Job Discussion Forums

teacherdude · Joined: 13 Sep 2004 Posts: 260

Hi,

I work in Istanbul, Turkey and am thinking of coming over to Saudi Arabia.

I really know next to nothing about the country, other than it's a Muslim state, and thus the lifestyel is very different.

What should someone like me know, ie. classic mistakes or misconceptions made by newcomers, eg. I was shocked to find out that I can't walk outside in shorts (I'm a male). Is this true?

Some basic questions of my own.
(i) I'm a University Graduate with a TESL Diploma. I have taught for the last eight years. What salary range should I expect?

(ii) Are there Visa issues and will my employer pay the costs?

(iii) What is ther to do socially in the capital, eg. cafes, cinemas, film festivals etc?? I assume there are no night clubs.

(iv) What should I be aware of when dealing with locals in a social setting?

(v) As a single male, is it difficult to meet members of the opposite sex?

(vi) Is it difficult to get satellite TV, with American and British programming?

(vii) Is it difficult to cable money to America or Canada?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Regards,
Teacher Dude

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

The US Bureau of Consular Affairs website has an information sheet that will answer your questions: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1012.html
Yes, walking outside in shorts in Islamic countries can cause offence, particularly in rural areas. As for meeting members of the opposite sex, I presume - I hope - you mean other non-Muslims. Making advances towards local women would make you even less popular than Will Smith at a gathering of the KKK.

The_Prodiigy · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 252

Hello there.

Saudi is entirely different to other places. Must be.
Las Vegas is in a similar situation but they have made something from nothing there.

It can be an interesting experiment in how humans can make the worst of what resources they have.

You will find your internet searches heavily censored .. you will have your suitcase opened and CDs and MDs confiscated or subject to time-wasting inspections.

There are no cinemas - they do not like groups of woman gathering in one darkened room at the same time ....

There is plenty of sand and camels .... there are not many decent coffee shops and the worst place is Riyadh.

Bahrain is four-hours drive away and you can actually have a cool Heineken.

My advice is ...try ...

Queen of Sheba · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 397

And...the real kicker is you can't EVEN wear shorts.

Cleopatra · Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 9:53 am Post subject:

The_Prodiigy · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 252

also in saudi · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 137

Some extremists will even kill someone wearing shorts.

Reference recent incident in Iraq.

Really sick.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I can't say that the prohibition on shorts in public is a big issue with me !

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 4:38 am Post subject:

The_Prodiigy · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 252

Banning of shorts is a relatively minor irritation from life in The Desert.

Being ejected from Safeways during prayer time is more inconvenient.

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 8:49 am Post subject:

The_Prodiigy · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 252

Ambiguous comments even more so.

I fail to see a link between my post and your remark.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

The good news is that the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will turn a blind eye to the practice of wearing shorts at home. The same applies to a number of other dubious activities.

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

When you say 'home', do you mean 'home country' ..

Bebsi · Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 958

You can wear shorts, as a male, in KSA subject to a few considerations.

1. Never wear short shorts, if you know what I mean! Keep them sort of knee-length, or at least to within a few inches of the knee.

2. In certain cities there is no problem at all, such as Jeddah, or in Dhahran/Dammam/Khobar. You will get some mild unwelcome attention in Riyadh, but in smaller cities like Abha, Hafr Al Batin, etc, I would be inclined to avoid them altogether.

3. Even within the more liberal cities, it is much more acceptable wearing shorts in the malls or along the Corniche, than in the vicinity of busy mosques or older parts of town.

It's all about discretion and commonsense, really.