Do I need cars?

I agree with vpainter. Your wife will definitely want a car. In order to get herself and the kids to activities, deal with school issues, errands, doctor appts and all those fun things, you really need the independence of a car. When we arrived, we were under the misconception that getting around by bus inside the camp would be easy and practical. We quickly learned that the families in our neighborhood all have two cars. We bought a used car that my husband drives to work, and we're in the process of ditching our monthly rental car and buying a new vehicle for family transportation. For our family, using the work bus would not be practical for my husband, given distance issues and his need for flexibility in staying late at work or running errands. Everyone is different, and the bus may work for you. This time of year, it's not unusual to see people riding bikes to work, but that would be an uncomfortable experience in July. Some spouses drop each other off at work and pick them up later. You can make do with one car if that's best for your family, but you'll notice that most families with kids eventually end up with two cars at some point, or a car and something like a motorcyle or scooter.

If you ship a car, keep in mind the requirement about its age. I believe the rule is that it has to be less than 4 years old, and no pickup trucks, as those are for commercial use here.

The car must be no more than 5 years old and must have a clear le.

thanks! the website link says I need an Iguama to import a car. Hopefully, I can get the iquama before the car arrives.

Since the car must be less than 5 years old, one of our cars is disqualified.

Is there an on-line board for Aramco expat vehicle sales (or other stuff)?

Thanks again.

HROnline can only be accessed once you have computer access with Aramco.

Thanks for all the responses. I'm looking forward to getting there and eventually settling in.

Richard,

Please clarify your comment below. You indicated that you must be residing in Saudi Arabia when you apply to import the vehicle.

I am will relocating from the USA to DHA very soon. I intend to ship my car and of course pay for the shipping costs. I understand it will take around a month or so to ship from the Houston port to DHA. I will take it to the Houston port a few days prior to my flight.

I don't quite understand what you mean by "apply". Are you implying that there is a risk of me shipping then getting my application rejected after the car arrives?

I will be residing in DHA when the car arrives. I realize that the iqama typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. What is the frequency of application rejections or was your intent of "applying" just a simple formality and the importer must be a resident?

Thanks