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Post by principe.azzurro69 on May 18, 2013 11:23:30 GMT
Hi there, I will likely be in KSA from this summer (August, September) and have been told I'll stay in RT first and then be moved to DHA when "a place frees up". I will be working in DHA and have bachelor status.
Now, I read on this and other forums that there are rules and regulations and time frames for almost everything. Especially housing seems to be heavily regulated.
RT sound gorgeous because it is on the seaside. On the other hand, DHA is 40 miles away (did I get this right?) and therefore requires bus or private car rides every day. First question: what do you people think, especially the ones who know both places?
I honestly would prefer the ride if the place is MUCH nicer to live in. So that's the second question: can I decide this (or at least be part of the decision process with the housing dept) LATER, do I have to do this right now or do I simply not bother because at the end I'll have to accept what they tell me anyway?
Thanks!
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Post by bfish71 on May 18, 2013 19:45:22 GMT
I believe what he meant is if he can forfeit his spot in DH in lieu of RT. Meaning to turn his temporary accomodation in RT into a permanent one.
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Post by principe.azzurro69 on May 18, 2013 21:23:07 GMT
That's exactly what I meant, bfish71 !
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Post by Hadia on May 19, 2013 5:10:17 GMT
If you're coming on bachelor status and don't have to deal with family in one camp and you commuting to another, then perhaps commuting won't be so much a hardship as it would be tedious and time-constraining. RT has the obvious advantage of the beach, and there is a laid back vibe there, small community. In Dhahran, you have the advantage of living and working in the same place, so you could go home for lunch, get errands done at malls easier, things like that. Larger pool of people to get to know (but it can also feel a bit isolating sometimes). Housing styles are similar. Either way you end up, you'll see pros and cons. Who knows, you may find that you like it better living in RT and don't care about getting housing in DH. On the other hand, you might get sick of taking buses or driving everyday from RT and be happy to take a new place in DH when they have space. Personally, I think sipping on a coffee at the beachside in RT, overlooking the Arabian Gulf, is a pretty nice view, and beats the open grass space at the coffee shop at King's in DH. But that's just me, and I've never had to do the commute thing. BTW -- the new Mercedes buses are SWEET.
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Post by GroveWanderer on May 20, 2013 6:23:28 GMT
I did the commute between Dhahran and RT for about a year. I can tell you it got very old, very quickly. But that's just me, other people might be fine with it.
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Post by gareth0127 on May 20, 2013 13:04:32 GMT
I know of 2 people who left here within 2 years and the commute was one of the main reasons
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Post by Twofeets on May 20, 2013 17:00:09 GMT
If you're coming on bachelor status and will be working in DH, you will probably be a lot happier living in DH.
RT is beautiful, is very kid friendly, as was stated its a long commute. In addition, there is a much smaller singles population in RT.
DH is the main camp, tends to have better facilities, and is currently upgrading their sweet (drinking) water. There are more singles in DH, and you are only a few minutes away from the bridge to Bahrain (which tends to be a lifeline for a lot of us who enjoy going to the movies, going out with friends (especially of the opposite ), and of course the occasional drink or helping of pork lol.
Just my 2 cents...
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Post by azraeil on May 25, 2013 7:26:20 GMT
All of my friends who were in RT before raves about teh beach etc, but they jumped at the opportunity to move to Dhahran and now when we do have something to do in RT, they will give some excuses about how far it is etc (this is coming from those who commute everyday before .... so there you go)
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Post by vpainter on May 25, 2013 10:33:00 GMT
I guess the commute is an issue for some and not for others. Coming from Houston where it was a 45 minutes to over an hour commute to downtown on a city bus depending on traffic, the commute is normal. Time for a nap, reading and/or socializing before arriving to work and before arriving home - down time.
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Post by oyibo on Aug 29, 2013 17:57:21 GMT
I just got offered RT or AB and that my original location DH was not available. Are hours flexible enough, and bus schedules often enough to get in the office really early and beat the traffic? That's what I do in Houston and it helps take the sting out of commute.
Not sure I'm liking the options here otherwise.
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Post by vpainter on Aug 30, 2013 2:38:32 GMT
Here you will work a 40 hour work week. To work more than that is something you do not want to start. It is not expected unless you do it, except in a few exception departments.
When you come from a work environment where you are used to working longer hours, you must make yourself go home. This allows you to have family time and a social life.
This is my recommendation to you all.
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Post by GroveWanderer on Aug 31, 2013 14:38:40 GMT
Aramco does not "do" flexible working hours. Apart from those on shift work or Special Work Schedule (SWS), working hours are 7 am to 4 pm with one hour for lunch - 11:30 to 12:30. There used to be an option to take a 1/2 hr lunch break and leave at 3:30 but even that little bit of flexibility was recently removed.
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FX4
Member
Posts: 18
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Post by FX4 on Sept 6, 2013 17:06:42 GMT
I had quasi-flextime at Aramco Services. As previously stated its not an option here and don't even think about it. Your goal should be to get home anyway possible which will be the challenge if you live in Abqaiq or Ras Tanura. The first bus leaving RT in the morning is pretty much full due to all the people being exiled here. There have been a few times where there isn't enough seats which has made a few people unhappy having to wait for the next. Going home I have missed the bus twice leaving the Al-Midra building because the schedule I received was wrong and my very limited grasp of the many languages/accents spoken here isn't conducive to getting a reliable answer. Anyway, its an adventure.
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