Job Discussion Forums

zzgal05 · Joined: 05 Dec 2005 Posts: 6 Location: KSA

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me about Jubail.

I have lived in Jeddah and of course, the shopping, the crowd, the food is there.

But what about Jubail? Can I expect the malls, restaurants, etc.? Supermarkets? Furniture stores? Or is it just this "Industrial City"? What is there to do as far as recreation?

Is there much of this or do people do shopping in Dammam?

Also, if you live near the universities, what is rent like and the size of apartments? I would need at least 3 or 4 bedrooms.

Any and all info on Jubail life would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

LIfe in Jubail -- an oxymoron?

Arab Strap · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 246 Location: under your bed

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

zzgal05 · Joined: 05 Dec 2005 Posts: 6 Location: KSA

Thank you for the info.

It was greatly appreciated.

zzgal.

italianstallion39 · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:48 pm Post subject: thanks

Thank you for the helpful information.

MixtecaMike · Joined: 19 Nov 2003 Posts: 643 Location: Guatebad

Apart from Fanateer Mall, Huwaylat Mall is slowly filling up with shops. Albeit not particularly exciting ones, but the Jarir Bookstore there is fairly good.

The city doesn't smell, if you live in the Industrial City and don't run off to downtown to save a few pennies on rent. There are nice sea breezes some of the time, and not-so-nice dusty winds from inland at other times, but smelly industrial odors are a very rare happening.

For a three-bedroom villa, about 250 m2, I paid 40,000 this year, which was with a "discount" for paying the rent 3 months earlier than it was due. Most people I know with similar accomodation are paying mid-40s, and it goes up every year. More company accomodation for foreign workers is being built (apparently) but only the most optomistic of us really believe there will much ready in the foreseable future.

Khobar is only about 80 minutes away for all your shopping needs, but the local supermarkets (Panda & Farm) have everything I need except Heinz pickle and Vegemite, which I got from Tamimi in Dammam (60 minutes drive away).

If you are a family person (probably so, as you need a 3-4 bedroom house) there are lots of green areas for your kids to run around in or go swimming, at least during the cooler 6 months of the year.

Markemark · Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 82 Location: ksa

Jubail has a pathetic fakeness that adds to its dullness. Flower dispays, pristine streets, manicured lawns, all a mere gloss. You can spray paint a cage's iron bars in cheap gold paint if you wish, but you're still locked in and will probably end up wandering the corniche- walking the mile in humid Jubail- bored senseless out of your skull. Jubail is utterly lacking in character. It is also a 'dangerous' with a stabbing and a recent gun attack against teachers. Saudi tearaway teenagers like to speed around looking for people to knock over. Jubail- the very word is an obscenity.

sugardaddy22 · Joined: 14 Jun 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Al Ain

Jubail is an unspeakable dump.
For a country with the wealth of KSA...this port city is almost unimaginable in its desolation and general grusomeness.
Leaving the place by way of the blessed King Fathead Causeway is the only thing to look forward to.

There are a couple of decent places to eat, however...one is called the Sailor ...the others are on the western compounds, which you will find soon enough.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:23 pm Post subject:

Yes, Markemark and sugardaddy22: But you haven't directly spoken to the OP inferred question...should he consider moving there?

NCTBA Laughing

Marquess · Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 165

sugardaddy22 · Joined: 14 Jun 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Al Ain

Yes,
I must say, before the Sister of Novices and the Sister of Postulants harp in (and, you know who you are girls!)...Jubail-we're not talking about the Fenateer- is a rat hole.
Local youths tried to kill me repeatedly on the road to al-Khobar....and that was not even the least of it.

Markemark · Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 82 Location: ksa

So the average TEFL expat is a dumb chump willing to not only soothe his own misery but actually find joy in:
a) A trip to a third rate book store that primarily sells stationery
b) A trip to the supermarket

Keep pigin' out on the tv dinners, moussi beers and oh yes- the trips to the two malls.
Anyone who is a 'real' person, really shouldn't be there. And as for me, I'm a nobody. Who are you?
I stand by what i wrote, Jubail is a bethobed would- be- rapists paradise, nothing more. The only POSSIBLE reason to stay there would be MONEY, ching ching- $$$$, and anyone who is there for less than SR 15,000- really is a chump.
Enjoy the shopping trips and the Barbara Cartland novels, jeez, some people.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:10 pm Post subject:

So, I take it, Markemark, that you're undecided! Laughing

BTW, Marquess has been VERY busy deleting posts! Why, oh, why??? Confused

NCTBA

ganesh77 · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 37

First of all, whoever posted that Jubail doesn't smell as though a massive petrochemical accident took place obviously doesn't live in Jubail. Different days of the week will have different intensities of smells, ranging from your usual fart-like sulfurous smells to a more acidic smell that you can taste in your mouth and affects your breathing. Some days it doesn't smell too. It seems to smell more at night, but that's likely because I work indoors during the day Smile

You can buy anything and everything you want, although you are at the mercy of people with cars, or renting taxis, until you get your own vehicle. The selection in the supermarkets is acceptable, but for the products you are more familiar with you'll have to do a trip to Khobar or Dammam.

The public art here is horrendous. The Saudis seem to think that a giant lightbulb and a pair of hands holding a few drops of water seem to bring life to the place. They don't. The road signs depicting burqa-clad women are much more interesting, in my opinion. You'll see abaya-clad women on some advertisements too, mind you.

If you are hoping to have a life, then this isn't the place to be (unless you think weekend-runs to Bahrain are "having a life"). If you want a place where you'll make lots of cash, and if you consider having satellite tv and an internet connection as all the perks you need to experience happiness, then Jubail could very well be a decent way station in life. Expect to gain weight even after you've joined a gym lol.