Job Discussion Forums

[guty]

I have just been offered a job in Saudi and would like to bring my wife, who only speaks Spanish, and our new born child. My question is this, how does she prepare herself for a stint here?
I have worked in the ME before but not Saudi, and hear its a little different, to say the least. Are there any web sites or does anyone have a list of dos and donts for foreign women in KSA?
And what should she bring?
All advice appreciated.

[scot47]

The crucuial question is "Where are you going to live ?"

In some compounds I know there is a sizeable Spanish-speaking community (mainly from Latin America).

If housing is not provided and you are going to rent an apartment I am not sure how your wife will manage.

As to what you need to bring I would say NOTHING. You can get anything you need in KSA. Our second child was born in KSA and it is a child-friendly society with all the things that parents in the US and Europe have come to expect.

[veiledsentiments]

Guty,

Scot47 is right that you should find out what the living situation will be. If your wife's happiness is at all important to you, before accepting this job you need to know this. I have known many wives who loathed the entrapment of their lives in the KSA and I have known many marriages that didn't survive this strain. If she is stuck in a flat all day, every day with a new baby (while you are off working) with no one nearby who even speaks her language, things could get difficult. What would she do in case of an emergency with herself or the baby?

Maybe I am overstating this a bit, but these are important questions. This is certainly a baby friendly country, but not very woman friendly.

VS

[Nomad Dan]

Yep, There are some compounds with quite a Spanish-speaking community. it is really just dependent on where you will be....
Nomad Dan

[Cleopatra]

I don;t know of many Spanish speakers here in Riyadh, but then as I'm not active in the ex-pat, ahem "community" I'm probably not the most reliable source.

What I would say is that, unless your wife wants to depend on you and whatever Spanish speakers she can find, she is going to have to learn English. In many ways, English is more useful than Arabic in KSA and almost all ex-pats speak it, most fluently. Your wife will be very left out if she doesn't know English, and, believe me, in KSA you don't want to limit your already limited social opportunities!

Even women - and men -who work full-time find KSA excrutiatingly boring at times. Things which sound OK in theory can be very unpleasant in reality. KSA is fine if you have a decent job and a wide social circle, but if not, it can be very very restrictive. Take it from one who knows ...

[scot47]

Cleopatra is right. Your wife could have a very difficult time. It depends on where you are living/working and what kind of social circle you can build around you.

You have not told us where you are going or who the employer is. What about housing ? On a compound or a HOusing Allowance ?

[Stephen Jones]

Tell her to stay at home. If she comes she'll hate it and end up divorcing you.

You can't bring her for a few months anyway.

[guty]

OK, thanks for the replies so far, we will be living on a compound in Dhahran. I have been told that there are Spanish speakers there, the original question was more about how to prepare ourselves, day to day things she/we wont be able to do, like driving, shopping, etc.
Divorce, hey if we dont like it, we will leave, there are more important things than money after all.

[Nomad Dan]

Well, If you were going to Aramco in Dhahran, they would have an orientation to get your Mrs all ready. When I went through this orientation, there was a South American lady there with us and they were suggesting she teach Spanish in the Aramco School...Like I was going to do....(I never went, btw)
There are opportunities. I think that she'll be fine in Dhahran. As far as not driving....If you were Aramcon, she could drive on camp...If not, er, prepare yourselves, she can't drive.
She can go shopping by her little lonesome.
Limousines and buses to the shops....Frequent...
SHopping is a popular thing to do.
Wish you could pick me up a few rugs.
It can be an incredible life.
I loved it.
I knew lots of women who loved it....
and others who hated it.
Suerte
No Mad DAN

[Cleopatra]

A few people love KSA, a few people hate it. The vast majority tolerate it with varying degrees of contentment, having good days and bad days. Much depends on your personal circumstances. That's true everywhere, of course, but in KSA you have fewer opportunites to 'break free' of an unpleasant situation, as everything is so rigid and restricted. Unfortuantely, there's no way of telling in advance exactly what your circustansnces are going to be and how you are going to react to them.

Generally speaking, EFL teachers here don't have to reckon with much of the nonsense that goes on elsewhere in the EFL world - you should (touch wood!) have a decent schedule, decent accomodation, decent pay. What you will have to deal with is boredom and a sense of being 'cut off' from the 'real world'. This will be all the more acute if your wife doesn't speak English or Arabic - as I said before, she MUST learn English is she doesn't want to be utterly dependent on you and whatever Spanish speakers she manages to find. BTW, I would want more info about that vague 'there are Spanish speakers on the compound' claim. But maybe I'm just a cynic.

All things considered, KSA isn't such a bad place. Just about anyone can stumble through for a couple of years. When you think about it, we EFL veterans have generally been through much worse.

[guty]

Nomad Dan said

[Nomad Dan]

Friend, if you are going in as an Aramcon, worry not! Orientation is about getting your coffee makers unpacked before they ship it, not taking that case of Corona Beer and about the do's and dont's of life in Saudi. Nothing major. Aramco takes care of you....Good care.
I should imagine that you will be flown to Houston and given that orientation eventually.

Your wife will have some really good social opportunities as will you. I ended up not going over a couple of issues including a letter of no objection and a red flag from a few brushes with the law from the 90s. Aramco frowns on any past legal issues.

You are in good shape. Lots of the horror stories you may see on this forum simply don't apply to your situation.

Nomad Dan

[guty]

Appreciate all the advice from all the posters, thanks

[The_Prodiigy]