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Post by JustMovedDhahran on Oct 27, 2012 23:28:42 GMT
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  |
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Post by vpainter on Oct 29, 2012 21:09:30 GMT
Thank you for posting your experiences for others to read. Welcome to Aramco and Dhahran!
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Post by JustMovedDhahran on Oct 30, 2012 1:10:12 GMT
Thank you vpainter, I really appreciate your posts/responses they have helped us thru the move greatly ☺ So it is 3am and again the jet lag is still prominent even a week in…….. 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 |
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Post by kilted_highlander78 on Oct 30, 2012 13:02:12 GMT
JustMovedDhahran, Thank you so much for posting your experience. Funny you mention the cereal issue. We packed 5 or 6 large boxes of cinnamon toast crunch, candy fruit shapes, gold fish crackers..etc because we thought it will be hard to find these over there. Great insights regardingnthenappliances, reading your comments reassured me hat I took the right decision by opting for the cash in lieu. two questions though: what was the landing procedure like? I mean how long it took you to clear immigration and customs, and what happened next? I am asking because my flight arrives at 10:30 pm, and my brother (who lives and works in Khobar) wantsmtomcome and meet us, but unsure of how long would it take us to leave airport. Any info would be Geat. One more: how is the house like? KH78
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Post by JustMovedDhahran on Oct 30, 2012 20:49:52 GMT
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 |
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Post by ksa2012 on Nov 1, 2012 17:01:10 GMT
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.
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Post by Herewego on Nov 2, 2012 14:44:37 GMT
You can buy an ice despenser to go in your frig. Call 939 and they will install it and the sweet water line to it for free. We brought one back on our last trip home. Here is where we got ours from: www.apwapplianceparts.com/Store_ ... ?Id=662416 |
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Post by JustMovedDhahran on Nov 5, 2012 10:09:29 GMT
I have recently written two long posts, but it has been many days.....still waiting for them to post....it's great to get new perspectives into the move.....
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Post by vpainter on Nov 6, 2012 19:33:07 GMT
JustMovedDhahran, Sorry it took me awhile to get to your posts. I do thank you for writing your experiences.
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Post by vpainter on Nov 6, 2012 19:35:10 GMT
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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Post by EBMoore on Nov 6, 2012 21:01:45 GMT
WOW - so much great information on this post. You have really brought to life what this new experience will be like. Thank you so much JustMovedDhahran, and also thank you KSA2012, and everyone. So much to think about and plan for. I'm so glad to have this site.  |
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Post by JustMovedDhahran on Nov 12, 2012 13:00:13 GMT
It is so great seeing everyone add some their own experiences and tips..... Also it is great to know that the posts are helping!! 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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Post by ksa2012 on Nov 14, 2012 20:59:33 GMT
o All,
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.
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Post by Hadia on Nov 15, 2012 5:07:10 GMT
It is not true about having to buy a car up front in cash. I have written previously in this forum an extensive account of the specific process of going through Islamic financing.
When we were new arrivals last year, many western expats kept telling us we had to go buy our car in cash, and to bring big heavy bags of money. They were wrong.
Okay, so let me give the details again so forum readers who missed my previous post elsewhere on this can be aware of it. The following is based on our own personal experience buying a car at a Khobar dealership last year, using Islamic financing from a bank: You will need to bring your iqama and Saudi driver's license, copy of Saudi bank statements for the past 90 days showing direct deposits (we have a split deposit, some to US and some to Saudi, so it's not all to Saudi), letter of employment from HR Online, a different letter showing housing assignment and physical address, and names and phone numbers of two local references. The auto dealership put our application through to a major local bank on our behalf, we got a text message within hours that it was accepted, and then it was just a matter of a few back and forth errands to sign papers, give them a deposit, and then pick up the car when it arrived. We grabbed business cards not just from the gentleman who helped us, but also some others as backup contacts. It was unnecessary, as the original gentlemen followed through on all details until the end. In our instance, it was immensely helpful that my husband is a native Arabic speaker. In my opinion, this may be where some expats drop off the process -- language barrier issues. Maybe they just find it easier to just pay cash than to go through various forms that may be in two languages, and to work with a salesman who may not understand all of your questions in English.
Yes, it was definitely a low key experience on the show floor, but I believe that is because the style here is not to pressure a potential customer and invade your space. You have to be proactive when you're ready to talk and just flag someone down. Personally, I found this to be a pleasant change from my experiences in the US where you are dogged by a sales person the minute you arrive on the lot. We basically told them we wanted a vehicle model like the one on the show floor, and we were able to select the outside and inside color combo. The trim package was indeed a mystery until the vehicle was delivered, but we just said "fully loaded," and accepted in our minds that whatever that meant is what we'd get, so no point getting worked up about something we couldn't control, influence or change. One thing you come to learn when living here: you have to be willing to roll with the punches sometimes and not expect to be able to control every detail and situation like in North America. The processes, the timing of how and when things happen, the approval routes, all the many steps and mysteries between the steps...well, they are all part of the new experience of living here.
But again --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.
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Post by GroveWanderer on Nov 16, 2012 11:36:45 GMT
Just to mention that, in what is a fairly recent development (just within the last year, AFAIK) several of the larger car manufacturers and/or dealers have started offering deferred payment deals on car purchases. Peugeot started doing this about six months ago (two guys in my Dept bought cars this way) and just this week I saw an ad for Toyota vehicles from Abdul Latif Jameel offering a similar deal.
I can't remember the exact terms for Peugeot but they were similar to Toyota's. The Toyota ad offers prices starting at SR949 per month with other features, according to the ad, as follows:
No down payment
No guarantor required
Accident repairs
3rd party Insurance
Pay conveniently through Saddad
Pay only up to 48 months
You can refinance your last payment (residual value) up to one year.
The current Toyota deal with the above terms is only available up to November 30th but the Peugeot deal has been available for some time, according to the guys who used it.
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