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Riyadh
Jan 5, 2012 5:39:33 GMT
Post by Scottshi2012 on Jan 5, 2012 5:39:33 GMT
o,
I'm a potential new hire for a position at the Riyadh Refinery. If I accept the position I'd be coming under single status. I've read a lot of positive comments about family life in SA. So my question is what sort of life should I expect for a single guy in his late 30's ? I've lived in many places around the world and have found things to enjoy everywhere I've been. However I'm not sure about SA. Any comments about the social aspect for singles.
Regards,
Scott
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Riyadh
Jan 11, 2012 14:54:13 GMT
Post by buzzed1 on Jan 11, 2012 14:54:13 GMT
Hi Scott
Like yourself I'm also a single hire and will be headed to SA soon. I've been doing my own research on life in Dhahran Camp (where I will be residing), as well as life in SA in general. It does seem that the camp almost exclusively caters to family oriented activities and events. One one hand this makes sense since many of the expat hires who live there are married. But also keep in mind that Saudis in general place great value on the concept of family and children. So this idea might also have been incorporated into the design.
My opinion on the singles scene is that it's a matter of personal perception and choice. While there are some singles who don't mind integrating into the family lifestyle of the camp or even being around families and kids, there are those (like myself) who prefer the "diversions" one might associate with a singles lifestyle. Exactly what those diversions are is a matter of individual choice and personal tastes--so I will not attempt to outline them here.
But if I'm reading into your post correctly, there does exist alternatives. Saudi Arabia is connected by causeway (approxaimtely 21 miles) to Bahrain. Bahrain and all the countries of the UAE have less restrictions on what I would call "entertainments". This includes dress protocols, alcohol consumption, drinking establishments, movies theaters, etc.--all the things that are tightly controlled by Sharia law in the Kingdom.
The important thing to remember (however you spend your free time) is that you are in the MIddle East, and that you are a "guest" in their country. While there are some parts of the Middle East that are less restrictive than Saudi Arabia, you will not be able to be as free wheeling and carefree in those areas regardless of their location. It's just the nature of the beast. The best thing to remember is to practice moderation, have an open mind, and most importantly, use common sense.
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Riyadh
Jan 12, 2012 3:05:13 GMT
Post by Carolina on Jan 12, 2012 3:05:13 GMT
o
We are a married couple but I wish to stress the following we have a lot of single friends both male and female living here in SA some are Aramcons and others work for different companies in SA - and I wish to stress there are lots of activities for single people to take part in so one should never be bored wherever one is living in SA for Aramco or working for any other company.
Hope this helps to put your mind to rest - yes there are a lot of families here but there are also a lot of single people as well.
Hope other single people living and working here can also provide their personal experiences to the forum.
I stress you should and will have a great time in SA but yes you have to come here with an open mind.
Carolina
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Buster
Senior Member
Posts: 106
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Riyadh
Jan 12, 2012 15:13:15 GMT
Post by Buster on Jan 12, 2012 15:13:15 GMT
Go for it - if you don't try you'll never know!
Sure there are some restrictions but probably a lot less than you'd think.
Aramco is full of expat singles. If you're on a compound that's not exclusively Aramco, you will soon meet plenty of other expats as well.
Depends what your interests are but there are usually quite a few different social groups.
I've been to Riyadh, and flown through there, and from what I can see it has plenty of expats.
Cheers
Buster
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Riyadh
Jan 16, 2012 11:20:29 GMT
Post by Scottshi2012 on Jan 16, 2012 11:20:29 GMT
Thanks for the responses, I'm glad I found this web community and I'm looking forward to the experience. Best Regards, Scott
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