Job Discussion Forums

[scot47]

So young and so innocent !

[trapezius]

[007]

[Bob Gorn]

This is the funniest thread in a long time. Anyone who could ask about dating Saudi women should never, ever go to KSA. You can be killed just for talking to a Saudi woman. The woman herself might be willing, but it's the father and the brothers you have to worry about.

As for dating, I've seen Western men carry on relationships with non-Saudi, non-Muslim women. It is possible to go out to restaurants in groups or with another couple. You can always sit in the "curtained" private areas reserved for families. And as for compound dating, why not? Renting videos and cooking together is a lot like marriage, and could be a better preview than going out.

Single men in KSA should always be discreet about any kind of dating. Saudi bosses can use your "immoral" ways against you at any time. If it were me, I'd just keep my private life over the causeway in Bahrain.

Word to the poster looking for child care: be sure to start early if you're looking for a place in a nursery or day care. The English-speaking ones tend to fill up and have waiting lists. You might do better to find a bored compound wife who would like to make some extra money by looking after your kids. In my experience, an available Filipina/Bangladeshi female housekeeper is hard to find in KSA. You would have to sponsor one yourself, and that is costly and time-consuming.

[Bob Gorn]

BTW, I remember seeing a lot of places for kids in KSA. A lot of very nice play areas in the big shopping malls, nice play zones in McDonald's and Burger King, Toys R Us, small petting zoos. Dhahran mall had an ice skating rink in its food area. Families do walk together in the evening, but I don't recall women out alone with small children. You can always walk the baby on the compound, though.

[canadashirleyblue]

I don't recall anyone out walking young children. They don't have parks or sidewalks to walk on. And it's hot as hell.

Lots of older male children are out on the streets at night. I never found them to be a problem. They were just making a lot of noise and male bonding. They love to drive their vehicles with the biggest tires I have ever seen and the most noise I have ever heard at great rates of speed down the main drags.

There are loads of places to take small children. Be careful that it is a family day if you want the whole family to go. Sometimes it is just fathers and children allowed. I remember Star City and Snoworld but I know there are loads more.

Most of the stuff available for children is theme park type. There isn't the sort of things kids would do in the west - like cubs or scouts or ballet lessons or piano lessons etc.

You cannot go to a restaurant with a woman who is not a blood relative. Not even if she is under the same sponsorship. Or anywhere else for that matter. You CANNOT date. At all. Ever. It is illegal. Booze is illegal. Any worship other than Islam is illegal. Everywhere in the kingdom. People do these things but there is always the risk that if someone takes offense you are out of luck.

You will not likely meet a Saudi woman. Where would you? They will not be working where there are men. If you go to pay your phone bill or send a fax etc. there are separate entrances. It just won't happen. At least not for long enough for you to have a conversation about anything personal at all. If you want to have someone of the opposite sex in your life you need to get married and then go to Saudi. If you want to play the field don't even bother with Saudi.

There are excellent medical facilities in Saudi. Just check that the ones you go to are those!

Al Jazeera has the best English language news in the world.

Saudi is definately safe. Every now and then you hear of them killing a few terrorists. But in terms of everyday safety it is safer than Toronto. There was a child killed in a Toronto school this summer, several lockdowns, numerous murders. You just don't get that.

Yes, you can save money. Even I, who like to spend, have saved money there.

School owners vary. Best to go for an American or British school They pay more anyway.

[MIKEBUCHAN]

I am interested in this thread as it is a current, up to date conversation between people. I was in SA on the west coast in the mid 90's and we had wild parties almost every night and that included live bands, big BBQ's and just about anything else you could dream up. We had theme parties and costume parties and beach (inside the compund at the pool) parties and and and. And scuba diving every weekend. Sometimes on the BAE compound, sometimes on ours and other times on other compunds - but always we stayed over night if there was any drinking.

The one huge difference that I can read here is this: you guys are teaching 'regular' college or high school students in public schools and we had military technicians and classes were held on their base.

Keep up the new data - I am enjoying all of it!

Mike

[Stephen Jones]

[Bob Gorn]

I would agree with canadashirleyblue that KSA at least feels safer on a day to day basis than any major city in the US or Canada. However, we always need to remember that KSA has nothing like a free press and we hear only what they want us to hear.

When you've been there a while, you start to hear the horror stories that never officially came out. I'm only saying this so that new people will remember to take the normal precautions even if they feel safe. Lock your doors, keep a very close eye on your children, and never send your womenfolk alone with any man for any reason.

Every society has its crimes whether they are visible to us or not, and KSA is no exception.

[Stephen Jones]

----'we always need to remember that KSA has nothing like a free press and we hear only what they want us to hear."----

Crimes seem to be only reported when they're solved. Nothing to do with lack of freedom of the press though. Simply that the police don't let on until they've been successful.

Rumormongering is of course the national pasttime.

[Cleopatra]

I must say I find it amusing that not a few of our male posters here seem to think that the only reason Saudi women aren't 'dating' foreign men is because the scary menwith beards "won't let them". Belive me, most Saudi women would not "date" your average ESLer even in the unlikely even of their menfolk encouraging them to do so - and who can blame them?

[The_Prodiigy]

Cleopatra implores us to believe that all other Saudi women think along the same lines as her. This is highly unlikely to be the case. In the past Cleo has reveled that KSA is ... dull and lacking in stimulation.
More recently, apparently KSA offers leisure pursuits identical to what one might be able to experience in the UK. This is wide of the mark and undermines all remaining credibility.

[sheikh radlinrol]

[Susan WW]

I dont know what point you people are making.
The surest thing is
Ive been to many countries,working as a teacher and most women will not trust male ESL/EFL native speakers, let alone dating/choosing them as life partner. (what does your husband do?? He teaches English. Oh because he speaks English( as native language)..what skills does he have ?? wondering)
The only woman (any nationality) who will go for them is someone who is desperately needing a white man so that she can move to UK/US or, may be.. should I say "love".
Again What `s love got to do with anything??
I wuldnt go for one of them, thinking he would correct my spelling and grammar all the time.
Is this supposed to be "Saudi Job Forum"??


I cant believe I got beeped because I mis-spelled "countries " without "o"

[Cleopatra]