New SA Compound - DLC?

The Rakkah compound - (DLC-Dhahran Local Compound) is near the Dhahran International Exhibition Center. It is 30 to 35 minutes from DHA. When we went our trip was 25 mins one way.

It has a restaurant dining hall (seats 500) and snack bar, both run by the Carlton Hotel.

It has an olympic size lap pool and a pool with diving boards and a kiddy pool. (pools are chilled in summer and have covered areas)
It has a covered playground, a artificial turf football (soccer) field, it has tennis courts, squash courts, racquetball courts, and auditorium for movies and events, barber shop, beauty shop, Mail Center, Bowling Alley, Library, Billards Room, Aerobics room, Exercise Gym with machines and free weights, Basketball court, Volleyball Courts, Equestrian Center with 2 horses and 2 ponies for residents with riding instructor on camp.

Pre K3 - K school inside Rakkah compound, then students to DHA schools.

Medical Clinic, Fire Station, bank and ATM, commissary run by LuLu's Hypermarket, Samara taxi service based inside the compound. Aramco shuttle buses hourly to Dhahran from 6am - 10pm (also buses for work, shoppers and medical and school), Community Information Center office, gas station, weekly BBQ's and other events/activities.

The houses are 2375 Sq FT. Houses are 110V with a 220V plug in Kitchen and laundry room. Sweet Water throughout the homes. Provided TV service and high speed internet. Free local and national calls with discounted flat rate long distance to other countries. Free rent for furniture and appliances.

Yes, you can have pets, keep them on a leash when outside. There are grassy areas behind the houses. They are considering a dog park.

Wives can drive within the compound.

There are 525 homes in this compound. Yes, there are more houses, but they will be used for other offices and facilities on the compound.

The big concern I have is that this compound is only 10 acres in size. Dhahran is 10 sq. miles. That is a very small compound Aramco is asking wives/significant others to stay on. I for one am very disappointed to hear this and I know this is going to be a much tougher sell for my wife to agree to.

The Rakkah compound is a very nice compound. The fact that women can drive on it makes it different from all other local compounds, plus all the amenities Aramco has provided make it a very nice place to live. The families already there, who have lived in RT, are enjoying living there, so it must be pretty nice if they have given up a beach compound to move there and then are positive about it. All of DHA amenities are also available to the Rakkah compound residents with free transportation between the compounds.

I think you will enjoy living there. It will be a compound you as the first residents will have the unique ability to make it your own.

My mistake: I think I saw the 10 acre comment somewhere on the forum.

I'm sure the new compound is very nice. I just can't expect my wife to live there when Dhahran was indicated on the offer and is the one she has been preparing to live on. We have 4 kids and wouldn't have enough rooms to put them in. Of course, they can share, but only one is a girl and she needs her own room.

Again, I'm sure people will have a wonderful experience there.

Most 3 bedroom homes have an office or another room that can be used as a bedroom. In the most common 3 bedroom townhome style, there are 4 rooms upstairs. 1 is quite small, but is big enough for a small bedroom or a play room or an office.
I think I read somewhere that DLC will also have an office?

There are 4 and 5 bedroom homes in the compounds, but I am pretty sure they stay occupied and won't be easily available, if ever. (actually, one problem with that is housing sometimes doesn't make it easy for people with larger homes to downsize. At one time, they needed the larger home, but once their kids grew up, they're left with a large home. My neighbor has a 5 bedroom home, and only 1 kid still at home....they want to move to a smaller home, but haven't had the chance!)

ridealong, the office room is an enclosed room next to a bathroom. The wide open space you see in a picture is at the top of the stairs and could be used as a study area if the study was being used as a bedroom. I toured the homes.

By the way, how far Rakkah compound is from Abqaiq by car ?
thanx