Fear is the driver of all action! Landing in Jeddah, after flying 12 Hours, just
after Ramadan in September, experiencing airport
arrivals Saudi Customs area
full of multi-nationals like Indians, Pakistani, Panoy, Bengali, Sudanese and
many other nationalities, a true
experience of tired people crowded into 5 lines
served by 2 customs officials. Great advice, stick to the line with fair skin
people,
who speak English, you will have a quicker entry. Doese not really help
when you pass
through arrival hall and your pre-arranged hotel pick-up is not
there to fetch you. Now I do not speak Arabic, do not have a telephone
and it is 00:35 after 12 hours in the sardine section! What more can I say.
Charm does help, soon I am in a taxi on my way to, do not know where. After 01:30 I arrive at the hotel where the reception desk does have
my details and a room. 1st call to my family to confirm that I am in hotel and then shower, thereafter bed. No sleep, AC buzzing away keeps
me awake. No worries, I get down for breakfast and then wait for the company driver to collect me.
After 4 weeks in Jeddah, I get all my necessary Saudi residential ID, Iqama (Saudi residential permit). I am now clear to relocate to Eastern
Province. A colleague already in Saudi-Arabia for 3 years meets with me in Jeddah and travels to relocate me to Khobar (Coastal City in the
East of Saudi-Arabia near Bahrain). I am booked into a hotel in Khobar and will travel together with him to Jubail (north of Khobar and location
of Saudi Basic Industries SABIC (5th largest Chemical Company in the World) over the next weeks to familiarize myself with the area.
Getting to Jubail is a nightmare in driving, the cars 120km/h alarm buzzers the whole trip and the highway is under re-construction. That
is not the only challenge; we are being over-taken by cars, no SUVs, family SUVs and little compact small cars all driving faster than us, in
the emergency lane, scary!
The company arranges a car for me and I am directed to a compound for the arranged accommodation. It is a 3m by 7m room, the walls are of single
layer asbestos sheet, the cooling provided by a wall mounted rickety air conditioner, there is a toilet shower and the room is provided with a bar
fridge. No way, I am from Cape Town. I have a brick walled house, and now I have to stay here, NO WAY. I call my colleague who is already 45 min's
away from me, tell him to collect me and take me back to the hotel in Khobar.
Jubail is an Industrial town, with the majority of people, males, average age 25 mainly from Asian sub-continent. This is better than they have
at home.
I finally am given an automatic vehicle, and after 4 weeks driving between Khobar and Fanateer, I get into a hotel in Jubail that is still under
construction, but they have an apartment at a reasonable price. It is in the residential area built specially for the Saudi personnel and families,
so it is upwind of the Industrial facilities and the area is pristine and well looked after.
The Cornish/beach area has green well-kept grass with Wi-Fi connectivity, imagine young families after 19:00 enjoying the outdoors, 5 kids running
and playing, mom's and dad barbecuing chicken, drinking tea. Dad, on his computer, keeping up to date with world news. A truly family area.
Oh, families separate from singles, single males must not enter that area! Those guys are on the fringes, sitting on the desert sand, smoking shisha,
playing cards and just being as rowdy as possible to get the attention of the girls walking along the Cornish beach front.
You see, Jubail Saudi population is made up primarily of those Saudis who had studied overseas and now are returning to help build the Industrial area.
These are intellectual families, who have a patriotic leadership. The father works at the Petrochemical factories and the mothers enjoy relaxing. The
children attend school in one of the many schools provided by the commission.
And then, there is the old Jubail and outlying areas. It is one cosmopolitan of sub-continental Asian expatriates, with splashes of Filipinos thrown in
for a good measure. Prior to the change of weekend to Thursday, Friday to the now Friday, Saturday, walking in down town Jubail (old city) was shoulder
to shoulder with the next man. Women, there were none. Crowded with young single males from every walk of life, the majority semi-skilled, hard labourers
who are prevalent in major projects through-out the world. They spend up to three years away from their family, sending money to them for their survival
at home countries. They stay in compounds of multi-men single quarter built out of asbestos double stacked rooms.
Then there are the accommodations for European & Americans, separate and surrounded by high walls, where some families have a semblance of western life.
Most of these westerners are Christian and each has their own method of interacting with God & Jesus.
Working with Muslim colleagues in the original country of Islam is an eye-opener for any other religious sect. Prayer time five times a day. And the
congregation of Muslim is awesome to witness. Religiously, after the call for prayer, readiness and preparation begin, with the cleaning of essential
body parts then in unison a leader if more than two is selected to lead the group in prayer. Here status has no meaning and all are equal, from the
BIG boss to the cleaner/janitor all shoulder to shoulder worship and pray. Now as a Christian that devotion is a reminder of how our relationship and
thanks must be with our Creator and Savior. It is inspiring and motivational. When discussion does turn towards religion, some Muslim are trying to turn
one into a Muslim, there are however those who acknowledge our differences and willingly have frank and cordial discussions relating to the relationship
and interaction between God and Jesus.
Family life in Jubail is wonderful for a young family with two kid's aged 5 to 12, since the town is designed to entertain the youngsters with excellent
amenities for them, jungle gyms, skate board park, roller-blade area and great walk-ways and grass area close to the beach.
by Gregory D.
© solarvessel.com
HOME | BACK TO TOP
Fear is the driver of all action! Landing in Jeddah, after flying 12 Hours, just
after Ramadan in September, experiencing airport arrivals Saudi Customs area
full of multi-nationals like Indians, Pakistani, Panoy, Bengali, Sudanese and
many other nationalities, a true experience of tired people crowded into 5 lines
served by 2 customs officials. Great advice, stick to the line with fair skin
people, who speak English, you will have a quicker entry. Doese not really help
when you pass through arrival hall and your pre-arranged hotel pick-up is not
there to fetch you. Now I do not speak Arabic, do not have a telephone and it is 00:35 after 12 hours in the sardine section! What more can I say.
Charm does help, soon I am in a taxi on my way to, do not know where. After 01:30 I arrive at the hotel where the reception desk does have my details and a room. 1st call to my family to confirm that I am in hotel and then shower, thereafter bed. No sleep, AC buzzing away keeps me awake. No worries, I get down for breakfast and then wait for the company driver to collect me.
After 4 weeks in Jeddah, I get all my necessary Saudi residential ID, Iqama (Saudi residential permit). I am now clear to relocate to Eastern Province. A colleague already in Saudi-Arabia for 3 years meets with me in Jeddah and travels to relocate me to Khobar (Coastal City in the East of Saudi-Arabia near Bahrain). I am booked into a hotel in Khobar and will travel together with him to Jubail (north of Khobar and location of Saudi Basic Industries SABIC (5th largest Chemical Company in the World) over the next weeks to familiarize myself with the area.
Getting to Jubail is a nightmare in driving, the cars 120km/h alarm buzzers the whole trip and the highway is under re-construction. That is not the only challenge; we are being over-taken by cars, no SUVs, family SUVs and little compact small cars all driving faster than us, in the emergency lane, scary!
The company arranges a car for me and I am directed to a compound for the arranged accommodation. It is a 3m by 7m room, the walls are of single layer asbestos sheet, the cooling provided by a wall mounted rickety air conditioner, there is a toilet shower and the room is provided with a bar fridge. No way, I am from Cape Town. I have a brick walled house, and now I have to stay here, NO WAY. I call my colleague who is already 45 min's away from me, tell him to collect me and take me back to the hotel in Khobar.
Jubail is an Industrial town, with the majority of people, males, average age 25 mainly from Asian sub-continent. This is better than they have at home.
I finally am given an automatic vehicle, and after 4 weeks driving between Khobar and Fanateer, I get into a hotel in Jubail that is still under construction, but they have an apartment at a reasonable price. It is in the residential area built specially for the Saudi personnel and families, so it is upwind of the Industrial facilities and the area is pristine and well looked after.
The Cornish/beach area has green well-kept grass with Wi-Fi connectivity, imagine young families after 19:00 enjoying the outdoors, 5 kids running and playing, mom's and dad barbecuing chicken, drinking tea. Dad, on his computer, keeping up to date with world news. A truly family area.
Oh, families separate from singles, single males must not enter that area! Those guys are on the fringes, sitting on the desert sand, smoking shisha, playing cards and just being as rowdy as possible to get the attention of the girls walking along the Cornish beach front.
You see, Jubail Saudi population is made up primarily of those Saudis who had studied overseas and now are returning to help build the Industrial area. These are intellectual families, who have a patriotic leadership. The father works at the Petrochemical factories and the mothers enjoy relaxing. The children attend school in one of the many schools provided by the commission. And then, there is the old Jubail and outlying areas. It is one cosmopolitan of sub-continental Asian expatriates, with splashes of Filipinos thrown in for a good measure. Prior to the change of weekend to Thursday, Friday to the now Friday, Saturday, walking in down town Jubail (old city) was shoulder to shoulder with the next man. Women, there were none. Crowded with young single males from every walk of life, the majority semi-skilled, hard labourers who are prevalent in major projects through-out the world. They spend up to three years away from their family, sending money to them for their survival at home countries. They stay in compounds of multi-men single quarter built out of asbestos double stacked rooms.
Then there are the accommodations for European & Americans, separate and surrounded by high walls, where some families have a semblance of western life. Most of these westerners are Christian and each has their own method of interacting with God & Jesus. Working with Muslim colleagues in the original country of Islam is an eye-opener for any other religious sect. Prayer time five times a day. And the congregation of Muslim is awesome to witness. Religiously, after the call for prayer, readiness and preparation begin, with the cleaning of essential body parts then in unison a leader if more than two is selected to lead the group in prayer. Here status has no meaning and all are equal, from the BIG boss to the cleaner/janitor all shoulder to shoulder worship and pray. Now as a Christian that devotion is a reminder of how our relationship and thanks must be with our Creator and Savior. It is inspiring and motivational. When discussion does turn towards religion, some Muslim are trying to turn one into a Muslim, there are however those who acknowledge our differences and willingly have frank and cordial discussions relating to the relationship and interaction between God and Jesus.
Family life in Jubail is wonderful for a young family with two kid's aged 5 to 12, since the town is designed to entertain the youngsters with excellent amenities for them, jungle gyms, skate board park, roller-blade area and great walk-ways and grass area close to the beach.
by Gregory D.
© solarvessel.com HOME | BACK TO TOP