Expert: Lauren Gilkey - 9/20/2009

Question
Dear Mr. Lauren,

I have read several of your q & a. IT'S GOOD

In a coming month or two I will go to Jubail To work for Sabic IBN ZAHR. I got family status. I am from India.so my Q are

1) Should I take furnished family status provided by company or will take rental house from outside(there are both option)

2)Shall my wife go alone with her 4 yrs boy for purchasing food , or school?
3)I got 9500sar(basic), so what is the expenses for living?

4)My wife is poor in english, is it a aproblem?

5) weather fish /chiken available there?

6)Travelling at night safe?

7)good place for weekend?


Answer
Dear Arghya,
Yes, I would take the furnished family status provided by the company. You will probably get good housing and if you choose to move later then you can.

I would not have your wife go alone with your son to the store or school. She should always go with another woman or with you. While Saudi is safe, a woman alone attracts attention of the religious police and single men and neither attention is good.  She should be able to find a friend in the same housing area if you live in company housing.

I'm sorry I do not know about Jubail and expenses for living compared to income, so I cannot help you.

If your wife knows English it would be better for her because the most common language aside from Arabic is English. No doubt she will improve her English with other women there. (You can probably help her as well.)  She may be able to find a class at your son's school to help her learn English as well.

Yes, you can find all types of chicken and fish in the market and grocery stores without a problem.

Traveling at night is safe, but I would not walk around at night or travel alone. Being in a car is not a problem.

For the weekend, you can go to Jeddah or Riyadh or Abha or even travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, or UAE. All of them will have some attractions, shopping, even museums.  You can go to the beach where they have some beautiful reefs.

Good luck and I hope you like Saudi.