Job Discussion Forums

[sincap]

Can anyone living on this compound in Dharan give some information about what it's like in terms of quality, facilities, price and social scene etc...?

[Cuffs]

AF compound is just off the main Khobar-Dammam highway, five minutes from the sea/Corniche, 10 from Khobar city centre, and well-placed for the main traffic routes.

It's small, with two sections, one for families, one for singles. Rooms are good, well-furnished, with TV and a few satellite channels, kitchenette, bathroom with shower, queen-size bed & sheets, sofas, utensils, and so on. The compound is fairly green on the inside, and well-maintained. If anything goes wrong it will be fixed immediately.

There is a decent pool, small gym, sauna, tennis/basketball court, pool and ping-pong tables, a social room and a very cheap laundrette. Most of the people there are foreign Arabs, Lebanese and the like, with a few westerners. There's no party scene to speak of. In general, it's quiet. There is security at the gate but this is pretty minimal. You may have to toot your horn several times to wake them up as you enter/leave.

Prices for the 1 bedroom (single) places are SAR3750/month or SAR3500 if you are an Al Falak employee. I understand this is quite reasonable for a compound in Khobar. You can go as low as 2000/month if you get a place outside of a compound in Khobar, but Al Falak is a good place to get a feel of the city in your first few months.

[sincap]

Thanks for the info on Al-Falak. Could i trouble you with a couple of further questions.

Does the Saudi National Guard provide the security for the compound?

I understand you are contracted with Al-Falak to Aramco. Do all the English teachers live on Al-Falak or can you live anywhere you want? If so, what are the alternatives preferred by your colleagues?

Many thanks

[Cuffs]

No worries.

There are a couple of guys with an enormous mounted machine gun at the gate - whether they are Saudi National Guard or not, I don't know. I've never asked.

You are free to live wherever you wish. It's just handy to have a place to stay in the first few days as it's next to impossible to organize anything from outside Saudi. When you arrive at the compound you have the choice of paying for the month upfront or just a few days, it's up to you.

I'm not sure where other western teachers live; I work about an hour away from Khobar and there there are only one or two western teachers, who live in the small town. You would be much better placed to ask around once you arrive in Saudi, as this is how most reliable information gets passed around - by word of mouth.

[Tyrone Bonas]

this place sounds really nice

are things still the same? Is this school hiring?

edit: just googled them...I need a Masters and more exp.

I'd to get a job in the middle east so I can pay for a Master's Degree program.