Moving to Saudi Arabia. Would my life be doomed?

Question

My father is in the medical profession and due to his connections at the KFS Hospital, my family may have to move to Riyadh. I don't have to go as I am 18 (although still live with my parents). I know that rules are very strict for girls in Saudi Arabia. Would I enjoy living in this country so different to my own and how hard do you think it would be for me to adjust. Could I work over there? I only found out about this news from my mother last night and they have yet to go over the details with me. Should I stay in the UK without my family if they decide to take this opportunity or give it a go? (I don't drive anyway or drink or do drugs so I'm halfway there with regard to the rules of the country). Help, your advice please.

Answer 1

Don't listen to any of the posts up there, Saudis are giving you their opinion depending on their Saudi lifestyle, and others just hate Saudi and picture it as a living h**l!

Since your father is coming from UK, KFS hospital will provide him with a family accommodation in a compound, and if you don't know what are these compounds like, you will be astonished by how free and open these compounds are.

They say there is no alcohol drinks in Saudi, and no dating and partying and women are forbidden from everything.

This is true if you want to live in Saudi neighborhood, but in compounds it's different, I myself went to a party once inside one compound and people were drinking, dancing, dating, men and women swimming with their swim wear, it was exactly like Europe.

Answer 2

ok to be perfectly honest. You as a single non working 18yr old female will find it tremendously boring coming from a western lifestyle..

If you were younger and still in elementary school, id say you'd have a better time..

My reasoning is this.. You are just coming to be with your parents... Single western women have a hard time finding employment in Saudi. also you probably dont know arabic. you might get a job tutoring english to young students or working in your housing compound if your family lives in one, but remember. all other women are looking for jobs too, so it will be slim pickings.. There is no social life for singles in SAUdi. no dating. no clubs, bar, discos, theaters, pubs. the only entertainment is geared towards family and small children.. You can shop, but that might get old.. and you are too old for the kiddie indoor mall amusement rides. If you make friends quick and run with the older ladies crowd, you could socialize that way. But it will be with all women remember, no boys allowed.. No public swimming pools, maybe in a private housing compound.  So if you plan on getting a good job, you might want to stay with friends or relatives back in your home country and just visit your family when you can. Also if you want to go to university, your chance is better there.. sorry for the bad news. but you would have to be extremely patient and understanding of the culture here to enjoy it at your age..

Answer 3

no, you'll enjoy the culture, the country, the food, the tradition, etc. not many people get to live in a country like saudi arabia.

Answer 4

Saudi Arabia is a nice place to live really.

Riyadh has a lot of activities for youth, also specific activities for the girls. It may take some getting used to, but any place in the world does.

Why don't you stay in Saudia for some time and if you dont like it then go back. However dont go for a week and say you don't like it, stay and try and learn and have fun.

A lot of people talk so ignorantly about saudi, but there is so much good here.

The rules in Saudi Arabia are meant to promote virtue and prohibit vice, so if you dont drink and do drugs and date and all these things then you would have no problems.

There plenty of malls and even "women-only" malls and "women centers" where there are many activities for the women.

As for jobs, yes women can work in Saudi Arabia, there are quite a lot of women in the work force. You might even be able to work at KFS (which might be a good experience for you).

Answer 5

do not go you will be traveling backwards in time and they hate smart women. do not go

Answer 6

Women are 2nd class citizens in Saudi. You will not have the freedoms you enjoy here. You will not be able to walk the streets in shorts and a vest top as you will need to have your arms and legs covered.

You will not be able to drive a car..even if you could drive, women are not allowed to.

It's very very different to life in the UK or the US, if you're only going for a year or two then give it a go,,it's an adventure!!

Answer 7

18 years old girl

not so fitting to come to Saudi unless you are a  stay indoors most of the time type..Sorry to hear that you are getting a tough decision,,It looks that you have a strong bond with your family ..Good luck

Answer 8

ofcourse u should stay in UK

Answer 9

There are a lot of college students who come to live with their parents in Saudi Arabia during the breaks, and then go to school in their home country.  Maybe you should think about doing that since you're 18.  I don't think you'd be able to work here at all since you'll be sponsored through your father.

Really, I think you'd probably be kinda bored since you won't be able to go anywhere without someone to drive you.  There's not much to do for 18 year olds except hang out with friends.  If you were 10 years old, then I think you'd have fun because you'd find a lot of kids your age.

I do think you should at least visit and stay here a while just to see what life is like here.  It's a nice cultural and learning experience for anyone.

Answer 10

Stay here in the UK if thats what you wish. Should you miss your family you could always go later.

Your an adult now.

But if you just go, then you might be doomed....Doomed...DOOMED i tell yer!

Answer 11

it really depends in your life style pooh

if you are into partying, going out with group of friends, enjoying weekend drinks at pubs, ..etc. then, yes, you will find it a boring place here. there are no clubs, no partying, discos and cinemas.

but in general, if you are 18, i guess you must be in college or about to go to college. then, you better look for the good school irregardless where. there are few private colleges in saudi but i dont think you want to study here.

i have seen many westerners grow up happily in saudi but then move home to go to secondary school or colleges.

in either cases, i guess you want to visit your parents as a start, and see how it is going. some people enjoy it here.

KFS? I guess this is King Faisal Specialist in Jeddah?? there are great diving spots in jeddah.

usually the western people who enjoy life here are the ones with 2 little kids. life here is so safe, easy simple (which means boring in the other side), but usually this is what families enjoy.

a great time to visit would be in winter, where it is freezing in europe but spring in saudi. and you can convince ur parents to go to a tour in middle east. so you visit them few days in saudi, then go to one of the spots that westerners enjoy a lot here:

petra in jordan, cairo in egypt, dubai in UAE, salalah in Oman, or Beirut in Lebanon

i know a british guy who wandered a lot of places in the world before working in jeddah, finally he fell in love here with a czech girl and they married back in europe .. so, there is a lot of life here but through networkings

in general i would say saudi is more suitable for older couples

Answer 12

give it a try u might be surprised, if u are with other western people yr life with them will not be much different but outside obviously u have to conform to the customs as in covering, and not being able to drive, but there who needs to drive anyway taxis are cheap and plentiful.    we lived in dubai for 12 yrs which is pretty liberal but my daughters friend moved to riyadh and she ssemed to actually have a better time there than she had had in dubai she liked it.  its only for a short time, pity to miss this experience in yr life and if u dont like it u can always come back here.

Answer 13

well it dosen`t matter what other tell  you. it about do want go their  and were vial also to be with your family. an are you a muslim

Answer 14

stay in the UK if u wanna................ but I wouldn't like my parents being so far,far away.

Answer 15

........hahaha.....your life will not be doomed of course if you stay in Saudi Arabia......its purely adjustment issue......its like a transition from a party-animal girl to a simple home girl......if you can live with that without bars, night parties, cinemas, etc. you'll survive.....there are other simple means to spend time like surfing the net for hours, shopping at malls, eating at restaurants, walking in the park and if you like to work, it will consume a third of your day......good luck and welcome to Saudi Arabia......

Answer 16

As a FEMALE you would not be allowed to walk the streets unless escorted by family members or husband. and when you do you MUST cover up so much you will look like a walking tent!  Saudi has the strictest dress code even for foreigners!

Saudi is NOT a nice place for a single white Female who  is young and unmarried - STAY IN THE UK!

Answer 17

Let your parents go first and get their feedback. It depends on how strongly you're attached to them. If you consider yourself to be an independent woman, want a career and a social life that doesn't revolve around the home, then I would suggest you stay here. There's nothing to stop you from visiting them a few times to decide for yourself if you want to uproot from here and go. I've never been there and I only know of the negative aspects of living there from what is shown on tv. You're 18 though, you have a lot to look forward to. Don't make any knee-jerk reactions. Consider your options and think about how they will affect you in the future.