Job Discussion Forums

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

I'm curious about the infamous Klub 500 (spelled with a capital letter too I notice)

what does living on 500 riyals a month entail? What do Klub 500 people eat? What do they do at the weekends? Are they all just weirdos?

and are there many people who actually do this?

SD BOY · Joined: 29 Mar 2009 Posts: 60

Yes, they are all just weirdos. Yes, there are many of them.

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

come on mate give me a few details Very Happy

!

Kipling · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject:

Yes, a penny for your thoughts.....and not a penny more.
Mr K Very Happy

SD BOY · Joined: 29 Mar 2009 Posts: 60

There are expats in KSA who are extremely frugal...living on the equivalent of $150 ... a hundred pounds a month. I've known some who've saved their money and bought a house or houses in the US, UK in cash..I , unfortunately, was not among them.
Local restaurants in the Kingdom can be quite good and reasonably priced...kababs, schwarmas, hommous, local bread etc. Fresh juice is usually a bargain.
Buy used books..or any books before you go- as they are expensive in Kingdom and the selection is meager. You will probably, by necessity, develop an interest in Islam...Karen Armstrong and Bernard Lewis are two authors I'd recommend.
If you live in Jeddah or environs..scuba/snorkeling are excellent..and cheap.
Saudi might be a good place to do an online course...if you have a decent Internet connection. I knew a guy in the Emirates who did just that, and was immediately hired by an IT company when he returned to Boston.
What else? Saudi's a good place to knock off Proust or the complete works of Goethe. You are bound to become intimately acquainted with with the entire on-air staff of both CNN and the BBC.
One thing I will say in defense of the Kingdom...there is no greater feeling in the world than boarding a plane at King Fahad airport bound for Singapore, Sydney, Capetown, San Francisco etc...with $25,000 in your pocket.
Irish Village terminal 1 DXB...here I come!!

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

johnslat · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:15 pm Post subject:

Dear sheikh,
Old Spanish proverb:

God said, "Take what you want . . . and pay for it."

Regards,
John

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

johnslat · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:49 pm Post subject:

Dear sheikh,
You'll find it about 3/4s down the page here:

http://www.dictionaryquotes.com/authorquotations/273/_Spanish_Proverb.php

Unfortunately, sheik, God is a lot more demanding than you are. And, in my experience anyway, you pay (one way or another) for whatever good things you may get.
Regarding my comment about "picking up the tab", what surprised you? To my recollection (which could be faulty) the IPA stopped doing it sometime before I left in 2003. I always used to get the Saudi director to sign for me.
Regards,
John

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

I'll be one of those people looking to save money to buy property with.

I'm not super stingey, but I'm good at saving so I'm confident I'll be able to do this! Thanks for the info so far anyway.

When you say eating out is affordable can you go into a bit more detail please. Obviously it would be Arabic style cuisine, but I'm fine with eating that. The local food is always cheaper than western food. But how much would it be roughly?

Kipling · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:33 pm Post subject:

gungediana

johnslat · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:50 pm Post subject:

Or go here, for restaurants, reviews and prices:

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Middle_East/Saudi_Arabia/Mintaqat_ar_Riyad/Riyadh-1807397/Restaurants-Riyadh-BR-1.html

In particular, may I recommend Assaraya Turkish Restaurant: Turkish Cuisine - a great dining experience and very reasonable.

At the site, you can also find much more:

More Riyadh Tips
Overview
Hotels and Accommodations
Tips: 50 - Photos: 48
Things To Do
Tips: 138 - Photos: 231 Nightlife
Tips: 16 - Photos: 15
Transportation
Tips: 44 - Photos: 22 Restaurants
Tips: 116 - Photos: 173
Shopping
Tips: 64 - Photos: 73 Off the Beaten Path
Tips: 21 - Photos: 50
Tourist Traps
Tips: 10 - Photos: 2 Warnings or Dangers
Tips: 33 - Photos: 22
Local Customs
Tips: 80 - Photos: 62 Packing Lists
Tips: 20 - Photos: 12
Sports Travel
Tips: 12 - Photos: 11 General Tips
Tips: 37 - Photos: 37
Flights
Tips: 12 - Photos: 0

For many other Saudi cities, please go here:

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Middle_East/Saudi_Arabia/TravelGuide-Saudi_Arabia.html

Regards,
John

trapezius · Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:19 am Post subject:

Here are approximate costs for a 2-3 course meal:

Cheapest places: SR. 10 or under
Local burger/fried chicken/pizza places: SR. 10-15
McD/BK/Pizza Hut, etc: SR. 15-30
Decent South Asian places: Sr. 20-40
Decent Lebanese/Turkish places: SR. 20-50
Applebee's/Chili's/TGIF/etc: SR. 75-100
Nice upscale places: SR. 100-200

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

alright, thanks for the links and the info peeps

like I said before, it's great to have a friendly forum where newbies can ask questions without getting grief,

thanks again

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124