Job Discussion Forums

[JalanJalan]

I am considering a teaching position in Riyad and would appreciate it if you could answer any or all of the following questions so I know what I'm getting into. Thanks in advance.

If I'm paid $37,000 and have housing, utilities, and r/t ticket once a year back home paid for, how much disposible income can I expect to have at the end of the year after normal living expenses ( food, transportation, etc.)?

I would be housed in the Diplomatic Quarter. If you have lived or been here, within the quarter, what's it like to live there? Are the typical Western style freedoms of movent, clothing, etc. allowed? How big an area is it? Can you come and go freely?

I just heard a warning about unnecessary travel to the country and that the US state dept. is sending home the wives and kids of its employees. I'm well traveled enough to know that these often err on the side of safety but are blown out of proportion. How seriously do you take these warnings? Do you feel comfortable there?

How easily/freely can you move around the city/country?

What did/do you like most about living in Saudi Arabia? What did/do you hate most about living there?

As a single man living in Saudi Arabia, should I expect to live a monk's life or are there also single Western women working there?

Any other insight you can offer would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks

[johnslat]

Dear JalanJalan,
I've been out of the Kingdom for about 9 months now (however, I lived in Riyadh for 15 years), but I'm still in e-mail contact with some people there, including a guy who lives on the DQ (hmmm, would you be thinking of working for Prince Sultan College there?).
The expenses: Well, that depends a lot on you, of course. Are you planning on going out of the country for any of the Eid holidays, for example? And how much of a "social life" do you figure you'll indulge in while in-country? But my expenses for an average month consisted mostly of: supermarket, bookstore and taxis. I usually managed to get by nicely on about 1,600 SR per month (about $425 US).
The DQ: Rather a nice place to live, actually. Freedom of movement - you mean around the DQ? Well, there ARE some "restricted areas", but on the whole, you're free to move around. Dress - pretty much the same as outside the DQ. You don't want to be walking around in short shorts, for example, since there are plenty of Saudis, men and women, there. However, you can wear athletic shorts, for instance, if you go out jogging.
There's a very nice walking/jogging trail there, by the way. The DQ's good-sized and while you might get some "security checks" going in, it's usually just a "wave-through" once the guards see you.
The people I'm in contact with there now are, of course, being sensibly cautious - there HAVE been a fair number of "shoot-outs" in various parts of the city recently between the police and "terrorists" - but their "life-styles" haven't been much, if at all, affected. As usual, the main danger remains: the TRAFFIC. But if you take taxis - especially from the DQ, where you usually call the taxi stand at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital for a pick-up - there shouldn't be any problems. Those drivers are all GOOD.
What was liked most? The chance to save a lot - NO bills every month -and, in my case, anyway, my job.
What did I dislike most? The TRAFFIC and on some occasions, the bureaucracy (but, if you have wasta - influence -, you can by-pass all the red tape) and the weather from about mid-May through mid November. That's about all.
I expect there are still a fair number of Western women working/living there, mostly nurses, most probably. While the "social circuit" has diminshed considerably (due to many Western ex-pats' leaving), it's still possible to have a social life - once you make the right contacts (and the DQ's a good place to do that).
That's one guy's take on "life in Riyadh". How you'll fare there depends mostly on two factors, I'd say:
1,. the sort of person YOU are
2. how tolerable your job is

Good luck,
John

[JalanJalan]

Thanks John,

that was an excellent response. I still hope to get some more feedback, but you've given me a good start. No, it is not the school you mentioned. However, since they are presently considering me and I haven't been offered the job yet and I haven't mentioned the school. I take it that the Saudis don't mix much with us expats.

[johnslat]

Dear JalanJalan,

[Cleopatra]

If you’re staying in the Dip. Quarter you will have many of the freedoms you would have at home, albeit in a decidedly sterile, unreal environment. As far as Riyadh goes, it’s probably as good as you’re going to get.

As to how much money you can expect to save, what can I say? It all depends. Some people manage to save practically all of their money, but they lead pretty sad lives. Unlike places like Dubai, however, there are few temptations for you to part with a lot of money in Riyadh, unless you develop a taste for “genuine’ alcohol bought on the black market, or spend lots of time in the gold suk buying pressies for your lady friends.

Safety? Again, it’s all a matter of perspective. If you believed State Dept or Home Office warnings, you’d never go anywhere, and you certainly wouldn’t go to the ME. The greatest danger you will face is likely to be suicide drivers rather than suicide bombers, but that isn’t to say the threat of terrorism doesn’t exist, because it does. But are you going to be safer in the US? That’s a moot point and is impossible to answer.

I certainly felt comfortable in KSA, and I’m a single woman who used to walk around Riyadh on her own at night. I suppose it’s only fair that I point out that many people would not see things as sanguinely as I did, but I can only speak for myself. Travel within KSA is surprisingly straightforward, certainly for men.

What did I like most about KSA? The weather (most of the year), low cost of living, the fascination of the culture, and best of all, my students – most of them! What did I dislike the most? The boredom and isolation which goes with being a single woman (and, to an extent, a single man) in KSA.

As for women, generally there are more single men than single women among KSA expats, for reasons which should be obvious. However, there should be no need for you to live like a monk, though the party scene has quietened down considerably in the last five years or so.

[JalanJalan]

Thanks for the info Cleopatra. Between you and John, I'm beginning to get a better idea about what it's like there.

[scot47]

I am not in Riyadh but my budget in KSA as a single man is similar to johnslat's.

I reckon that 2,000 SR a month is more than enough and leaves room for those luxuries that meake life here tolerable.

2,000 SR is about US$550.

But KSA is full of consumerist temptations. You can spend money here if you want !

Some of my more miserly colleagues will manage on less than half of what I spend.

[Stephen Jones]

You'de be pushed to spend more than SR4000 in Riyadh, even buying cars, computers and music. You can get by comfortably on spending as little as SR1000 a month. Decide how much you want to save and you'll save it.

The DQ is quite pleasant, but not much different from the rest of Riyadh. You can do without a car there, which is not true of most of the rest of Riyadh. Expect to be bored stiff though.

[Bindair Dundat]