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[yes, please]

Greetings-

Since I've been offered a contract in Najran, I'm interested in what it is like. Similar to this recent post about Yanbu by GlobalDawg? I'm particularly curious if there are still big, distant compounds far from anything since from what I've read, it seems like a smaller city. Feel free to PM me if you prefer.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject: Yanbu Reply with quote
Yanbu is definitely a quiet place. I think the best thing about Yanbu is that it is a place where you can save a lot of your earnings because there isn't much to do. My favorite past-time when I was there (for all of five years) was going to the ATM and getting a balance statement. The most social life I experienced were the several times I had asthma attacks and was hospitalized for several days on each occassions. The Filipina and South African nurses were delightful. There is a group of western educators at the International School in Yanbu al Sinaiyah who live on a compound in an isolated area between al Sinaiyah and Yanbu al Bahar; they are a nice group of folks if by chance you meet them.

Who said something about downtown? There is no downtown unless you are referring to Yanbu al Bahar which is about 15km from Yanbu al Sinaiyah which is where the universities and college are located. At most there is a supermaket near the hospital and then a bit farther up the main road there is a relatively new shopping center with a Carrefour.

If my memory serves me correct, the drive to Medinah is approximately 170km (1.5 hours) and to Jeddah is about 280km (3 hrs). The bottom line is that the veterans are right . . . it's a remote area with not much to do. If you have young kids they won't notice that there's not much to do; however, if you have teenagers, they'll be bored most of the time and wanting to either go home or to Jeddah on the weekends; if you're young or old and single, you'll watch a lot of television or read a lot of books or arrange rendezvous with a girlfriend or boyfriend (significant other like the nurse you meet at the hospital) at the Raddison (hush-hush and on the Q.T.); or if you are inclined to study, it's a good environment to complete an online degree. Above all, if you are good with managing your money, you'll save a lot.

Oh yeah--there is the Red Sea and I hear diving and snorkelling are great. Also, a round-trip bus ride to Amman, Jordan was approximately 170 riyals--about an 8 hour ride including the border stop; an enjoyable and inexpensive quick tirp during the Eid holiday.