Job Discussion Forums

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

Hello KSA board!

I currently work for a corporation in the United States. I plan on going back into teaching later this year, but that's not why I am posting here. My company needs to send someone to Dhahran/Aramco in April for approximately a week so we can train the individuals that work there how to use our software. Since they insist on sending a man, and everyone else is too afraid to go, I have volunteered. Just a few questions for you:

1) I am a white American male. From browsing this board, it doesn't appear that I should be overly concerned about my safety (especially in Dhahran, which, with the information I have, sounds like a military base isolated from the outside world) assuming I use common sense. Any safety concerns that you think I should be aware of right now?

2) Would it be worth my time to try and go diving?

3) Am I going to be bored out of my mind in Dhahran?

4) Any cool things to do in Dhahran?

5) Anything else that you can think of that I should know before I go?

Thanks in advance for any information that you can provide!

Cheers,
Kirk

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar

Just imagine Saudi Arabia as a developing country with many poor people. It is very safe, but it is best not leave valuables laying about.

Bored? Well I got bored a bit in my first five years there, but I suspect you can hang with a week.

Go to the Magic Carpet Shop (the actual name) and get a carpet. Go to the Silver Museum (a store) and get some silver knickknacks.

Bring some magazines, we expats will kill for Sports Illustrated for example.

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar

Just imagine Saudi Arabia as a developing country with many poor people. It is very safe, but it is best not leave valuables laying about.

Bored? Well I got bored a bit in my first five years there, but I suspect you can hang with a week.

Go to the Magic Carpet Shop (the actual name) and get a carpet. Go to the Silver Museum (a store) and get some silver knickknacks.

Bring some magazines, we expats will kill for Sports Illustrated for example.

Cleopatra · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:57 pm Post subject:

johnslat · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 7:25 pm Post subject: The Final Frontier

Dear Captain James_T_Kirk,
Well, you won't exactly be "going where no one has gone before". And it sounds like you'll be on the Aramco compound, which has a lot of diversions available all by itself. I'd say you can stand a week without succumbing too much to boredom. Fitting in a dive might be tricky unless you can hook-up fast with someone there who knows all the ropes. As for safety, well, there are no guarantees anywhere, but in my opinion you'll be at least as safe as or safer than in the States. As for the "Sports Illustrated", true the Customs people always go after pictures a lot more than words. But unless it's the "Swimsuit Issue" you could probably get it past them.
Regards,
John

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

Thanks for answering my questions everyone. If anyone else has anything to add, feel free. I should be in Dhahran at least April 2nd through the 8th...if you'd like to meet up with me, I will gladly hook you up with a Sports Illustrated or two (how fortunate that I am a subscriber!).

Cheers,
Kirk

johnslat · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:10 am Post subject: Does this suit you?

Dear James_T_Kirk,
And, if you can't get the "Swimsuit Issue " in, just direct everyone there to this web site:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2004_swimsuit/

Regards,
John

Mark100 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 441

One weekin Dhahran eh.
If only i had been so fortunate.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Aramco in Dhahran looks like the Canal Zone in Panama around 1960 - with all the amenities of 2004 !

Orange U? · Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 13 Location: Middle East

I would encourage you to try to find out if you will be staying on the Aramco compound proper (hopefully the answer is yes: it's an emerald in a dustbin IMO - green, space, and quiet in an enclave well-separated from a much harsher 'street' outside Aramco's twin perimeters). If they're putting you up in a hotel, a compound, or other accomodation off the Aramco compound, expect a 30-45 minute commute before and after work and extremely limited access to the 'honey-pot' Aramco community (the traffic gets pretty crazy as many of Dhahran's 20,000 employees drive into work through three access points for the same 7AM reporting time each day).

If it were me, I'd be working really hard to find out about accomodations. The ideal situation would probably have you staying in 'Steinike Hall' - a hotellish facility inside the compound, proper.

The best news is probably that you're only on the ground in KSA for a week - so if the situation is uncomfortable (on top of the jet lag), it'll fly by pretty quickly. With any luck, you'll be appreciated by the organization you're serving and they'll pamper you.

As for diving, if you set up a dummy yahoo account and post it to this thread, I will try to ask around to find divers who might correspond with you.

Happy trails -- and good luck making the transition back to the classroom.

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar