Do and don't in Saudi Arabia - 2015

We told you about the must-sees in Saudi Arabia, now for the must-dos!

1) Ride a camel! As we often say, how can you go to Saudi Arabia and not ride a camel?! And we laugh that when we visit Saudi Arabia, the people we see riding camels are Westerners (including all of us at HZA) and Saudi children! I bet they think we're as cute as they are.

2) Ride a REAL Arabian horse in Arabia!

3) Dive, snorkel, or at least dip a toe in the Red Sea! See Down by the Red Sea or Diving in the Red Sea.

4) Go on a hash run! You don't have to be an athlete to enjoy a hash run in the desert! It's a great way to see the desert and meet fellow Western expatriates.

I wonder that are people allowed cycling in Riyadh?

Last night i asked that my colleagues who had been in Riyadh before and  they had so much fun about me.

I will be there from Thursday forth, so i have been wondering this subject.

They wont take it and there is churches in jeddah i think but its like on a private property
So its ok to bring ur bible

are women allowed to ride horses and camels?

Nope,

No riding allowed of anything

pompett wrote:

are women allowed to ride horses and camels?

I can add: you can rent a car if you have an international driving license. Getting your own DL here is easy and you can get it within a month maximum.

saimans wrote:

akashjaiman wrote:

Hi.. Gm... Sorry this seems to b an irrelevant question on this site but can u pls tel me wat r the means of transportation in dammam apart from taxis as my company doesn't provide with transportation... Any city buses ???
I wud b coming from india to dammam on 16th

Unfortunately there's no public transportation system developed, you will have to mostly rely on Taxis/Cabs, till you get your on vehicle !! Good Luck

i thought so!

You can in Jeddah mostly private commercial farms.

is there anyone near King Khalid Airport

Do:  Drive,, get a heavy car, burn fuel, go shopping late night at Malls, enjoy food and fruits of diferent origins,,
Dont: Openly get along with ladies,  wear shorts,

it varies so much from area to area what you can and cannot do... In Jeddah you can do stuff, if you are a man you can do stuff.... but for ladies who are living away from cities the list completely changes. In fact I would go as far as to say that this list is VERY misleading for a woman , and for someone not going to jeddah. Maybe we should class Jeddah as different to the rest of Saudi for the purposes of this list?

What you can do in Saudi Arabia :
-Save money for when you come back in western
-build an international network, with people from all over the word
- get some fun in the Embassies parties, and private parties as well
- visit all Gulf countries
- pass you Diving Padi degree and enjoy diving in the Red Sea
- practise golf
- experiment all type of cooking and food from so many countries

Thats fine if urnear the coast

Once again, my apologies for skipping this topic. Update on my life in Saudi. It's been 10 months of endless adventure, frustrations, excitement and meeting new people. I guess, I'm one of the few expats who find KSA a place where I can be happy despite the restrictions, lack of freedom and the boredom that plagues each and every one. I refuse to let all these deprive me of what I can do. I will be on a long vacation and I could hardly wait. I'm sure, I'd miss the early morning prayer call and the craziness I have gotten used to. Yes! I have adapted to the life here. One thing, I can't get used to is wearing an abaya and covering my hair. I still attempt to meet new faces and attend gatherings when work permits me to do so. I'm sure, those of you reading this  will think, I'm nuts. It's ok. I have come to KSA, and I have discovered a lot about myself .
Welcome new comers and connections, connections.,that's all you need to get through. But be careful of those who wants to befriend you for their own benefits.
Goodluck and happy blogging.

Hi my name is faris from Indonesia. I just beginner in Saudi working as an hotelier in Mecca. I just reading of this topic and a bit make me afraid. But i would say living in saudi is a great decision. You will never found the place that could make you peace. Anyways lets make a friends. Text me on whatsapp +628119119746

i live in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, if you need any help for business purpose i am here to work with you.

regards

Hello all

We have gone completely off topic here!!! 

The initial post we made is :

Are you living in Saudi Arabia? We need you to share your experience of the local customs

Is it difficult to adjust to the local customs in Saudi Arabia?

Could you please share with us a list of the do's and don't's in Saudi Arabia?

Thanks!

Please help by keeping to the topic of this thread

Thank you

Kenjee
Expat.com Team

don't talk to strangers, and if they call you "habibi" you better run as fast as you can.

jeffcute wrote:

don't talk to strangers, and if they call you "habibi" you better run as fast as you can.

Mind sharing the reason for that ?? 

lol yeah I seen them use the habibi word to get what they want   -- but they use it a lot in regular speech as well

Do not
let your blood boil before summer weather from the behaviour of some people on the streets/ in the malls.
leave anything that can melt in your car during the summer

Do
get some shawarma!
enjoy covering your "bad hair days"
if Saudi men are being annoying to you/flirting etc tell them " habaligh al hay'aa" ( i will inform the religious police" or "hakallim al hay'aa" (I will call the religious police)

I do or do not do
Treat others like you want people treat you
There is no difference between a country or here
But here changed the living environment

Do not speak Arabic if the other guy talked to you in English. Because sometimes it is considered irrespectful making them feel that you don't like their English

Good

I am this century women I believe women specially expats shd HV the previlage to work and earn and work on her personality ndfamily,,,I believe the region shd he!p us to GT the jobs easily

I agree..

Yeah

All human beings should be treated equally as

b cool u fool wrote:

Ok, do stay away of a place like "ksa" . Don't think to go there EVER ! .
Thank you .

I guess Jeddah is also a part of "KSA" !!

Hello Everyone!!!!!
Yaay!, I made 1 year in KSA. As I dwell on my escapades, fun and pissed off moments over the year, I could not stop giving myself credit for staying.  I have acquired a different set of values and have adapted to the ways of the middle east life. Well, not entirely. I still refuse to cover my hair, sit in the back or wear an abaya.  I have met different nationalities and starting to weed out the ones I think that have a different concept of fun. I also learned what a smile does to everyone. Like always, it brightens their day. Everyday, I tell myself to say this " I love my job". I do really and I bring passion and my down to earth attitude to work and vent my frustrations every chance I get outside of KSA. I have not visited a lot of compounds yet but I will. So for you dudes and ladies who are still in this quagmire of loneliness and boredom, take every day like it's your last day on earth. Give it a chance. Just play by the rules, make friends, be open minded but not your wallet or  your sexual orientation. Hang on to those cool people you meet and definitely attend parties. Life is indeed beautiful. Perhaps, you would think that I'm crazy and full of shit. I really don't give a dam at this point.  Not anymore, I became selfish when it involves my sanity and happiness. Like I said in my old post, I will not let KSA change me into a boring, unhappy person. Happy blogging everyone. Stay safe and be happy.

For me KSA proved heaven.
Full of peace

Important thing is "Mind your own business"

Do not disturb anybody and no body will disturb you.

Country worth of enjoying with family.

I've been in Saudi now for about 6 months and I would avoid coming alone if possible if it's unavoidable then make friends because it can be a frustratingly lonely place especially for women! It really is a mans world out here and a complete shift from the western culture I'm used to.

Don't get me wrong it has it's perks such as the country coming to a stand still for salah and everything everywhere being halal. In my opinion the bad outweighs the good so it won't be a long term thing.

Make friends!
Embrace the new culture!
Make sure you find activities don't stay cooped up in your compound or flat. Riyadh does have a lot to offer you just have to hunt it down. UBC for family bowling, the zoo, national museum, king Abdullah park, and more

a big thumbs up for that....

Compound life

True....bachelors are not that much fond of it.

Hello every one
I am a Saudi we are like any other people in this world we have our own culture but not difficult to deal with.
If you are an expat be open be friendly.
Something we always notice with people coming to work here from outside the country they are shy to talk to Saudis and look like they don't want to make friends
Whether you are male of female   you can make a lot of friends but like anywhere in this world you have to make a good choice.
Just don't be afraid

i don t think so,,,

do socialize and integrate with the local people,,don't stay in compounds and lock up yourselves in a closed community that only knows work and home are the places to be in in Saudi. 

I highly encourage all expats to seek out Saudi friends. They may seem a bit unapproachable but seriously, you will be opened up to a new world. You've never seen Saudi the way you will with a Saudi friend. I feel expats are in this bubble they can't escape here, they get bored, they resent the limitations of the culture they haven't been submerged into. It's awful to feel like an alien for so long. The hospitality Saudi's show at home and out and about is amazing. They love camping. They love going out. Most Saudis I've met are open minded (except when it comes to religion, no problem if you are another religion but don't try and knock Islam). If you could find a Saudi married to a westerner you're pretty much set for instant friendship. As for do's and dont's, DO get involve in the culture, DO seek out Saudi friends, DO look outside of the box. This country is accessible to you, don't be shy. DON'T knock Islam, DON'T complain about Saudi Arabia to a Saudi (they won't have it, they'll probably ask you why you're here in the first place) DON'T stop trying.

-From a Canadian wife of a Saudi who is slowly adjusting, but enjoying life in Saudi.