Job Discussion Forums

[Van Norden]

At least 90% of my associates have a car. And I don't think taxis are cheap when compared to running a car. I can run mine for a week or more for the cost of one taxi ride.

[Cleopatra]

[trapezius]

[Stephen Jones]

If you drive a lot buying a car is interestng. The problem with buying a new car is that now you do good because the dollar is decling, but there is normally the big drop in value when out the showman's door.

Second hand cars are a gamble; maybe win, maybe lose.

[trapezius]

That's what smart people with not too much disposable cash buy:

1) a used car
2) from one of the official car dealerships

That way, you aren't hit with the initial sudden drop in value as with a new car, and also, you get a car in good condition as it is from the dealer, and with a warranty as well.

DO NOT buy used cars from the car "haraj", or from anybody you don't know, unless the person is the only owner and has all the maintenance history.

You DO NOT want a car which, unbeknownst to you, has been in an accident or has been driven roughly.

Abdul Lateef Jamil (Toyota)
Haji Hussein Alireza (Mazda)
Hamrani (Nissan)
Abdullah Hashim (Honda)

all have showrooms with used cars. They only buy cars in good condition, accident free, and not more than 4-5 years old. They sell other than their makes as well, in their used car lots.

[scot47]

I manage without a car but by golly in the summer I use taxis a lot !

[Van Norden]

It's true that there are a few background costs in addition to the weekly benzene bill, but they aren't really that much. This is a cheap country for owning and running a car. If you do a cost-benefit analysis, the car is a better option for everyone but Club 300 members and hermits.

[dmb]

In Turkish culture there is an old saying that every man has the right to a horse, a gun and a woman. Nowadays this is replaced with a car, a mobile phone and a woman. There are over 3 million cars in Istanbul to testify this. Is there a similar thing in Gulf countries?

[scot47]

I can think of married couples where the wife has the mobile AND the car !

[Bebsi]

I agree with most posters, in fact!!!!!!!!!

I can see how some, in KSA for the short haul, would see taking taxis as an easier and cheaper option, as there is indeed the initial outlay involved in buying a car. If the employer provides a bus to work, and you don't go out much outside of work apart from maybe a supermarket trip once a week and the bank once a month sort of thing, then why bother?

However, if you want to have any sort of active life in KSA, as VN says, a car is imperative. And ultimately yes, it works out as the cheapest option in most cases. Petrol is dirt cheap, insurance is cheaper than Europe (by a long way) and there is no tax. Labour for repairs is generally cheap and the purchase cost isn't a big problem either, as you can sell when leaving.

OK, over a few years the car depreciates, but not nearly as much as in the west. In Western Europe, if you buy a car for 20k, you would be lucky to sell it for 10k after two years. If, as someone says, you get a car for 20k in Saudi, and after two years sell it for 15k, which is indeed very possible, it is costing only 2.5k per year in depreciation...........or 50 SAR a week. That's two Riyadh taxi rides, three max. Repairs/maintenance for the common makes of car are pretty cheap, and petrol costs a pittance in the Gulf anyway.

When I was in Hafr Al Batin, I bought a new Kia Optima, with all the bells & whistles, from Alireza Motors, on a leasing deal. Two years later, when I was leaving, I had to return it. [If I had moved my ass earlier I could have found an onward buyer] At the time I was very annoyed, but later I realised that for a payment of 1,700 SAR a month, I had a brand new car under me, and in that two years, I spent nothing on garages and maintenance apart from routine servicing and one new tyre after a 180 Kph blowout!! That monthly payment was about half of what I would have paid to rent an old clunker with very basic specs. Petrol cost me about 50 SAR a week. So, I did OK, considering that in that time I did a vast amount of driving: 70,000 Km.

What Trapezius has suggested may be an even better course of action. Go to a recognized dealer, and get something to suit your purposes. When you are leaving, go back to them, chances are they will take it back as long as it is not subject to any leasing or other lien and it hasn't been in a serious accident. Of course you will lose money, but nothing in life is free. The lifestyle cost will be correspondingly lower, for most people.

If of course you live onsite or transport is provided to work, and you go out on a limited basis, then yes, taxis may be cheaper but only then.

Also, many people don't feel comfortable driving in KSA. I can understand that, but the way I look at it, better me at the wheel than someone else. Master of my own destiny and all that!!

My overall advice? If you're going to spend any substantial amount of time in KSA, and want to have a life, get a car through one of the above means. It can make the difference between a life and madness.

[Bebsi]

Mrs. Bebsi was complaining that I spent too much time in the car while she was at home by herself.

I sent her for driving lessons!!

[zaylahis]

Bebsi....I was under the impression that women are not allowed to drive in KSA?

[scot47]

I think he means in his other domicile - Romania. Mr B left KSA some time ago but is still psychologically attached to this country.

Be careful - the desert sands can steal your wits away !

[dmb]

[Van Norden]

Bebsi is a class traitor. He has forsaken us for the bright lights of Bucharest and shady property dealings.

One thing that might tempt him back is the new Premium 91:
http://www.9195.info/9195/9195/contentAction.do?name=WHY2GG