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Post by LtWindstar on Jan 28, 2012 20:37:04 GMT
With a job prospect on the horizon I have to be frank, not Frank. My mother in law is convinced that all Americans living in Saudi are in peril. She seems to be well studied on Arab culture and how they feel about the presence of Americans in SA. She told me that my family and I could be in grave danger and that the Arabs are our greatest enemies. My question is... Is it true? Do expats fear for their lives when they leave the compounds? Is it only a matter of time before the fanatics throw themselves at the walls of Aramaco and blow you all up like in the movie "the kingdom"?
i say she is crazy....but her talk is making my wife second guess a job out there.
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Post by Carolina on Jan 30, 2012 4:48:39 GMT
o The firm answer is NO - any other queries on this you can PM or e-mail me: carolinecollen@yahoo.co.uk none of us no matter which nationality would be here if that was the case - that is for sure - in fact I feel safer here than I would in my own country - families and single people here have a good way of living etc etc. Carolina |
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Post by SunkissedTexan on Jan 30, 2012 5:31:51 GMT
Your mother in law is cute  Saudis and Arabs in general are warm and welcoming people. When they find out my husband and I are from the States they speak of America with great love. My husband nor I ever felt disrespected by the Arabs here (the key is not to be proud and think we're better than them  Conclusion: The Arabs here in and out of camp aren't out to get us, they are very very very welcoming and loving people - not just to Americans, but to anyone. |
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Post by Twofeets on Jan 30, 2012 6:14:25 GMT
I had some friends express the same concerns before I moved.
Without getting too political, the simple answer that that 'Fear Sells'. Since 9/11 the media has made a fortune selling Islamaphobia. If you watch the news, TV, movies, etc its everywhere. I worked EMS in the US for 18 years, we have beatings, shootings, stabbings, home terrorism, etc daily (in Jacksonville Fl the running (bad) joke is whether or not you can wake up and 'not' find an article about another gang/drug related shooting). Even so, any incident involving a muslim will instantly receive national news...
As others have posted, the people here are very warm, very friendly. I have spent quite a bit of time off camp, that vast majority of those I work with here are Saudi. Not only have I had no problems, I have found them to be wonderful people. I feel safer here than I did in most big cities in the US.
Sure, there are areas here to avoid, but I wouldnt go walking through the ghettos of Jacksonville, Detroit, New Orleans, etc either!
There are millions of expats living and working in Saudi Arabia. Many have been here 20+ years. While there have been isolated incidents, the simple fact is that the murder/violent crime rates here are much lower than a lot of us would face back home...
That being said, driving here is a completely different ball game... The highways are the only place Ive found that I do not feel safe lol.
Good luck to you, and while none of us can tell you whats 'right' for you, let quality of life, time with your family, economic issues, etc drive your decision, not fear of Saudis.
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Post by soverydeb on Jan 30, 2012 6:32:56 GMT
I totally agree with the above post and let me also add: There are many other nationalities that live here (non-Aramcons) that have businesses and work here, and even though they may be from Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon etc...everyone we have encountered have been friendly. If you are nice and friendly and courteous, that is what you get in return here.
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