Post by vpainter on Mar 20, 2012 15:48:16 GMT
Here is info I send to new hires:
If you're on medication, bring about a 3 month supply to get you past the settling in process, that way you're not anxious about getting into the clinic for medications during that time.
I recommend you use the dishbarrel boxes from U-Haul for one or both pieces of your luggage. They are the largest box that KLM, BA, and Lufthansia allow without being considered oversized. They are slightly bigger than the website says, but are accepted as regular luggage. They are subject to the 50lb limit, but helps bringing in all those bulky, larger items or lots of smaller items. They are double sided and hold up well to airline travel. We use ours over and over 3 or 4 times and sometimes more. We use a dishbarrel and a large suitcase for our luggage, some of my friends use two dishbarrels each as their luggage.
Your inventory list and labeling everything is one of the most important things you can do. Anything not listed will not be covered by the insurance. If you list more than one thing on a line be sure the price is large enough to cover the cost of every item. Whatever cost you write down it will be divided by the number of items and that is the cost of each thing. I know it's time consuming, but it is worth doing a comprehensive job of it.
Use Address return labels and reuseable file labels to put your name, your badge number if you have it, Saudi Aramco, and what Aramco compound your going to. Reuseable file labels are great on things you don't want a permanent sticker on. Also for smaller items, place them in a ziploc bag and stick a sticker on it.
When they search a shipment, the boxes are open, contents are poured out onto tables and then put back into the boxes. They are doing this with lots of shipments at one time. So that all your things get back to your boxes, you need to label everything. Every book, everything. Books can be taken off to a Ministry Office that approves books. That is the only thing in our shipment that was searched. Praise the Lord!
If you have children they will need pictures of themselves for school projects as a baby and on up. If you don't want to bring an important picture, make a copy and bring the copy. I brought picture albums in my checked and carry on luggage. In the shipment they can be gone through and blackened out or destroyed if they don't like how much skin is showing or how one is dressed. My children brought their year books in their carry on luggage.
-vpainter
Person wrote in Jan. 2013:
Well, we have been here in Dhahran just over a month. We found the forum extremely useful going through the hiring/relocation process (thanks all) and promised a moderator that we would pay back with our contribution. So here's some recent experience.
What we brought- (no additional luggage fees):
2 Samsonite oyster suitcases and two large rolling bags- clothes and toiletries etc.
2 big and 2 small (kid size) carry ons- DVDs, Wii games, valuables, small electronics.
Kitchen dish barrel list
Non-stick skillet/Cutting boards/Sharp knives/Grater/Lemon squeezer/Peeler/
Colander/Can opener/Spatula/Salad/serving spoons/Serving dishes/Nylon fish slice/Nylon slotted spoon/Tongs/Measuring cups/Measuring jug/Salt and pepper pots/ Scissors/Dishcloths/Panscrub/Baking tray/Foil/Clingfilm/Lasagna dish/Loaf tin/Whisk/Roasting pan/Timer/Kitchen scale/Kitchen timer/Water bottles
Entertainment dish barrel list
Pillow cases/Towels/Small TV (also could hook up Wii, laptops, DVD player, etc)/Blu ray DVD Player/Wii and accessories/Tea towels/Sheets and duvet covers/Keyboard and mouse/Kettle/Shower Curtain/Tony Chacheres/Bath mat
2x Kid’s Dish Barrel Boxes
As many toys as we could fit- most of the ones we had from the kid's rooms including a bunch of soft toys. Familiar comforter sets, pillows, wall posters and nick knacks (so rooms would be "just like home"... 6 and 8 yr olds)
Air Shipment:
E-box No. 1 list
CD Music collection/Toaster/Microwave/Spices/Iron/Coffee grinder/French press/Q-tips/Pillows/Router- VPN type./Phones (cordless with answering machine)/Large pan/Large stockpot/Barkeeper's friend/Toastie maker/Chef Pan/Small saucepan/Desktop computer (hook up to screen in DBB)./Bathrobes
Ebox No. 2 List
Hosepipe and micro sprinkler system/timer/Cordless Drill/Drill/driver bits/Cordless vacuum /Small toolbag with basic tools/Broom/Dustpan and brush/Swiffer mop and refills/Dusters/Kitchen trash can/Dyson vacuum cleaner
The welcome pack was great- silverware, crockery, pans, utensils, hairdryer (!), soap, shampoo, shaving foam, plenty of food, juice, milk, coffee, tea, sugar, pasta, rice, breakfast cereal and bread to get us started. Linens and towels etc. We got in at 3am New Year’s eve, then ran up to commissary in the late (ish) morning to get more supplies. The right department will supply trash can, recycling bins and fire extinguisher on request. Further details at orientation.
Our house is nice- the furniture won’t stay beyond our surface shipment- but is very serviceable. Large appliances will stay- not worth buying imo since renting also covers repair. Sweet water is OK for making tea, coffee etc. unless you are especially fussy. That said we have a water cooler on the way and will use it.
Things we wish we had brought- backpacks, clock radio, small HiFi, more nightlights for kids to navigate around unfamiliar house at night. Doormats. Maybe a bigger TV in e-box... Plastic stoe boxes. Beef stock cubes. More warm clothes (yes it does get cool- down to 5-10 degrees C in January). Hats, sunglasses- it is easy to get sunburned- especially in winter- and we came from Houston... Loads of stuff is available locally (e.g. IKEA, at supermarkets etc.) but we wanted to make our home our home ASAP and get out and about just as fast.
Driving is, erm. Interesting. Don't take the wrong exit and think you can get back around on a feeder road. Use lanes with a great deal of imagination-but defensively. Watch for the guys passing 2x the speed limit on the shoulder.
Other tips.
Lots of patience is required in getting documents after arrival. Buses and Taxis also fall into this patience category. Taxis can be in very short supply. We got a rental ASAP from Majestic for 120 Sr per day cash including insurance (maybe a week after arrival- but certainly before school started). You need to get a temporary car sticker from Aramco security- or you can't get the car into the camp.
Ladies- be warned- it can be deceptively easy to drive out of the Aramco area- not a huge deal (security does get a bit animated though) and many ladies seem to have done it for a few hundred metres or less (or more) at some point. Not recommended though...
We got a 4G router from Mobily for about $70 per month (you sign up for 3 months including the hardware) and got online within 72 hrs of arrival- that was nice. Basic cellphones are 80 Sr a piece from a place by HyperPanda- Mobily will hook you up with 30SR Sim card(60 mins of calls to local landline) and the 4G router in the Al Midra facility with only your temporary (paper) ID and passport photocopy. Get back with the with your iquama number for top ups. There may be cheaper ways- but we went for this option for convenience.
Make sure payroll has your correct bank details for direct deposit. No problems with us, but one of the newbies found out a bit late that they didn’t, and may have to be paid by check until it is sorted…
Make sure your Arabic name in the Aramco system matches your iquama (mine didn’t)…no problems, but it makes sense and Personnel were very efficient in changing.
Our US ATM cards work great and the exchange rate was very close to 3.75 (give or a take a few cents on, say, $500). Credit cards accepted most places you'd expect. Computer games (e.g. Wii) are more common in US format in KSA, more Europe ones the trend in Dubai, Bahrain (apparently).
You can get contacts for arrival- but to be honest people are great- we had total strangers stop by at the bus stop and give us a ride to the commissary. Our neighbors switched off wireless security for us (though we did not need it in the end). Some offered to loan us their cars. Get involved (e.g. Cubs, Brownies, Women's group, other groups) and you won't go short of new friends.
There’s a lot more, but that’s it for now.
Person wrote in Oct. 2012:
Landed a few days ago from Houston.....and so as many of you might be daily checking this site for a new outlook into the camp life, here are some of the things I recently experienced. I used to live in Dubai, so I thought hey this place must be similar, but it's not.......but random things I thought of discussing so here goes.......
1. Groceries.....Frosted Flakes, Ketchup, Jam.... basically anything imported/branded is really marked up. I tried to bring enough to last me a few weeks, but I wish I would have bought more.....Fruit roll ups, ramen noodles, nerds/air heads/lollypops, cereals, tosos......just the things my kids love and its harder to digest paying for things like 8 bucks for a box of cereal.
2. Appliances.....the ones we got were brand new.....the fridge is a bit smaller than
the larger side by side we are used to but it is fine (it has 2 ice cube trays and yes there is no water dispenser, but I think like most other people you are gonna stick to bottled water anyways).....the last two years they have upgraded all the appliances soo in my opinion......don't bring any.....for instance my new dishwasher wasn't working right so the guy came and fixed it asap.....they technicians have all the spare parts and knowledge of the company provided appliances so why have ones shipped here and have issues if they break down....the fridge, stove, dishwasher(if your home has one) are free to rent.....as for the washer/dryer it is definitely up to you.....they cost around 30usd per month for the set.....the ones they gave us are brand new and good and I really wish I hadn't shipped a brand new set over here.....
3. The first day...we had to wait in the lines....but we came in a flight that landed in the early evening....we had a lot of boxes and it's better to let your recruiter know how many pieces you will be traveling with as there was an issue getting an extra taxi to get our luggage to the camp......they did have some eggs, bread, cereal, in the house.....its great and a nice gesture.....however have something in your hand luggage that will suffice for dinner (ramen noodles...etc) .....or if you come in the afternoon/evening take a taxi to the camp food area to grab something.....if you know anyone have them bring you some dinner.....we are so glad we had some nice friends....after that long flight and the trek from the airport.....I really was in no shape to make a decent dinner for the kids.
4. The next few days (actually more like the next day) get a taxi or a friend to take you to....rent a car asap....we paid around $650 a month for a corolla type car, make sure you have an abaya(the black full length dress) if you want to venture out to the malls, get a wireless internet stick and a Saudi sim we were told STC as this company provides so so internet/phone signal (its been almost a week and we do not have home internet).....drive around the camp to get a hang of things....
k so its past 2am and I have so much more to say but........I am super tired so I will definitely continue soon
So here are some other topics……
1. Luggage
We brought waayy more than the 8 pieces we could……I would just suggest to bring things that you will use in the near future and leave decorative things for your next repat visit with family/friends….things like your favorite shampoo or deodorant and your bed sheets and duvets…..things you will use daily…..some groceries….small appliances….definitely your microwave…..school supplies…towels….power quick pick up vacuum...even like a flat screen tv that will fit in a dish barrel box…..
2. Housing Furniture
Living room: tiles floors all downstairs, with sofas, lamps, ds…..simple and all you need until you buy some new stuff or have some shipped except for the initial tv…..we didn’t bring one and we ended up buy it for 1500R for a 46inch Samsung plasma to hold us over until we get ours in the shipment…..since we have kids we had to get the cable started asap and in turn needed a tv pretty quick
Master bedroom: we have laminate wood flooring all upstairs and this is a spacious room with a double bed (kinda small for both of us but we are managing), side tables, lamps, chest…..the bed was covered with sheets and some pillows…..had to change to our own sheets and pillows the first night to be comfortable
2nd Bedroom: a so so spacious room with two single beds, a chest, and side table and
a lamp….had to change the sheets for the kids the first night….
3rd Bedroom: pretty small and was empty…..there is a furniture warehouse where you can order some more rental furniture which I will be doing soon….single beds go for 9R…..really cheap however the mattresses are not comfortable so personal preference to buy new, ship, or rent here…….the kids bedrooms are not so big so I wouldn’t recommend too much furniture in the rooms……
3. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinners
So I am no chef and I have lived in many countries and I have to say this one is different. Here are some of the things I wanted to share…the restaurant on camp is okay maybe for once a week they have Italian/Chinese/Indian all in once place.....and they deliver so maybe I might order twice a week……the snack bars scattered at different locations around the camp……great for a meal here and there…..however delivery from say Mcdonalds or many other restaurants ….you order it…..they send it with a driver after 20/30/40 minutes later to the main gate area…then you go pick it up at the gate….then you bring it home…..hmmmm fries not so fresh then……so this option of no delivery to your door equals more hassle to me…..and then eating outside the camp……well your husband has to take you or you might catch one of the buses going to the mall….but basically I don’t want to venture out all the time as it means passing gates, getting ready, dodging all the crazy driving all to grab a bite to eat…..so bottom line in my mind is whether I like it or not I am the new CHEF….yeah I know you can get a houseboy or sponsor a maid…..well that takes some time….so again you are the cook and you need to churn out lunches and dinner…..so what helped me is that I brought lots of little electrical appliances like a sandwich maker, toaster, mini chopper, blender, griller, microwave, and had things like my kitchenaid mixer and juicer shipped….and if you are already a great cook then you have no issues
Even though I love eating out in Houton the prices at the restaurants here also prompted me to get on the cooking bandwagon really quick….
Outback Steakhouse Al Khobar…..apprx 170R
1 burger, 1 steak, 1 kids meal, sodas
Bamboo Restaurant Dhahran Mall apprx 250
2 curries, 2 rice, 1 appetizer, sodas
Bundoo Khan Khobar apprx 250
2 curries, 1 rice, 1 kabab mix platter, naans, sodas
Okay so its almost 4am and I am hooked on CNN watching at what Sandy is doing…….lots of other topics and I will try to post soon
So had some time and thought about some more topics and Highlander soo happy to help….however my responses are a bit delayed and you are already here!!
Below some more topics
1. Schools
I was informed that I should have received this letter regarding TB testing and a grade placement letter towards then end of the recruitment process. I unfortunately did not receive anything except a letter stating that the kids were accepted. Not having the TB testing delayed my kids enrollment for almost a week. If you have children in school, I would suggest contacting the school registrar via email if you did not receive those additional docs. The registrar told me that she gets questions from future students and parents all the time. The registrar is very nice and the school facility is also nice. You can perhaps contact your recruiter to get the school’s contact info. Also, since we live close to the school, the kids have to walk……it is okay now, but during the summer months we will have to probably pick and drop. Also, the kids come home from 1130-1240 for lunch…..so something else to keep in mind…….
2. Shipping
We took the cash in lieu option , however we bought a new SUV and mattresses and washer dryer and other small items and had them shipped in a container. I wish I would have just purchased my big ticket items here. There are furniture shops, car dealerships, and big supermarkets so those things could have been purchased here. My shipped items will be arriving probably in a month……so instead of paying shipping, customs clearance, and duty, I would have bought them here when needed. As I mentioned before with the new washer/dryer rental option , I really didn’t need to buy/ship a washer/dryer.
3. Beauty Salon (info for the ladies)
Okay so big SURPRISE here……..there is a beauty shop….however it is the only one in the camp and I have not even seen one while venturing out into the city. I called for an appointment and was given a date for 5 days out.......had a mani/pedi and the price was 100R …..it is not like the US and you do have to sit on a haircutting chair and the appt was for 45 mins only. There was another lady early for her appt and they were able to finish me in like 35 minutes. I did get a massage which was good and at 150R not bad price at all…….but tack on 100R for eyebrow and upperlip (which they did while I was getting my manicure) and arms waxing….I walked out paying like 350R …….hopefully my experiences will get better….
4. Things to keep you busy
Since we did not have our Iqama’s we are in town during this Eid holiday…..
So here are some of the things we have been doing…..it is pretty empty right now...but we are told that when people even have a one day holiday they are off to Bahrain/ Dubai etc etc…….but here is what we did/saw……
----went to an Eid carnival set up in the middle of the camp
----bowling at the camp…..it was fun and not so expensive….60R for the four of us for 2 games
----there is a movie theater that runs some movies, we haven’t seen a movie, but we checked out the facility and it seems pretty good
----there is a indoor/outdoor play area at the Dhahran mall which is pretty nice
----we went to the Corniche area which is pretty lively with lots of fast food and restaurants
----we checked out Rashid mall which is also big like Dhahran mall is and has all types of shops…..it even has a Cheesecake Factory café which serves only desserts!
----we see people here and there jogging along the tracks
----there is a golf course that has its lights on all the time, but we haven’t ventured there yet
----calling maintenance/furniture warehouse/gardening center while hubby is at work……for things like pest control, black out blinds, for a trash can and recycle cans, gardening, ordering furniture….etc etc…has kept me quite busy trying to get the home all set up
----getting blood work done for the Iqama’s
----getting your camp ID made
----going to your local pool area…..they have lap pools and a big pool with slides
----taking the kids to parks all scattered around the area
Hopefully will be back soon with some more topics
A few more topics I thought of......
1.School Supplies
On the forum there are places where school supply lists are mentioned. I brought
a few things and I kind of didn't finish getting everything that was mentioned....
It would have been better to follow the list and get everything on it so that I could get the brands that the kids are used to.....the prices here are higher, so it would have been better if I would have purchased everything in the States. The lists on the forum were basically the same ones the schools gave me.
2. Pots and pans
You are provided with some basic pots and pans, however I have been feeling the need for
the pots and pans that I am used tooo......things like the frying pan, rice pots, strainer, sauce pans, mixing bowls, and stoe containers. If you have space I would put the ones you use at home and are comfortable with right into your luggage as it makes cooking a lot more easier. Basic glasses, small cups, plates, bowls, and utensils are provided and they have worked out and will be fine until I get my shipment in.
3. Random things I would like/or brought from the States that are helpful
Just thought of some things I have or would like to have like my brand of dishwasher tabs, dryer fabric softening sheets, Q-tips, wireless router, a box of foil and plastic to hold you over a month, cold and cough and fever and minor scratches/bites stuff for the kids and me, thermometer, batteries, weight scale, throw blanket for the couch....hmmm drawing a bit of a blank, but will think about this topic a bit more
As the time wears on, things are seeming to become more normal.
Some great posts have been added to highlight some of the things to keep in mind.
Here are some new things I thought of......
1. Prayer times are especially something to be aware of. During lunch, the hubby can't pick up some fast food as the locations will be closed. Or if you go near sunset you are bound to be lingering outside the shops for sometimes more than 30 minutes for things to open. We tend to go much later in the evening on the weekdays if we need to grab something out of the camp. Don't be surprised if the store closes while you are in it, just wait until the prayer time is over and they will open up.
2. Another thing I will definitely bring up is the bus to Bahrain...as soon as we got our visas we took the bus offered for 25R roundtrip. It leaves in the morning and returns in the evening. Our trip took 11 hours. It was great to catch up on the movies! The bus trip we took was on Thursday, and that was good as the mall was not so busy. It is a nice day trip and a great way to see the in/out procedures at the border. It took almost 90 minutes each way as the border was a little busy and we had to get out in and out of the bus for entry/exit stamps twice each way. The last one the bus driver did it for us. Personally I think we will keep the Bahrain trip restricted to Thursdays as the mall is less busy and you should give yourself time to get thru the border. Perhaps if we rent a hotel, then we can make it a weekend trip. Next time I think we will take the car so that we have more control over the time and visit some other places. If you have a rental car make sure you obtain a letter from your car rental company to go to Bahrain. Also, for rental cars make sure not to rent for more that 1 month. You cannot get a temporary car sticker for the the same car for over a month. After one month our rental agent just switched the same type of car for us.
3. The salon is also starting to become a second home. The first visit was interesting...but as you get to know more of the people, the more accustomed you become. From massages to facials it is a great way to give yourself break. Just set a certain amount aside a month and enjoy!
4. An internet phone connection back home is also a great way to feel close to loved ones. I spend hours talking to family back home at night when the kids are sleeping. At night, it is afternoon back home so you can take care of some business and find out about all the things going on. You have to be a little patient until your internet starts up, and make sure you have a wireless router.
5. The weather has gotten quite chilly here. It has rained several times as well. Make sure to bring some light and warm jackets and umbrellas. If you have kids that get easy quick it is a good idea to get some undershirts they can wear too. Stock up on cold and cough things that you are used to. Also, bring a thermometer and plenty of testing supplies if you have such things as plastic attachments. I went thru two boxes of those ear testing plastics when the kids had a looong fever.
6. Can't stress enough to bring lots and lots of snacks. I have had to ask my mom to make me a new box with cereals, cookies, chips, candy that the kids are used to. Luckily I have family traveling this way
7. In the camp the dressing is very casual. You can wear your abaya or you can wear conservative stuff that you wear normally. Just know that when you are outside the camp, EVERYONE is wearing an abaya. You have to adjust to the country that you are in. I know there are people who say that outside the camp they wear conservative dress, but honestly I have not seen anyone wear anything except the abaya. It has become a normal thing, when I know I am going out of the camp, the abaya is the first thing I am going for.
Can't believe it is going to be two months sooonnnn!!!
Person came Nov 2012
We have been in Dhahran main camp for 5 weeks now. I will attempt to recall some of our experiences. The rental call is a must. You will need to do a lot of running around. Be sure to get your kids immunizations up to date...especially the TB test. The schools are very particular about that. Just to set expectations, do not expect your kids to start until a week after you arrive. They are in no condition to go to school with jet lag and there are paperwork related to school that needs to be completed before they start. It helped that a co-worker went through the same process just 5 weeks earlier. If the kids did not get their TB test, you are looking at two weeks because you need to start your orientation and blood test before your family's medical records can be added to the SAMSO system. You also need a car to go to Al Midra to get a SIM card for your cellphone. My biggest struggle was getting a log on ID. You will need a cellphone, at the time of this writing, to get your initial password. Ask around if someone has a Mobily 3G wireless router (that still has a load) so that you can contact family, check e-mail, and do online banking. This is assuming that you have a laptop with you when you arrive...a must. Be sure to bring at least SAR 2000 Riyals. You will need cash to by food at the commissary or the dinning hall when you first arrive. Bring a small bag, pen, and binder with folders to put papers in and organize. You will be doing a lot of running around taking care of administrative stuff which involve a lot of paper. Learn the basic Arabic phrases handout. It really helps when interacting with the Saudis. Bring a chopping board. You will be given a checklist at orientation. Read it carefully because it has a lot of very usefully instructions such as getting ID's (Temporary Permanent and Permanent). You will got to the Industrial Security office many times. Things do not always work out on your first trip. You will need to learn the Rule of Three. Things do not get done or resolved until after the third attempt. Read about how to unlock your phone at your residence so that you can make "34" local and international calls. You can get an unlocked cellphone from the commissary and get a load from the guy at the kiosk. You are looking at SAR 200 to start (100 for phone and text load and 100 for the data). Remember dial "03" when calling a landline "05" when dialing another cellphone from a cellphone. You will need to program "+1 area code phone number" to dial the US for example from your cellphone. If you do not have a working phone when you arrive be sure to go to Al Mujamma to get one. The telephone guy is there. Learn to dial 939 for everything you need around the house. It will take a few calls to get things resolved but it will get done. Try to describe things in short sentences. Don't go tell a story. Go right to the point. They will send the wrong guy but after two to three attempts it will get resolved...remember the Rule of Three. You will take multiple trips to the SAMSO clinic for blood test and finding a primary care physician. Find a scanner at work and keep a copy of your passport with the Aramco stamp on it that you will get at the airport. You will get another copy at orientation. You will need them. Don't be afraid to surrender your passport when you arrive at the airport. You will need to give the pictures that ASC gave to you to bring. Go to Al Mujamma to take extra pictures for your driver's license application and Bahrain Causeway booklet. Check with Payroll to make sure they have your home bank information and Saudi Riyal bank account if you decide to split your payroll (I would if you need to get quick cash and if need to by a car). None of family's medical information or banking information was in the system. If I did not catch it I would not have been paid until the end of November. The Expats here are great. They are always ready to give a lending hand...just ask...try it. Sorry for jumping all around but that is all that I can remember so far. It is very interesting here. It takes a different kind of person. You have to be ready to adapt. I have two kids 14 and 7 with my wife. We have enjoyed our stay so far. You need to have sense of humor and a lot of patience...when you don't think you can take any more then you will need to find more patience. Gas is 0.45 SAR per liter. A suburban costs about SAR 45 and a Corolla about SAR 18 to fill up (do the math). Bottled drinking water (from the commissary) is about the same price as gas here. It is great to work for the Best company in the world. The work is also interesting by the way.
Today is our 7th week in the Magic Kingdom. It seems like a lifetime because the day feels longer like on Mars. I have a few things to share about purchasing some big ticket items and casual employment for your spouse. We attempted to purchase a LED TV from Lulu. We took the shoppers bus. It was such a hassle because both of my credit cards were declined even though I contacted the credit card company multiple times to make a notation on the account that I will be making purchases from Saudi Arabia. Do not feel frustrated when that happens. From the credit card company's perspective, it looks and smells like fraud. You just have to contact them to say that it is a legitimate charge that you have authorized. So when this does happen, you need to program your credit card company's phone number into your phone with "+" then area code and phone number. They can clear it up fairly quickly if you have a phone that can call internationally. I had to wait until I got home. Rule of Three. If you plan to buy an Xbox here (PAL format), be sure to buy a 110 power supply. Aramco housing is 110. The 220 power supply that the Xbox comes with can be used as a spare.
Let me tell you about my car buying experience. It is not like buying a car in the US. You go to the auto dealership if you want time alone by yourself. Customer service is a foreign concept. If you want to buy a car, you have to approach a salesman, shake him, tell him that you want to buy a car. They will not approach you. If you wait for them, you will be in the showroom all day long. It is a good idea to know what you want to buy in advance like the model and options level that you are will to pay for. Most purchases are in cash. There is no such thing as car financing as we know it. I know someone will correct me on this. This means that you will have to think in advance to position your cash. On your first paycheck, you can request for roughly the amount that you need for your car and household expenses to be deposited into your Riyal account. If you decide to only have your household expenses deposited to your Riyal account and plan to wire cash back from the US you have to consider the following. The ACH payroll deposit from Aramco will need to be in your US bank account for at least 3 days (like Jonah) before you can wire it back to your Saudi Riyal bank account. You will be given an IBAN account when you open your Saudi bank account. You will bet a text message after a few days to say that you Riyal account has been credited with the US funds. Be sure to wire US funds. The US banks make a killing on the exchange rate if you send Riyals. Again send US funds. The Saudi banks have better exchange rates from US to Riyals (about 3.75 Riyals per USD compared to 3.6). To be cool, you can then withdraw bundles of cash and place it in a suitcase like a gangster or ask the car dealership what their IBAN number is so that you can have your Saudi bank wire the money or create a bank draft with the dealer's name and exact account number. In the memo field, be sure to mention that it is for the purchase of a car. The dealer can only accept up to 100K in Riyal due to money laundering regulations. The rest you or the whole amount can be deposited to the dealer's bank account (plan to spend 1 to 2 hours) trying to deposit cash. You have to take a number and wait while people cut in line in front of you. You will know what I mean when you get here. Trust me it is okay. There is nothing to get upset about. We are here as guests. During this whole time, you will not be sure of the exact model, color, or options until you actually pick up the car. This is okay. It is part of the experience. You will get a call from the dealer's friend that sells insurance and you will give you credit card number to a perfect stranger over the phone. Again this is okay. Everything will work out in the end. You can arrange for your own insurance but good luck coordinating that with the dealer. The VIN number and other details for the car will not be readily available to you while the car is being registered by the dealer. Oh, one important point. You can't start the car purchasing experience until you get a Saudi driver's license. The list of requirements is given to you at your first orientation. The trickiest thing is going to the old admin building to get your US driver's license translated into Arabic. If you can find the building and the room (or the room two doors further down) you are half way to getting all the requirements together. You can get photo's needed for the driver's license at Al Mujamma next to the barbershop. It is funny because the picture that they use is the one that is taken when you first arrive at the airport.
If you decide to buy a scooter to get around, try to get measured for a helmet and put it in your e-box. You should get a scooter that is less than 150 cc because you do not have to register it and it does not go against your Istamara limit. I bought a 125 cc. The 50 cc does not have enough power and are very noisy.
If your wife works and is considering possibly working as casual labor, you should manage expectations and say that it won't happen. There is a higher possibility of getting employment if your wife is a teacher or accountant. If your wife is a nurse, she should bandon all hope of working. There is a rule somewhere against such arrangements. It may have been possible in the past but not now. Our recruiter was not very truthful about this fact. It would have been okay if he said that it was not possible because my wife would have been better prepared to take on a life of being a housewife (preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner or me and the kids - not that anything is wrong with that). It is all about managing expectations. If my wife is happy, everybody is happy. She is setting her mind to go to the gym, play tennis, and volunteer. There is plenty to do...just not casual work.
The Saudis are great to work for and with. Did I also say that the work is very cool? It really is. Better than I ever imagined.
We have been in Kingdom for 9 weeks now. So far so good. Learning a lot from old timers about how to behave in meetings and how to interact with Saudi co-workers. I wanted to make everyone aware of the topic of conversions.
1. Power on the camp and the core area is 110 volts vs. 220 volts for the area outside. It is hard to find a water dispenser at Saco at is rated 110 volts. We buy a case of water a week for drinking because the sweet water really should be reserved for cooking.
2. The measurement is based on the metric system vs. standard or US units. By the way there are 42 US gallons per barrel of oil. Shopping for food is in kg and liters. Try converting your cooking recipes into metric like how much er you need for example. The speed limits on and off camp are in kilometers. There are apps that can help you convert: distance, volume, and temperature.
3. The currency is SAR which is pegged to the US dollar at 3.75 SAR per dollar. I believe other currencies are allowed to float.
4. The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. My recommendation is to get familiar with at least how to recognize the numbers. Here are the first 10 starting from 0 and ending at 9: ٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩. There are number of resources like Google translate and www.arabic-keyboard.org that are helpful.
5. Saudi Aramco has two radio stations: Studio 1 (Classic Rock, Pop-Rock, Country, 80's, Oldies) and Studio 2 (Jazz and elevator music). The type of music are played on a set schedule. There is also a Bahraini top 40 radio station and an American Forces radio station the broadcast NPR for example. You may want to think about getting an Internet or Wifi radio to get your own music piped into your home (especially Christmas music that start after Thanksgiving). We miss KSBJ.
6. You have to familiarize yourself to the Islamic Calendar or Hijrah. It is based on the lunar calendar. This information will be useful when reading the expiration dates on your Iqama or Istamara or car registration which are in Hijrah dates. The current year is 1433. New Year is November 15th which will be (1 Muharram 1434 H.) There is also prayer 6 times a day: roughly early morning, sunrise, high noon, mid afternoon, sunset, 1 1/2 hours after sunset. Knowing the prayer times is important especially when you go to the stores and restaurants around town. I would suggest an App called iPray. You just need to tweek the settings for Dhahran. Saudi Arabia also does not recognize Daylight Saving Time. So the time difference between the Dhahran and Houston could be 8 or 9 hours (with us being ahead) depending on the time of year. Please forgive me for making only US references. It is because my eldest daughter is in Houston and we have to work around her waking and sleeping time to talk via Ooma or Skype.
7. The most difficult conversion is the days of the week. Yes, the work week also require conversion. Saay is the start of the work week and Wednesday is the end of the work week. So Thursday is virtual Saay and Friday is virtual Sunday. The middle of the week is Monday.
Note from someone else: -you CAN finance a car, and I think it's important that new arrivals be aware of this. True, you'd have to rent a car for three months to get that 90-day local bank account history under your belt, but if you don't have $25,000 cash available to go buy a new car your first month here, waiting a bit longer to be eligible for the local Islamic financing can be attractive. In our instance, we have an affordable monthly payment spread over 48 months, which conveniently includes insurance so no need to deal with that separately.
One person wrote in 2012 with additional comments from others:
What to Buy, Bring and Pack When You Are Moving to Saudi
I wrote this very long letter to my brother, so please excuse the informality. Y'all already know I'm not very formal anyway. When you stop laughing, it's got lots of useful information in it. Hope that it helps people in any way possible. I also wished I'd had this when we were coming here, which is why I wrote it in the first place. So here goes......
So we hear that you are on your way to Saudi. Boy, are you in for some shockers! We decided that we'd write you and give you some helpful tips that we wished someone had given us, regarding what to bring here and what to pack in your ebox. Follow these instructions and it will hopefully make some of what will probably be a not cool situation a little more bearable.
1. Go buy a Dyson vacuum. Leave it in the box and put it in your ebox. Do not disregard this--it is one of the most important things you can have here-dust is a terrible problem, both aesthetically and physically. Dyson is the best and won't break under the strain. Ditch your old vacuum cleaner, preferably in a gae sale if possible.
2. Go buy the biggest suitcases you can get, 2 for each person, or at least one. But buy two carry ons per person, including the kids. If you don't want to buy 2 big suitcases, get one per person and go to the UHaul store and get 4 dish barrel boxes that you can pack. You will need to cram everything you can into these cases/boxes. More on what you should be cramming into these shortly.
3. What to pack in your ebox:
-the Dyson vacuum cleaner
-110v kitchen and small appliances -- YOUR MICROWAVE for sure. If yours is mounted or something, then go buy one because you can't get a 110v microwave here as all appliances are 220v. Houses here are not equipped with microwaves so you have to bring your own. When you put the microwave in the ebox, make sure that you fill the insides with all your spices. In particular, bring vanilla (though you might want to put that in with your toiletries, preferably), food coloring, Gebhart's chili powder, and all the other spices you can because they can be expensive here and you're going to be spending WAY more MONEY than you think starting up your household here. This was quite the rude shock for us, so learn from our example.
Other small appliances that definitely need to be in your ebox or shipment: coffee maker, coffee grinder if used, can opener, toaster oven, mixers, food processor, etc. YOU CANNOT GET THESE ITEMS HERE. You can ship these too. Just decide what is most important following the microwave and coffee maker.
-your pillows and sheets for everyone. Aramco pillows and sheets are not the best and you will be very happy to be sleeping on your own stuff after two weeks.
-Any kitchen gear you use frequently. Aramco stuff is well, not the best here either. We put a couple of skillets and pots and pans and good utensils in there and were so happy we did. You will be too.
-Kitchen towels. Go buy new ones, way more than you need, because you can't get any good ones here.
-Movies or video games, along with a player if you aren't trying to cram it in your suitcase.
-Any toys of the kids that you don't want to wait 4 months for. This is really important.
-Bath towels: I didn't and I regret it. You can get towels here but they are expensive. At least put 4 in and washcloths.
-BIG PLASTIC TUMBLERS/GLASSES. Can't get them here. Bed Bath and Beyond has them if you don't.
-If you have a desktop computer, put it in the ebox. If you don't I'm assuming that you'll be cramming laptops in your suitcases.
-MEDICINES: Not your prescription stuff, you'll be putting that in the suitcases. Here are the things YOU CAN"T GET HERE THAT YOU NEED (this list is in all caps because this might be one of the most important things in your box): TUMS. ASPIRIN, CHILDREN'S MEDICINES LIKE NIGHTTIME, ETC. NYQUIL AND DAYQUIL. HALL'S COUGH DROPS. VISINE. YOUR FAVORITE DEODORANT. LIP BALM. BENADRYL. CLARITIN. TRIAMINIC. MUCINEX. SWIM-EZE. SOLARCANE. ZANTAC. ANYTHING YOU USE ON A REGULAR BASIS. BUY ENOUGH FOR A YEAR!!!
That sounds like a lot for an ebox and it is, but you'll be surprised at how much can fit in there, especially if you can put small things inside larger things, or jam the small things into nooks and crannies left by the big stuff. The packers will help you and they're good. Please don't skip anything on the list above.You will be so happy when you get your ebox it will be like Christmas. And these are all things you will either need or want desperately in 3 weeks or so. Now that we've covered the ebox, let's go back to what else you will need to bring here in your suitcases and what you should be buying in advance because you either can't get here or you won't like the selection here. This is also super important.
4. Go to Academy, Target Old Navy and Walmart and buy the following items. Buy enough for one year, and no, I'm truly not kidding. Buy now and save yourself pain and suffering later:
-socks and underwear for the entire family. Panties, bras, and T-shirts. Everyone needs a year's supply. The water is terrible on your clothes and they wear out fast. Coupled to that is the fact that the "cold" water is almost always hot except for from November through March, and you get lots of shrinkage. You will go through enormous amounts of Tshirts, socks and underwear. Stains don't come out well here, I'm sad to report.
-Your favorite hair and body products here, unless they are Jergens, Vaseline, Head and Shoulders, Olay, Nivea, Loreal or Garnier. If you have specific brands you love that are not listed above, you need to buy in bulk. For instance, I love Curel and you can't get it here, so I stock up. I also stock pile Aveeno and my hair products. I already covered deodorant. There are Body Shops and a Bath and Body Works (only Bahrain, and it just opened, yay!) so if you like those, you can get them here. Otherwise, NOT. Plan accordingly or you will desperately be searching for py subsutes.
-Q-TIPS!!!!!!!!! All the ones here suck so buy in the states.
-For Men: Belts and shoes. Everything here is European and they look like elf shoes and the belts are also European looking. Make sure that you have plenty of dress and casual footwear and belts. Don't worry about Tennis shoes, those are easy to get here. Probably Dockers if you wear them but you can get them here. Whatever else clothing besides anything mentioned above. Polo Ralph Lauren is beyond obscene prices here so if you want Polos, get them in the states. There's a great Nautica store in Bahrain that we shop at .
-For Ladies: Besides undies and Tshirts, make sure that you have several long sleeved or half sleeved shirts that are tunic length. You will need them until you get an abaya. A couple of pairs of loose pants. Your makeup, unless you wear Chanel or any other designer brand. You can get those here, but they are more expensive than the states. Drugstore brands are hard to find here, and are almost 2x as expensive as in the states. We have Sephora here, but it isn't like the states and only carries a fraction of what the ones at home do, and it's limited to designer stuff only and the sephora brand. The same goes for your face creams, etc. Stock up before coming. Buy a couple of bathing suits.
-For the girls: JEANS, SHORTS and anything mentioned above. Jammies. BATHING SUITS. Buy EVERYTHING a little big with the inevitable shrinkage factor built in. Buy the undies a size bigger. There is a Gap Kids, but also limited. It's a struggle to currently find clothes for my youngest daughter and if kids are her size or bigger than a 12-14 it will be a struggle for her too, so buy her jeans, pants, shorts and tops in the states.
-I repeat: Q-TIPS, TSHIRTS and SOCKS AND UNDIES. AND BATHING SUITS. SHOES FOR MEN. MAKEUP etc. FOR LADIES..
Go find the book Culture Shock: Saudi Arabia and read it cover to cover. It will help you prepare and understand what you are getting yourself into. At least you won't be so shocked when you get here. You'll be shocked anyway, but the book will help. I promise.
In your suitcases: as much of all of the above that you can stuff in. In addition, pack the kids' books as well as movies because you stand a chance of them being taken from your shipment. It's a shoot. We lost a few things but there are lots of stories here of people losing all kinds of things from their shipment that Customs confiscated for whatever reason (designer purses, ladies shoes, books and movies and christmas items are the most frequently confiscated items) . If you love it, then cram it in your suitcase and you can be mostly assured of keeping it. Otherwise, it's a shoot and you stand a chance of losing it. Do not bring more than one per family member. This is serious and will be treated accordingly. I can't stress that enough. Limit any religious items but necklaces etc are ok. Big crosses probably shouldn't be taken (don't even know if you have any but I thought I'd throw that in there anyway). One each of the kids' carryons should be devoted to books, stuffies, toys, games, etc. These will be scrutinized so don't pack pigs. I'm not joking, either. Pigs and religious items are HARAM (forbidden). One each of you and the spouse's carryons should be devoted to important paperwork (all your papers, pet papers if the pet is coming, tax records, etc.) cameras, electronics, laptops, etc. as much as you can carry.
In your shipment: bring whatever, but be aware that house layouts are wierd and it will be interesting trying to fit your furniture into the floor plans. Be aware that there is very little stoe space available in the houses, so try to streamline somewhat. A special word about Christmas stuff: we didn't bring ours, and I sure wish we had. We smuggled in some things last year but I still wish I had all the stuff at home, although I would have no where to store it, so...eh... I don't know. IF you decide to bring Christmas stuff, try to stash it in different boxes. If you decide to bring your tree, either break it up among boxes or label it "HOUSEHOLD DECOR". UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE, LABEL A BOX AS CHRISTMAS. That is just an invitation for customs to snatch it. There are lots of people here who got their stuff in with no problem and just about as many people who had entire christmas stuff taken. It's your call. Somewhere in Saudi there is a giant forest of confiscated Christmas trees and items. If it would break your heart to have it taken, then you'll have to decide for yourselves what to do. Personally, I'd put at least your stockings and your tree skirt and some unbreakable stuff in your suitcases. The rest is up to you. DO bring 110v christmas lights, indoor and outdoor and put them in your suitcases. DON"T ship your TVs, they won't work here. You'll have to buy new ones here, sorry to tell you. Ship brooms, mops, trash cans, etc so you don't have to buy them here.
On last thing you really need to know. You are going to spend a LOT of money getting your house set up here. It costs a lot more than you would ever expect and that's one of the reasons I'm sending such a long note. Plus you are going to spend a LOT on a vehicle or even MORE on two. Autos are EXPENSIVE. Prepare to be shocked and appalled at the prices. The more you prepare now, the better off you will be when you get here. I promise!
Additional comments by others:
TV's will work here with a less than $200 box you can buy before coming. It is a a Pal-Secam to NTSC Video Converter by Com World or other brands. Much cheaper fix then buying all new tv's plus they work with our wii, dvd players, etc. Anyway great letter! Thanks for sharing!
My TV worked here fine with the cable service. Many new TV's are both PALS and whatever other system compatible. One thing I wish someone would bring me a big huge tub of is Oxiclean!!! Lights can go into the ground shipment--just say they are patio lights.
.also I would add tampax and lipton tea!! Did you notice the lipton tea here doesn't make such great Iced tea??
But seriously, a small to medium safe wouldn't be a bad idea either. You never have to second guess about your valuables.
Saco (local hardware store) does have safes. Glad to know I'm not the only one that brings Qtips!!!!
We also brought a gae door opener, dining room light fixture, patio firepit, plastic shed (labeled as a playhouse), a small chest freezer for hoarding goodies, ceiling fans for every bedroom and office/playroom, sports equipment, blackout curtains (in ebox) for the kids' rooms, Shark steam mop...Costco baby wipes and diapers...
10 dish barrel boxes! WE skip the suitcases and only uses boxes now. But do use the carry on ones. - Dish barrel boxes are from U-Haul and are double walled and hold up to airline travel well. Airlines allow this box to go on as regular luggage and not oversized.
And a 110v water cooler/dispenser!
Labels to mark your shipment... Go to Office Depot, or Office Max and get the Avery removable stickers. They work great and peel right off. We ran a few hundred through the printer and had the girls slap them on EVERYTHING! It was a good job for the kids. You can type the information on each label twice and cut them into for smaller labels. Return address labels with the info also works for things you can leave the sticker on. Labels: Name, Saudi Aramco, badge number (if known) and compound, KSA
In regards to 110v appliances, the selection is poor at best and there is a new initiative to eliminate them from the market due to the fact that people were buying them and plugging them in to 220v sockets and starting fires. I try to guess what will break this year and replace it while on repat.
Additional comments from 8-2012: So glad we brought lots of food items that I know won't be easy to find here. and I follow the recommendation that has been posted in this forum about what to bring. (also bring all toys). things that I wished that I brought are: a good knife (the knife that's prepared in the house is pretty bad, I can barely cut orange), cutting board, peeler, and strainer.
I did bring my favorite pan, and spatulas.
These from Nov. 2012 arrivals:
A few more topics I thought of......
1.School Supplies
On the forum there are places where school supply lists are mentioned. I brought
a few things and I kind of didn't finish getting everything that was mentioned....
It would have been better to follow the list and get everything on it so that I could get the brands that the kids are used to.....the prices here are higher, so it would have been better if I would have purchased everything in the States. The lists on the forum were basically the same ones the schools gave me.
2. Pots and pans
You are provided with some basic pots and pans, however I have been feeling the need for
the pots and pans that I am used tooo......things like the frying pan, rice pots, strainer, sauce pans, mixing bowls, and stoe containers. If you have space I would put the ones you use at home and are comfortable with right into your luggage as it makes cooking a lot more easier. Basic glasses, small cups, plates, bowls, and utensils are provided and they have worked out and will be fine until I get my shipment in.
3. Random things I would like/or brought from the States that are helpful
Just thought of some things I have or would like to have like my brand of dishwasher tabs, dryer fabric softening sheets, Q-tips, wireless router, a box of foil and plastic to hold you over a month, cold and cough and fever and minor scratches/bites stuff for the kids and me, thermometer, batteries, weight scale, throw blanket for the couch....hmmm drawing a bit of a blank, but will think about this topic a bit more
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As an old timer here, our family loves having our second refrigerator, we brought our 27cuft side by side. We use the Aramco refrigerator for drinks and condiments.
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We took the cash in lieu option , however we bought a new SUV and mattresses and washer dryer and other small items and had them shipped in a container. I wish I would have just purchased my big ticket items here. There are furniture shops, car dealerships, and big supermarkets so those things could have been purchased here. My shipped items will be arriving probably in a month……so instead of paying shipping, customs clearance, and duty, I would have bought them here when needed. As I mentioned before with the new washer/dryer rental option , I really didn’t need to buy/ship a washer/dryer.
This is one person's opinion. I have been here long enough that the washer/dryer that I brought over has died. So I now have Aramco rental washer and dryer. I hate the washer. You do not have control over much the washer does and it agitates like its on gentle cycle all the time.
The washer/dryer rent is $45 USD/month each and is automatically deducted by payroll.
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1. Luggage
We brought waayy more than the 8 pieces we could……I would just suggest to bring things that you will use in the near future and leave decorative things for your next repat visit with family/friends….things like your favorite shampoo or deodorant and your bed sheets and duvets…..things you will use daily…..some groceries….small appliances….definitely your microwave…..school supplies…towels….power quick pick up vacuum...even like a flat screen tv that will fit in a dish barrel box…..
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I tried to bring enough to last me a few weeks, but I wish I would have bought more.....Fruit roll ups, ramen noodles, nerds/air heads/lollypops, cereals, tosos......just the things my kids love and its harder to digest paying for things like 8 bucks for a box of cereal.
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we wish we brought a toaster, coffee maker, microwave, iron and these small appliances. The reason being that all 110V appliances in SA are Chinese of low, low quality.
If you're on medication, bring about a 3 month supply to get you past the settling in process, that way you're not anxious about getting into the clinic for medications during that time.
I recommend you use the dishbarrel boxes from U-Haul for one or both pieces of your luggage. They are the largest box that KLM, BA, and Lufthansia allow without being considered oversized. They are slightly bigger than the website says, but are accepted as regular luggage. They are subject to the 50lb limit, but helps bringing in all those bulky, larger items or lots of smaller items. They are double sided and hold up well to airline travel. We use ours over and over 3 or 4 times and sometimes more. We use a dishbarrel and a large suitcase for our luggage, some of my friends use two dishbarrels each as their luggage.
Your inventory list and labeling everything is one of the most important things you can do. Anything not listed will not be covered by the insurance. If you list more than one thing on a line be sure the price is large enough to cover the cost of every item. Whatever cost you write down it will be divided by the number of items and that is the cost of each thing. I know it's time consuming, but it is worth doing a comprehensive job of it.
Use Address return labels and reuseable file labels to put your name, your badge number if you have it, Saudi Aramco, and what Aramco compound your going to. Reuseable file labels are great on things you don't want a permanent sticker on. Also for smaller items, place them in a ziploc bag and stick a sticker on it.
When they search a shipment, the boxes are open, contents are poured out onto tables and then put back into the boxes. They are doing this with lots of shipments at one time. So that all your things get back to your boxes, you need to label everything. Every book, everything. Books can be taken off to a Ministry Office that approves books. That is the only thing in our shipment that was searched. Praise the Lord!
If you have children they will need pictures of themselves for school projects as a baby and on up. If you don't want to bring an important picture, make a copy and bring the copy. I brought picture albums in my checked and carry on luggage. In the shipment they can be gone through and blackened out or destroyed if they don't like how much skin is showing or how one is dressed. My children brought their year books in their carry on luggage.
-vpainter
Person wrote in Jan. 2013:
Well, we have been here in Dhahran just over a month. We found the forum extremely useful going through the hiring/relocation process (thanks all) and promised a moderator that we would pay back with our contribution. So here's some recent experience.
What we brought- (no additional luggage fees):
2 Samsonite oyster suitcases and two large rolling bags- clothes and toiletries etc.
2 big and 2 small (kid size) carry ons- DVDs, Wii games, valuables, small electronics.
Kitchen dish barrel list
Non-stick skillet/Cutting boards/Sharp knives/Grater/Lemon squeezer/Peeler/
Colander/Can opener/Spatula/Salad/serving spoons/Serving dishes/Nylon fish slice/Nylon slotted spoon/Tongs/Measuring cups/Measuring jug/Salt and pepper pots/ Scissors/Dishcloths/Panscrub/Baking tray/Foil/Clingfilm/Lasagna dish/Loaf tin/Whisk/Roasting pan/Timer/Kitchen scale/Kitchen timer/Water bottles
Entertainment dish barrel list
Pillow cases/Towels/Small TV (also could hook up Wii, laptops, DVD player, etc)/Blu ray DVD Player/Wii and accessories/Tea towels/Sheets and duvet covers/Keyboard and mouse/Kettle/Shower Curtain/Tony Chacheres/Bath mat
2x Kid’s Dish Barrel Boxes
As many toys as we could fit- most of the ones we had from the kid's rooms including a bunch of soft toys. Familiar comforter sets, pillows, wall posters and nick knacks (so rooms would be "just like home"... 6 and 8 yr olds)
Air Shipment:
E-box No. 1 list
CD Music collection/Toaster/Microwave/Spices/Iron/Coffee grinder/French press/Q-tips/Pillows/Router- VPN type./Phones (cordless with answering machine)/Large pan/Large stockpot/Barkeeper's friend/Toastie maker/Chef Pan/Small saucepan/Desktop computer (hook up to screen in DBB)./Bathrobes
Ebox No. 2 List
Hosepipe and micro sprinkler system/timer/Cordless Drill/Drill/driver bits/Cordless vacuum /Small toolbag with basic tools/Broom/Dustpan and brush/Swiffer mop and refills/Dusters/Kitchen trash can/Dyson vacuum cleaner
The welcome pack was great- silverware, crockery, pans, utensils, hairdryer (!), soap, shampoo, shaving foam, plenty of food, juice, milk, coffee, tea, sugar, pasta, rice, breakfast cereal and bread to get us started. Linens and towels etc. We got in at 3am New Year’s eve, then ran up to commissary in the late (ish) morning to get more supplies. The right department will supply trash can, recycling bins and fire extinguisher on request. Further details at orientation.
Our house is nice- the furniture won’t stay beyond our surface shipment- but is very serviceable. Large appliances will stay- not worth buying imo since renting also covers repair. Sweet water is OK for making tea, coffee etc. unless you are especially fussy. That said we have a water cooler on the way and will use it.
Things we wish we had brought- backpacks, clock radio, small HiFi, more nightlights for kids to navigate around unfamiliar house at night. Doormats. Maybe a bigger TV in e-box... Plastic stoe boxes. Beef stock cubes. More warm clothes (yes it does get cool- down to 5-10 degrees C in January). Hats, sunglasses- it is easy to get sunburned- especially in winter- and we came from Houston... Loads of stuff is available locally (e.g. IKEA, at supermarkets etc.) but we wanted to make our home our home ASAP and get out and about just as fast.
Driving is, erm. Interesting. Don't take the wrong exit and think you can get back around on a feeder road. Use lanes with a great deal of imagination-but defensively. Watch for the guys passing 2x the speed limit on the shoulder.
Other tips.
Lots of patience is required in getting documents after arrival. Buses and Taxis also fall into this patience category. Taxis can be in very short supply. We got a rental ASAP from Majestic for 120 Sr per day cash including insurance (maybe a week after arrival- but certainly before school started). You need to get a temporary car sticker from Aramco security- or you can't get the car into the camp.
Ladies- be warned- it can be deceptively easy to drive out of the Aramco area- not a huge deal (security does get a bit animated though) and many ladies seem to have done it for a few hundred metres or less (or more) at some point. Not recommended though...
We got a 4G router from Mobily for about $70 per month (you sign up for 3 months including the hardware) and got online within 72 hrs of arrival- that was nice. Basic cellphones are 80 Sr a piece from a place by HyperPanda- Mobily will hook you up with 30SR Sim card(60 mins of calls to local landline) and the 4G router in the Al Midra facility with only your temporary (paper) ID and passport photocopy. Get back with the with your iquama number for top ups. There may be cheaper ways- but we went for this option for convenience.
Make sure payroll has your correct bank details for direct deposit. No problems with us, but one of the newbies found out a bit late that they didn’t, and may have to be paid by check until it is sorted…
Make sure your Arabic name in the Aramco system matches your iquama (mine didn’t)…no problems, but it makes sense and Personnel were very efficient in changing.
Our US ATM cards work great and the exchange rate was very close to 3.75 (give or a take a few cents on, say, $500). Credit cards accepted most places you'd expect. Computer games (e.g. Wii) are more common in US format in KSA, more Europe ones the trend in Dubai, Bahrain (apparently).
You can get contacts for arrival- but to be honest people are great- we had total strangers stop by at the bus stop and give us a ride to the commissary. Our neighbors switched off wireless security for us (though we did not need it in the end). Some offered to loan us their cars. Get involved (e.g. Cubs, Brownies, Women's group, other groups) and you won't go short of new friends.
There’s a lot more, but that’s it for now.
Person wrote in Oct. 2012:
Landed a few days ago from Houston.....and so as many of you might be daily checking this site for a new outlook into the camp life, here are some of the things I recently experienced. I used to live in Dubai, so I thought hey this place must be similar, but it's not.......but random things I thought of discussing so here goes.......
1. Groceries.....Frosted Flakes, Ketchup, Jam.... basically anything imported/branded is really marked up. I tried to bring enough to last me a few weeks, but I wish I would have bought more.....Fruit roll ups, ramen noodles, nerds/air heads/lollypops, cereals, tosos......just the things my kids love and its harder to digest paying for things like 8 bucks for a box of cereal.
2. Appliances.....the ones we got were brand new.....the fridge is a bit smaller than
the larger side by side we are used to but it is fine (it has 2 ice cube trays and yes there is no water dispenser, but I think like most other people you are gonna stick to bottled water anyways).....the last two years they have upgraded all the appliances soo in my opinion......don't bring any.....for instance my new dishwasher wasn't working right so the guy came and fixed it asap.....they technicians have all the spare parts and knowledge of the company provided appliances so why have ones shipped here and have issues if they break down....the fridge, stove, dishwasher(if your home has one) are free to rent.....as for the washer/dryer it is definitely up to you.....they cost around 30usd per month for the set.....the ones they gave us are brand new and good and I really wish I hadn't shipped a brand new set over here.....
3. The first day...we had to wait in the lines....but we came in a flight that landed in the early evening....we had a lot of boxes and it's better to let your recruiter know how many pieces you will be traveling with as there was an issue getting an extra taxi to get our luggage to the camp......they did have some eggs, bread, cereal, in the house.....its great and a nice gesture.....however have something in your hand luggage that will suffice for dinner (ramen noodles...etc) .....or if you come in the afternoon/evening take a taxi to the camp food area to grab something.....if you know anyone have them bring you some dinner.....we are so glad we had some nice friends....after that long flight and the trek from the airport.....I really was in no shape to make a decent dinner for the kids.
4. The next few days (actually more like the next day) get a taxi or a friend to take you to....rent a car asap....we paid around $650 a month for a corolla type car, make sure you have an abaya(the black full length dress) if you want to venture out to the malls, get a wireless internet stick and a Saudi sim we were told STC as this company provides so so internet/phone signal (its been almost a week and we do not have home internet).....drive around the camp to get a hang of things....
k so its past 2am and I have so much more to say but........I am super tired so I will definitely continue soon
So here are some other topics……
1. Luggage
We brought waayy more than the 8 pieces we could……I would just suggest to bring things that you will use in the near future and leave decorative things for your next repat visit with family/friends….things like your favorite shampoo or deodorant and your bed sheets and duvets…..things you will use daily…..some groceries….small appliances….definitely your microwave…..school supplies…towels….power quick pick up vacuum...even like a flat screen tv that will fit in a dish barrel box…..
2. Housing Furniture
Living room: tiles floors all downstairs, with sofas, lamps, ds…..simple and all you need until you buy some new stuff or have some shipped except for the initial tv…..we didn’t bring one and we ended up buy it for 1500R for a 46inch Samsung plasma to hold us over until we get ours in the shipment…..since we have kids we had to get the cable started asap and in turn needed a tv pretty quick
Master bedroom: we have laminate wood flooring all upstairs and this is a spacious room with a double bed (kinda small for both of us but we are managing), side tables, lamps, chest…..the bed was covered with sheets and some pillows…..had to change to our own sheets and pillows the first night to be comfortable
2nd Bedroom: a so so spacious room with two single beds, a chest, and side table and
a lamp….had to change the sheets for the kids the first night….
3rd Bedroom: pretty small and was empty…..there is a furniture warehouse where you can order some more rental furniture which I will be doing soon….single beds go for 9R…..really cheap however the mattresses are not comfortable so personal preference to buy new, ship, or rent here…….the kids bedrooms are not so big so I wouldn’t recommend too much furniture in the rooms……
3. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinners
So I am no chef and I have lived in many countries and I have to say this one is different. Here are some of the things I wanted to share…the restaurant on camp is okay maybe for once a week they have Italian/Chinese/Indian all in once place.....and they deliver so maybe I might order twice a week……the snack bars scattered at different locations around the camp……great for a meal here and there…..however delivery from say Mcdonalds or many other restaurants ….you order it…..they send it with a driver after 20/30/40 minutes later to the main gate area…then you go pick it up at the gate….then you bring it home…..hmmmm fries not so fresh then……so this option of no delivery to your door equals more hassle to me…..and then eating outside the camp……well your husband has to take you or you might catch one of the buses going to the mall….but basically I don’t want to venture out all the time as it means passing gates, getting ready, dodging all the crazy driving all to grab a bite to eat…..so bottom line in my mind is whether I like it or not I am the new CHEF….yeah I know you can get a houseboy or sponsor a maid…..well that takes some time….so again you are the cook and you need to churn out lunches and dinner…..so what helped me is that I brought lots of little electrical appliances like a sandwich maker, toaster, mini chopper, blender, griller, microwave, and had things like my kitchenaid mixer and juicer shipped….and if you are already a great cook then you have no issues
Even though I love eating out in Houton the prices at the restaurants here also prompted me to get on the cooking bandwagon really quick….
Outback Steakhouse Al Khobar…..apprx 170R
1 burger, 1 steak, 1 kids meal, sodas
Bamboo Restaurant Dhahran Mall apprx 250
2 curries, 2 rice, 1 appetizer, sodas
Bundoo Khan Khobar apprx 250
2 curries, 1 rice, 1 kabab mix platter, naans, sodas
Okay so its almost 4am and I am hooked on CNN watching at what Sandy is doing…….lots of other topics and I will try to post soon
So had some time and thought about some more topics and Highlander soo happy to help….however my responses are a bit delayed and you are already here!!
Below some more topics
1. Schools
I was informed that I should have received this letter regarding TB testing and a grade placement letter towards then end of the recruitment process. I unfortunately did not receive anything except a letter stating that the kids were accepted. Not having the TB testing delayed my kids enrollment for almost a week. If you have children in school, I would suggest contacting the school registrar via email if you did not receive those additional docs. The registrar told me that she gets questions from future students and parents all the time. The registrar is very nice and the school facility is also nice. You can perhaps contact your recruiter to get the school’s contact info. Also, since we live close to the school, the kids have to walk……it is okay now, but during the summer months we will have to probably pick and drop. Also, the kids come home from 1130-1240 for lunch…..so something else to keep in mind…….
2. Shipping
We took the cash in lieu option , however we bought a new SUV and mattresses and washer dryer and other small items and had them shipped in a container. I wish I would have just purchased my big ticket items here. There are furniture shops, car dealerships, and big supermarkets so those things could have been purchased here. My shipped items will be arriving probably in a month……so instead of paying shipping, customs clearance, and duty, I would have bought them here when needed. As I mentioned before with the new washer/dryer rental option , I really didn’t need to buy/ship a washer/dryer.
3. Beauty Salon (info for the ladies)
Okay so big SURPRISE here……..there is a beauty shop….however it is the only one in the camp and I have not even seen one while venturing out into the city. I called for an appointment and was given a date for 5 days out.......had a mani/pedi and the price was 100R …..it is not like the US and you do have to sit on a haircutting chair and the appt was for 45 mins only. There was another lady early for her appt and they were able to finish me in like 35 minutes. I did get a massage which was good and at 150R not bad price at all…….but tack on 100R for eyebrow and upperlip (which they did while I was getting my manicure) and arms waxing….I walked out paying like 350R …….hopefully my experiences will get better….
4. Things to keep you busy
Since we did not have our Iqama’s we are in town during this Eid holiday…..
So here are some of the things we have been doing…..it is pretty empty right now...but we are told that when people even have a one day holiday they are off to Bahrain/ Dubai etc etc…….but here is what we did/saw……
----went to an Eid carnival set up in the middle of the camp
----bowling at the camp…..it was fun and not so expensive….60R for the four of us for 2 games
----there is a movie theater that runs some movies, we haven’t seen a movie, but we checked out the facility and it seems pretty good
----there is a indoor/outdoor play area at the Dhahran mall which is pretty nice
----we went to the Corniche area which is pretty lively with lots of fast food and restaurants
----we checked out Rashid mall which is also big like Dhahran mall is and has all types of shops…..it even has a Cheesecake Factory café which serves only desserts!
----we see people here and there jogging along the tracks
----there is a golf course that has its lights on all the time, but we haven’t ventured there yet
----calling maintenance/furniture warehouse/gardening center while hubby is at work……for things like pest control, black out blinds, for a trash can and recycle cans, gardening, ordering furniture….etc etc…has kept me quite busy trying to get the home all set up
----getting blood work done for the Iqama’s
----getting your camp ID made
----going to your local pool area…..they have lap pools and a big pool with slides
----taking the kids to parks all scattered around the area
Hopefully will be back soon with some more topics
A few more topics I thought of......
1.School Supplies
On the forum there are places where school supply lists are mentioned. I brought
a few things and I kind of didn't finish getting everything that was mentioned....
It would have been better to follow the list and get everything on it so that I could get the brands that the kids are used to.....the prices here are higher, so it would have been better if I would have purchased everything in the States. The lists on the forum were basically the same ones the schools gave me.
2. Pots and pans
You are provided with some basic pots and pans, however I have been feeling the need for
the pots and pans that I am used tooo......things like the frying pan, rice pots, strainer, sauce pans, mixing bowls, and stoe containers. If you have space I would put the ones you use at home and are comfortable with right into your luggage as it makes cooking a lot more easier. Basic glasses, small cups, plates, bowls, and utensils are provided and they have worked out and will be fine until I get my shipment in.
3. Random things I would like/or brought from the States that are helpful
Just thought of some things I have or would like to have like my brand of dishwasher tabs, dryer fabric softening sheets, Q-tips, wireless router, a box of foil and plastic to hold you over a month, cold and cough and fever and minor scratches/bites stuff for the kids and me, thermometer, batteries, weight scale, throw blanket for the couch....hmmm drawing a bit of a blank, but will think about this topic a bit more
As the time wears on, things are seeming to become more normal.
Some great posts have been added to highlight some of the things to keep in mind.
Here are some new things I thought of......
1. Prayer times are especially something to be aware of. During lunch, the hubby can't pick up some fast food as the locations will be closed. Or if you go near sunset you are bound to be lingering outside the shops for sometimes more than 30 minutes for things to open. We tend to go much later in the evening on the weekdays if we need to grab something out of the camp. Don't be surprised if the store closes while you are in it, just wait until the prayer time is over and they will open up.
2. Another thing I will definitely bring up is the bus to Bahrain...as soon as we got our visas we took the bus offered for 25R roundtrip. It leaves in the morning and returns in the evening. Our trip took 11 hours. It was great to catch up on the movies! The bus trip we took was on Thursday, and that was good as the mall was not so busy. It is a nice day trip and a great way to see the in/out procedures at the border. It took almost 90 minutes each way as the border was a little busy and we had to get out in and out of the bus for entry/exit stamps twice each way. The last one the bus driver did it for us. Personally I think we will keep the Bahrain trip restricted to Thursdays as the mall is less busy and you should give yourself time to get thru the border. Perhaps if we rent a hotel, then we can make it a weekend trip. Next time I think we will take the car so that we have more control over the time and visit some other places. If you have a rental car make sure you obtain a letter from your car rental company to go to Bahrain. Also, for rental cars make sure not to rent for more that 1 month. You cannot get a temporary car sticker for the the same car for over a month. After one month our rental agent just switched the same type of car for us.
3. The salon is also starting to become a second home. The first visit was interesting...but as you get to know more of the people, the more accustomed you become. From massages to facials it is a great way to give yourself break. Just set a certain amount aside a month and enjoy!
4. An internet phone connection back home is also a great way to feel close to loved ones. I spend hours talking to family back home at night when the kids are sleeping. At night, it is afternoon back home so you can take care of some business and find out about all the things going on. You have to be a little patient until your internet starts up, and make sure you have a wireless router.
5. The weather has gotten quite chilly here. It has rained several times as well. Make sure to bring some light and warm jackets and umbrellas. If you have kids that get easy quick it is a good idea to get some undershirts they can wear too. Stock up on cold and cough things that you are used to. Also, bring a thermometer and plenty of testing supplies if you have such things as plastic attachments. I went thru two boxes of those ear testing plastics when the kids had a looong fever.
6. Can't stress enough to bring lots and lots of snacks. I have had to ask my mom to make me a new box with cereals, cookies, chips, candy that the kids are used to. Luckily I have family traveling this way
7. In the camp the dressing is very casual. You can wear your abaya or you can wear conservative stuff that you wear normally. Just know that when you are outside the camp, EVERYONE is wearing an abaya. You have to adjust to the country that you are in. I know there are people who say that outside the camp they wear conservative dress, but honestly I have not seen anyone wear anything except the abaya. It has become a normal thing, when I know I am going out of the camp, the abaya is the first thing I am going for.
Can't believe it is going to be two months sooonnnn!!!
Person came Nov 2012
We have been in Dhahran main camp for 5 weeks now. I will attempt to recall some of our experiences. The rental call is a must. You will need to do a lot of running around. Be sure to get your kids immunizations up to date...especially the TB test. The schools are very particular about that. Just to set expectations, do not expect your kids to start until a week after you arrive. They are in no condition to go to school with jet lag and there are paperwork related to school that needs to be completed before they start. It helped that a co-worker went through the same process just 5 weeks earlier. If the kids did not get their TB test, you are looking at two weeks because you need to start your orientation and blood test before your family's medical records can be added to the SAMSO system. You also need a car to go to Al Midra to get a SIM card for your cellphone. My biggest struggle was getting a log on ID. You will need a cellphone, at the time of this writing, to get your initial password. Ask around if someone has a Mobily 3G wireless router (that still has a load) so that you can contact family, check e-mail, and do online banking. This is assuming that you have a laptop with you when you arrive...a must. Be sure to bring at least SAR 2000 Riyals. You will need cash to by food at the commissary or the dinning hall when you first arrive. Bring a small bag, pen, and binder with folders to put papers in and organize. You will be doing a lot of running around taking care of administrative stuff which involve a lot of paper. Learn the basic Arabic phrases handout. It really helps when interacting with the Saudis. Bring a chopping board. You will be given a checklist at orientation. Read it carefully because it has a lot of very usefully instructions such as getting ID's (Temporary Permanent and Permanent). You will got to the Industrial Security office many times. Things do not always work out on your first trip. You will need to learn the Rule of Three. Things do not get done or resolved until after the third attempt. Read about how to unlock your phone at your residence so that you can make "34" local and international calls. You can get an unlocked cellphone from the commissary and get a load from the guy at the kiosk. You are looking at SAR 200 to start (100 for phone and text load and 100 for the data). Remember dial "03" when calling a landline "05" when dialing another cellphone from a cellphone. You will need to program "+1 area code phone number" to dial the US for example from your cellphone. If you do not have a working phone when you arrive be sure to go to Al Mujamma to get one. The telephone guy is there. Learn to dial 939 for everything you need around the house. It will take a few calls to get things resolved but it will get done. Try to describe things in short sentences. Don't go tell a story. Go right to the point. They will send the wrong guy but after two to three attempts it will get resolved...remember the Rule of Three. You will take multiple trips to the SAMSO clinic for blood test and finding a primary care physician. Find a scanner at work and keep a copy of your passport with the Aramco stamp on it that you will get at the airport. You will get another copy at orientation. You will need them. Don't be afraid to surrender your passport when you arrive at the airport. You will need to give the pictures that ASC gave to you to bring. Go to Al Mujamma to take extra pictures for your driver's license application and Bahrain Causeway booklet. Check with Payroll to make sure they have your home bank information and Saudi Riyal bank account if you decide to split your payroll (I would if you need to get quick cash and if need to by a car). None of family's medical information or banking information was in the system. If I did not catch it I would not have been paid until the end of November. The Expats here are great. They are always ready to give a lending hand...just ask...try it. Sorry for jumping all around but that is all that I can remember so far. It is very interesting here. It takes a different kind of person. You have to be ready to adapt. I have two kids 14 and 7 with my wife. We have enjoyed our stay so far. You need to have sense of humor and a lot of patience...when you don't think you can take any more then you will need to find more patience. Gas is 0.45 SAR per liter. A suburban costs about SAR 45 and a Corolla about SAR 18 to fill up (do the math). Bottled drinking water (from the commissary) is about the same price as gas here. It is great to work for the Best company in the world. The work is also interesting by the way.
Today is our 7th week in the Magic Kingdom. It seems like a lifetime because the day feels longer like on Mars. I have a few things to share about purchasing some big ticket items and casual employment for your spouse. We attempted to purchase a LED TV from Lulu. We took the shoppers bus. It was such a hassle because both of my credit cards were declined even though I contacted the credit card company multiple times to make a notation on the account that I will be making purchases from Saudi Arabia. Do not feel frustrated when that happens. From the credit card company's perspective, it looks and smells like fraud. You just have to contact them to say that it is a legitimate charge that you have authorized. So when this does happen, you need to program your credit card company's phone number into your phone with "+" then area code and phone number. They can clear it up fairly quickly if you have a phone that can call internationally. I had to wait until I got home. Rule of Three. If you plan to buy an Xbox here (PAL format), be sure to buy a 110 power supply. Aramco housing is 110. The 220 power supply that the Xbox comes with can be used as a spare.
Let me tell you about my car buying experience. It is not like buying a car in the US. You go to the auto dealership if you want time alone by yourself. Customer service is a foreign concept. If you want to buy a car, you have to approach a salesman, shake him, tell him that you want to buy a car. They will not approach you. If you wait for them, you will be in the showroom all day long. It is a good idea to know what you want to buy in advance like the model and options level that you are will to pay for. Most purchases are in cash. There is no such thing as car financing as we know it. I know someone will correct me on this. This means that you will have to think in advance to position your cash. On your first paycheck, you can request for roughly the amount that you need for your car and household expenses to be deposited into your Riyal account. If you decide to only have your household expenses deposited to your Riyal account and plan to wire cash back from the US you have to consider the following. The ACH payroll deposit from Aramco will need to be in your US bank account for at least 3 days (like Jonah) before you can wire it back to your Saudi Riyal bank account. You will be given an IBAN account when you open your Saudi bank account. You will bet a text message after a few days to say that you Riyal account has been credited with the US funds. Be sure to wire US funds. The US banks make a killing on the exchange rate if you send Riyals. Again send US funds. The Saudi banks have better exchange rates from US to Riyals (about 3.75 Riyals per USD compared to 3.6). To be cool, you can then withdraw bundles of cash and place it in a suitcase like a gangster or ask the car dealership what their IBAN number is so that you can have your Saudi bank wire the money or create a bank draft with the dealer's name and exact account number. In the memo field, be sure to mention that it is for the purchase of a car. The dealer can only accept up to 100K in Riyal due to money laundering regulations. The rest you or the whole amount can be deposited to the dealer's bank account (plan to spend 1 to 2 hours) trying to deposit cash. You have to take a number and wait while people cut in line in front of you. You will know what I mean when you get here. Trust me it is okay. There is nothing to get upset about. We are here as guests. During this whole time, you will not be sure of the exact model, color, or options until you actually pick up the car. This is okay. It is part of the experience. You will get a call from the dealer's friend that sells insurance and you will give you credit card number to a perfect stranger over the phone. Again this is okay. Everything will work out in the end. You can arrange for your own insurance but good luck coordinating that with the dealer. The VIN number and other details for the car will not be readily available to you while the car is being registered by the dealer. Oh, one important point. You can't start the car purchasing experience until you get a Saudi driver's license. The list of requirements is given to you at your first orientation. The trickiest thing is going to the old admin building to get your US driver's license translated into Arabic. If you can find the building and the room (or the room two doors further down) you are half way to getting all the requirements together. You can get photo's needed for the driver's license at Al Mujamma next to the barbershop. It is funny because the picture that they use is the one that is taken when you first arrive at the airport.
If you decide to buy a scooter to get around, try to get measured for a helmet and put it in your e-box. You should get a scooter that is less than 150 cc because you do not have to register it and it does not go against your Istamara limit. I bought a 125 cc. The 50 cc does not have enough power and are very noisy.
If your wife works and is considering possibly working as casual labor, you should manage expectations and say that it won't happen. There is a higher possibility of getting employment if your wife is a teacher or accountant. If your wife is a nurse, she should bandon all hope of working. There is a rule somewhere against such arrangements. It may have been possible in the past but not now. Our recruiter was not very truthful about this fact. It would have been okay if he said that it was not possible because my wife would have been better prepared to take on a life of being a housewife (preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner or me and the kids - not that anything is wrong with that). It is all about managing expectations. If my wife is happy, everybody is happy. She is setting her mind to go to the gym, play tennis, and volunteer. There is plenty to do...just not casual work.
The Saudis are great to work for and with. Did I also say that the work is very cool? It really is. Better than I ever imagined.
We have been in Kingdom for 9 weeks now. So far so good. Learning a lot from old timers about how to behave in meetings and how to interact with Saudi co-workers. I wanted to make everyone aware of the topic of conversions.
1. Power on the camp and the core area is 110 volts vs. 220 volts for the area outside. It is hard to find a water dispenser at Saco at is rated 110 volts. We buy a case of water a week for drinking because the sweet water really should be reserved for cooking.
2. The measurement is based on the metric system vs. standard or US units. By the way there are 42 US gallons per barrel of oil. Shopping for food is in kg and liters. Try converting your cooking recipes into metric like how much er you need for example. The speed limits on and off camp are in kilometers. There are apps that can help you convert: distance, volume, and temperature.
3. The currency is SAR which is pegged to the US dollar at 3.75 SAR per dollar. I believe other currencies are allowed to float.
4. The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. My recommendation is to get familiar with at least how to recognize the numbers. Here are the first 10 starting from 0 and ending at 9: ٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩. There are number of resources like Google translate and www.arabic-keyboard.org that are helpful.
5. Saudi Aramco has two radio stations: Studio 1 (Classic Rock, Pop-Rock, Country, 80's, Oldies) and Studio 2 (Jazz and elevator music). The type of music are played on a set schedule. There is also a Bahraini top 40 radio station and an American Forces radio station the broadcast NPR for example. You may want to think about getting an Internet or Wifi radio to get your own music piped into your home (especially Christmas music that start after Thanksgiving). We miss KSBJ.
6. You have to familiarize yourself to the Islamic Calendar or Hijrah. It is based on the lunar calendar. This information will be useful when reading the expiration dates on your Iqama or Istamara or car registration which are in Hijrah dates. The current year is 1433. New Year is November 15th which will be (1 Muharram 1434 H.) There is also prayer 6 times a day: roughly early morning, sunrise, high noon, mid afternoon, sunset, 1 1/2 hours after sunset. Knowing the prayer times is important especially when you go to the stores and restaurants around town. I would suggest an App called iPray. You just need to tweek the settings for Dhahran. Saudi Arabia also does not recognize Daylight Saving Time. So the time difference between the Dhahran and Houston could be 8 or 9 hours (with us being ahead) depending on the time of year. Please forgive me for making only US references. It is because my eldest daughter is in Houston and we have to work around her waking and sleeping time to talk via Ooma or Skype.
7. The most difficult conversion is the days of the week. Yes, the work week also require conversion. Saay is the start of the work week and Wednesday is the end of the work week. So Thursday is virtual Saay and Friday is virtual Sunday. The middle of the week is Monday.
Note from someone else: -you CAN finance a car, and I think it's important that new arrivals be aware of this. True, you'd have to rent a car for three months to get that 90-day local bank account history under your belt, but if you don't have $25,000 cash available to go buy a new car your first month here, waiting a bit longer to be eligible for the local Islamic financing can be attractive. In our instance, we have an affordable monthly payment spread over 48 months, which conveniently includes insurance so no need to deal with that separately.
One person wrote in 2012 with additional comments from others:
What to Buy, Bring and Pack When You Are Moving to Saudi
I wrote this very long letter to my brother, so please excuse the informality. Y'all already know I'm not very formal anyway. When you stop laughing, it's got lots of useful information in it. Hope that it helps people in any way possible. I also wished I'd had this when we were coming here, which is why I wrote it in the first place. So here goes......
So we hear that you are on your way to Saudi. Boy, are you in for some shockers! We decided that we'd write you and give you some helpful tips that we wished someone had given us, regarding what to bring here and what to pack in your ebox. Follow these instructions and it will hopefully make some of what will probably be a not cool situation a little more bearable.
1. Go buy a Dyson vacuum. Leave it in the box and put it in your ebox. Do not disregard this--it is one of the most important things you can have here-dust is a terrible problem, both aesthetically and physically. Dyson is the best and won't break under the strain. Ditch your old vacuum cleaner, preferably in a gae sale if possible.
2. Go buy the biggest suitcases you can get, 2 for each person, or at least one. But buy two carry ons per person, including the kids. If you don't want to buy 2 big suitcases, get one per person and go to the UHaul store and get 4 dish barrel boxes that you can pack. You will need to cram everything you can into these cases/boxes. More on what you should be cramming into these shortly.
3. What to pack in your ebox:
-the Dyson vacuum cleaner
-110v kitchen and small appliances -- YOUR MICROWAVE for sure. If yours is mounted or something, then go buy one because you can't get a 110v microwave here as all appliances are 220v. Houses here are not equipped with microwaves so you have to bring your own. When you put the microwave in the ebox, make sure that you fill the insides with all your spices. In particular, bring vanilla (though you might want to put that in with your toiletries, preferably), food coloring, Gebhart's chili powder, and all the other spices you can because they can be expensive here and you're going to be spending WAY more MONEY than you think starting up your household here. This was quite the rude shock for us, so learn from our example.
Other small appliances that definitely need to be in your ebox or shipment: coffee maker, coffee grinder if used, can opener, toaster oven, mixers, food processor, etc. YOU CANNOT GET THESE ITEMS HERE. You can ship these too. Just decide what is most important following the microwave and coffee maker.-your pillows and sheets for everyone. Aramco pillows and sheets are not the best and you will be very happy to be sleeping on your own stuff after two weeks.
-Any kitchen gear you use frequently. Aramco stuff is well, not the best here either. We put a couple of skillets and pots and pans and good utensils in there and were so happy we did. You will be too.
-Kitchen towels. Go buy new ones, way more than you need, because you can't get any good ones here.
-Movies or video games, along with a player if you aren't trying to cram it in your suitcase.
-Any toys of the kids that you don't want to wait 4 months for. This is really important.
-Bath towels: I didn't and I regret it. You can get towels here but they are expensive. At least put 4 in and washcloths.
-BIG PLASTIC TUMBLERS/GLASSES. Can't get them here. Bed Bath and Beyond has them if you don't.
-If you have a desktop computer, put it in the ebox. If you don't I'm assuming that you'll be cramming laptops in your suitcases.
-MEDICINES: Not your prescription stuff, you'll be putting that in the suitcases. Here are the things YOU CAN"T GET HERE THAT YOU NEED (this list is in all caps because this might be one of the most important things in your box): TUMS. ASPIRIN, CHILDREN'S MEDICINES LIKE NIGHTTIME, ETC. NYQUIL AND DAYQUIL. HALL'S COUGH DROPS. VISINE. YOUR FAVORITE DEODORANT. LIP BALM. BENADRYL. CLARITIN. TRIAMINIC. MUCINEX. SWIM-EZE. SOLARCANE. ZANTAC. ANYTHING YOU USE ON A REGULAR BASIS. BUY ENOUGH FOR A YEAR!!!
That sounds like a lot for an ebox and it is, but you'll be surprised at how much can fit in there, especially if you can put small things inside larger things, or jam the small things into nooks and crannies left by the big stuff. The packers will help you and they're good. Please don't skip anything on the list above.You will be so happy when you get your ebox it will be like Christmas. And these are all things you will either need or want desperately in 3 weeks or so. Now that we've covered the ebox, let's go back to what else you will need to bring here in your suitcases and what you should be buying in advance because you either can't get here or you won't like the selection here. This is also super important.
4. Go to Academy, Target Old Navy and Walmart and buy the following items. Buy enough for one year, and no, I'm truly not kidding. Buy now and save yourself pain and suffering later:
-socks and underwear for the entire family. Panties, bras, and T-shirts. Everyone needs a year's supply. The water is terrible on your clothes and they wear out fast. Coupled to that is the fact that the "cold" water is almost always hot except for from November through March, and you get lots of shrinkage. You will go through enormous amounts of Tshirts, socks and underwear. Stains don't come out well here, I'm sad to report.
-Your favorite hair and body products here, unless they are Jergens, Vaseline, Head and Shoulders, Olay, Nivea, Loreal or Garnier. If you have specific brands you love that are not listed above, you need to buy in bulk. For instance, I love Curel and you can't get it here, so I stock up. I also stock pile Aveeno and my hair products. I already covered deodorant. There are Body Shops and a Bath and Body Works (only Bahrain, and it just opened, yay!) so if you like those, you can get them here. Otherwise, NOT. Plan accordingly or you will desperately be searching for py subsutes.
-Q-TIPS!!!!!!!!! All the ones here suck so buy in the states.
-For Men: Belts and shoes. Everything here is European and they look like elf shoes and the belts are also European looking. Make sure that you have plenty of dress and casual footwear and belts. Don't worry about Tennis shoes, those are easy to get here. Probably Dockers if you wear them but you can get them here. Whatever else clothing besides anything mentioned above. Polo Ralph Lauren is beyond obscene prices here so if you want Polos, get them in the states. There's a great Nautica store in Bahrain that we shop at .
-For Ladies: Besides undies and Tshirts, make sure that you have several long sleeved or half sleeved shirts that are tunic length. You will need them until you get an abaya. A couple of pairs of loose pants. Your makeup, unless you wear Chanel or any other designer brand. You can get those here, but they are more expensive than the states. Drugstore brands are hard to find here, and are almost 2x as expensive as in the states. We have Sephora here, but it isn't like the states and only carries a fraction of what the ones at home do, and it's limited to designer stuff only and the sephora brand. The same goes for your face creams, etc. Stock up before coming. Buy a couple of bathing suits.
-For the girls: JEANS, SHORTS and anything mentioned above. Jammies. BATHING SUITS. Buy EVERYTHING a little big with the inevitable shrinkage factor built in. Buy the undies a size bigger. There is a Gap Kids, but also limited. It's a struggle to currently find clothes for my youngest daughter and if kids are her size or bigger than a 12-14 it will be a struggle for her too, so buy her jeans, pants, shorts and tops in the states.
-I repeat: Q-TIPS, TSHIRTS and SOCKS AND UNDIES. AND BATHING SUITS. SHOES FOR MEN. MAKEUP etc. FOR LADIES..
Go find the book Culture Shock: Saudi Arabia and read it cover to cover. It will help you prepare and understand what you are getting yourself into. At least you won't be so shocked when you get here. You'll be shocked anyway, but the book will help. I promise.
In your suitcases: as much of all of the above that you can stuff in. In addition, pack the kids' books as well as movies because you stand a chance of them being taken from your shipment. It's a shoot. We lost a few things but there are lots of stories here of people losing all kinds of things from their shipment that Customs confiscated for whatever reason (designer purses, ladies shoes, books and movies and christmas items are the most frequently confiscated items) . If you love it, then cram it in your suitcase and you can be mostly assured of keeping it. Otherwise, it's a shoot and you stand a chance of losing it. Do not bring more than one per family member. This is serious and will be treated accordingly. I can't stress that enough. Limit any religious items but necklaces etc are ok. Big crosses probably shouldn't be taken (don't even know if you have any but I thought I'd throw that in there anyway). One each of the kids' carryons should be devoted to books, stuffies, toys, games, etc. These will be scrutinized so don't pack pigs. I'm not joking, either. Pigs and religious items are HARAM (forbidden). One each of you and the spouse's carryons should be devoted to important paperwork (all your papers, pet papers if the pet is coming, tax records, etc.) cameras, electronics, laptops, etc. as much as you can carry.
In your shipment: bring whatever, but be aware that house layouts are wierd and it will be interesting trying to fit your furniture into the floor plans. Be aware that there is very little stoe space available in the houses, so try to streamline somewhat. A special word about Christmas stuff: we didn't bring ours, and I sure wish we had. We smuggled in some things last year but I still wish I had all the stuff at home, although I would have no where to store it, so...eh... I don't know. IF you decide to bring Christmas stuff, try to stash it in different boxes. If you decide to bring your tree, either break it up among boxes or label it "HOUSEHOLD DECOR". UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE, LABEL A BOX AS CHRISTMAS. That is just an invitation for customs to snatch it. There are lots of people here who got their stuff in with no problem and just about as many people who had entire christmas stuff taken. It's your call. Somewhere in Saudi there is a giant forest of confiscated Christmas trees and items. If it would break your heart to have it taken, then you'll have to decide for yourselves what to do. Personally, I'd put at least your stockings and your tree skirt and some unbreakable stuff in your suitcases. The rest is up to you. DO bring 110v christmas lights, indoor and outdoor and put them in your suitcases. DON"T ship your TVs, they won't work here. You'll have to buy new ones here, sorry to tell you. Ship brooms, mops, trash cans, etc so you don't have to buy them here.
On last thing you really need to know. You are going to spend a LOT of money getting your house set up here. It costs a lot more than you would ever expect and that's one of the reasons I'm sending such a long note. Plus you are going to spend a LOT on a vehicle or even MORE on two. Autos are EXPENSIVE. Prepare to be shocked and appalled at the prices. The more you prepare now, the better off you will be when you get here. I promise!
Additional comments by others:
TV's will work here with a less than $200 box you can buy before coming. It is a a Pal-Secam to NTSC Video Converter by Com World or other brands. Much cheaper fix then buying all new tv's plus they work with our wii, dvd players, etc. Anyway great letter! Thanks for sharing!
My TV worked here fine with the cable service. Many new TV's are both PALS and whatever other system compatible. One thing I wish someone would bring me a big huge tub of is Oxiclean!!! Lights can go into the ground shipment--just say they are patio lights.
.also I would add tampax and lipton tea!! Did you notice the lipton tea here doesn't make such great Iced tea??
But seriously, a small to medium safe wouldn't be a bad idea either. You never have to second guess about your valuables.
Saco (local hardware store) does have safes. Glad to know I'm not the only one that brings Qtips!!!!
We also brought a gae door opener, dining room light fixture, patio firepit, plastic shed (labeled as a playhouse), a small chest freezer for hoarding goodies, ceiling fans for every bedroom and office/playroom, sports equipment, blackout curtains (in ebox) for the kids' rooms, Shark steam mop...Costco baby wipes and diapers...
10 dish barrel boxes! WE skip the suitcases and only uses boxes now. But do use the carry on ones.
- Dish barrel boxes are from U-Haul and are double walled and hold up to airline travel well. Airlines allow this box to go on as regular luggage and not oversized. And a 110v water cooler/dispenser!
Labels to mark your shipment... Go to Office Depot, or Office Max and get the Avery removable stickers. They work great and peel right off. We ran a few hundred through the printer and had the girls slap them on EVERYTHING! It was a good job for the kids. You can type the information on each label twice and cut them into for smaller labels. Return address labels with the info also works for things you can leave the sticker on. Labels: Name, Saudi Aramco, badge number (if known) and compound, KSA
In regards to 110v appliances, the selection is poor at best and there is a new initiative to eliminate them from the market due to the fact that people were buying them and plugging them in to 220v sockets and starting fires. I try to guess what will break this year and replace it while on repat.
Additional comments from 8-2012: So glad we brought lots of food items that I know won't be easy to find here. and I follow the recommendation that has been posted in this forum about what to bring. (also bring all toys). things that I wished that I brought are: a good knife (the knife that's prepared in the house is pretty bad, I can barely cut orange), cutting board, peeler, and strainer.
I did bring my favorite pan, and spatulas.
These from Nov. 2012 arrivals:
A few more topics I thought of......
1.School Supplies
On the forum there are places where school supply lists are mentioned. I brought
a few things and I kind of didn't finish getting everything that was mentioned....
It would have been better to follow the list and get everything on it so that I could get the brands that the kids are used to.....the prices here are higher, so it would have been better if I would have purchased everything in the States. The lists on the forum were basically the same ones the schools gave me.
2. Pots and pans
You are provided with some basic pots and pans, however I have been feeling the need for
the pots and pans that I am used tooo......things like the frying pan, rice pots, strainer, sauce pans, mixing bowls, and stoe containers. If you have space I would put the ones you use at home and are comfortable with right into your luggage as it makes cooking a lot more easier. Basic glasses, small cups, plates, bowls, and utensils are provided and they have worked out and will be fine until I get my shipment in.
3. Random things I would like/or brought from the States that are helpful
Just thought of some things I have or would like to have like my brand of dishwasher tabs, dryer fabric softening sheets, Q-tips, wireless router, a box of foil and plastic to hold you over a month, cold and cough and fever and minor scratches/bites stuff for the kids and me, thermometer, batteries, weight scale, throw blanket for the couch....hmmm drawing a bit of a blank, but will think about this topic a bit more
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As an old timer here, our family loves having our second refrigerator, we brought our 27cuft side by side. We use the Aramco refrigerator for drinks and condiments.
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We took the cash in lieu option , however we bought a new SUV and mattresses and washer dryer and other small items and had them shipped in a container. I wish I would have just purchased my big ticket items here. There are furniture shops, car dealerships, and big supermarkets so those things could have been purchased here. My shipped items will be arriving probably in a month……so instead of paying shipping, customs clearance, and duty, I would have bought them here when needed. As I mentioned before with the new washer/dryer rental option , I really didn’t need to buy/ship a washer/dryer.
This is one person's opinion. I have been here long enough that the washer/dryer that I brought over has died. So I now have Aramco rental washer and dryer. I hate the washer. You do not have control over much the washer does and it agitates like its on gentle cycle all the time.
The washer/dryer rent is $45 USD/month each and is automatically deducted by payroll.
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1. Luggage
We brought waayy more than the 8 pieces we could……I would just suggest to bring things that you will use in the near future and leave decorative things for your next repat visit with family/friends….things like your favorite shampoo or deodorant and your bed sheets and duvets…..things you will use daily…..some groceries….small appliances….definitely your microwave…..school supplies…towels….power quick pick up vacuum...even like a flat screen tv that will fit in a dish barrel box…..
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I tried to bring enough to last me a few weeks, but I wish I would have bought more.....Fruit roll ups, ramen noodles, nerds/air heads/lollypops, cereals, tosos......just the things my kids love and its harder to digest paying for things like 8 bucks for a box of cereal.
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we wish we brought a toaster, coffee maker, microwave, iron and these small appliances. The reason being that all 110V appliances in SA are Chinese of low, low quality.