Markets in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

An alternative to shopping in  malls is shopping in the outdoor markets. These are large blocks with a labyrinth of kiosks and stores linked by pedestrian walkways, with no roadways for cars inside (parking is in big lots around the periphery).

When I was in Riyadh, markets were the best places to buy abayas, dresses, jewelry and housewares. There was a wider selection available in these small ‘mom and pop’ stores than in Mall stores, and you could barter to get lower prices than what was generally marked. This was also a great place to go for tailoring / alterations since a lot of clothing shops, especially abaya and dressmaking shops, had a sewing machine on the premises.

Some markets specialized in dresses made to order, and it was a  treat to walk along and window shop, admiring the dazzling cinderella-like ballgowns and daringly sexy dresses.  What a surprise in a place where the women are so completely cloaked in public.

Some markets like the Tai Bo had many jewelry stores. Jewelry junkies will love the bartering for custom made gold jewelry and gemstones. Jewelry is a big deal in Saudi Arabia, and so are perfumes. 

A market that was very popular with a lot of female teachers was the Princess market because there was such a large selection of second hand clothes, many of expensive brands that had only been worn once or twice. But I also heard numerous stories that you had to watch yourself because some had unfortunate encounters with men groping them and pick pockets on the loose. Well it's always good to be on your guard no matter where in the world you are shopping.

The Mall Scene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

THE Place to be is the Mall

Before going to Riyadh, I never would have expected that the social highlight of my week would be going to the mall! 

But that’s where the action is in Riyadh. This is the only public space, really, since there are no nightclubs or bars or other public venues. The cafes are filled with men, women behind curtains or in a walled off 'family area' and virtually invisible, or not allowed in at all. Some restaurants are more open in their seating plan, but if you really want to people watch, the mall is the place to go.

The malls really get hopping after 11 at night, and stay open late, until the wee hours of the mornings.

Mall Culture
 
The malls is where you really get to see a cross section of Saudi society out in full force: families, husbands and wives, and groups of young girls and young men ( not together in mixed company but roving in separate groups).

A few malls I went to on a Friday night had live pop music performances that had the kids going wild. 
  
Once I saw a very interesting thing: I was walking behind a giggling group of young girls who kept throwing glances back over their shoulders, as if looking for something or someone. 

Suddenly I saw a rain of small balls of paper landing on the floor beneath their feet as they walked. 

Then, out of nowhere, a couple of young men swooped in front me me and gathered up as many of the paper balls as possible in 5 seconds before turning tail and beating a fast retreat in the opposite direction.

So this is how the young women and men strike up cyber romances: the pieces of paper had phone numbers and online contact info.

Here are some malls I recommend:

Riyadh Gallery  - The mall has 3 department stores, which are handy for hard to find household items and less common personal items (Debenhams, Citymax and Centrepoint), some unique shoe stores,  as well as some boutique stores like Sephora. This was my favorite mall because of the massive water feature on the main floor and comfortable cafes with great coffee lining it. Felt like a bit of a natural retreat and the only place with humidity.

Kingdom Mall - This mall has a ladies floor (with security guards to keep men out) where women can walk around without an abaya on. Here you will see high end stores like Saks 5th Avenue and coffee shops with places to sit right out on the public corridor walkway, a nice change from being squirrelled away in a dark back corner in a ‘family section’.

Sahara Mall and Hayat Mall ( they are across the street from one another)
A huge mall with great shoe stores, and special stores worth the effort of getting there, like the ‘La Senza’ liquidation center, and Zara store.

Granada Mall - This mall is smaller, but has many useful stores, one of the few places with a decent selection of both men’s and women’s clothing and technology stores. This was the mall closest to my apartment-hotel and had all the basics needed for weekly and monthly living including a small but good supermarket grocery store.

(A quick note about supermarkets - people I know raved about the Lulu Supermarket as the best place to find ‘international’ foods and decent prices. I mention it here not because it is a mall, but because it is one of the largest supermarkets).

No Chance To Try Things On

When I was there, you had to be prepared to buy things to take home to try them on to see if they fit ( always check the return policy for the last possible return date, since there is often an expiry date for purchase returns ). I heard that in 2013  The Gap offered  change rooms for women ( which was a very big deal). I suspect other stores will follow suit.

It was a bit weird to be waited on my men in women’s clothing and makeup stores, but they seemed to have X ray vision and always managed to size me up instantly and accurately despite my bulky abaya. When I left in 2012, this was starting to change, with women being allowed to work in lingerie shops and shops like Sephora.

The best thing about shopping in Saudi Malls is that the prices are so much lower than in other parts of the world. This is due to a few reasons. Most importantly, there are no import taxes here, and no national tax to pay at the till. Also, when they have a sale, it’s usually a good one, with 70% off a common thing to expect.



Happy shopping!

About the Health Care System in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

I woke up one morning with a raging fever, unable to talk and tortured by a burning hot, swollen throat unlike anything I had had since a was a young child, phlegm filled lungs and waves of nausea. I could barely drag myself out of bed to text message my supervisor that I wouldn’t be coming in to work that day.

I knew I had to get myself to the doctor’s to get a note so that I could qualify for sick leave pay and lose out on the day’s pay, but I was so ill that I was tempted to simply stay home in bed.  After a long feverish, sweat soaked nap I managed to get dressed and walk out to the lobby and then out the front door to flag down a cab and get to the doctor’s office.

I was glad I had taken the time the month before to find the nearest clinic and find out what I needed in order to get registered for health care, so I had my passport and health care card ready, as well as a pamphlet with the clinic’s name, address, phone number and a map. It was such a relief to be able to pass over the pamphlet with a map and phone number the cabbie could call instead of having to croak out directions and try to communicate with someone who likely had as many words in English as I had in Arabic: about 10. 

Once at the clinic, I went to the front reception desk and was met by very efficient Filipino nursing staff who spoke excellent English. I only waited for 5 minutes before I got in to see a female doctor. She promptly diagnosed me with laryngitis, bronchitis and the flu and prescribed 3 antibiotic shots, which I received from the medical clinic on the other side of the lobby 20 minutes later.

I had never had shots like this before. I was shocked when I felt instantly better, within minutes. They only cost me about $6.00 in total, after my health care coverage was taken into account.

I felt human by the time I left the clinic, and felt my fever go down quickly. I was ready to go back to work within 2 days, which struck me as a minor miracle. Had I been back in Canada, they would likely have given me a prescription for antibiotic pills, told me to go home and rest and let things run their course, and I would have been really ill and off work for at least a couple of weeks.

So, as you can guess, I was left with a really positive impression of the health care system in Saudi Arabia.

As a result, here`s a recap of my recommendations:

-negotiate for health care plan as part of your contract, or if included, find out the specifics (is dental included? When does the plan take effect?)

-Visit the nearest clinic(s) to your home and find the best hospital for foreigners, and go there before you get sick in order to get a business card, brochure or pamphlet with Arabic as well as English, phone number(s), and a map / address,  so you know how to find it again, and also have something to give cab drivers.

-Follow up to make sure you get your health care insurance card as soon as is reasonably possible (six weeks or less is reasonable) after signing your contract and make a photocopy of the plan details and health care card as a safeguard.

About the Dental Care in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Good news!

The dental care in Saudi was exceptionally good and affordable, and the service I received was excellent. With my health plan coverage, the portion I ended up paying for some high quality dental work was peanuts compared to what I had been quoted in Canada and Chile.

For example, I paid $25.00 CAD (Canadian dollars) in the end for a marathon session of dental work that included getting my teeth cleaned, a number of fillings replaced and cavities filled, and  a major tooth reconstruction / filling replacement and a coating like a veneer on one of  my front teeth so it matched a nearby bridge and crown that no longer matched my natural teeth colour exactly. In comparison, the tooth reconstruction /fillling replacement alone had been quoted in Chile to cost me $2700.00 Canadian dollar and the front tooth coating at least $500.00 Canadian dollars.

It wasn't hard to find a dentist. Just ask around or drive around and look for buildings that look like clinics but have a tooth on the sign.

The dentist I found had been trained abroad and he spoke excellent English.The clinic was clean and modern.

Maybe I was just lucky, but I got in to get my teeth cleaned the same day that I made the appointment, and the kind dentist made room to do the rest of the work I needed done (about 4 hours worth) within the next 2 days, before I left the country.

That was over a year ago and the dental work has still held, and other dentists back home commented on the high quality of the work I had done.

As a result, I wish I had gotten all my dental work done as soon as I was given my health card, instead of waiting until the last week I was in Saudi Arabia. I could have been pain and worry free months earlier than I was.

More About Getting Around Saudi Arabia

About Bus and Airplane Travel

I didn’t try to buy a ticket from a bus terminal so I can’t give any advice about that.
I heard that you could buy seats on private charter buses going to specific destinations outside of Riyadh by going through a travel agency.

Buying tickets for air travel was as you’d expect, and easy to do. You can also book them through a travel agency.

It wasn’t acceptable for people, especially women, to go walking around by themselves.

You simply didn’t see people doing this.

This is a car culture and so hot outside that everyone drives around.

So there you have it: the transportation scene and getting around Riyadh and Saudi Arabia in general.

About Walking Around Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Walking around is not common. It’s not comfortable since it’s so hot, windy and dusty in Riyadh, and it’s not considered safe or well mannered behaviour.

When I walked to the local grocery store, I got honked at and sometimes men would yell ‘ haram’ (prohibited) when they saw me, even when I was wearing an abaya and hijab, especially if I was walking near sundown, or if a wind blew up and exposed my ankles.

And almost half as often, men would yell that they loved me as they whizzed by.

Some men stalked me (follow you in their cars) as I walked home. They were easy to ditch by changing direction, crossing the street, going back to a well lit major roadway, or going into a store.

For the most part, I think the stalking is motivated by pure curiosity. You just don’t see women outside of vehicles and malls or stores, and hardly ever alone, really so you really stick out as a foreigner if you walk around, even if you are just going a few blocks.

 I was used to overt sexual harassment after living for years in South America, where men of all ages routinely whistle, honk and tell you compliments as a matter of course, where ever you go. It bounces right off me.

But a lot of women I worked with were completely unsettled by any male attention and honking, especially if men yelled  ‘haram’ ( prohibited) at them.

There is an arm of the local police called the ‘mutawah’ whose job it is to ride around looking for people who are not following what they consider acceptable dress practices. They are especially on the lookout for women who don’t cover their hair adequately or have abayas long enough to cover up from neck to ankle and angrily react if they see this. They will approach you and  ask or demand that you to wear a hijab (hair veil) or fix your clothing to be more fully covered.

It’s helpful to know that all they can do legally is ‘advise’. You don’t have to get into their cars or let them cart you off to jail. Personally, I think it’s best to adopt the attitude of  ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’ as a sign of respect and to make it easier. You’re not going to change their culture. After all, it’s no secret that women are expected to wear an abaya and hijab and not attract attention to themselves.  I was surprised by how easy it was to get used to wearing an abaya and hijab in public, to be honest.

Once a man in a very expensive car followed me  as I walked home, right up to the door of my apartment-hotel and then politely but firmly lectured me for 10 minutes. He was very concerned for my safety and had followed me at a safe distance to make sure I got home without incident. He had excellent English and wanted me to know it wasn’t safe to walk alone. He had the best of intentions and I appreciated his genuine concern, although I was very surprised by his reaction and this turn of events. I admit that it made me think twice about doing it again.

So, to wrap up, to be safe and comfortable, always take a taxi. And use your street smarts if you decide to walk anywhere, just to be safe.

Some Great Photos Suitable for Teaching Activities in Saudi Arabia

Want some teaching materials that are easy to adapt to any level class, and works well for teaching men or women?

Try this photo pack I created while I was in Saudi Arabia for classes taught while teaching in Riyadh.

I made these photos because it is very tricky to find suitable visual images that would pass the cultural sensitivity guidelines I had to work within. And that I could get printed off (so get prints made  efore you go). Since they were given the green light where I worked, and were really well received by my students, they are likely to work well for you too.

 You can get the photo pack here: www.eslincontext.com ( click on ' photo packs' on the left hand side and scroll down to ' Scenes from Saudi Arabia'.)

www.eslincontext.com

The photos are of a variety of situations in Saudi Arabia: weather scenes, shopping in a bazaar in downtown Riyadh, people meeting and talking in a hotel lobby (series of photos) and a woman teaching a class ( series of photos).

The photo series work well to teach a variety or verb tenses: present simple ( What`s the weather like? Describe what you see in this picture? stating the facts of the situation depicted, dialogues for role plays) the continuous/ progressive tenses (describe what is happening/happened/will be happening 10 minutes later) and perfect tenses (by the time this picture was taken, what has/had/will have had happened?) and perfect continuous/ perfect progressive ( by the time X happened [imagine an event depicted at some point in the photo series], what has/had been happening/ will have had been happening?)

You can teach all parts of speech with these photos, and adapt your dialogues and activities to suit the needs of whatever level of language learner you are dealing with.

Since photo are so versatile and are easily portable, working just as well in print an in digital formats (on your smart phone during a private lesson or when projected onto an interactive whiteboard) they are the perfect teaching aid.

Best of all, the students always responded to the photos when I used them in class. The glazed look of boredom passed from their faces, replaced by active interest. Once they perked up, they usually participated well in the next activity based on the photo(s).

If you want more ideas about how to do engaging interactive activities using photos, be sure to download the free ebook ''Using Photos to Teach English' on my site:
www.eslincontext.com ( click on ' instructional materials').

Enjoy!

Taxi Tips

The best recommendation I have is to find a decent, honest, reliable taxi driver and use this person as your private personal chauffeur.  In fact, line up 2 or 3 in case driver #1 isn’t available when you need him.
 
Since there isn’t a central Taxi line you can call to have someone  pick you up, to find a taxi driver, you have to stand by the roadside and wave one down. Simply stand at the roadside and when you see a cab with its top light lit, hold your arm out straight, palm down. The driver will flick his lights to see if you want a ride and to confirm he's seen your hand signal. 

I found drivers from India easiest to deal with, since their English was often better than drivers from other countries, they were punctual, and they didn't try to change the cost of the fare upon arrival.
 
If a driver you encounter impresses you, be sure to ask for  their telephone number.

To find a really good taxi driver, you either have to stumble upon one by accident or ask around ( ask other foreigners and people who have lived there a long time).

I found it particularly hard to find a driver who know his way around the entire city well, so
always bring a map with you and also get descriptions of landmarks nearby, as well as the name or number of the nearest Exit ramp. Knowing this before you set off will likely save you hours of time wasted in transit.

Getting Around Riyadh

Taxis are plentiful and not very expensive, relatively speaking, in Riyadh. This is the best and easiest way to get around. (See my next post for details about using taxis in Riyadh.)

Women were allowed to take taxis without a male escort (well foreign women anyway).

There was often a language barrier since many cab drivers didn’t speak English. But almost all would nod and say they knew where a place was , usually without really having a clue where to go.  So, instead of asking ' do you know where X is?', ask them how to get there. Do thus  BEFORE you get inside the cab (and have an idea yourself before you leave home), and if they can’t answer satisfactorily, decline and wave them on.

I recommend getting very familiar with the city and its layout before or as soon as you arrive, since you will likely have to give taxi drivers specific directions about how to get where you want to go. I didn’t find Google maps very helpful, and websites were usually just in Arabic so looking things up online was problematic, so source out good maps  in English, and get a good GIS program or apps for your phone before you arrive in Saudi Arabia.


If you take a taxi, be careful where you sit. In private vehicles, usually the women sit in the back, and only men can drive. The windows are often completely shaded (smoked glass) so it isn’t possible to see inside (and see the women inside). Sit in the back seat if you are a woman, since sometimes te cab drivers took it as a sign you wanted to get fresh with them if you sat within touching distance in the front seat.

Even for foreigners, it’s not acceptable for men and women to hang out together in public if not married, so take separate cabs.Some people I know would make plans for a group outing (to meet up at a mall or restaurant), but the men would go in one taxi and the women in another in order to get there, and once there would pair up as if married when sitting in a restaurant. 

If going in separate taxis, make sure you have the other driver’s number too, or contact  numbers for the other people in the second taxi in your party  and vice versa, to help you stay together and avoid one car getting lost and wasting hours trying to meet up again.

Occasionally I would take a taxi to a mall with a male friend, or eat in the ‘family section’ with one male friend, but I always chose someone that it looked like I could be conceivably married to. Some women brought fake wedding rings to wear to ward off unwanted attention and suspicion.  Even then it was a big risk. If the authorities had asked to see a marriage certificate and I couldn’t produce one, it was grounds for me to be imprisoned or exiled from the country, or both.

When taking company transportation (vans or mini buses), men and women were allowed to travel together in the same vehicle if the company has permission for this, but even then the foreigners would usually self-segregate. Only married couples would sit together as a matter of course.



There is a pubic bus system, apparently, but I never used it.

Visit the Diplomatic Quarter To Help You Settle into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

There is a small city of embassies tucked away in a corner of Riyadh that you need to know about called the ‘Diplomatic Quarter’. 

I would recommend that you visit as soon as you can once you arrive. Getting familiar with this area and the services and events offered by the embassies there can make a big difference to the quality of your life, especially for women, since you don’t have to wear your full abaya and hijab and niqaab while inside the Quarter and can enter all buildings freely.

In this sector you will find embassies for almost every country in the world, or so it seems. I would recommend visiting and asking your country’s embassy about upcoming events and to be put on any event emailing lists, and also visit others and get on their lists too, if you are allowed. Events at embassies are often open to all who want to attend.

I went to a wonderful international film festival with films in English or with English subtitles offered by a wide range of embassies that lasted for about a month. Often there was a little reception offered in conjunction with the film screening, and it was a great way to meet other foreigners and English speaking Saudis and enjoy food, drinks (including alcoholic beverages), and treats from home and other foreign places.

In the Diplomatic Quarter there are park-like green garden areas  with tranquil walkways. It’s one of the few places you can get outside and walk around (there aren’t really public parks like you are probably used to in your home country in Riyadh, in large part because green spaces are not a part of the culture, and because it’s often so hot people stay indoors if they can).

Some people go for runs along the small roads winding through the quarter, a much nicer alternative to the crowded roadways. Well, it really isn’t an option for women to go running outside except in this area since you are required to wear and abaya an hijab (except not inside the Quarter). However, I heard from some female friends that you still need to dress very conservatively to avoid unwanted attention from passing cars who are not used to the sight of women jogging.

There is a gym where women can go, one of the few gyms in Riyadh open to women, and it has a pool.

The Quarter also has a post office and at least one cafe.

Since there are no bars, no nightclubs, no dance clubs no cinemas, the Diplomatic Quarter can be one of the best ways to fulfill your social needs outside your house or building complex while ‘stationed’ in Riyadh.

Best Advice About Saudi Arabia: Get a Cell Phone!

Put getting a cell phone at the top of the list of things to do to help you get settled in.

Saudi Arabians use text messaging, and phone each other constantly. They use their smartphones and Blackberries all the time. You’ll soon discover it’s easiest if you do too.
 
In case you are wondering, Saudi Arabia does not have public phones  as you may be used to, or phone books and public directories as we know it, and wifi coverage is spotty.
 

I suggest that you start making a list of important numbers and personal contacts as soon as you arrive.  Better yet, look up a lot of phone numbers before you even arrive in  Saudi Arabia, so you have numbers to add to your contacts immediately and can start living rather than just planning for it.

SOME GOOD NUMBERS TO HAVE ON HAND: 

• the recruiting company`s phone number(s) / employer`s contact info
• best hospitals for foreigners (check online forums before you arrive in Saudi Arabia)
• travel agencies that work within Saudi Arabia (look online before you arrive)
• airlines and charter companies (access to the internet is not easy or reliable)
• your country`s embassy number (the local number)
• international phone numbers for calling your people back home (on speed dial)

Note: Most phones come with pre-programmed emergency numbers ( fire, ambulance , police), but you need to speak Arabic to use these services.  Don`t expect the people to answer to speak English.

Also,don`t count on being able to use Skype when you want to.  Access to the Internet is not as reliable as in a lot of other countries, and Skype needs a lot of bandwidth, so calls often cut off half way through.  The situation is compounded for women since they are usually allowed to use cyber cafes, and it’s hard to find cyber cafes anyway. 

Expecting to be able to look up information online about stores is problematic for a few reasons in addition to unpredictable Internet connections. Many stores have websites only in Arabic, if they have a website at all, and they are not always organized out as 'westerners' are used to. As a result, you can spend a lot of time hunting online for the information you need on the English versions of websites. It`s usually better to phone to find out store hours, their location, and other details.

Travel guide books are a great source of useful phone numbers and location information. Check that they are still in service, though. 


HOW TO GET A CELL PHONE

To get a cell phone is not hard. Just go to the nearest mall. They all have kiosks that sell phones. So do the major supermarkets like Carrefour. Bring your passport with you as they will check your VISA stamp and ID. To get an internet data plan, you will an Iqaama, or someone with one to sign for you.

Ask around to find out the best local company with the best coverage to go with. There are some big differences in the quality of service between and among cell phone companies.

'Pay as you go' minute packages are a good way to start until you see what your usage is going to be on average per month and  are ready to get an internet data plan. Most supermarkets sell plastic 'credit cards' on the stands right by the check out counter(s). 

Pick a cell phone company that is well known, even if it is not the cheapest. I made the mistake of going with a less popular company because there was a special offer and a bit cheaper, and thereafter could rarely find places that sold the phone minute cards I needed, let alone in the denominations I wanted, and the service area coverage wasn`t as reliable or extensive as with other companies.


GOOD NUMBERS TO GET STARTING AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE (AS SOON AS YOU GET A PHONE)

• numbers of  punctual and trustworthy taxi drivers that speak English well (ask around; they are hard to find on your own, and can save you countless hours of driving around in circles trying to find places and explain where you want to go) 
• number of your apartment's general manager or hotel reception( if they speak English)
• hair dressers (usually they are located in compounds and malls)
• numbers of other foreigners (get them in your  cell phone contacts list even if you don`t expect to become best buddies-- it's handy to have a wide range of contacts and people to phone and ask questions on any number of topics in this verbally based economy).
• numbers of restaurants with delivery service that you expect to use often (handy when you are hot and tired and don't want to spend your energy looking hard for meal options)

Things to Do To Help You Get Settled In To Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Here are some suggestions about things you can do to help yourself feel settled in and comfortable quickly.


How to Get the Lay of the Land

This country operates on word of mouth. Ask the hotel  receptionist / building manager, and hang out in the lobby of your hotel or apartment or in staff rooms at work to meet people and talk to anyone and everyone to find out all you can about tips and tricks for surviving and thriving in Riyadh, where to go and where to shop and what to do for fun.


Get a cell phone. More details about how to do this in an upcoming post. 

   Find out the local prayer schedule

It changes a few minutes everyday. Prayer time will affect your life even if you are not Muslim since everything shuts down during prayer time. You need to plan your outings around prayer time to minimize your frustration and downtime spent waiting for shops to open. Cell phones bought locally usually come with an app installed that tells you  prayer times (and is instantly understandable even if the app is in Arabic).


Bring a Book
 
I found it was useful to always have a book with me when for prayer time to end, when waiting for things to re-open after lunch, or when stuck in traffic. There is a lot of 'downtime' in Saudi Arabia, and unreliable access to the internet.


 If you are a fan of reading and books, a bookstore that carries English books is Jarir Bookstore (http://www.jarirbookstore.com/html/jarir_csc02.asp).  However, they don`t have a vast selection of English fiction, so you may want to bring books with you from your home country. By the way, Jarir Bookstore is a great place to get all your stationery and teaching materials and has a good selection of electronics and office equipment.
 
Advice For Women: Stock up on Abayas Soon After You Arrive

If you are a woman, make sure to stock up on a few abayas since sometimes you may want to send abayas out for laundering and may not get them back immediately. Or, you may want to change abayas frequently when it is really hot outside.  

It`s easier to buy once you are there since you can see what is in fashion (and it may be hard to find abayas for Saudi Arabia outside the country- every country is different in terms of fashion and acceptability.  You will wear abayas and hijabs everyday, so it’s worth it to find ones you like. Go to the markets (souks), not the malls, to get abayas, hijabs and niqaabs.  The markets have more variety and are much less expensive than the stores in the malls.


Find the Nearest Mall
Find the malls nearest your home as soon as possible.  This is a good bet for finding an ATM, and you’ll need to go shopping once a week, so you might as well find out the best places to go and where to find the best deals.




Make Friends With Someone With An Iqaama / Residency Status for Saudi Arabia

To send money out of the country, get a cell phone service contract, internet plan, and make other large purchases, it is extremely helpful to have someone with an iqaama go with you, and sometimes, make the purchase for you.

Get Your Financial Life Set Up

After you find an ATM ( or a few) that accept your bank card from home, you should figure out how you can send you money out of the country (unless you like stuffing your mattress).

To do this, find out where  Enjaz or Western Union is. Actually, it`s best to find out where a few of them are. These are easier to use than bank services. By the way, the Western Union website is blocked from within the country, so you have to go to outlets in person to transfer money. 

It is extremely useful to know someone with an Iqaama  or Saudi ID who can go with you to cash cheques and help you transfer money out of the country. Some banks and Western Unions and some Enjaz outlets get very sticky about allowing you to do this if you have a renewal stamp on your passport temporary work Visa for some reason. If one place refuses to serve you, y recommendation is to  just go to another one. A place that worked one month may refuse to serve you the next. 

Before you set out, ask around for advice about where to go since the Jazz and Western Union outlets are franchises and the service atmosphere can vary dramatically from one place to the next.
It`s helpful to do this before payday at work, when everyone else is scrambling to figure out how to cash their cheques and send money to their home bank accounts.


Find the nearest Decent Restaurant that Delivers  

Make the rounds of local restaurants and pick up  thier fliers with phone numbers and delivery / service hours. This is a take-away culture, and even McDonalds delivers, which is nice when it is hot outside. 





Find the Nearest Health Clinic and Pharmacy

Find the location of the nearest health clinic, go there, and pick up a card / pamphlet that has their location  in Arabic (with a map) and phone numbers listed, so if you get sick it’s easy to get yourself the help you need. It’s much easier to hand over a card or pamphlet in Arabic to a taxi driver than try to communicate  in Arabic / English when you are really ill. For the same reason, find out where the closest and best pharmacy to where you live is so it`s easy to tell the taxi where to go.



Get your own Internet Access
 
Access to the Internet is not as easy as in a lot of other countries, especially for women (women are not allowed to use cyber cafes, and it’s hard to find cyber cafes anyway). Note: Sometimes you need someone with an iqaama or permanent residence to set up the service contract for you. Your passport and work visit visa are enough to purchase hardware (cell phones and computers and TVs).

Don`t Waste Time: Get Out and Join Classes and Do Group Activities Immediately

Because of the heat, it can be tempting to settle in by staying home and resting. But beware: being a homebody which can quickly lead to getting in a rut and getting depressed. I highly recommend forcing yourself to get out and meet as many people as you can as quickly as possible. If you start a routine of social outings early on, it`s easier to get started and keep it up. The people you meet will make the different

Go to the Hash House Harrier`s outings (one of the best ways to meet expats from around the world)(ask around for a local contact person who can give you the details)

Go to Concerts and Reception Events offered by the Embassies  (check embassy websites, get on email lists, go to the Diplomatic Quarter and look for fliers and posters and ask around)







Take Classes  (ask for newsletters circulated around the expat compounds for class offerings and check out the 'links' section on this website for ideas of how to get patched into the local network of your choice). 

 Go to the Diplomatic Quarter One Morning
 
Visit the Diplomatic Quarter to connect with your Embassy, and greatly improve your quality of life.  See my upcoming post on this topic for details.

Getting familiar with this area, its services, and upcoming social and cultural events offered by the embassies there can make a big difference to the quality of your life, (especially for women, since you don’t have to wear your full abaya and hijab and niqaab while inside the Quarter and can enter all buildings freely).  Also, there are green spaces where you can walk around freely, a cafe,  a post office and a gym for women. It is an oasis in more ways than one.


Those are my top recommendations.