KrisCarnmarker
New member
This may not be all that exiting, but since I just dug out my pictures for two other threads I thought I may as well post them along with the story of me arriving there.
While being rather bored at my job, I received a call from a headhunting firm asking if I would be interested in moving to Saudi Arabia. Not exactly the first place that comes to mind if you are considering moving abroad. But what an opportunity to experience first-hand one of the most foreign cultures I could think of. So, on 9/11 2001, at 09:00 GMT+1 I signed the contract. Of course, just a few hours later the tragic attack on WTC happened. Boy, what timing. Not being the type who ignores a signed contract, I went anyway.
After a rather long trip from Stockholm to Dammam, KSA I end up in a very long queue at passport control. After almost 45 minutes in that queue, I'm second from the top of the queue, and the immigrations officer packs up his stuff and leaves. Oh well, back to the end of another equally long queue. Finally through immigration, I am taken to my hotel room in Al-Khobar by a company driver. Aaah, finally I can relax a bit. I turn on the TV, dial in CNN and what do I see? A bombing in Al-Khobar. Welcome to Saudi Arabia This was a couple of years before the latest round of terrorist bombings in the Kingdom and the bombing that night was apparently caused by alcohol smugglers trying to eliminate the competition. Well, at least they were not targeting me, unlike they would later.
My first compound was a real disaster. On my first night, I was violently awoken at 5 AM by what I thought was somebody with a bullhorn in my bedroom. Turns out it was the five (!) minarets surrounding the compound, each one trying to outdo the other in loudness. After speaking to the housing rep in the company, I was moved to the compound from which the following images are taken.
Now, having been given a list of what NOT to bring with me, I knew that a camera was a no-no. Too bad, because I just bought a new camera after several years hiatus. So unfortunately, I don't have all that many pictures from my time there. However, I did buy the small Canon S40, and that's where these snaps come from. I would never take photos in public though.
The compound, although too socially quiet, was beautiful.
A view of the villas from outside the clubhouse
In the other direction, view of the beach. This is the Persian Gulf
In the summer heat, this is where you cool off
The pier
While being rather bored at my job, I received a call from a headhunting firm asking if I would be interested in moving to Saudi Arabia. Not exactly the first place that comes to mind if you are considering moving abroad. But what an opportunity to experience first-hand one of the most foreign cultures I could think of. So, on 9/11 2001, at 09:00 GMT+1 I signed the contract. Of course, just a few hours later the tragic attack on WTC happened. Boy, what timing. Not being the type who ignores a signed contract, I went anyway.
After a rather long trip from Stockholm to Dammam, KSA I end up in a very long queue at passport control. After almost 45 minutes in that queue, I'm second from the top of the queue, and the immigrations officer packs up his stuff and leaves. Oh well, back to the end of another equally long queue. Finally through immigration, I am taken to my hotel room in Al-Khobar by a company driver. Aaah, finally I can relax a bit. I turn on the TV, dial in CNN and what do I see? A bombing in Al-Khobar. Welcome to Saudi Arabia This was a couple of years before the latest round of terrorist bombings in the Kingdom and the bombing that night was apparently caused by alcohol smugglers trying to eliminate the competition. Well, at least they were not targeting me, unlike they would later.
My first compound was a real disaster. On my first night, I was violently awoken at 5 AM by what I thought was somebody with a bullhorn in my bedroom. Turns out it was the five (!) minarets surrounding the compound, each one trying to outdo the other in loudness. After speaking to the housing rep in the company, I was moved to the compound from which the following images are taken.
Now, having been given a list of what NOT to bring with me, I knew that a camera was a no-no. Too bad, because I just bought a new camera after several years hiatus. So unfortunately, I don't have all that many pictures from my time there. However, I did buy the small Canon S40, and that's where these snaps come from. I would never take photos in public though.
The compound, although too socially quiet, was beautiful.
A view of the villas from outside the clubhouse
In the other direction, view of the beach. This is the Persian Gulf
In the summer heat, this is where you cool off
The pier