Practical questions on settling in Rakah

efekas
Newbie

Posts: 1

Practical questions on settling in Rakah Jan 28, 2015 10:12:57 GMT

Quote

Post by efekas on Jan 28, 2015 10:12:57 GMT

Hi,

We will be shortly arriving at Rakah and, after reading a number of posts in this forum, I still have a few practical / household questions:
- are telephone sets already provided in the accommodation or should we bring / buy new ones?
- what are the typical arrangements regarding hiring housemaids / cleaners? Will we be able to hire a cleaner/housemaid for regular visits?
- what is the avee cost of a taxi ride from Rakah to major supermarkets (like Carrefour, Tamimi)? to Dhahran?
- will we able to rent a car from day 1?
- re: snack bar - does it serve proper espresso/latte/cappuccino coffees?
- restaurant format: is it canteen-type, self-service type establishment? What sort of meals/cuisine does it serve (e.g. sample menu).

Any insights will be appreciated. Thanks.

Maursh
Senior Member

Posts: 169

Practical questions on settling in Rakah Jan 29, 2015 19:26:06 GMT

Quote

Post by Maursh on Jan 29, 2015 19:26:06 GMT

- there are two or three telephone sets provided when you move in (I can't remember exactly). They are wired sets.
- Hiring home help varies widely. Some sponsor live in help either directly or with the help of the company, others find houseboys or maids through word of mouth for a few hours each week.
- 30SAR each way to Khobar (shops). SAR50 to Dhahran
- I can't remember if you can rent a car from day one, or after a couple of weeks once you have an iqama. We rented a car out through Europcar who are a few miles down the road. We didn't have a Saudi license at the time which was the sticking point for many car hire places we tried first.
- re: coffee in the snackbar: I don't know anyone who would recommend it. It ain't Costa!
- It is a canteen, self-serve type run by a hotel franchise. They generally have about three meals of the day and a salad bar.

fsaeed81
Advanced Member

Posts: 89

Practical questions on settling in Rakah Jan 30, 2015 18:44:59 GMT

Quote

Post by fsaeed81 on Jan 30, 2015 18:44:59 GMT

You can rent a car from Majestic which is on the main camp. You need your Aramco ID (and your country's drivers license) to do so. I rented for a month, but you can for less time. Renting a car outside is very difficult unless you get your Saudi license and Iqama. I tried renting from outside after I received my iqama but didn't have my saudi license. 3 - 4 car rental places we went to in Khobar didn't rent to me since I didn't have SA license.

I would recommend to rent a car from Majestic to start off with, I found they dont have a good selection of cars, I rented MG, which is some Chinese car maker. Once I received my license, I went out and rented from Khobar car rental agencies, its cheaper and better car selection.

Always ask for full covee insurance, and confirm you have it in your car.

Everyone's needs are different but we felt a car is very important for family who comes to Rakah (again our opinion), buses go to majority of the stores around town, but we didnt find the bus schedules convenient. Sometimes we only had a bit more than 1.5 hour to shop, and we felt hurried. If you rent a car and need to go out of the compound, obviously, you need to take "Saudi driving" into consideration. People drive WILD out there and you need to do lots of defensive driving out there.