of the most positive and memorable experiences in their lives even if they do not realize it at the time. It's only when you leave that you realize how boring the rest of the world is.

To that end we have decided to create this Frequently Asked Questions page (FAQ) where we will publish most commonly asked questions and our answers to them. If anyone wants to add anything please send me the information that you have and I will include it here along with acknowledging the source.

We hope that this will help many of you who are faced with moving here and that it will take away some of the natural anxieties that you may have.This page will be regularly updated.Let us know what you think. Hope to share same gahwa and dates with you when you get here. Insha'allah.

Q. My son  does have a little bit of asthma and is on pumps for it. I know I need a letter from our doctor to bring in his medication, but was just wondering if they'd have the same type of medication available there.
A. The medical side of things here are very good. Most people are on health benefits from their  employer. You will be covered by a fairly comprehensive health insurance policy which you can top up if you want for even higher coverage if you so desire. Doctors are very thorough and order all types of tests when you go to see them. I am sure that they would have all asthma type things here. Interestingly, you can also get almost any drug over the counter from the chemists without prescriptions. We have found that usually they have all the medicines that are available elsewhere or equivalent ones.

Q. Is there anything you would recommend that we bring with instead of having to it buy there? At this point we're really only bringing clothes.
A. No. You can really buy everything here and probably cheaper as there is no tax. Unless you have something in mind, its best to get it here once you settle in.

Q. I have already bought an abaya. Would I need to put the abaya on, on the airplane before landing or inside the airport? Do I need to wear the scarf? What shoes do I wear with an abaya?
A. No need to put the abaya on inside the plane. You can put it on once you get outside and there is no need to wear the scarf. I keep one always in my handbag just in case I get hassled to put one on, but have never been told to as yet.  It can also be great if there is sand blowing around. Shoes - anything. I usually wear flip flops (thongs) as my feet swell up in the heat - but shoes can be whatever you are currently wearing.

Q. My eldest will be turning 4 this year and my youngest is currently 6 months ( both boys ) what is the dress code for them? Are they allowed to wear shorts and t-shirts and do their shoes have to be closed or are they allowed to wear slops/sandals? 
A. they can wear anything - any shoes - slops, sandals, shorts. It is kids paradise here and clothing is fairly inexpensive as well.

Q. What clothing would you recommend as a women? The abaya that I bought is completely closed ( it just has one little button at the top )

A. you will be amazed at the variety of abayas here - many have crystals over the back & sleeves. The newest designs have chiffon (a variety of color) down the front and on the sleeve. some have small stones scattered across the yoke - they aren't just a black garment. You can wear anything under them - I usually wear a singlet type top and loose fitting pants as it's very humid here at the moment.

Q. Is the general make up available there ( foundation, mascara, eye liner etc )

A. Everything is available here - all brands, any brand you can think of is readily available and for me a lot cheaper than elsewhere.

Q. What we can expect on life in Al Khobar? 

A. I have found it to be very good here. Electricity and phone costs are very cheap. Electricity especialy is dirt cheap. We run 2 air-conditioners 24x7 and with everything else it costs us about USD 60 per month. Grocery shopping is outstanding and about one third of the cost in Australia for an eqivalent shopping basket. Everything is available and it is a kids paradise - every shopping centre has an amusement park - our local Mall of Dharan even has an ice-skating rink.

The food courts in the shopping centres offer a huge variety of different foods and all fairly inexpensive and well prepared. It is a bit limiting if you are used to driving yourself around, as women aren't allowed to drive here, but you have a husband so will have no problems getting anything done. If I need anything Jesse is great and does it for me. I can't say I love it here but I do like it and it is always interesting, and forces you into a relaxed way of living.

Q. Are family members allowed to visit us in Saudi and how does one go about doing this?
A. Yes family members are allowed to visit - but the same as for you, it has to go through the visa application process and once that is done they can come - it would be only after your husband receives the residence permit (iqama) as he would sponsor them. Usually there are no problems in getting any family member to visit.

Q. If you don't mind too much, would you mind giving me a general overview on the cost of living regarding groceries, toiletries, maid ( part time or full time ) etc.
A. To put things into context I can only relate to what Australian prices are. I am not sure of the conversion rate for your currency to SAR but for Aus it is approx 30c per 1 riyal. I find that most things cost the same as in Aus only in riyals instead of dollars - eg. if it costs $10 aus it will be 10 SAR so really only makes it $3aus for us. Groceries are really not expensive and for a weekly bill including meat, veg and other necessary like shampoo, conditioner as well as biscuits, choc, coke etc it is between 250 - 350 SAR just depending upon what we are buying.

To eat out in food courts at shopping centre it is about 30 SAR for adults or less depending upon what you are ordering. To eat at restaurant for the 2 of us is between $120 - 250 depending upon where we go - I really like Fudruckers for hamburgers in rashid mall - but all food types except for pork are available. Cold deli meats like roast turkey, pastrami, mortadella, chicken are all available. All cheeses are available, yoghurt, deli desserts and all fruit & veg are available but most are imported.

Maid to live in is about 800-1,200 a month but I think you have to pay the agency several thousand up front for getting one for you, so once the up-front has been paid it is very inexpensive. As there are only 2 of us I haven't bothered with a live in maid. I have one of the compound workers come in once a week to vacuum, wash floor, clean bathroom and outside balcony for 50 riyal - he is here for about 2 hours. As you have 2 small kids then you would probably need more. I know how messy small kids are.

As to cars - your husband would have to wait until he has his iqama and driving license. All types of cars are available in all price ranges. 4WD take a few more permits to buy than ordinary cars. We had a lot of trouble. Evidently foreigners are not meant to own them only saudi's. A typical small new hyundai is about 34,000 riyal or a Dodge Caliber for about 60,000. SUV’s start at around 80,000. There are different rental type deals or there are 2nd hand ones available.

Taxis are fairly inexpensive - it should cost no more than 25 riyal to come from corniche to compound areas, and no more than 20 riyal anywhere else - i think maybe about 55 riyal to airport. Just get into habit of haggling the fares before getting in - they will try to get a lot more out of you if they think you don't know the fares. We only every paid 20 riyal to get to any of the shopping centres. Your husband's work might also have a bus that collects and drops off. Our university has a bus like this, so we seldom take the car to work as the bus is free and we don't have to negotiate the crazy driving here.

Q. What are the types of chocolate available?
A. They have most types as in Galaxy - which in Aus is Dove, Cadbury, Toblerone, Kit Kat, Snickers, Hershey and many more that I had never heard of. Patchi which is a Saudi choc shop is very, very nice and they have many other types and displays of Saudi choc that will boggle the mind. I have answered this question as I KNOW how important chocolate is to most females.

Q. What should we pack and NOT pack? They said a fully-furnished apartment, but... does that just mean furniture? Should we bring our linens (sheets/towels and what size sheets?)
A. A flat sheet was supplied for us & very nice thick blanket, 2 flat pillows not sure about covers but these can also be bought here - Jesse & I carried our pilows on the plane from Aus - King Size Bed - so if you have nice linen and can afford do bring - otherwise things are inexpensive here - when I went back to Aus last month I brought some of my linen back with me because here as like anywhere anything that is good quality is expensive.

Q. Any kitchen ware you wish you'd brought over?
A. No. You can buy all you need here. For us they supplied 2 large pots and 1 frypan with a spoon and a flipper. They also supplied dinner set, glasses & cutlery. We also received an electric kettle and a Vacuum cleaner.

Q. What's the power Voltage, what type of plug-adapters should we invest in?
A. They have both British 220v and USA 110v but mainly US we have a British - 1 in bedroom, 1 in kitchen, 1 in lounge - and an abundance of US 110v everywhere. If you don't have these types of adapters just buy 2 and get the rest over here as they are inexpensive and you will know better what your needs are.

Q. We're bringing pictures, and our ipod, and of course our laptops... Do we have internet access? Cable?
A. Internet access is either by buying a wireless modem or a USB stick like we have which on a 5gb plan costs SR 200 per month. We have recently switched to a higher speed service on a 3 monthly plan that costs SR 220 pm with unlimited download allowance and multiple simultaneous access from all our PC’s. There is a 300 SR up-front cost for the modem/wireless router. This one made me smile as that was the very first port of call for us - mobiles & internet.

Bringing in all other devices is OK. Usually there is no search of any kind on the contents. But still make sure that there is no material that can be deemed culturally offensive stored on your hard disks. If you have sensitive stuff that you do not want to jeopardize upload it to an Internet storage site such as Box or SkyDrive. You can always download it later when you are here. As for television satellite is the go here and there is a bewildering number of channels and packages available including allthe ones you know and love (BBC, FOX, Al Jezeera, CNN, History, Nickelodion, Nat Geo, Sports, Movies, Cartoons)

Q. Water Quality - Is the tap water good to drink? We're okay if there's a funny taste, just so long as we don't get sick from it. If not, I might invest in a filter.
A. No. Tap water is not recommended for drinking. Wwe use bottled water as all water has come from de-salination plants and then through our compound plant. No one drinks the water from the tap, but is ok to use for washing vegies & dishes etc. We invested in a office style water cooler that delivers both hot and cold water and get it delivered every week. 1 or 2 19 Litre bottles at roughly 10 SAR per bottle.

Q. Clothing - I was thinking of buying stuff there seeing how the style is probably. very different from what I have. I love colorful material, but I should leave them at home, or is it okay to wear?
A. Bring what you have or buy here as westerners wear whatever they like. When you go out you will be wear an abaya so it doesn't matter what you have on under it :p We have shops from all over the world here and you can buy any style of clothing you like and it is fairly inexpensive.

Q. Is it true that I can show my elbows to wrists? Mid-calf to ankle? Or it's best to show as little skin as possible?
A. No not true - when you go out you wear an abaya – a long black cover from neck to ground and down to wrists. If you are purchasing an abaya before you come just get the cheapest until you get here - your mind will boggle at the variety and colour on the trimmings and we can show you where to get the cheapest.

Q. Are there any regulations for shoes? What do you see everyone wearing, or does it matter?
A. No. Anything goes. I wear thongs (flip flops) to work :D

Q. It sounds like there are really good shops there (what about underwear?), but are they very expensive?
A. The malls here are unbelievable - Rashid Mall is the 5th largest in the world but I find it too scattered - Dharan Mall is just the best. It has everything you could think of including supermarket, furniture, home accessories, High Fashion, etc etc - I love Dharan Mall. Underwear is no problem.

Q. And, from your experience, what is your preference for clothing? (light-cotton long-sleeve, jeans/skirt, sandals or....?)
A. All of these. The weather is really warm and at times very humid. July and August are the killer months and it gets anywhere up to 50 celsius :( - however we have been here since the end of September last year and from the end of October right through April it has been perfect staying around 24 Celsius and maybe going down to 16 or 18 at night. I tend to wear sleeveless under my abaya with light weight pants as I feel the heat but I think it could be an age thing :) - At work I tend to either wear sleeveless with a cardi over or t-shirt - you don't see too many singlet type tops with bare arms showing.

Q. The head-scarf thing (don't know the name yet, sorry), could I wear that (wouldn't have to wear sun-screen!) and western everything else as long as everything else was covered.
A. It is called the veil. I have not had to wear it as yet but keep one in my handbag just in case. It is easier if approached by religious police to pull it out and cover your hair then take off after they go - but they usually leave western women alone and as you are coming with your husband it will make your like a lot easier – He is responsible for your actions and bringing you into line :).

Q. Me and my family will not have the opportunity to live in a compound, therefore, we will be seeking accommodation in the city itself. Do you recommend any particular areas within the city that would be most appropriate and suitable? We are particularly looking for a quiet, clean area that is within close vicinity of the local amenities. Also, are there local markets (souks) where people sell local produce, as opposed to supermarkets.

A. The accommodation here is mainly in compounds or in apartments. Both types can be either supplied by an employer or privately rented. Most of the accommodation is usually fully furnished. Although the apartments are fully furnished it applies to major household items only.

Most of the other stuff has to acquired, especially the kitchenware stuff.
In terms of where to go, there is a lot of choice and convenience. Al-Khobar is a relatively small township in terms of its footprint. It means that nothing is more than 15 minutes away by car or taxi, so it really does not matter where you live.

However for convenience nothing beats being close to Khobar old town near the Corniche. It is full of souqs, convenience shops, tailors,food places and every other conceivable type of shop or trade. It also has several supermarkets fairly close like Tamimi, Farm9 or Lulu’s.

The prices of reasonable accommodation start at around 30,000 riyals and go up from there. It usually means a furnished, air-conditioned 2 bedroom apartment that is fully maintained. The good thing is that these places are usually very large. They simply have no concept of small here in Saudi.

As for the “clean, safe”, it is very safe here. Just exercise the normal cautions that would be applicable anywhere else. The “clean” bit is a bit harder. There really is nowhere wher you would call clean in western urban sense. By that I do not mean rubbish. It is largely rubbish free but it’s a very dilapidated environs. You feel that everything is crumbling to bits. No maintenance is done on any of the public spaces and it shows. Sidewalks simply do not exist or are crumbling. The roads are very patchy and badly marked. But one gets used to it. At any rate you will not be spending that much time outdoors. It’s simply too hot.

The Corniche itself is very different. Vast, lawned areas with really good children’s playgrounds that are frequented by families having picnics, especially in the balm winter evenings. Winter here is temperatures 20-30 C :)

One of the things that is good is that you can get domestic help very easily and cheaply. We pay our cleaning guy 50 SR and a meal once a week where he comes and cleans the whole place. With a young baby around it’s worth looking into.

Q. Do you know what there is to do for women in the city?

A. Sadly the answer is not much. But I qualfy that by saying in-comparisson to the West. Shopping, restaurants and pampering are the mains sports here. As such the main focus is on the family activities. You can do lots together but for a woman on her own, it’s not that easy. On the other hand there is a lot of activities that happen with theatrical groups, societies like DGS and others. You will no doubt soon find out what is around and start enjoying things.

Of course things like sight-seeing are delightfull as is exploring all the heritage ares. But, getting a car is a must to be able to do that. In addition Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Emirates are all a comfortable drive away. All really worth seeing. On longer breaks it is very feasible to drive to Oman, Jordan, Syria and even Lebanon if you are that way inclined. On the other hand you have Jeddah with Red Sea and Asir regions in Saudi that are simply delightful. Riyadh, which has become a great city is only 3.5 hours away.