Job Discussion Forums

titanicman · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 71 Location: Qatar

Can foreign women work or drive in KSA?

Are foreigners now really paranoid in KSA? What ae people's feeling these days? Is it "I'll more likely get injured in a car crash than experience terrorism"?

Thinking of moving over there this year with my wife. It could be fun!

Titanicman

mehajaby · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 15

Hi!
we just came back after 2 years in saudi. Living conditions depend on WHERE you live. But your wife will have to cover at all times outside of the compund where you live. In the eastern province ( dammam dhahran) she could probably get away with going shopping without you, but not in the other cities. She cannot drive. I didnt drive at all for the 2 years we were there, except for onthe aramco compund!

In order to suceed in saudi, you must be an open minded person who can handle the fact that the culture is radically different. It will help your wife alot if she can get some kind of job teaching otherwise she will probably be bored. ANy other info I can give, let me know. You can email me at [email protected]

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Your question "Can women drive in Saudi Arabia ?" reveals something about you. You have to go and do some reading about Saudi Arabia before you committ yourself. And by reading I do not mean the answers to your "newby" questions here. I meanold fashioned reading.

nimra_ghalat · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 25

I think the official Saudi policy is that women who are allowed to drive are not allowed to work, and vice versa.

Foreigners in Saudi are always paranoid. What you don't know can hurt you. Confused

johnslat · Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 4:31 am Post subject: They're driving her crazy

Regarding women's driving, here's an interesting story from yesterday's Arab News:

http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=26476&ArY=2003&ArM=5&ArD=22

By the way, titanicman, that would be a good site to visit occasionally to get a better ( though often slanted, of course ) idea of what life in the Kingdom's like.
Regards,
John

Nomad Dan · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 145 Location: Myanmar

I had female friends who were long-time Aramco employees. They had a beat up old "camp car"....there was a feeling among them all that the Arab security loved to ticket them.

Driving in Saudi Arabia is a seriously dangerous matter. I mean unlike anything I had ever seen. Bored teenagers and just a big inshallah attitude...a deadly mix. Shocked

Nomad Dan

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Some of us choose not to drive in Saudi Arabia. It is possible. When I worked in Jeddah I used to look at my colleagues who had just driven in to work and wonder if it was worth it. I took a taxi. Still scary but not quite so bad for the blood pressure.

You CAN live in Saudi Arabia and be a non-driver. There is, in any case, nowhere to go !!!! I mean how many times do you want to go to the supermarket, or go down to the Mall and chill out with the rest of your homies ????

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Your attitude towards driving I call the "put head in the sand " response.

Driving is dangerous, so instead of doing it yourself and taking advantage of your many years of experience and care you prefer to turst your life to taxi drivers from countries where which side of the road you drive on is a more theoretical question than the sex of the angels, or one of the new breed of young Saudi taxi drivers who thinks that the planes crashed on Sept 11 happened because the hijackers couldn't negotiate the tight spaces as well as he can.

And look at the way they mainitain the cars!

zakiah25 · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 155 Location: Oman

Driving anywhere in the Middle East is dangerous especially here in Oman. There is an old law here that allows an eldest son to take over the occupation or business of the father, if the father becomes deceased. It allows the eldest son to continue the support of the family. Therefore, you could jump into a taxi and find yourself with a 15 year old driver at the wheel.
Do they have a similar law in Saudi Arabia?

johnslat · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 3:34 am Post subject: Auto-de-fe

Dear Stephen,
I'll keep my head in the sand along with scot47. I don't have a car here and use a taxi once a week to get to Safeway ( ironic name, eh? ). And I go there early on Friday mornings, when there's almost no traffic. But if I HAD a car ( as I did, back in the 80s here ), I'd undoubtedly drive much more often and incur many more risks.
Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Stephen

Some taxi drivers here are as bad as the worst locals. Not all. I have found one who drives safely - if that can be considered possible here. I go out once or twice a week, like my alter ego johnslat. Before doing so, I summon my safe driver, using my landline and his mobile.

That way I minimise my exposure to homicidal drivers. My life is better as a result. If you choose to hazard your life on a daily basis, so be it !

johnslat · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 6:36 am Post subject: A law unto themselves

Dear zakiah25,
Laws? For driving?? In Saudi Arabia??? Only one - NO WOMEN!!!!!
Regards,
John
P.S. And even that one gets broken with some regularity.

johnslat · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 6:39 am Post subject: Big Beasts Rule

Dear zakiah25,
Well, on second thought, there IS one law - The Law of the Jungle.
Regards,
John

zakiah25 · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 155 Location: Oman

Dear John
Well then, it's probably the only country in the world where women can't take the blame for being bad drivers!
regards
Zakiah

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

No women drivers but there was some published research (!) in Saudi Arabia PROVING that women were resonsible for 78 percent of traffic accidents. johnslat will bear me out on that one !

Sometimes in this place I feel like Alice. Alas there is no Cheshire Cat to befriend me ! Although there lots of candidates for the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. The literary illusions will be lost on many, since the young backpackers and under-30's think books are not cool.