Living in Jeddah?

Question

My husband has applied for a job there and we would like to know what the day to day living is like especially for a british woman. At this moment in time I am unsure whether to go with him if he is offered the job. Many thanks.

Answer 1

a few facts having a look at google that i picked up - i guess you'll have to talk to people who actually live there, not just travelled there xx

'All the restaurants have separate sections for single men and for families. Dating is forbidden, but most restaurants will allow a couple into the family section without question. All businesses close for prayer for about half an hour at noon and at sunset. They close again an hour after sunset for about 45 minutes. If you like to eat early, you can often stay in a restaurant during prayer time. Saudis tend to eat late, well after the evening prayer.

Following attacks on foreigners, western governments are warning against non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia. If you are staying in the country, avoid public places where Westerners are known to congregate, ensure that your hotel has a good reputation for maintaining high security precautions and stay abreast of travel advisory updates

There are less than 100,000 Westerners in Saudi Arabia

The Basic Law adopted in 1992 declared that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the sons and grandsons of King Abd Al Aziz Al Saud, and that the Holy Qur'an is the constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic law (Shari'a). There are no political parties or national elections; however, the country held its first municipal elections in 2005. The king's powers are limited because he must observe the Shari'a and other Saudi traditions.'

Answer 2

i am saudi from jeddah and i work with queit good number of westerners here, including british.

i would say don't listen to all of those scary posts .. in the past, before 911, when we travel, we face sometimes those silly questions: do you live in a tent? do you have an oil pipe in your backyard. Do you ride a car or a camel?

after 911, with all the media chaos, we started to get the other type of silly questions. they are as true as the oil pipe of my dady.

life in saudi is different, but it is not hostile, scary or dangerous. only if you are a party freak, you cannot imagine a single weekend without going to a pub or nighclub, or really into the wild, that like to do the bunji jump and hike in the mountains every weekends, then, mmm, yes, saudi will be bit conservative for you. you better think of dubai.

i have seen many times ladies and kids really cry at the time they are about to leave the kingdom for good. usually they get very good memories that it is too difficult to leave.

and you know, when someone leaves, we do the farewell party with the byebye toast. and i heard this again and again, that they always like to start with funny stories of how worried or scared they were when they first decided to come to saudi, then how different and normal they found to be.

you will be living in a compound, which will be so clean, so relaxing, very simple, with a lot of activities and pool, and it has its own community, so you will find it so easy to socialize with other expats.

i remember, one time we had a business meeting early morning in a compound instead of office, since the guy had to travel after that directly. as i was driving i saw two ladies in the tennis court playing tennis, with the warm sun. i was wow, what a life, it feels like you are in a wellness resort.

in jeddah, there are so much beach activities for every lifestyle of people. so for expats, there are a lot of activities from tanning, swimming, snorkling and diving.

i heard comments from westerners like "in reality, i have been here for five years and i cannot recall a single insulting or bad incident to me" or "my kids really love it here, they love the schoolmates and have great memories" or "in reality i feel like the locals try their best to give you good impression when dealing with you"

yet, i heard comments like "it is really boring" or "sometimes i just feel it is too much routine"

Answer 3

my dad worked in Saudi Arabia for 4 years, starting in 1980 and he died out there in 1984. My mum and i went out there and stayed for 6 months, and i have got to say it is the most god forsaken place on the planet, the Arabs are the rudest dirtiest race of people you will meet, they even stop you taking Marks and Spencer clothes into the country because they are Jewish. for the women it's terrible, we used to go to a beach that was 30 miles along the edge of the desert, we wouldn't pass a car but within 15 Min's of being there, there would be half a dozen cars in the distance watching us, with binoculars because my mum had a swimming costume on, i also at 12 years old saw a man get horse whipped over a police car in the street by the police because he touched a girl in public ! there are better places to go

hopefully the same won't happen to your husband as did with my Dad, but please don't go i know it was the heat and the worry of working in this filthy country that killed him

Answer 4

Saudi arabia is quite hostile towards white people i wouldnt go.I didnt like it one bit and that was just after sitting in the airport at abu dhabi for 4 hours.

Answer 5

just like any other city in the world, except most guys wear a thobe (traditional clothing for men) and women wear 'abaya (the black thing that covers them). we have so many malls, restaurants, cafes, etc. also the city of jeddah has a beach called "al-kornaich". jeddah is home to the largest water fountain  in the world. so that's a pretty sight to see. there are many other stuff you can check out once u get there. you'll like the culture too.

Answer 6

Dory dont listen to a word those above said..

and to the one person.. WE have Marks and Spencers in every major mall.. I dont know what they are on about.. sheesh!

I am an American-Saudi... I have pale white olive skin.. I am thought of as a westerner by my looks.. and all my American relatives that have visited and my western friends living here are treated with the utmost respect... You get respect when you give it... Maybe they didnt accociate with good people..

I find that westerners get the royal treatment here.. People seem to go out of their way to Americans and Brits... (sad for the others though) but its true.. You will be treated like a queen here..

This country is religiously morally based, so yes there is no dating, but you are married, so no worries there..

no bars, clubs, discos, alcohol, pork, or christian propagating going on.. but you can do plenty with family activities.. Many of the recreation is geared for families.. so you and your husband will be fine...

and if you socialize and make friends with fellow brit women, (there are plenty of groups).. you will have loads of social activities to keep you busy..

welcome! its safe and fine here...

Answer 7

Think long and hard about it. Things that we take for granted in the UK, in Saudi Arabia you can get thrown in jail for - or worse. Personally, I wouldn't trust an Arab as far as I could throw him. Saudi Arabia is a country full of double standards. It is not just women who should exercise caution, men should as well.

Punishment is brutal, harsh and extreme. The weather is atrocious. You AND your husband should stay here in the UK (no matter what financial incentives you are both offered to live and work in Saudi Arabia).

Stay in the UK and be safe (even though violent crime is escalating here, I still believe that the UK is the safest place to live).

***EDIT***

Ditto to the previous Answerer. Saudis can be extremely racist towards Westerners. The way of life is just too different from ours. We value freedom of individuals to live their own life. They value oppression of the weak/poor by the strong/rich.

Answer 8

Dear Sister....

I am a local female Saudi from Jeddah...and i'm choosing to ignore the awful things some people posted here in regards to my country and people...they are entitled to their opinions and they may even have some truth in them depending on their own experiences...

i'm in my late 20s, married with two kids. both my parents are saudis from jeddah...we all lived most or all our lives there...i was educated in saudi schools and colleges...i lived for a while in the states with my husband (for his postgrad degree)...and i'm honestly telling you that living in jeddah is wonderful...it's quite different from what you may be used to...but moving to anyplace that's not "home" is always difficult no matter where you end up moving to...

jeddah in particular is quite easy to adapt and adjust to for a westerner compared to other cities in saudi that are considered more strict or conservative....

as a non muslim non arab you don't have to cover up your head with scarves and such (not that all muslims or saudis in jeddah do anyway)...you can go out on your own to malls, hospitals, banks, schools and universities...you don't need to drag your husband with you every where, you'll have a driver...true...but trust me you'll count your blessings for that, our streets and driving aren't something to brag or even be proud of...we're almost as  ashamed of it as we are of our sad outdated airport (you'll see what i mean)

there are plenty of activities and places to go: from diving, swimming (tanning is given with our kind of weather all year round)and jetskiing to horse back riding, martial arts, gyms and sports clubs, music and dance lessons, local as well as some international mini concerts, art lessons, visiting galleries and museums, excursions and camping trips to near by villages, multiple trips to the old historical district is a must for those with interest in local architecture and bargain hunts, to mall-hopping and maxing your credit cards at some of the trendiest avenues packed with designer labels frequently on sale. (just to name a few)

you could get a job yourself at some of the schools, colleges, companies...etc depending on your background (degrees, experiences...etc) but the fact that you're british will certainly "open doors" for you and grant you a "red carpet" treatment almost everywhere you go...

taking walks by the beach at sunset might not sound like a fun activity but trust me...in jeddah, it's almost a religion. on weekends and holidays you even gotta go hours ahead just to find a spot. (you can go alone too...women don't get harrassed...i do it all the time)

the whole city seems to be running for women, it's usually men that complain they have no where and nothing to do...

alcohol, bars and night clubs, gambling, movie theatres and all pork products (all illegal drugs obviously)are banned just like it is all over saudi arabia. you'll enjoy what is refered to as "clean, moral and family based" entertainment ;) so unless you're addicted to any of these...you wouldn't care. (if you do however enjoy these at times you wont go completely "dry" when in jeddah...the western communities you'll quickly get introduced to through western residential compounds or your embassy will fill you in on all their "privillages"...you wont miss out on any partying...trsut me, some expats that returned to their homecountries write back and tell me they miss how much fun they had partying in saudi)

jeddah has yet another great advantage, it's location...makes it great for weekend trips or week long vacations in many interesting countries like Egypt, Morrocco, Kenya, South Africa, Lebanon, UAE, Yemen and Oman to name a few...most about a 2 - 3 hour flight away...

the people of jeddah are the true treasure...not that i'm blowing my own horn but trust me...they are such kind, hospitable and fun loving people...so don't hold back cause you feel you "don't fit" or because you're a "westerner"...trust me, we might seem defensive at times...but we don't curl up and isolate ourselves unless we sensed that "you" would prefer to keep to your own...give us a chance..

i would never recomend that a family split up in anyway...it's very hard and puts so many strains on the relationship especially between spouses...one of you should sacrifice if you two can't agree...he lets down the offer even if it means less income...or you comprimising some of your comfort by living temporarily in a place you wouldn't exactly choose for yourself...

i can't really get into more details about jeddah and what are it's pros and cons and how our day to day life goes...it's such a huge vast topic that i could go on and on about...you can check some of my other answers (check my profile) where i talked specifically about women in jeddah, the city itself and some of it's current issues, and saudi arabia in general and the differences between some of its cities....if you want specific details or even some photos and references (books, websites) please don't hesitate to ask...contact me through email (check my profile)...

on behalf of the saudi people and my very own "jeddawis": welcome to our country, city and lives....we hope you see our "true" side and enjoy your stay...

p.s. sorry for any mistakes...didn't spell check or proof read ;)

Answer 9

......if you're the type of person that is very adventurous and loves having fun all the time with others this is not the right place for you.....though Jeddah is somewhat more open than the rest of the cities in Saudi, you dont have to expect that it will be the same in Europe.....life is simple and foreign people are here primarily for work and not leisure......my two cents only