Job Discussion Forums

[Sweaty Ted]

I have accepted an offer with King Khalid University in Abha, KSA. One of the instructors there told me that it is very difficult to get around without a car as taxis are nearly non-existent. Does anyone else know anything about the transportation in that city? For example, can one take buses to get around or must everyone own a car? I would like to avoid having to buy or lease a car during my one-year stay there.

Also, if I do need to get a car, does KSA have leasing options that are rather cheap? Do they also have many cars with automatic transmission? Just wonderinf if anyone could tell me about the car situation in Saudi, particularly Abha.

Thank you.

[cmp45]

[KME0050]

Hi Ted--

I am surprised to learn that you will be teaching at KKU! I returned from there last summer and, if you combine the male and female campuses, there were only 3 of us that were native speakers of English (out of more than 100 instructors). Two of us were American and the other was South African. I taught on the women's campus and both of the men were converts to Islam. KKU does not do any recruiting in the west and nearly all of its English instructors are Saudi, come from Arab countries, or are Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. It wasn't until my last month in Abha that I actually met another American woman.

Personally, I think you need a car. I had a driver who was wonderful, but I still had a hard time living in Abha. I think you will lose your mind there if you can't get out of town on the weekends and try to entertain yourself. With a car, you'll have much more freedom and autonomy and there really are some interesting sites to see and places to go in the Asir region if you have wheels. If you are interested in buying a cheap used car or in leasing a car, please send me a PM and I will put you in touch with the South African guy who will be your colleague. He is terrific and could be a real help to you. He is currently leasing his second car and could give you some idea about the cost. He could also make some recommendations for you about housing. I have another (Saudi) friend on the male campus with whom I attended grad school in the U.S. and I am sure he would be happy to help you as well. My old driver (Saudi) currently has a government job, but he is another great guy who spent a lot of time in the U.S. while his parents were in grad school and would be happy to know that another American will be arriving in Abha soon.

Best of luck with all of your plans and please let me know how you fare, ok?

Kathy

[Sweaty Ted]

Thank you both for all the information. I am an American male (I have an Irish passport, too) who has been teaching Spanish at a public university in the States for the past four years and currently teaches English at a community college. I have been hired by KKU. My contact is/was a Romanian man who is an acquaintance of one of my former professors. He mentioned having a South African friend there who helped him.

I start August 25th; my salary (based on five years of experience minimum) is just over US$4,000 per month; I have a one-bedroom apartment in the Mansac Hotel that is just under my monthly housing supplement; I get about US$133 per month for my travel allowance. My acquaintance told me that they are hiring some Americans, South Africans and a few Romanians who will all be housed in the same apartment building.

My Romanian contact has warned me that life is indeed very boring there. My days will consist of teaching, then working out, Skype with my wife and parents, who are back in the States; Facebook updates, watching videos on youtube, reading books on Nook and studying Arabic. I plan to wire home just about every dime I earn.

As for the car, I need to get my license translated, then shop around for deals. For me, I think a second-hand Japanese car would fit me well. I would use it for the daily commute to the campus and the weekly supermarket trips. Perhaps I'll explore more of the country with the automobile.

The one problem is that I hate driving. I would love to rely on buses, but I don't know if they even exist in Abha. For my first few weeks, it will be taxis, walking and living off the kindness of those who have cars.

Once again, I thank you for your informative posts. If you want to PM me, please go ahead. Thanks.
Not really named Ted!