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Post by Kathy0050 on Jul 25, 2012 18:15:43 GMT
o Everyone--
I have interviewed recently and have not yet been offered a position, but am optimistic, and so am thinking ahead. I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of taking my furniture and household goods with me or replacing them once I arrive. I'm not attached to anything I have and everything is at least 10 years old.
Can anyone tell me what Aramco provides in terms of relocation expenses? If I were to forgo a shipping container, could I use that $$ amount to buy new furnishings? I am single and so am looking at furnishing a one-bedroom apartment.
Thank you very much for any and all advice . . .
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Post by GinaRN on Jul 26, 2012 9:41:30 GMT
It depends where you are coming from. My point of origin is Tampa, Florida. So I am offered $5,700.00 if I choose to forgo Aramco moving my stuff. Or they will move up to 5,000lbs of your belongings. I am a single female with no real attachment to stuff so I am opting to go with 2 suitcases & starting fresh over there. Plus, you move to a furnished home. If you like your furniture it's free for 3 months (I believe) then you pay to rent it after that or you can refurnish from IKEA or wherever you choose. Hope that helps. Good Luck!
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Post by halfwaythere on Jul 26, 2012 13:54:32 GMT
GinaRN
Do you mind sharing how did ARAMCO come up with $5,700? That sounds low considering the fact that one is moving across the globe.
I spent more than that when I moved from Houston to Tampa. That was with family of course and lot of stuff.
I am contemplating taking or leaving my furniture depending on how much cash in lieu I can get. We are a family of three and live in 2-bed townhome.
Thanks
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Post by bolishfamily on Jul 26, 2012 18:11:03 GMT
To Halfwaythere:
The cash in lieu of a shipment amount depends on whether your single or family & the number in the family. We're a family of 4 from the Ohio area and our amount would have been around $10,000. We chose to ship our household good as we had good furniture and it would have cost a lot more to furnish the house to my taste over here. Plus we were uprooting 2 boys (age 14 & 10) at the time and I felt it more important to try to give them the feel of "home" with all the changes they were going through. Also something else to consider if you don't do a shipment you may want to consider shipping your small 110v appliances as they are getting difficult to find over here if you a gadget person like me (crockpot, electric skillets, steamer, can opener, panini grill, fondu pot, food saver, electric roaster, electric toothbrushes, etc).
Good Luck!
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Post by Kathy0050 on Jul 27, 2012 3:13:07 GMT
Thanks GinaRN and Bolishfamily. This is good info. I wasn't sure what the relocation allowance covered. Now I understand it covers the transport of household goods or the equivalent in cash.
Now, however, I have another question. I have read here often about the importance of bringing your own small appliances (especially kitchen) with you. However, when I was in KSA before, none of the appliances I brought with me worked without an adapter, which was a pain in the neck. Can anyone tell my what (decent) appliances I can find there and which I should bring with me?
Also, this may be a silly question, but are Swiffer products available in Saco? I am 100% dependent on my Swiffer Wetjet and want to know if I can get the cleaning solution and replacement pads there.
Thanks again!
kathy
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Post by Texas786 on Jul 28, 2012 17:17:46 GMT
There were over 10 hoover 110V vacuums at SACO in Dhahran Mall yesterday. They are like the Dysons (bagless cyclone) but much lighter. We bought one for 600 Riyals. I also saw a 110V Proform treadmill which I might buy. We also went to Lulu in Khobar which had their store-branded version of the Swiffer for about 50 Riyals. You can find almost anything here, you just have to be willing to venture into the surrounding cities which are about 30-40 minutes away.
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Post by Kathy0050 on Jul 30, 2012 4:00:48 GMT
Thanks! This is good to know. It seems like my choices are ALL or NOTHING. That is, either I get a container and ship everything I own or come with a couple of suitcases and bring, essentially, nothing. I'm happy to know that if I come with nothing I'll still be ok.  |
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Post by vpainter on Jul 31, 2012 22:13:08 GMT
Kathy0050, when you were in KSA previously you must not have been in an Aramco community. The rest of KSA is 220V and Aramco is 110/120V, with some homes receiving a 220V plug or two in addition to the 110/120V plugs. So if you are bringing 110/120V appliances they will work without converters or adapters.
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Post by Kathy0050 on Aug 1, 2012 5:35:13 GMT
Hi vpainter,
You are very correct. I was not working for Aramco when I lived in Saudi Arabia before, and thought that the whole country was 220V. Therefore, I didn't understand why anybody would take pains to bring all of their appliances to the country when they were just going to need a big box of adapters to make them all work. Now I understand . . . thanks!
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