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Post by Doug2014 on Apr 15, 2014 15:11:53 GMT
My husband is in the process of accepting an offer from aramco but we have been informed that we will be residing in UDH....Is this compound still the same as it was in 2011, as I have read many old descriptions, or are there any new developments or amenities in the compound in last few years ?
It is written in the forum that UDH is in the remote area, so are we eligible for any additional allowance for living in UDH...
thanks in advance.......
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Post by vpainter on Apr 21, 2014 22:50:08 GMT
Changes happen all the time. UDH is remote, but there is no extra allowance because of that.
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Post by UmmRiyam on Apr 23, 2014 10:46:13 GMT
Not too much has changed in the past few years. The biggest change is that they are building a new women's gym with an indoor pool and childcare. It's supposed to open in July this year! All the ladies here are soooo excited!
They have also remodeled the youth center. There is still a play group that meets twice a week.
There are shopping buses and buses to Dhahran which help with the remoteness of UDH.
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Post by Quanta on Apr 24, 2014 3:57:19 GMT
If you husband has to commute to long distance, such as Dhahran, you will receive cummute allowance as long as his GC is below 15.
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Post by Doug2014 on Apr 24, 2014 4:43:11 GMT
Thanks for answering my question.
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Post by GroveWanderer on Apr 24, 2014 10:33:28 GMT
Yes, but just to be clear, this is not because Udhailiyah is classified as a remote location (because it is not).
One of the criteria for being designated as a remote location, is that there is no Company camp with family housing within 50 km. Udhailiyah has family housing and so is not designated as a remote location.
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Wutz
Senior Member
Posts: 143
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Post by Wutz on Apr 24, 2014 12:40:08 GMT
Are you sure about that Grovewanderer? I have a friend (GC 14) living in Ras Tanura and working in Dhahran that I am pretty sure receives compensation for the long commute distance.
Wutz
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Post by Doug2014 on Apr 24, 2014 22:41:05 GMT
Thanks for helping out everyone, greatly appreciated. After getting the map of Udh compound , now I have mixed feeling about it, certainly is quite remote. So want to inquire further. Are there any reasturants in Udh? Any jogging/walking track ? Any green spots/playgrounds ? Any soccer ground ? Are there any 3 bedroom houses besides 3 bedroon townhouses ? If anyone has the pics of the compound please foward it to me ....
Thanks....
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Post by UmmRiyam on Apr 25, 2014 6:23:27 GMT
It is a small town that is pretty far from everything, but a lot of people really like it here. The feeling of community is really nice here, and it's easy to get to know most of the people. There are a lot of community events to attend, especially if you have kids. It's a nice safe place to raise your kids. Kids walk or bike to school alone (after K). No one lives too far from the school to ride their bike, which is nice.
As far as restaurants or eating out, there are a few choices.
1. Desert Breeze, which is at the golf club. (the golf course is sand by the way, not grass)
2. Carlton Cafe (coffee shop)
3. Snack Bar at Jebel Complex
4. Cafeteria with BBQ place (kebab) at Jebel Complex
5. LuLu Bakery (pizza and pastries)
6. Shawarma and Falafel place in the commissary
7. Waffle and Pancake place in the commissary
In addition, there are a couple of restaurants right outside the compound in the Udhailiyah village. We sometimes order BBQ Chicken and Rice from one of the restaurants. They used to have a really good place to get foul (beans), lentils, and tamees bread, but it closed.
They have some food for sale in the Admin buildings as well, but since I don't work there, I cannot tell you what exactly they have.
We have a 5K walking/jogging route that goes around the compound. A lot of people use it. We also have a regular full size track with a soccer field. There's also a baseball diamond and a skateboard park. There are lots of little parks/playgrounds throughout the compound and a few large parks. There is plenty of green space here! They keep flowers planted all the time along the sidewalks, so it's quite nice and pretty.
Yes, there are 3 bedroom homes that are not the townhouse style. There are some 1 level homes, but I think they're all occupied, and there are some larger 3 bedroom homes, which are now all occupied, and there are some 3 bedroom homes with a flat roof, and there may be some of those available.
The compound looks very similar to any of the other Aramco compounds.
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Post by Doug2014 on Apr 25, 2014 9:51:19 GMT
Good piece of information.Thanks for detailed answer..
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Post by GroveWanderer on Apr 25, 2014 18:47:35 GMT
Wutz,
I think you misunderstand my point. I was saying that a person getting a commuting allowance while living in Udhailiyah, is not getting that allowance based on Udhailiyah being a remote location because, according to the company's definition, it is not.
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Post by UmmRiyam on Apr 26, 2014 7:10:28 GMT
One benefit though is that if you have a full day course (or longer) in Dhahran, Khobar, or Ras Tanura, then you can claim a full day of per diem, not just travel/commuting allowance. So, for example, my husband has a course next week in Khobar for 5 days, so he will stay in a hotel and then claim per diem rather than driving back and forth every day.
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Post by bluebelle on Apr 27, 2014 17:30:49 GMT
Do all the family houses have a garden?
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Post by UmmRiyam on Apr 27, 2014 17:51:42 GMT
The houses, yes. The apartments, no.
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Post by bluebelle on Apr 27, 2014 17:57:24 GMT
I assume we will get a family house, (2 kids, GC13) so I am very happy about the garden! Thanks UmmRiyam.
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