Job Discussion Forums

The Noodles · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 202 Location: China, Chengdu

Greetings all!

Can you believe I've been here for 2 months already! In that time I can safely say I've found out some pretty interesting stuff about myself which I never knew... Or at least never accepted.

Anyway I have a little question for you alll.... 'I have this friend...' And he has a 3 month business Visa at least i think it's a business Visa. It's one which you're not allowed to work on anyways. Now I can't remember the specific dates. so lets just say it was issued on the 1st of march. Would it be valied until the 1st of June, or does it work on a 28 day month here in which case, it would expire on the 23rd of May?

My friend is waitng with bated breath.

Cleopatra · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject:

Your friend ought to know that all visas in KSA are dated according to the Hejira, not Gregorian calender. On average, the Hejira month is 1 day shorter than the Gregorian month, though this can vary. Ask a Saudi friend to read your 'friend's' visa and tell you the date of issue and expiry.

The Noodles · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 202 Location: China, Chengdu

well that's just it Cleo... I can't see any dates other than the issue date. And this looks to me like a Gregorian date 01/03/07. If it was Hejira, wouldn't it be different?

Cleopatra · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject:

"Different" from what?

All I know is that, unless things have changed in the past few months, all visas issued by the Saudis are in Hejira months. It's easy to find dual-system calenders if you need to check. Otherwise, just take your visa to your HR dept.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Look at a dual calendar. You will see that 1 March 2007 corresponds to 11 Safar. Three Hegira months after that is 11 Jumad al Thani. That corresponds to 28 May.

Your friend is now illegal.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

If you can't get your head around a dual Gregorian-Hegira Calendar - your life in KSA will be complicated !

The WORKING Calendar here is the Hegira one so if you come here learn how it works !

007 · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:34 am Post subject:

Cleopatra · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:37 am Post subject:

Once again, Abba, you show a wonderful inability to understand the point.

Whether or not your visa contains both Hejira and Gregorian dates, the fact remains that all visas are dated according to - and only to - the Hejira calender. Any mention of Gregorian dates is for your convenience only - they have no official significance.

007 · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:02 am Post subject:

The Noodles · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 202 Location: China, Chengdu

thanks people

You're right we will get this checked out offically. It's just that we got nervous about the dates and it was the weekend and we wanted to be pro active about it.

Again thanks

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

Cleopatra · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:45 am Post subject:

Now, I'm not one of those teachers who likes to 'work' outside hours, but there are two things I feel I need to point out, because your persistent inability to read and write English is becoming irritating:

1) The use of ! after almost every sentence is not appropriate, and actually looks rather silly.

2) When I used the word "dated" I was not referrring to dates stamped onto a document, however official, but to the dates according to which that document is valid, according to official policy. To repeat: in Saudi Arabia, only the Hejira calender is used for the purposes of dating official documents such as visas. Any reference to the Gregorian calender is purely for the convenience of those unfamiliar with Hejira dating, but has no official significance. End of story.

007 · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:15 pm Post subject:

trapezius · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:22 pm Post subject:

You don't understand what she is saying.

Yes, any dates stamped in your passport, whether Hijri, Gregorian, Babylonian, or even from the Jewish calendar, are all valid.

But, the counting of months is done according to the Hijri calendar. That is, if it says "valid for 3 months from 03/03/2007", you do statrt counting from the Gregorian date, but you count in Hijri months, i.e., you look up the corresponding Hijri date, count 3 Hijri months from there, and then convert back to Gregorian date.

That's what she is saying.

Cleopatra · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:32 pm Post subject:

Abba, are you looking for some sort of prize in being obtuse?

Now, I know that there are many people out there who think that joining the rotten WTO means that KSA, has, overnight, been catapulted into the wonderfully civilised "Western business community" but my point stands.

I'll say it one more time, and then give up on you: it doesn't matter how many dates, in how many calenders, are stamped into your passport. The only one that matters, in official circles, is the Hejira calender. Joining some nasty organisation aimed at making the world safe for US business is neither here nor there.