Job Discussion Forums

gonadicus · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 10

I have been tentatively offered a job with a good salary and seemingly good conditions and wonder if I would like KSA. I suspect that I might be well suited to living there by virtue of the following characteristics.

I have lived a full life of satisfying, self-indulgent debauchery and don�t think that I have missed out on much. So, I really have no desire for a wild social life.

I am in my 50�s and have recently married a 22-year-old Asian girl.

I am not sociable and enjoy quite evenings in comfortable home surroundings with my adoring wife. We are looking to have a child in the near future, so that should take care of the evening entertainment there.

I like reading, watching TV and surfing the Internet. Also, I like downloading torrent files such as movies, e-books and software.

I seldom drink except on vacation.

I like sport � particularly tennis and working out at the gym.

I have traveled a lot and have lived in many different cultural environments.

Oh, and I am a whinger. In fact, I love complaining, but my wife, who is always optimistic and full of warm, positive feelings, doesn�t. Given that there appears to be so much to complain about, I think l might be able to bond well with fellow whiners there.

This is a serious question. Would I, given my circumstances, enjoy it there?

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

You sound like the ideal candidate, but doubt that your 22 year old wife would like it much here. I predict if you come to KSA your 22 year old wife will eventually become very very unhappy.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

The place is full of people with your profile. I do not know if they are happy. Many of their wives are not.

007 · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:18 am Post subject:

Depends on the nationality, character, and preferences of your wife.
If she is a Philipino or a Chinese, probably she will manage the Saudi environment, as far as she builds relations with her female fellows in SA.

Concerning downloading movies, e-books and software from the Internet, this option is restricted and censored depending on the type of staff you want to download!

gonadicus · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 10

Thanks for the information.

My wife is a Filipina and recent nursing graduate. She hopes to raise a child and then in a year or two find a nursing job. I imagined that as a mother - something she very much wants - she would be relatively content there. Also, I understand that there are quite a few Filipina nurses there and she would probably make friends fairly easily.

gonadicus · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 10

Is it possible to access sites such as torrentscan.com?

I don't want to download pornography, but I very much like downloading other material.

Is it possible to use torrent downloaders and Skype? Friends in the UAE say that Skype is severely restricted by Etisalat there almost to the point of being unusable .

I know that this issue has been discussed elsewhere, but the information provided is a little contradictory.

And can you get fast Internet speeds there?

Thanks for your help.

Van Norden · Joined: 23 Oct 2004 Posts: 409

You seem pretty well-suited for KSA, relatively speaking. Nobody really likes it here but some do better than others. The most important thing is to get adequate compensation for being here. After that, your well-being will be determined by your work, compound, home and (for you) marriage/family life. Outside of these nothing else matters very much.

trapezius · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:29 pm Post subject:

What city have you been offered a job in? May not matter to you much, but maybe of importance for your wife.

As for high speed internet, yes, it is available, but costs a shit load of money (about 40 times as expensive as the US/UK), unless it is paid for, or subsidized by your eomployer.

And when I say high-speed, I don't mean as high as in the US/Europe. Fastest available is 1 Mbps, and that will set you back USD 190/month. If you go for half the speed (512 Kbps), that will be about USD 110/month. For downloading, you don't want to go below that speed. I have 256 Kbps, and it is OK, but a lot of times, hangs up while downloading, and it takes 2-3 tries to download a large file.

gonadicus · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 10

Thanks for the information.

Van Norden Great avatar!! You must be doing hard time there...where are you from?

Trapezius Thanks

I will be in Dahran.

It is real pity about the cost of Internet services. I was thinking that having a fast Internet connection would serve as a lifeline to the outside world. I will probably accept the cost and go with it if I can access a wide variety of downloadable material.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Our employer in Dhahran provides unlimited internet (ADSL) for 75 riyals (=US$20) a month.

trapezius · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:14 pm Post subject:

what's the speed?

64?
128?
256?

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

The speed varies according to the number of people using it; at present it's low, around 200 kbps, but it normally is closer to 400 kbps.

trapezius · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject:

Wow, that's pretty good. So officially it is probably 512 kbps.

I have a 256 kbps connection through Nesma, and I generaly get around 100-150 during day and evening time. If I use it between 3 am and 9 am, then I get about 240.

Queen of Sheba · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 397

007 · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 6:12 pm Post subject: