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Post by aussie hopeful on Sept 5, 2014 11:23:42 GMT
Recommendation to all newbies on their way, keep an open mind regarding housing and you wont't be disappointed to much. we were informed right to the day of the flight that we would be in Abq, when my hubby got off the plane he was told DT. I was not surprised as I had read rumors of housing being tight and researched the towers and where it was we have 4 children and in a 3br). I can honestly say we are not greatly disappointed. Each community has it's strengths and weaknesses, it is what you make it. DT has a great community who are working together to make the place better for us all. Hubby gets home from work in about 15 mins. The apartments are nice and the staff are great and responsive, a shopping bus is being commenced today and the private drivers I have used are good. Any challenges or teething problems which may arise are being addressed by the committee. I can also see the new compound from our apartment. If you head to DT, make sure you have a look on our notice board and join the group.. see you soon  |
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Hero55
Advanced Member
Posts: 90
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Post by Hero55 on Sept 5, 2014 12:00:17 GMT
Hi aussie hopeful
I disagree with when u said each accommodation has strength and weaknesses. For me abq has no advantage at all for a person whose work place is DHA. I prefer definitely to be in DT than apq but I Of course dream to be in Rakkah which is really hard. In my contract they put apq but now I don't know where I will be. I extremely afraid that it will end up on RT !!!!
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Post by O&GEngg on Sept 5, 2014 14:45:19 GMT
Hero55 - from our perspective even ABQ has it's strengths especially if you have kids. Once you've arrived and see how completely freaking insane the roads are here you'll really wonder if putting your kids on a bus that goes from Khobar to DHA everyday is a good idea. Rakah has been doing it for over a year and has not had any issues but that's not to say that it can't happen. I work with a fellow expat who lives in ABQ with his family (pregnant wife & 4 year old). They have been here for over a year, were offered DT twice and Rakah once. They chose to stay in ABQ for the community and ease of life for his wife.
I will also second what aussie hopeful has said. The tower is definitely coming along and there is a fantastic community being formed here. Are there issues? Of course but once you talk to others in DHA there are issues there as well. Life is not necessarily easy or perfect on the other side of the security gate in DHA. Life is a roller coaster here and will be for the first six months (or so I've been told). Even this morning I was cursing this &%$# place and was ready to pull the pin. I have since simmered an am looking at the bigger picture. Again, from what I've been told, this is normal and people who've been here for years continue to go through the same emotions.
Regarding RT - I would be extremely surprised if you were placed there with your work location being DHA. I was also told my my relocation advisor that I could get place in some random local compound if everything around me was full. My understanding is that Rakah is like some sort of American only club with executives from other nationalities filling the gaps. I have also heard of people ending up in hotels (not recently though) upon arrival if their house was not ready.
End of the day: you have a decision to make. 1. Take the leap and get on the plane knowing that you have absolutely no clue where you'll be living. 2. Don't take the leap and continue doing what you're currently doing. I caution you against choice #2 as you could always look back at this as an opportunity that you've missed out on.
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Hero55
Advanced Member
Posts: 90
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Post by Hero55 on Sept 5, 2014 15:09:29 GMT
Hi O&GEngg,
Thanks for your feedback.
Then why you haven't insisted to be placed in far abq? I saw Abq pictures and found that DT is more modern and higher class so I guess you are very lucky to be in DT than Abq. No doubt that Rakkah is the best choice for me even better than DHA. I know that there is no way to place me in Rakkah. I hope they place me in DT at least. Do I still have chance or it is also for American or Canadian. I am asian under GBP payroll ?
by the way you supposed to stay in Rakkah how come they change it. If so how come it is for gr15+ if not American?
Thanks
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Post by O&GEngg on Sept 6, 2014 10:06:42 GMT
Hero55,
Oh the things that you'll learn when you arrive here.
"Insisting to be placed in far ABQ" - good luck insisting on anything once you get here especially regarding housing. Talking to housing is on par with talking to a steel post. Their atude seems to be that once you're here you won't be leaving so you have to deal with what you're given. As I have learned, we are the new kids on the block and have zero bargaining power. Any bargaining power you think you have is when you're dealing with ASC/AOC. Even then you need to get things in writing.
"Choice" - you have no choice once you arrive. You get what you get. Your only real choice is whether you decide to stay. There have been people that I've heard of that resign within a couple days of arriving simply because the situation here was not what they were promised.
At this point the tower is for anyone non-American and GC11-14. However, I've recently learned that a GC14 with 4 kids moved from DT to Rakah. Maybe if you make enough waves you'll get placed there but I wouldn't bank on it. Also, Rakah isn't all that it's cracked up to be. The houses are old and many people have described them as dirty/dingy when first moving in.
Why they changed me from Rakah to DT? That's a question that I've been asking for quite some time and have not received any answers. We like the tower though as we have made it a home and have made friends here. Moving again would not be ideal at this point and would further disturb our settling in process.
Also, if you do not like your housing situation then DO NOT sign the housing agreement. Once you sign that thing you're locked in. I thought if I signed it I could negotiate later. Nope. Not going to happen.
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Hero55
Advanced Member
Posts: 90
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Post by Hero55 on Sept 6, 2014 10:57:38 GMT
O&GEngg,
I really appreciate sharing your helpful experience. For me, I am a geologist GC13 under GBP contract family status with 2 kids. I will be happy if they put me at the tower at least will maintain life quality like what I am here in one tower in Kuala Lumpur. As per picture I see, rakkah look luxury whereas we still can't believe how old style ABQ is !!! My wife afraid that Abq as per pictures we saw wil not really decent and neat. I will be happy if they place me either in the tower or rakkah (the latter is almost no way).
I guess that you prefer DT than ABQ at least cleaner and nearer to the office
Thanks
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Post by tvdloo on Sept 6, 2014 14:02:49 GMT
Hi O&GEngg,
I am a single Canadian male on GC11 who was initially supposed to be living in the Dhahran residential compound, but was recently told in advance if my departure next week by my relocation advisor in Houston that I will be temporarily housed in the Abqaiq compound until my living quarters in Dhahran are ready. My relocation advisor claims the news that I would be temporarily in ABQ until the move to Dhahran came straight from the housing department in a message.
I am obviously concerned that I might be stuck in ABQ indefinitely and want to hold the housing department to their word. When are you required to sign the housing contract and should I refuse to do so when the time comes given they told my relocation advisor ABQ was just a temporary arrangement anyways?
Thanks in advance and looking forward to your insight on this matter.
Tvdloo
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Post by O&GEngg on Sept 6, 2014 16:20:31 GMT
Hero55 - if I was offered ABQ I'd really have to think about it to be honest. For a family, ABQ would be alright. You pretty well have the same amenities as DHA and your wife has a lot more freedoms there than she would here in DT. Also, the kids wouldn't have to be bused through the middle of Khobar. The drivers here are nothing short of insane. In the short 3 weeks that I've been here I have seen more deadly accidents than I did back home in 3 years. Not joking in the slightest. I can't comment on the houses in ABQ but my co-worker that is living there seems to like it. He has never had a house in his life and is really enjoying the backyard and being able to BBQ. I'm really envious of the BBQ'ing as I did a lot of it back home. Can't do that here in DT. The severe downside to ABQ is the commute. It's long and can be very dangerous. You could take the bus but that leaves very early in the morning. You could drive yourself and grab an extra 30 minutes of sleep but then you're taking the risk into your own hands. Like I've said before; the tower and ABQ have their own pros/cons. The biggest downside to DT is how difficult it is for my wife to get to the store to grab the things she needs. Not a deal breaker for us because I can pick up things on my way home and since I'm so close it only slightly delays me. Seeing as it's out of your control I'd just look for the positives that both communities offer. Also, on that note a family from UDH just moved up here and they really like it. They say it has the same feel that UDH has except in a vertical profile. They also say that they feel extremely safe here and have no worries about their families safety.
tvdloo - I have 2 friends (both bachelors) who've recently moved to DHA from ABQ. I'm not sure what their GC is. They were only down there for a few months before moving up to DHA. I wouldn't stress about being placed there if I was you. I really don't want to tell you what to do about the housing agreement. You kind of need to sign it and I'm not sure what happens if you don't sign it. Unless you have something explicitly saying that you'll be placed somewhere specific and they change it on you then you really can't do much.
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dimk
Senior Member
Posts: 114
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Post by dimk on Sept 7, 2014 15:49:20 GMT
what about safety precautions happening on DT? Is the safety on high standards like in other compounds as well?
security is not discussed in any way shape or form in a public forum. You may email or PM. Thank you. - vpainter.
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Nemo
Member
Posts: 41
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Post by Nemo on Sept 7, 2014 19:04:28 GMT
I am happy in DT with my family, it is like living out of the Aramco system but under Aramco umbrella, so it is the best of both worlds. Now if I were single I wouldn't hesitate to take the rental allowance and get a place in Al Khobar, at the end if you are an Aramco employee you will have access to their facilities and for clinics Aramco has identified the best private clinics in the city and those are the ones you will attend when needed... just saying
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Post by Alfredo1975 on Sept 8, 2014 3:46:51 GMT
Hi everyone! I just received my visa and I'm scheduled to travel in Sept 25th ahead from my family. My advisor told me that Abqaiq is not longer available and most likely we will be placed in DT. Which one is better for women? Does my wife have to stay at home all the time? How does it work in DT? Thanks in advance for your advice.
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Post by Chrismater2000 on Sept 9, 2014 4:33:18 GMT
tvdloo,
Have you received your visa stamp from Saudi Consulate. When are you flying?
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Post by tvdloo on Sept 9, 2014 19:33:00 GMT
Hi Chrismater2000,
I will be departing from Toronto Pearson airport on Thursday of this week, and arriving on Friday. I am assuming starting next week I will be completing an additional orientation for a week before starting work the following week?
I have been in contact with my relocation advisor about getting written confirmation from the housing department that I will only be housed in ABQ temporarily until my living quarters in the Dhahran compound become available which she is apparently working on at the moment. I don't really mind commuting from ABQ for some months I guess, but the idea of having a permanent 3-hour round trip commute does not sound ideal at all, so I will keep on them to make sure they don't forget about me and I get stuck in ABQ...
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Post by Chrismater2000 on Sept 9, 2014 20:11:18 GMT
Tvdloo,
When did you receive your passport back from Ottawa?
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Post by vpainter on Sept 9, 2014 20:43:13 GMT
Alfredo1975, sent you an email.
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