Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

BTW... you can't post photos here for the obvious reasons. Back in the day when you could, there tended to be postings of what seemed to be of a... um... gynecological nature.

And even untouched photos of housing can be very misleading. One often misses out on the hidden stains and interesting smells. But Cletus sounds pretty flexible...

VS

[nomad soul]

Also, if you sign on with a company that provides accommodation (i.e., no housing allowance), you essentially have to live where they tell you to and in whatever conditions. No choice. So if housing is extremely important to you, then only consider those companies that offer a housing allowance. Otherwise, lower your expectations so that you're not disappointed once you land in KSA.

[onemoreteacher]

This is in no way necessarily the place, but there is a Liwan al-Khalij furnished apartments at exit 15 (about 10 km away). There's one photo here. Most of these places don't have much of an internet presence. FWIW, one online review of that place said "you won't find anything cleaner at this price."

[sicklyman]

guys guys guys... calm down. There are hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of these furnished apartment places in every Saudi city. If Google had each of these labelled on their maps there wouldn't be room for anything else.

These places are virtually all the same. 3-4 storeys of rooms with usually dark and dingy apartments with furniture from a Gothic horror remake and rooms in a haphazardly designed fashion. You may or may not have a hot plate. It may or may not work. There may or may not be anything to eat or cook with in the kitchen. You might be thankful there isn't. You'll have free wifi which will probably only work if you stand in the entrance hallway to Skype your mother. It'll seem fairly quiet during the week but at weekends you'll see SUVloads of families spill out into the street outside and will endure their 15 kids screaming along all the corridors until 4am each night. There might be a gym. There might be a machine that works in it. There'll be a shop run by someone from South Asia within walking distance. You'll walk around it trying to figure out how to compose some kind of meal from what its shelves contain. And you'll probably end up there a number of times before you realise that it shuts for prayer time. You'll spend a couple of weeks looking around for accommodation before realising that what you're desperately trying to get out of is probably actually not too bad. Eventually, you'll strike a six-month deal with the guy at reception promising that you'll find somewhere better by then...

[Cletus]

Sicklyman..Sounds like Detroit.

[sicklyman]

yeah, but stuff closed for prayer a long time ago there and still hasn't reopened

[Nicholas19]

Arrived in Saudi Arabia. The Hotel looks like the pictures.

The shower is very weak, like a drizzle, but I'm assuming this is a general problem here. The wifi is generally good but Skype only shows a blurry picture of whoever you're talking to. The hotel appears to be quite remote from everything else, which is a bit of a problem. It costs about 10 riyals to get to the nearest supermarket, the Hyper Panda, and about 25 riyals to get to the Granada shopping centre, which is huge. I've been told that you shouldn't pay more than 40 riyals to get anywhere in Riyadh by taxi. It's about 6 riyals to the pound at the moment.

Best regards,

[CANDLES]

Well, there is a Lewan cafe in Talia Street in Riyadh, or hotel in Doha!

Please, just wait and be surprised! No high expectations as these motels/hotels/aparthotels are usually pretty much decrepit.

[CANDLES]

Nicolas9......

Are you on Exit 9 then if Granada Mall is nearer to you and Hyper Panda across the street on the corner? Yes, I think you are in the wilderness; reason being that ICEAT office is very near to these apartments.

As for 40 Riyals - no my friend, that is not true- negotiate! 50 Riyals is max for airport only one way. Inside Riyadh 25-30....if not walk away and there'll drop the price.

[alanportland]

Hi Nicolas9,
get in touch with my mate and member of this forum river nile he is a good guy and has worked in Saudi for 6 years. He has a lot of connections in Riyadh and always helps fellow teachers.

[Nicholas19]

[nomad soul]

Once you get to KSA, you'll find your colleagues at your workplace will be an invaluable source of info. After all, they were once in your shoes. Plus, just like you, there will also be new teachers trying to adjust and get their bearings.