Mar 23, 2001 04:51 AM
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This is my general overview of the place , where I lived for thirteen years. It is about Saudi Arabia.
First of all, to be able to go over there , you need a work visa . You cannot visit this place on a visit visa . Other middle east countries like Dubai, Abudhabi , Muscat etc, you can visit with a visit visa .
Saudi Arabia is a muslim country with strict laws .
All the expatriates are expected to abide by the laws of that country . People who violate the laws are put in jail and executed every friday.
Saudi Arabia as such is a very grand country , comparable to U.S in all respects , except for the freedom. It's oil wealth makes it one of the richest countries in the whole world ! Petrol is very cheap here .
You will find gigantic monuments everywhere . The roads are neat and broad. There are fabulous shopping centers and buildings made of glass. The country is ruled by a king. There are no political parties.
Saudi men wear a traditional long dress called Thobe '. Saudi women wear a maxi-like long black dress called 'Abhaya'. Indian women call it 'Burka. Expatriate women are also expected to wear it , when they come out of their house to go anywhere . I wore it everyday when I went to school for work .
There are people from India , Pakistan ,Egypt , Korea , Philippines , U.K and U.S who work there .
The official language is Arabic.
Saudis are muslims and followers of Islam. They pray five times everyday . Prayer times ranges from 15 - 45 minutes . You can hear loud prayer calls from the mosques . Whereever they are, they pay heed to the prayer calls and pray . Women do the same at home . During prayer times, the shops will be closed. If you are in the middle of shopping, you have to wait outside the shop and wait for the prayer to finish , after which shops will be open again.
Saudis and other muslim expatriates observe fast during the holy month of Ramzan. During Ramzan, the work hours are changed . They also offer their prayers at Mecca and Madina their holy places .
No other religion , other than Islam is tolerated . So, non-muslims have their worship in low key . They have it in closed doors under careful vigilance . Still , sometimes they got caught by Saudi police . You can imagine the situation !
Women are respected more . But, they do not enjoy equal rights as men . Women cannot drive by law . I had to wait all these years to drive . Infact, after coming to Canada , I learnt driving and got my licence here ! Also, women cannot go anywhere freely alone . They have to be accompanied by somebody.
Saudi Arabia is a good place to make money and save for future use . Food is very cheap. There is no entertainment like cinema , drama etc. You can watch a movie from a VCR in your house . There are lots of video shops to borrow casettes from.
Shopping is an enjoyable experience in Saudi Arabia.
You will find most of the shops selling electronic goods, wrist watches , perfumes and gold ornaments . Saudi gold is famous for it's purity . The expatriates take lots of gold coins when they leave for annual vacation . They sell it for a higher price in their country .
Some places in Saudi Arabia still looks like a typical desert , though Saudis are trying to make the place greener by planting more trees . You can see desert cactus plants and palm trees . There are camels living in the deserts.
The weather is extreme being a desert place . It shoots upto 55 degrees C . Sand storms occur frequently and sometimes you even get rain . All the houses, cars and shopping centres are air-conditioned .Air - conditioning is a necessity and not a luxury there !
I would recommend this place for bachelors who would like to make some money before starting their married life . It is also good for people who are fortunate enough to get family status to live with the family.
