Job Discussion Forums

[frankschluss]

Hi everyone
Please help,im moving to kuwait in 4 weeks from South Africa,have been offered work in the retail management field package is 1000.kwd basic salary,accomodation allowance of 300kwd,1500kwd furniture allowance,medical insurance,company car and petrol for period of 3 to 5 years.is this a good package?and 30 days annual leave.

For 300kwd would i find a modern 1 bed flat in a good area with airconditioner living with expats?

Would i get used to the driving,i was there for 1 day,and that scared me..
Is there really no alcohol in Kuwait?

Can you swim in the sea on the beach,fishand do outdoor activities?

Do you have to be married to live together in Kuwait,and If i do marry my girlfriend would its be easy for her to get a visa and get work in Kuwait?She is qualified as a trainer/ public relations in the corporate field.
Can couples walk around and hold hands and go to gym and movies together?
sorry for all the questions,just running out of time.

One more thing that worries me ,is that im a white south african and my girlfriend is an indian south african.would this pose a problem for us?
with the locals and the expats in Kuwait?
Is it expensive to travel to Bahrain/dubai/London on holidays?
Is there wireless internet network available?

Do the local people and expats get along with each other or is there racial/cultural discrimniation.

Is there any South africans living in Kuwait and is it fairly safe to live there and easy to make friends with locals and expats?

hope to get advise soon
thanks
Frank
[email protected]

[veiledsentiments]

Frank,

Are you aware that this is a board for English teachers? We don't know if this is a fair package for your profession or not. The salary is higher than most teachers get, the accomodation is about equal, the furniture allowance is a bit low, but the car and petol is something we could only dream about. At least we normally get double the annual leave, but that is usual in education.

You can find a decent flat for that money - not luxurious, but decent. One never really gets used to the driving... and yes booze is illegal. If it is crucial to your day, this is probably not the country for you.

Much of the year is too hot for outdoor activities as temps in the 50's are not unusual, though never admitted to by the government. Personally the pollution level in the sea was way too high for me... probably depends on how strong your immune system is.

Cohabitation is illegal in Muslim countries and is normally punishable by lashes and deportation. That said, many do it with no problems. But the ones who do are invariably two pasty-faced Westerners. If one of the pair is dark skinned, unwanted attention will come, and your girlfriend could very easily find herself jailed for prositituion. If you want her to come with you, marry her or forget it. If she has credentials and experience, she would have little problem getting a job.

The expats of the Gulf are a racially mixed (many inter-racial marriages) group, who mostly get along. Your girlfriend/wife may find that some people treat her with less respect than they should... most subcontinental people in the Gulf are servants.

One can find cheaply priced tickets through Kuwait Air at times... Dubai and Bahrain are affordable, but not terribly often on 1000 KD a month.

Good Luck

VS

[here_now]

In regards to alcohol, it is not allowed and thus you can't really purchase it anywhere...that said, many people do have bars at home, either they were lucky enough not to have all their luggage checked coming in (you just get it confiscated if caught) or they have ties to foreign embassies and diplomats who can provide you with alcohol

Couple behavior in public: being out together (dinner, movie..walking around) is no problem at all...I would however refrain from making out in public

Regarding your girlfriend and how she's likely to be treated in Kuwait, I don't disagree with Veiledsentiments when she says that most subcontinental people are servants and aren't treated with much respect unfortunately. However, most people can distinguish between a maid/nanny and a professional...so I don't think most people will automatically assume she's a servant and treat her with less respect. I knew quite a few indians working in Kuwait as professionals or business people who didn't face the same problems as their servant counterparts.

[sharko]

For 300KD a month, you can find a nice, decent place. I live in a small 2 bedroom in Salmiya with views of the Gulf, located near the endless strip of malls on Hamad Al-Mubarak Street and pay 240KD, including broad band internet (wireless if I put the modem).

Swimming is ok, especially in private beach clubs where you pay entrance. The public beaches tend to be quite dirty, but still acceptable if you're not too picky.

Return tickets to Dubai or Bahrain can be bought on a no-frills airline for reasonable prices: 33KD return now during the month of Ramadan, a bit more at other times.

I know of another South African in your line of work. Maybe he can introduce you into the South African community here...

Good luck!

[veiledsentiments]

In a perfect world, your wife would have no problem. But I know of more than a few wives of... shall we say... darker complexion, who were treated dismissively as servants in public. For instance, assumed to be the nanny when out with their own children.

Stereotypes are alive and well in Kuwait just like everywhere in the world. Just a warning that it might and does happen. The key is to ignore any rudeness and not let it bother her. (and if she is the feisty type, she can put them in their place. )

My problem with the beaches was that it is not difficult to find where sewage is being pumped into the Gulf directly next to the beaches... Salmiya beach for instance. I never saw anyone swimming there, but there were usually fishermen. And then there are the dead goat carcasses that float in and never get picked up... a study in decomposition during your nightly walk...

VS

[British Tutor Kuwait]

Job: Teaching English could be considered by your wife-to-be for an income whilst seeking permanent employment with Iqama/Residency/Work Permit. Details of Private Sector Employers will be sent if she emails: [email protected]

Accommodation: At the edge of Kuwait city centre, on the left, as the outbound Fahaheel Road begins, with Dayia on the right, there is a bridge spanning the in/out lines of traffic and currrently, there are new furnished one bedroomed apartments @ KD 250 inclusive of water, electric, internet and security guard. The area is called Bneid Al-Gar. A Rent Agreement often depends on Resident Caretakers [Haris] having a copy of Marriage Contracts.

Driving: Drive a little now and then during your first weeks in Kuwait, whilst finding your direction bearings by using daily taxis @ KD 1 per trip from accommodation to work and return.
Or use a regular driver @ KD 60-80 per month for a while, until you feel confident about the traffic.

South African: Perhaps the renowned, successful business lady Emiranda Coetzer would point you both to where it is possible to meet others.

Wife-to-be: The lady could attend a Free Monthly Networking Western Ladies' Diinner every Third Thursday in city from November 16th.
Email: [email protected]

Swimming: You could swim in the public pool on the Gulf Road near Shaab and at the beaches of large hotels. You could also go diving.

[frankschluss]

Hi ALL

Whats to do in kuwait?is there any indoor activities?like football,cricket,snooker/pool and darts?

Do you know much about the new mall going up in Kuwait?

would i get a decent place for 300kwd with aircon/internet facility

maybe a 1 or 2 bedroom close to the new mall so i dont have to drive in that scary traffic or is it better to have a view of the gulf closer to the beach but maybe a smaller 1 bed flat?please advise..

Has anyone been to Bahrain?whats it like there,can you drive there or is it better to fly for a weekend?
Does anyone bother you in your flats or is it private?
Is it better to stay higher up in the flats ,less noise or it doesnt really matter?
Is it important to have good security in the block of flats?
Do the expats stay in certain areas or is it mixed?
hope to hear from everyone
thansk

[veiledsentiments]

Neighborhoods in Kuwait tend to be mixed... your closest neighbors being decided by economics rather than nationality. Noise depends on your neighborhood and most buildings are not that high... around 5-7 floors maybe... Going higher doesn't help much for noise really.

Your housing allowance would not put you into the level where you would have or need actual security. And crime is pretty much not an issue. Even petty theft is relatively rare. Each building has a 'watchman' or Haris, but he may or may not ever actually 'watch' anything. (but you do have to pay him each month...) You probably also will not be in the 'water' view economic group, but you should be able to get in walking distance of the water.

You can't drive to Bahrain because you would need a visa from Saudi Arabia, so flying is your only option. It is a small island that offers mostly booze and hookers - along with plenty of drunken Saudis and expats who go to take advantage of such. But it is a change of scene... a small but nice souq, a wonderful little archaeological museum and acres of ancient burial mounds.

VS

[15yearsinQ8]

pm me with the questions you still have

[Stephen Jones]

[veiledsentiments]

Then why is it that on the Qatar board people have consistently reported that they are unable to get one to transit from Qatar to the UAE - and it is like just 10 miles or so... (just guessing on mileage here, but it is very short).

VS

[dmb]

There is a little a bit of KSA in between Qatar and UAE. So we can't get through.

[veiledsentiments]

So why would they give a transit visa at the Kuwait border for that long jaunt to Bahrain, but refuse to give one for that short trip to the UAE.

Stephen?

VS

[Fred Bilbo]

You can get a transit visa from the Suadi Embassy, I have done it several times. I have never heard of getting a visa at the boarder, unless you are a GCC Citizen. From Saudi to Bahrain you can get a visa at the boarder.

[Stephen Jones]

Yea, Fred's right. My bad. You would have to apply at the embassy. I know they are routinely issued because back in 2001 we had an application from a Kuwaiti based golf fanatic who drove to play golf in Bahrain twice a month, and we were trying to fix up an interview as he drove down on the Friday evening.