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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 21, 2013 8:41:35 GMT
Hi all,
First of all thank you to all of those who have been posting on this forum. The forum helped us manage our expectations before arriving here in KSA. As we have almost spent a month, I decided to write about our experience which may help those who are planning to arrive in future. I have noticed there are specially questions regarding the Abqaiq camp, as we are based here so hopefully I will be able to cover some of those questions.
I will keep posting topics randomly as they come in my mind, but please feel free to PM me or post here if you have any particular question about the initial days experience or Abqaiq camp.
Regards,
AE
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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 21, 2013 9:58:36 GMT
First day:
We arrived here on a very busy Thursday and spent several hours in the queue at the airport. No one had any idea what was going on and the queues were moving very slow. Please ensure that you ask officials (they will be walking around all the time) about whether you are in the right queue. Bring plenty of water and snacks in your hand luggage – it is vital specially if you have kids with you as otherwise you may struggle to find bottled water in the immigration area.
We later on found out that delay was due to a glitch in the finger printing system. Someone also said that I should have called the Aramco personnel contact (contact info provided in the departure pack) as they may have been able to help us.
A colleague from our department picked us up and after going through the personnel office (to submit our passports and receive temporary ID) we headed to Abqaiq camp. It is about an hour and half’s drive from the airport.
Camp:
The camp in Abqaiq is very small – but beautifully maintained. As soon as you arrive in the Aramco area, you will notice the difference in terms of greenery and maintenance. We obtained the keys for house from the housing and went straight to our house (to our surprise it was a two bed – as with two kids we thought we will get a three bed house). MY colleague dropped us at home and promised to be back next day to show us around the camp. The house had the necessary stuff to get you start for few days – this includes essential furniture, bedsheets, pillows, some food, cutlery and welcome chocolates!
Double beds are small (Can accommodate one adult at max) and single ones are tiny. We only had one double bed in one of the bedrooms so we used the floor for the first few days. Next working day we called furniture warehouse to ask for another double and a couple of single beds which arrived after reminding them twice.
On the first day we called taxi and went to commissary to get some food and grocery. Next morning my colleague took us to show around the camp. It is a beautiful camp with one dining hall, café, tennis courts, squash courts, football stadium, gym, swimming pools, library and lots of other stuff.
People in the camp are extremely friendly and will always smile and wave hi to you whether they know you or not. Everyone is very helpful and will help you with anything! As a newbie you will probably get confused and will need help – the advice is just ask anyone without any hesitation and you problem will be solved within seconds. We stressed on some minor issues but later on found out that we could have sorted it out within minutes if we would have asked someone for it. An example is, if you are at commissary and can’t find a taxi home, just ask anyone for help and they will be more than happy to give you a lift!
More on the way!!!
AE
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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 21, 2013 11:36:35 GMT
First day at work:
My colleague showed me the nearest bus stop from my place and explained the time table of bus departures. On the first day I met the people in our department and was pleasantly surprised as most people, including the senior management were very nice and warmly welcomed me in the department. Specially the locals (Saudis) are very nice and friendly – they seem extremely pleased for the fact that I have chosen their country to live and keep offering me to contact them if I need any help. They seemed determined for me to have a positive impression about them and their country and keep asking me how I have liked their country. Also, most people are very well educated and look competent in their work which is not what my friends (Working in other companies in KSA) normally describe their colleagues.
The next day was New Hire Orientation and I can’t stress enough how important this is going to be. The you will have all your questions/ concerns addressed – don’t be shy to ask any ques as I found the personnel ppl very friendly and helpful. You will learn all about how to obtain Iqama, resident visas, multiple entry visas, drivers license, bank account, cars etc etc.
You will have a separate orientation by your abqaiq community in about a weeks time.
Mobile phone:
On the first day my colleague also took me to the STC shop (near core area) and got me mobile phone connections (you need copy of your Aramco ID, Passport and Visa). I also got internet Mifi which is a little device with data sim in it – you can carry it in your pocket and connect up to 10 devices to access internet. I found it very handy as it took about a week to get internet at home – but we managed to remain connected bcz of this. I paid about 250 SR for the device plus 5 GB of internet which was valid for a month only. You can later on re-charge the internet data – for about 150 SR for unlimited data for one month.
Car rentals:
We were told (LOUD and CLEAR) during the orientation that no matter what drivers license we hold, we are not allowed to drive outside the camp until we get the Saudi driving license. You colleagues who have been here before will tell you different stories (i.e. they drove outside the camp on their UK or US license) but personnel was very specific about it and said that you can get in big trouble if something goes wrong on the road. You can drive in the camp but the issue is that you can’t rent a car from Abqaiq camp. Majestic can only give you a car in Dhahran. Also, at times Majestic can be very busy – for the first few days I was told that no cars are available for rental so I had to call them twice every day to check if any car has become available. I rented a Yaris from them for 2 weeks (they were only renting it to me on weekly basis as none of their monthly cars were available. Later on I found out that I can also rent from private companies outside the camp (you only need your passport and Aramco ID to rent a car – whether from Majestic or from outside company) so I switched to that private company and have rented a car from them for a month. They are cheaper compare to Majectic too, the only difference is that you have to pay them upfront whilst with Majestic you can pay them when you return the car.
A colleague drove my car from Dhahran to Abqaiq and back when I rented from Majestic. The private company I used for my subsequent rental delivered the car to Abqaiq main entrance gate and said they will pick it up from there when my rental expires.
As I’m off from work today, there will be more updates after I’m done with my lunch.
AE
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Post by sahana on Aug 22, 2013 11:14:07 GMT
Nice sharing.
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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 22, 2013 11:25:13 GMT
Commissary:
There is a small commissary in the camp and that is the only place you can buy stuff from. There is a Panda store in the town but that’s pretty much it. In the initial days when you will be without a car, you will be dependent on the commissary shopping (there is a bus which takes you to Panda store in Abqaiq but that only once or twice each week). The commissary has very limited stock so if you or your kids really like something then you shouldn’t buy it for a day only – get it for at least a week (be considerate for other people too). It was a bit frustrating as we couldn’t find Paracetamol for toddlers as that was out of stock – also the size of nappies my son wears are not available and they havnt done anything about it despite the fact that I have requested it several times. The yogurt my son likes arrives once each week and gets sold off within a day… The staff at commissary is generally very friendly and helpful so if you need something you can try your luck.
Taxi:
Until you get your car rental sorted out, you will be relying a lot on taxis (atleast until the weather gets a bit cooler as if the weather is ok then you can walk from one corner to another in the camp) – shuttle buses run through the camp all the time but with small kids it was difficult to follow their time and the bus stop is also a bit of walk from our place so we were heavily depedent on taxis. There is only one taxi company which operates in Abqaiq and they are always busy (i.e. not available). They always refuse to do round trips (personnel mentioned in the orientation that they are supposed to do round trips with 30 minutes of waiting free and rest charged per each 30 minutes of additional wait). When you try to insist that you want a round trip, they will tell you that no taxi is available. Happened to us several times that we will go to Commissary and there will be no taxi available and we will end up waiting for more than an hour with lots of shopping bags and two grumpy toddlers. Our son got a bit ill and we took him to hospital at 1 in the morning and when we called for return taxi, they said nothing is available.. it was not even a weekend! Also, if you try to book a taxi in advance, sometimes they will book it so you can plan and time your shopping trip but sometimes they will ask to call back closer to when the taxi is required.
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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 22, 2013 11:46:25 GMT
Commute: Here comes the difficult topic! Well many have raised the concern, it is true that the daily commute from Abqaiq to Dhahran is painful. All the people I have met here in Abqaiq seem to be unhappy about this (of course a part from those who work in Abqaiq). The bus journey takes about an hour and half and depending on your home/ work location from the bus stops, it can be even longer. I have to walk about 10 minutes to get to bus stop in Abqaiq, takes an hour and 20 minutes to get to my Dhahran bus stop and then again walk about 15 minutes to my work building. Buses are comfortable and sufficiently air conditioned so the journey is usually pleasant. Most people sleep/ browse or socialize in the bus. You will always find some inconsiderate people who will talk to each other loudly (wont care for people who are trying to sleep) or recline their seats to full which will make it difficult for the person sitting behind but most of the time if you ask politely, people will respect u. I managed to catch a bit of sleep on most journeys although that would be impossible if person next to you decides to call his wife and tells her what he didn’t like in that day’s breakfast! No matter how prepared you come for this commute, or even if you have a similar commute in your existing job, you are not gonna like this journey. Specially, having been told that DH camp is full, when you meet people in orientation who are hired at the same time as u and assigned housing in DH camp, and seeing your colleagues ‘walking’ to work from DH camp in the morning and going back to home for ‘lunch’ and ‘nap’ breaks and hearing how they get back home by 4:15. I switched to car as soon as I got my driving license and it takes much less time – about 50 minutes each way. Also its important for me as I have young family and I want to be able to get back in case if there is an emergency (its not easy to get taxis during the day so if you need to get back quickly the only option you may have is to wait for the next bus to Abqaiq which can be an hour away) - I must warn that the roads and the drive here is not pleasant at all. Its boring and very dangerous (bcz of the way other ppl drive here). You will spot accidents frequently and there was one even this morning! The positive part to this is that no one will ask you to stay late as people know that you may miss your bus so you can get off 4o clock sharp without feeling guilty about it. Also you get a generous commute allowance (about 7% of ur salary) for this – which I didn’t know so came as a pleasant surprise. More topics to come so stay tuned  If you have any questions - feel free to PM and I will try to help. |
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Post by aramcodream on Aug 22, 2013 14:47:01 GMT
Thanks so much Abq_Expat about sharing your experience. I will be relocating to Abqaiq on the 1st of November, and I must admit all this information is really helpfull
thanks again for taking time sharing with us this precious information.
with best regards
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kory
Member
Posts: 26
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Post by kory on Aug 22, 2013 20:43:15 GMT
Thanks Abq_Expat, your posts are really helpful. We will be also relocating to Abqaiq early October. I will appreciate it if you can please share some information regarding the houses and facilities in the camp.
Thanks for your posts.
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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 24, 2013 13:56:19 GMT
Facilities inside the camp:
There are a number of facilities which include the dining and recreation options.. There is a Community Information Centre, one restaurant and a couple of snack bars. Also there is a Beauty shop (for females), Barber Shop, Laundry shops, FedEx office, Florist, Photo shop, Tailor, Shoe Repair, Travel Agent, Bank and a Mail centre. There is also a Theatre, Swimming pools (family and ladies only), Gym (Male and Female), Golf club, Cricket Stadium, Soccer field, Tennis courts, Squash courts Bowling Alley, Library and Games Room etc etc. Although we havnt used all of the above mentioned facilities - the ones which we have used are very quite well maintained and staff is generally very friendly.
More details on medical facilities and about the town Abqaiq outside the camp to follow.
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Post by UmmRiyam on Aug 25, 2013 9:15:52 GMT
I just wanted to mention that if you need tempra/tylenol, you can go to the clinic. You would have to see the doctor, but I'm sure they would be happy to write you a prescription for it. Maybe it seems silly when you know that your child isn't very sick or is teething, etc, but living in UDH, I also know that sometimes we cannot buy simple things like that from the commissary sometimes, but the pharmacy at the clinic is well stocked. I was able to get a donut cushion from the clinic when I fell and injured my tailbone. It's worth it to go to the clinic and ask for what you need.
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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 25, 2013 12:10:42 GMT
Thanks UmmRiyaam. We went back to the clinic that day (it was 11 am) to tell them that we can't find paracetamol at the commissary but they told us that the pharmacy is closed so even if we see the doc again, that wont help.
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Post by UmmRiyam on Aug 25, 2013 14:42:23 GMT
The pharmacy was closed for the day or just for lunch break? They should have offered to put a prescription in the computer so you could pick it up later, or if you are seen in ER maybe they could have given it to you.  sorry that happened to you. Usually our doctor prescribes tempra for our kids without us even asking for it. |
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Post by aramcodream on Aug 27, 2013 8:09:05 GMT
Hi
can I please kindly ask you if there's any city near Abqaiq ? is it only compound area or can someone go in the evening for shopping mall near by ? do we have to go to elkhobar or dhahran ?
thanks in advance for your reply
Aramcodream
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Post by Abq_Expat on Aug 27, 2013 11:22:37 GMT
Abqaiq City:
There is a small town outside the Aramco camp. There is not a lot there but something is better than nothing! The town has a small shopping mall (around 7-8 shops) and a Panda store (both about 10 minutes drive). Panda is walmart type grocery+ store and it will be your biggest savior- as if you can’t find something in the commissary than you can always go out and get it from Panda. Also there is a Souk market in Abqaiq (5 mintues drive from the camp) which contains several shops for Electronics, ellery, Toys, Clothes etc. Beware these shops (specially electronic shops) have plenty of low quality brands and they may try to con you by charging a high amount. Remember to bargain with them and try not to flash your Aramco ID as otherwise they will quote you a very high price.
Also beware that these shopkeepers know that you don’t have a lot of choice in Abqaiq when it comes to the stuff they are selling. You may be able to find the same stuff in Dammam or Khobar souks for much less prices. So we only use the town market when we need something urgently. Apart from that, there are a few takeouts (KFC, Pizza Hut, and Hungry Bunny), a couple of Ice-cream parlors and that’s it!
There is a weekly (or twice weekly) Aramco bus service which can take you to Abqaiq Mall or Panda store and bring back to the camp.
Every time you want to dine out, buy something specific or even want some sort of entertainment for your family – you will have to go to Khobar or Dammam (or Bahrain). That will be difficult on weekdays as you will probably be reaching home at about 5:30 – so you will have to plan that all for weekends. Again, you will have those ‘down’ moments when you will hear from your Dhahran mates how they went to this new restaurant in Khobar last night or how they took their kids to the play area of Mall of Dhahran last night as that’s not gonna be a choice for you sorry! Problem with us is that we can’t find the stuff we need for our cooking in Abqaiq so we have to plan at least one trip to Khobar each week. We try to count it as a ‘day-out’ and go to some good restaurant in Khobar for dining and somewhere nice for kids’ entertainment (like Mall of Dhahran play area). However when you don’t feel like driving for 2.5 hours and want to relax at home, it feels like wasting one day from your weekends as with two toddlers sometimes it can be a bit hectic. Also we have been invited over to dinners in Dhahran camp a couple of and its really frustrating driving hours just for that. We are fortunate to have a car, it will probably be even more difficult without a car.
The plus point is that the town is much relaxed and laid back – the traffic is not as bad as it is in Dammam or Khobar so you can be a bit relaxed when driving and be sure that you are not gonna stuck in a jam.
Medical Facilities:
The medical clinic in Abqaiq is very nice and they provide almost all the out-patient services including 24 hours emergency services. For in-patient services they will send you to Dhahran hospital (and provide Ambulance service if you condition requires it). All the nurses and docs are very friendly and helpful and as the clinic is not that busy (due to small size of the camp) you can even walk-in without an appointment and will be seen within 15 minutes. For emergency section as well, unless they are dealing with an accident or something, you will always be seen by a doctor even if you go for a non-emergency condition. In other words you can go to Clinic anytime and be sure to be seen immediately by a doctor. All doctors are well qualified and have UK or US experience under their belt. The equipment in the hospital is top-notch and if you ask me to rate this hospital, I would place it above most private hospitals in the UK.
Unfortunately we had to visit the hospital quite a lot in our first month due to my wife’s pre-diagnosed health condition and for both me and my son for our reaction to dust allergies. However we have always come home very satisfied with the service we were given.
The only flip point is that due to absence of in-patient services you may be sent to Dhahran and if you or your relative has to spend time in Dhahran then it may become a difficult situation. Someone in my department was complaining how his pregnant wife was sent to Dhahran three times just to find out that it was just the false alarm. She had c-section in Dhahran and stayed there for 4 days whilst the guy kept shuttling between DH and ABQ all the time with his 3 years old.
More info on our first trip to Bahrain and car buying exp to follow!
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Post by aramcodream on Aug 27, 2013 15:25:21 GMT
Hi Abq_Expatthank you so much for the level of details in your description..... at least, we know what to expect !!!!
can I please kindly ask you if there are nursery available for 3 year old boy ?
can I also please ask you to describe the house ? I mean does it have a garden, well maintained green garden ? flower ? trees ? area for bbq ?
Thanks
Aramcodream
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sorry that happened to you. Usually our doctor prescribes tempra for our kids without us even asking for it.