@redgems
American expat in Saudi Arabia
Forum
30 posts
About me
American
Lives in Riyadh
Registration: 13 March 2010
Activity
Car usage for short-term
We're in KSA for 6-8 months and would like to figure out our options for getting around. We would mostly be making long treks - Mecca, Medina - very little city usage. I know rental cars are available but does anyone have experience with renting ... Read More
Moving to Riyadh from San Jose, California by nkhawaja
Moving to Riyadh soon. Wanted to know about some good Pre-K schools. Also thinking of shipping refrigerator, bed set and/or LCD TV. any advise? i plan to stay in some apartment near to school, any advise here please. thanks
Is your employer providing a shipping allowance? If not, it really doesn't make sense to ship your furniture, TV, fridge. TVs are fairly inexpensive here and unless your TV can also operate on PAL, you will need a converter and the picture quality ... Read More
Bipolar by turomp
Ive just accepted a position in Riyadh, and now Ive heard that bipolar disorder will make it impossible to get a work visa. Great timing. So, if I happened to be a bipolar US citizen (and I only mention the US as a point of reference. I don't ...
did you try asking the embassy your questions? dont give your name, obviously. people at the airport dont know anything about perscription drugs, they don't generally open your suitcase but your baggage does go through xray. however, the xray guy ... Read More
Visa question by g100f
Hey guys, Sorry to bother you, I normally try to dig through the forum's extensive build-up of information before I post a question, but here I guess I wanted to get your opinion besides asking you a specific question. Here's the deal: I currently ...
once you're here, to my knowledge, visa extensions are no big deal. what is the reason that your employer provided for bringing the family later? once you get here, the story changes and you might encounter hurdles. i think a lot of how much of ... Read More
Riyadh to Mecca : Umra Trip by Lt Col
i m planning umra as follows:- depart riyadh 1600 hrs, wednesday and drive till taif to spend the night there. depart for mecca after fajr prayers on thursday, spend the day in haram, stay the night at mecca and depart for riyadh after juma ...
this might be a little too late but i would also suggest packing food and snacks with you - you won't find much on the way in terms of a meal. Read More
Working in Saudi Arabia - Visitor visa Vs. Work Visa by milesboyd
My HR contact let me know its take time to obtain my work visa and we've been waiting for awhile now. So i was asked if i want to travel on visitor visa and then change once in KSA. This is very confusing to me because in USA if are not allowed ...
a visit visa is like coming to ksa in handcuffs. you will not be able to do anything with it - as people have said, no car - rental or otherwise, no bank account. also, if you're coming with a family, i dont know what impact your visa status has on ... Read More
Non GMO in Riyadh by Mudrinjo
Well I noticed that all food in Riyadh is genetically modified. Im wondering is there ANYWHERE in Riyadh where you can buy 100% natural food?
jillndave - you mentioned fruit and veg markets - i assume different from the grocery stores i've been frequenting - can you please tell me where these markets are? thanks! Read More
Princess Noura University Jobs - Contacts/Suggestions Please!
Hello All - I've been trying to find information on jobs at Princess Noura University - but not much luck. Does anyone know of leads/contacts/have any suggestions on how I can go about finding out about leads there? Teaching, admin jobs, ... Read More
Setting Home... by hatsoff20
Hi to all my freinds. How much do we need in Riyadh to set an apartment, I am not talking about a posh one but a moderate kind of setting. If my company is giving me allowance to set up over there how much do you think is suitable....also where to ...
mirfarali - where is harraj? MadMaz - Faisaliya district (not the tower, its a district close to exit 17) - any more specific directions? Any particular store you can recommend that's in the center of the district that we can ask about if we get ... Read More
Will an American TV work in Saudi? by redgems
Hi All - Does anyone know about or have experience with bringing over an American TV to KSA? We want to bring our Sony Bravia/NTSC TVs to KSA - will the TV work? Is there anything we should be aware of before we try plugging away and subscribe to ...
Thanks for your responses everyone. What about the NTSC to PAL issue? We're concerned whether we'll be able to receive picture once we have the TV plugged in with the adaptors. Read More
Will an American TV work in Saudi?
Hi All - Does anyone know about or have experience with bringing over an American TV to KSA? We want to bring our Sony Bravia/NTSC TVs to KSA - will the TV work? Is there anything we should be aware of before we try plugging away and subscribe to ... Read More
Moving stuff from the US to Riyadh
Does anyone have experience or recommendations on moving personal affects to Riyadh from overseas? Starting point is the US. We'd like to be able to bring some of the items we're attached to (no big pieces of furniture, just clothes, a lot of ... Read More
Can I buy ZamZam water in Riyadh?
I know Zam Zam is available in Medina and Mecca but does anyone know if I can get/purchase it in Riyadh? I'm hoping they come in small enough containers to take via plane! Thanks. Read More
Turkish Embassy Spring Festival and Charity Bazaar by aticus
It will be on Thursday (April 22th, 2010) in Turkish Embassy, DQ / Riyadh.. May be it be good opportunity to gather for list attendees..
What time is this festival/charity bazaar please? Read More
Exploring the Diplomatic Quarter by redgems
We're still exploring Riyadh and I read that people living outside of the DQ can access it - walking paths, restaurants, etc. - is this true? If so, can someone please provide some high level directions and recommendations on restaurants? Thanks ...
Thanks much! Read More