Advice Required on Living in Saudi.

Originally Posted by jagan.nathan1

I got Saudi offer in Dam mam as construction Manager.

Kindly help me on the followings
Whether vegetarian food like Mess or Hotel available
for self preparation of foods by me whether rice,pulses, milk,vegetables etc available.
travel Baggage how much weight is permissible in travel.
What are the cloths available for purchase.there.
What are the cloths advisable to take from here.
How much currency required to bring for initial settling.
What bank account is advisable, presently i am having account in SBI non NRI.
whether i have to open any NRI accont.
Whether any special materials like woolen swatter to bring.
My status is Family, family accommodation.If i brings my family ,school,colleges are best suited both Female, Male child(compare with India)
Whether i can take sambar, rasam powder while coming there-Allowed.
Whether Mixie,vessels, Electric& pressure cooker can bring or buy at Saudi which is cheaper
any more advise please.
Kindly help me in replyingbonk

M.S.JAGANNATHAN

Hi sir,

you are welcome to saudi. this is a very beautiful country , i have been staying here in al-khobar from past 2yrs with my hubby and 2 school going kids.You can go through this thread first pages to get all information. other wise you can see the threads of krishnnamas who had given brief details for these things. so dont worry sir please go through them and see the details.

bye and takecare sir,
madhumathi.

Hello sir,

As madhumathi suggested, kindly go through all the previous post in this thread. Most of the queries asked by you have been discussed.

We do get almost all the Indian pulses and other items here...
Though limited, vegetarian foods in hotel is available.

There was shortage of Idli rice for a period of 6 months I guess.
Now there is supply in some shops...and it is likely to be available in fully swing soon. So, maybe it would be better if you get about few kilos from India, if you absolutely need it.

We do get sambar, rasam podi etc of some popular Indian brands...but there is no restriction for it to be brought by us.

And most of us, carry pressure cooker from India, here.

And regarding initial amount of cash..you could consult with your sponsors...they may give an amount to you on arrival, that could be deducted from your salary later ....Kindly clarify with them.

All the best.

Bye

Originally Posted by jagan.nathan1

I got Saudi offer in Dam mam as construction Manager.


any more advise please.
Kindly help me in replying

M.S.JAGANNATHAN

dear all indians in KSA.

My husband going to join SABIC group company in Jubail in August last week. I have some querries to clear ... please help.
- What about family accomodation outside company, how much it costs for family of 3.
- I have 1yr old son, what abt his food n milk available there? its like india?
- On an avarage how much living cost is there includes flat, food, transport etc.
- How all ladies passes time out there, any courses available or chances of get employed?
- Fresh vegetables out there?
- As I know temperature is on higher side there but is there any health problems out there?
- What about security of family?
- Is there any Indian Ladies Club?

I hope all of you there for me to help.

Thanks to all.

Take care.

Smita

Hello Sister,Welcome to Saudi.You can refer back to the threads posted earlier,let me assure you it is 100% useful - I took the same route of asking for info here and boy it did help. But I will answer the questions to the best of my knowledge.(though am in Riyadh,the inputs will give you an indication)1.) What about family accomodation outside company, how much it costs for family of 3?I think the family accomodation in a decent locality will cost atleast 20,000 riyals a year. So you can have a budget between 20K to 25K for rent ( if you get it for less, its a bonus).-2) I have 1yr old son, what abt his food n milk available there? its like india?
?Bottled milk is available in plenty and there are many great brands available (e.g Nada,Al-marai etc) and most of the Indian food items are available.So I do not think that is a problem.- 3)On an avarage how much living cost is there includes flat, food, transport etc.
?You may budget for about 3500 Riyals for a family of three( excluding medicals)- 4)How all ladies passes time out there, any courses available or chances of get employed?
Am a gent, so I will have to skip this question. But you can make social contacts and friends and then you will find ways to spend time with other like minded families. There are chances that there Indian associations of various types in your city.- 5)Fresh vegetables out there?
?>Yes,as fresh as your supermarket can keep it. The quality of vegetables ,fruits and dairy are definitely great.- 6)As I know temperature is on higher side there but is there any health problems out there?
Well temperatures veer to the extremes, currently this place is experiencing summer ,so summer clothing will do.Precautions in terms of suntan,blocks,proper hydration etc needs to be taken.Also during winters you may require sweaters,ear muffs,room heaters and thick blankets as well.- 7)What about security of family?
Its a fairly secure place. There are lot of Indian (and expat) families living ,including mine so nothing to fear. Follow the usual precautions that you would normally take in any new location.- 8)Is there any Indian Ladies Club?

Well, sister you have our virtual"indusladies" club and that should be enuff to give you more information or contacts.Also there are certain local customs you need to follow and respect. You can get details on this from any site of Saudi or from Indus ladies site also. I would advise you to read them and come.All the best. Have a great time in Saudi.RgdsPrasad

Hello all,

I am a new member of this website. The website seems to be very informative and helpful.

The following question may have been asked several times however, since the expenses seem to increase every year. I would like to ask the question again.

I have been offered an Assistant Professor job in KSU (engineering department) Riyadh. Going through previous posts I have gained some info about life and expenses in Riyadh.

Following are my questions,

1. What would be an good salary for an Assistant Professor in KSU (as I need to negotiate the salary with KSU)?
2. Is it easy to find a good house/apartment in a good community in Riyadh near KSU?
3. What would be the price of an 2-bedroom house/apartment?
4. What is range of monthly expenses (groceries: milk, vegetables, meat etc.. for a family of two?
5. How is the overall life style in Riyadh?
6. Can foreigners purchase a car? How much would it cost to purchase a decent car (used or new)?

I would greatly appreciate if any members of the forum can provide their suggestions.

Regards,
SN.

Refer to the post below.

Hi,

I am new to this forum and posting my first question for clarification.
My husband got a offer to work for "ARAMCO", alkhobar through a outsource company based in Al Khobar. He is not a direct employee but will be working for ARAMCO. I would appreciate if anyone can clarify the following

1) Not being a direct employee of ARAMCO, are we entitled to stay in ARAMCO compound.
2) What is the monthly/annaul rent in ARAMCO compound for 3 members?
3) What is the benefit of staying in ARAMCO compound over others?
4) Also benefit of living inside and outside the compound?
5) Any good Indian school?
6) I am from Chennai. Is there a indian community in Khobar.
7) Can anyone suggest anyother good compound if we are not eligible for ARAMCO compound?

Think I have asked too much. Thanks in advance for sparing your precious time to clarify my questions.

Thanks.

Hello Vidhya,

Welcome to Indusladies.

Regarding Aramco compounds, I am not too sure. Maybe those who have stayed there or those who know could throw some light on it .

About the other queries---Yes there is an Indian School in Al khobar, which I hear is good.
You will find a huge Indian community in that region. So no worries. You will feel at home. I lived there for a short period of 5 months.

All the best.

As a new member you might want to go through the "New Member Guide " link below my signature here..to get familiar with the ways in this site.

Bye

Thanks for your inputs. Can anyone staying in ARAMCO compound share the information about the rent?

Hi viddya77,


I heard ARAMCO compound is gud but how many indians are staying there i dont know but many indians are working there as i have few frnds dh working in that company.

The indian school in raka highway is gud my kids are studying there as my elder son is in 6th and younger is in 3rd. studies are cbse sylabuss and i liked the education as it is ncert.

rent is also not much but depends upon the area. we stay in khobar so here it is normal.if any further information u need feel free to post it.


bye and takecare.