As can be imagined, a lot of people have had a lot of questions about our upcoming adventure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Here is a list of many of the Frequently Asked Questions, and our answers... or at least what we know so far. If you have any questions to add, feel free to post a comment!
Are you excited? Nervous?
Yes to both! We are excited for my work opportunities, the travel opportunities, the new community of friendships we will develop, and the chance for our girls to grow up in a new culture. We are nervous and sad about leaving our friends and family behind and hope we can continue those relationships as best we can.
What's Travis' new job?
I will be the Operations Manager for the Polypropylene and Polystyrene units at our Saudi Polymers Company. SPCo is part of our larger S-Chem facility, and it's all a joint venture between Chevron Phillips and National Petrochemicals Company (Petrochem), which is owned by KSA. For more information, check out www.saudipolymers.com.
How long will you be in Saudi?
We signed on for a 3-5 year term. Ask me again in a couple years and I'll give you a better answer. :)
Have you found a place to live?
We will be living in our corporate compound, Murjan Village, on the Northern edge of the city of Jubail (sometimes called Al-Jubayl). To call it a "compound" is a bit misleading... more like a secure beach resort! I've posted some pictures of Murjan below. I was able to stay in a villa during my 3 week trip last month, but we are lucky enough to be moving into an even bigger one! So the pictures aren't exactly what our place will look like, but pretty close. All of the American families from S-Chem live in Murjan. It is a pretty tight community with a lot of regular activities.
Is it safe to be over there?
All in all, yes. There hasn't been an attack on an expatriate civilian compound in Saudi in over a decade. The compound has tight security, as does the Industrial City. I am sure we will still be on our guard, especially at first, but I am confident that we will be well taken care of.
Will Jeanette and Lucy have to be covered up all the time?
While inside the compound, it's all Western rules. While out and about (yes, you can easily go out and about) Jeanette will have to wear an abaya. She has a head scarf as well, but will not be required to wear it except if we go into a mosque. Lucy is all good for a few more years. I'm still not sure exactly when she has to cover up, but I'm guessing around age 10.
Will Jeanette have the baby over there? Will she have dual citizenship?
Yes, Jeanette will give birth in Saudi. Thankfully, we are not the first to go through this. Several S-Chem women have had babies in the last few years, and have shared lots of information about their experiences with Jeanette. No, the baby will not have dual citizenship. She will be 100% Saudi. ... Just kidding. All American!
Can you drive a car?
No, the company does not allow us to drive. It's not a legal thing, but rather a safety thing. Saudi drivers are CRAZY. The company has a transportation service comprised of forty some drivers who are on call 24-7 to take you wherever you want to go. It will take some getting used to, but all in all is not a bad thing.
Are you allowed to be a Christian over there?
Yes. In regions of KSA that aren't overly-conservative, it is understood and accepted that most expats are Christians. Jubail is on the opposite side of the country from Mecca, and being an industrial city it has a very large expat presence. As long as you don't proselytize (evangelize), you will be left alone. Many Saudis recognize that the God we each worship is one and the same. Within the compound, personal, private worship is allowed.
Are you excited? Nervous?
Yes to both! We are excited for my work opportunities, the travel opportunities, the new community of friendships we will develop, and the chance for our girls to grow up in a new culture. We are nervous and sad about leaving our friends and family behind and hope we can continue those relationships as best we can.
What's Travis' new job?
I will be the Operations Manager for the Polypropylene and Polystyrene units at our Saudi Polymers Company. SPCo is part of our larger S-Chem facility, and it's all a joint venture between Chevron Phillips and National Petrochemicals Company (Petrochem), which is owned by KSA. For more information, check out www.saudipolymers.com.
How long will you be in Saudi?
We signed on for a 3-5 year term. Ask me again in a couple years and I'll give you a better answer. :)
Have you found a place to live?
We will be living in our corporate compound, Murjan Village, on the Northern edge of the city of Jubail (sometimes called Al-Jubayl). To call it a "compound" is a bit misleading... more like a secure beach resort! I've posted some pictures of Murjan below. I was able to stay in a villa during my 3 week trip last month, but we are lucky enough to be moving into an even bigger one! So the pictures aren't exactly what our place will look like, but pretty close. All of the American families from S-Chem live in Murjan. It is a pretty tight community with a lot of regular activities.
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| Front yard of the villa I stayed in |
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| Dining, sitting and living rooms, viewed from the entryway |
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| Kitchen |
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| Beautiful view from the back balcony |
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| Murjan Village yard sculptures. (That's a camel, not a dinosaur...) |
Is it safe to be over there?
All in all, yes. There hasn't been an attack on an expatriate civilian compound in Saudi in over a decade. The compound has tight security, as does the Industrial City. I am sure we will still be on our guard, especially at first, but I am confident that we will be well taken care of.
Will Jeanette and Lucy have to be covered up all the time?
While inside the compound, it's all Western rules. While out and about (yes, you can easily go out and about) Jeanette will have to wear an abaya. She has a head scarf as well, but will not be required to wear it except if we go into a mosque. Lucy is all good for a few more years. I'm still not sure exactly when she has to cover up, but I'm guessing around age 10.
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| Jeanette's starter abaya. She'll probably get one with some designs/bling/flare when she gets to Saudi. |
Will Jeanette have the baby over there? Will she have dual citizenship?
Yes, Jeanette will give birth in Saudi. Thankfully, we are not the first to go through this. Several S-Chem women have had babies in the last few years, and have shared lots of information about their experiences with Jeanette. No, the baby will not have dual citizenship. She will be 100% Saudi. ... Just kidding. All American!
Can you drive a car?
No, the company does not allow us to drive. It's not a legal thing, but rather a safety thing. Saudi drivers are CRAZY. The company has a transportation service comprised of forty some drivers who are on call 24-7 to take you wherever you want to go. It will take some getting used to, but all in all is not a bad thing.
Are you allowed to be a Christian over there?
Yes. In regions of KSA that aren't overly-conservative, it is understood and accepted that most expats are Christians. Jubail is on the opposite side of the country from Mecca, and being an industrial city it has a very large expat presence. As long as you don't proselytize (evangelize), you will be left alone. Many Saudis recognize that the God we each worship is one and the same. Within the compound, personal, private worship is allowed.
How often will you get to come home?
We will likely come back to the states once or twice a year. One of the best parts of an international assignment is the additional vacation. Instead of my normal 3 weeks, I'll get 4 weeks plus a week for home leave, a week for R&R and 2 weeks to float for holidays. We expect our first trip back to be for Jessica and Nate's respective graduations from medical and law school, and even more exciting, their wedding in May 2014!
Will you get to travel a lot?
Yes! We will probably do a "big" international trip twice a year. Since we'll be starting from the other side of the world, we will be able to see places that aren't as easy to get to from over here. Some popular destinations are Thailand, Australia, Africa and Eastern Europe. We will also be able to take some smaller trips in the Middle East to places like Dubai, Oman and Turkey.
What's the food like?
If you are familiar with Mediterranean food, that's it. The joke around the company cafeteria is that there's always chicken and rice, and if you don't like that you can have rice and chicken! Lamb is big, and there's beef as well. Hummus, tobouli, shwarma, etc. Indian food and spices are also pretty prevalent. As for groceries there is a small convenience type store on the compound (conveniently across the street from our house!) and there is also a Safeway type store in the city of Jubail.
Are there schools on the coupound for your girls to attend?
There is a playschool that Lucy can attend on weekday mornings. We haven't looked into anything beyond that.
How can we contact you?
We will be getting a VOIP service to use so you can call us using a US number. We will also continue using our cell phones with a Saudi sim card, so we should also be able to communicate via texting apps like "what's app". When we travel back to the states we will be able to use our current 785 numbers, so don't delete those just yet! Of course we would also love to talk to you via video chat such as Skype, Google Hangout, or Facetime so we can see your friendly face!
Looking forward to continuing to update you on our adventures!
Travis, Jeanette, Lucy and Lil' Sis
Very informative:) Sounds great!!
ReplyDeleteAt least with the roomy design of the abayas, Jeanette won't have to worry about buying a maternity abaya! ;-)
ReplyDeleteGood luck for your adventures!! Sounds really great :) If you happen to end up to Scandinavia, you are always welcome at our place, there's plenty of room ;)
ReplyDeleteMy husbands was called and asked to apply for a trainer position over there. Our kids are school age anf our daughter is hearing impaired. How is the medical care over there and over all how is the family adjusting?
ReplyDeleteSo far I have had mostly excellent medical care. This is highly dependent on the facility though, so as long as you get a recommendation or choose wisely I think you can find what you need, though you may have to drive to Khobar for it. Overall we have adjusted well and are really enjoying life here! Please have your husband contact mine if you would like to converse further, I'm happy to help answer any other questions you may have.
ReplyDelete