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ludhilltoysoldier
Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Posts: 31
Location: UAE
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 Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:45 am Post subject: |
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Are there any single females here who have lived and worked in both KSA and UAE? If so, in which did you feel safer or 'more comfortable' as a single female, and which would you recommend for a first time Middle Easterner? Thanks  |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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Easy answer... go to the UAE.
I spent many years in the Gulf and avoided Saudi for my own personal reasons which had nothing to do with feeling safer, but everything to do with having control of my life. I wanted to be able to own and drive a car and go where I wanted, when I wanted, be it shopping or driving over to a neighboring country. I don't like the ability of Saudi employers to keep you from leaving the country. (no restrictions in the UAE, no holding of passports, no exit visas required)
Then there was the thing about dress. I found the idea of wearing a black abaya every day and covering my hair to be a claustrophobic and uncomfortable idea in a country where the temps are extremely hot, and often humid, for 8 months of the year. If they are around right now, Mia will tell you that she didn't mind it... and Cleopatra loves her abayas.
JMHO... 
VS |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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I haven't yet taught in other places in the Gulf, but I can speak to my experience in Saudi Arabia.
I had little fear of physical crime. I think that the level of that in the Kingdom is very low.
On the other hand, way too many people I know were robbed- either in the compound or at the university. The university took no responsibility for either, and some people had their computers (property of PMU) stolen from their university offices and PMU made them pay full value for them.
I was very concerned about protection in the compound- security was incredibly lax and unprofessional- as proven by the number of break-ins and thefts in the compound.
From everything I have heard, life is much easier for women in other parts of the Gulf. |
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ludhilltoysoldier
Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Posts: 31
Location: UAE
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| Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks. I'd pretty much decided on the UAE after having done some research, but it's good to have an opinion from people with firsthand experience. Cheers! |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| On the other hand, way too many people I know were robbed- either in the compound or at the university. The university took no responsibility for either, and some people had their computers (property of PMU) stolen from their university offices and PMU made them pay full value for them. |
Seems to be a local problem.
Car theft is surprisingly common in Saudi, and petty pilfering is also (Saudis are normally but not always the culprits). However burglaries are fairly rare, and robberies from offices is unknown anywhere I've worked. |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Stephen Jones wrote: |
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| On the other hand, way too many people I know were robbed- either in the compound or at the university. The university took no responsibility for either, and some people had their computers (property of PMU) stolen from their university offices and PMU made them pay full value for them. |
Seems to be a local problem.
Car theft is surprisingly common in Saudi, and petty pilfering is also (Saudis are normally but not always the culprits). However burglaries are fairly rare, and robberies from offices is unknown anywhere I've worked. |
This goes back to the terrible security issue at PMU. I would expect the theft rate at PMU to be about aerage for the Kingdom- i.e., low. But there have been many thefts from offices- money and computers, and villas- anything of value, including very large sums of money. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Why would anyone have large sums of money lying about their home in the first place? That is just asking for trouble. I lived on a cash basis and used no credit cards, but with the advent of the ubiquitous ATM machines, I never kept much cash lying about.
But... I suspect that there are watchers at the banks who know who is taking out large sums of cash... in all the Gulf countries.
VS |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Why would anyone have large sums of money lying about their home in the first place? That is just asking for trouble. |
On business visas thus no bank account? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Stephen Jones wrote: |
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| Why would anyone have large sums of money lying about their home in the first place? That is just asking for trouble. |
On business visas thus no bank account? |
I keep forgetting the bargain basement toilet bowls of the Saudi education business. So, teachers are paid in cash? ugh...
Can they not take the cash to an exchange? I suppose that you need an Iqama to do that too?
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
Why would anyone have large sums of money lying about their home in the first place? That is just asking for trouble. I lived on a cash basis and used no credit cards, but with the advent of the ubiquitous ATM machines, I never kept much cash lying about.
But... I suspect that there are watchers at the banks who know who is taking out large sums of cash... in all the Gulf countries.
VS |
Many people at PMU have had their Saudi bank accounts frozen at times because their iqamas and visas have not been kept up to date by government relations at the uni (some for months at a time). Others have opted not to have a bank account in Saudi for that reason. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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Dear desultude,
I always kept just the minimum required to keep the account open and sent the rest home each month.
I learned my lesson in Iran in '79.
Regards,
John |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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| johnslat wrote: |
Dear desultude,
I always kept just the minimum required to keep the account open and sent the rest home each month.
I learned my lesson in Iran in '79.
Regards,
John |
Yeah, I agree- I don't like to keep mine in an unstable circumstance.
The one person who had many thousands stolen was from an African country- who knows what the circumstances were. But others were being paid in cash, and someone knew when payday was.
Shortly after the first big spate of thefts, the son of one of the investors in the uni, who was living on the compound for no obvious reason, was moved off the compound, and that run of thefts ceased.
The point is that there is really no effective security on the Oryx 1 compound. One day I saw a large white van with no signage and covered windows parked on the compound. I went to the head of maintenance and we went to security. The head of maintenance and I were gobsmacked when security knew nothing of the van, or whose it was. The van had just driven onto the compound with no knowledge on the part of security. |
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