Job Discussion Forums

[felton]

For those of you with experience in the KSA:
What do you suggest a new person to the Kingdom should pack?
This goes for anything - steamboats to billygoats.
Thanks!

[Cleopatra]

There have been LOTS of threads about this topic quite recently. I suggest you look them up first and come back if you have any more specific questions.

Bottom line is: just about everything is available in major SAudi cities, often cheaper than it would be at home. Don't make yourself shell out on excess baggage fees only to find that what you hauled over was readily available in the hypermarket down the road.

[felton]

Hi Cleo,

A search was done, but nothing fruitful was found. I used 'packing list' and 'packing' as search terms. I'm open to suggestions!

[johnslat]

Dear felrton,
These may prove useful:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=75068&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=shopping+saudi&start=0

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=74937&highlight=shopping+saudi

which includes this post from Cleopatra:

"Quote:
My question is 'What can my husband and I do to better prepare ourselves for the big move to Saudi'.


The first thing I would say is don't worry too much about what to pack. As others have said, just about everything is available in KSA (at least in the bigger cities). It's hard for us to give you advice here: inevitably over time you'll find that you can't get certain things in KSA and will need to bring them from home, but what these things are varies from person to person. If you enjoy reading anything other than 'light fiction' it's a good idea to bring books with you as the selection is very limited, even in Riyadh. Of course, there's always Amazon and the online booksellers who dlever to KSA.

Rather than focussing too much on packing, the most important preparation is psychological. unless you're in a very hot country now, be prepared to be schocked by the heat. I arrived in KSA for the fist time in September, and was traumatised by the heat for a good few weeks. My colleagues' comments about how "Oh, this is nothing - you should have been here in July' were not helpful!

Also, be prepared to be patient and to adapt to a concept of time very different from your own - things do get done, just in their own time, not yours!"

Regards,
John

P.S. Bottom line - you can get almost everything you'll need there, rather than lugging stuff over there.

[felton]

[johnslat]

Dear felton.

""what were three things you brought with you that made your life better".

1. Endless patience

2. a robust sense of humor (especially of the absurdist sort)

3. self-sufficiency

But don't worry - you can acquire those, too, in the Kingdom. In fact, if you don't bring them with you, you'd better acquire them quickly or it's very doubtful that you'll last there long.

Seriously - back when I was going, books were my main staple. So, if you're a reader, may I suggest investing in a Kindle, loading it up some, and taking it with you. These days, I certainly would.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=74896&highlight=kindle

and here's another thread that deals with "what to bring":

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=73898&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=kindle&start=15

But really, except for alcohol, pork products, and a few other things (e.g. XXX-rated DVDs), you can get just about everything (and, if you know the right - or wrong - people, you can get those, too.)

[huntjuliehunt]

You can find most everything in Saudi Arabia.

However, if you are someone who takes protein powder, raw nutrition bars - they don't have the good kinds. When they do it's usually two to three to four times the price. I'd take the time to bring that stuff yourself instead of paying money to have it sent later.