Bismillah, alhamdulillah
I see him running,
Hands in the air waving,
Through the double glazed door,
Heedless and rushing like the day before.
His small head looks up at the racks,
Eyeing a gap between shoes and backpacks,
To the highest rack his hands can rise,
He places his slippers in a gap caught by his dancing eyes,
Once again through a second set of doors,
Quickly he dashes the patter of feet as he goes,
Joining a line he stands,
Just as His Lord commands,
Hands he folds on his tummy then his chest,
He wonders as they slide up and down which spot is best,
Then as if he hears a voice reminding,
He raises them to his ears rewinding to the beginning.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Visa run - UAE to Oman Hatta border
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
As the rules currently stand in the UAE British passport holders can enter the country quite easily. They get a free visit visa which lasts for 60 days. If you would like to stay beyond this period then you have the option of getting a long term residency visa which lasts 3 years. You are qualified to get one if you find a job or purchase accommodation.
Like most other countries in the Middle East they still require being free from medical diseases such as HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. A criminal record check pass is also mandatory. The medical requirements are an unfortunate fact for may who have contracted this virus through no fault of their own. This does not apply to visitors, which always strikes as me as a very unusual health policy as its probably visitors who spread such viruses. If you wish to stay for longer than 60 days without the hassle of getting a residency visa you have one further option.
That is to do a 'visa run'. This involves leaving the country and going to the nearest foreign country and then re-entering the UAE. Obviously there is a cost to this exercise especially if you have quite a few people in your family. There has been some indication that this loop hole is going to be plugged but as far as I am currently aware this is still in operation. The Dubai government has good web portals where you should be able to get information, but sometimes finding the relevant information can be quite a task. So where can you go?
The closest foreign country and the cheapest one to get to is Oman, via the Hatta border. Below I have listed the notes I managed to jot down as I went on my 'visa run'. The information is based on a visa run done in late 2007. Hopefully someone will find it useful especially if they are doing the run for the first time. Though I must say there are plenty of fellow travelers most of whom speak English and you can usually work out what needs to be done without knowing everything before getting there:
21.15 Left Sharjah in our hire car. We had investigated getting insurance for the car before we left from Sharjah, but it was terribly expensive. we thought we would it give it a go at the border post.
21.25 Took Emirates high way heading to Abu Dhabi.
21.35 Turn off for Hatta porly sign posted exit was on the right but turns 270 degrees clockwise to join highway to Hatta then Oman E77. It reads: Hatta 82 kilometers Oman 90 kilometers. Dragonmart (Chinese market) and International city on the right.
21.59 It is Thurday night road relatively quiet three cars per kilometer. Two lane road. Street lights present. Fair number of roundabouts and u-turns.
22.02 Past some local shops.
22.04 Hatta 50 kilometers.
22.05 Bump in middle of road. Resmo restaurant and cafeteria. Street lights not working.
22.07 Driver of second car feeling sleepy.
22.09 Stopped at roadside restaurant but no tea avalable.
22.10 People jogging on the highway wearing shorts and white t-shirts!
2211 Place selling lots of pots and pans very big ones - they hav a small cafe selling tea. It is called Madaam. Nice carpets and cheap pans and pots. 65 Dirhams for nice big kettle - cost 150 in Jeddah airport. Extensive parade of shops furrher in Hatta 47 kilometeres
22.32 Wilayah Mahda. Street lights continued and speed cameras have changed.
22.36 Beginning to loose reception to Radio Sharjah.
22.40 Shell petrol station. Warning sign for camels.
22.42 Oman mobile network picked up.
22.43 Rocky landscape begins.
22.42 Entered Masfout, lots of carpet shops.
22.46 Diesel advertised. Hills getting taller.
22.48 Stadium in the middle of no where, 10 kilometers to Hatta.
22.51 Sign for service station. Shrubs and trees increasing in number.
22.53 Hatta sign posted right Oman straight at roundabout, Emirates co-op on right. First sign for Masqat.
22.56 Road becomes hilly.
22.57 Checkpost 300 metres.
23.00 Arrived at Hatta pasport section.
2319 We arrive at a portacabin office. Need to get out of car. It's the first UAE checkpoint, passports are stamped with an exit stamp. We drive on in our UAE hired number plate car. Road continues through no man's land about 1 kilometer. First building on the right, easy to miss, insurance company and petrol station. It looks shut and as its the dead of night we decide to forget about getting car insurance and take a chance. If we need it we will come back but we can argue we are not really entering Oman. Small snack shop, last chance for food. I note a long queue of lorries, right lane for lorries and left lane for passenger vehicles.
Omani security guard waves us forward past the truck queue. A sign reads 30 percent tinted glasses are not allowed to enter Oman. Next stop is customs.
We switch lights off at customs and the officer gives a cursory check, peers into the boot. He then gives us a piece of paper and tells us to hand it over at the the exit point. We carry on the road, there is no sign of life. The single lane becomes two lanes and street lights appear.
23:50 We come to an open area with a white building in the middle. Road passing on the right and left and a big car park in front of the building. Some cars are parking while others head straight on to the side of the building where they stop and are handing over documents to a man sitting at a roadside window booth. The border post is called Wajaja.
The building is quite impressive and looks clean from the outside. We enter through a double sliding door into an air conditioned hall. The air conditioning is not as good as it ought to be but is acceptable. Its probably much warmer in the middle of the day. It is quiet at the moment. There is a cash machine for Oman Arab Bank on the right hand corner as we enter and some 4 marble plinths acting as benches with a few indoor plants. Toilets wise they have male and female toilets and there is a ramp for disabled or wheelchair access into and out of the building. My wife reassures me the toilets are not in good shape, avoid them if you can. There are no food kiosks, machines or drink dispensers. It's a nice place for kids to run around, though there are lots of strangers around, it feels pretty safe.
We line up at booth 1. The sign above reads 'Arrival visa, tasheerat al-qadimeen / cashier'. There are windows on either side but only one is open at the moment. A sign on the counter says we accept Visa. I searched for the paper which I was given when we arrived by the guard at customs. I panic as I thought I had lost it but alhamdulillah I found it. The paper had our car number plate and the country of origin written on it. One of my children asks, 'Why is this taking so long?' I reply blankly, 'It's a border'.
The queue is typically Middle Eastern, it is broad rather than long. We get to the front, I tell him the number of passports we have. They are charging 60 AED per passport and accept UAE dirhams. The guy takes our money and punches something into his computer and gives us some forms. We came armed with extra pens and quickly distributed the form filling chores and tried to fill everything as quickly as possible. We then slide back into the queue and patiently edge our passports in front of the officer, the clock ticks on.
00:55 am He eventually takes our passports, he asks us whether we would like to go back or enter Oman. He's obviously aware of the visa runners, we say 'Go back'. We get two stamps, one square the other round.
01:04 He takes the passports to the officers sitting at the window booth dealing with cars entering Oman.
01:12 We get our passports back.
01:14 Walked to the exiting Oman window booth and gave passports in - guy took them & said i need qaseemat khurooj ie a vehicle exit fee receipt 20 AED (2 omani). He points to a cabin situated further down the road, I walk over slowly until I arrive at the cabin which is 600m deeper in Omani territory. I give them the money and I get my qaseemat and walk back.
01:21 My vehicle 'exit fee receipt' is stamped. He writes on the card the number of people in the car, it must tally with the passengers so make sure it is right. He gets our number wrong and I show him the passports and he agrees and amends the number. We make our way back, the car park has an exit on both sides, one leading to Oman the other heading back. We meet the customs guard, I notice I have misplaced the customs document that we got when we came in. I think I left it with the guy at the border office post. The officer says we don't need it.
01:44 The customs officer takes our vehicle exit receipt and gives the stub back. we carry on back to the UAE across no-man's land to the welcome sight of the UAE border post. I look at the trip meter which we had reset when we set off, it reads: 115 km.
01:51 Back at customs he just waives us on. We stop at another portacabin a mirror image of the one we just left. I hand in the passports as the family stays in the car, he peers out and makes sure the number in the car match the number of passports. We get a new 60 day visa, he enquires why we are entering, I say for a visit. As the hush of the night gathers we exchange notes on wages in the Middle East.
02:01 Our passports are stamped and we get one final bit of paper.
02:04 We edge forward another 20 metres and hand the paper to a sentry standing with the barrier lowered and watching in puzzlement as the kids who have now got out of the car are ducking underneath and running on to meet our relative who had been waiting on the other side for our return. As i come to the barrier I note on the other side of the road two ladies driving a four wheel drive car seem to be doing the same visa run, they are alone and seem quite well practiced. I make a mental note that it seems very secure at this border point. We give our final piece of paper to the sentry and we have re-enter the UAE, alhamdulillah (thank God).
As the rules currently stand in the UAE British passport holders can enter the country quite easily. They get a free visit visa which lasts for 60 days. If you would like to stay beyond this period then you have the option of getting a long term residency visa which lasts 3 years. You are qualified to get one if you find a job or purchase accommodation.
Like most other countries in the Middle East they still require being free from medical diseases such as HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. A criminal record check pass is also mandatory. The medical requirements are an unfortunate fact for may who have contracted this virus through no fault of their own. This does not apply to visitors, which always strikes as me as a very unusual health policy as its probably visitors who spread such viruses. If you wish to stay for longer than 60 days without the hassle of getting a residency visa you have one further option.
That is to do a 'visa run'. This involves leaving the country and going to the nearest foreign country and then re-entering the UAE. Obviously there is a cost to this exercise especially if you have quite a few people in your family. There has been some indication that this loop hole is going to be plugged but as far as I am currently aware this is still in operation. The Dubai government has good web portals where you should be able to get information, but sometimes finding the relevant information can be quite a task. So where can you go?
The closest foreign country and the cheapest one to get to is Oman, via the Hatta border. Below I have listed the notes I managed to jot down as I went on my 'visa run'. The information is based on a visa run done in late 2007. Hopefully someone will find it useful especially if they are doing the run for the first time. Though I must say there are plenty of fellow travelers most of whom speak English and you can usually work out what needs to be done without knowing everything before getting there:
21.15 Left Sharjah in our hire car. We had investigated getting insurance for the car before we left from Sharjah, but it was terribly expensive. we thought we would it give it a go at the border post.
21.25 Took Emirates high way heading to Abu Dhabi.
21.35 Turn off for Hatta porly sign posted exit was on the right but turns 270 degrees clockwise to join highway to Hatta then Oman E77. It reads: Hatta 82 kilometers Oman 90 kilometers. Dragonmart (Chinese market) and International city on the right.
21.59 It is Thurday night road relatively quiet three cars per kilometer. Two lane road. Street lights present. Fair number of roundabouts and u-turns.
22.02 Past some local shops.
22.04 Hatta 50 kilometers.
22.05 Bump in middle of road. Resmo restaurant and cafeteria. Street lights not working.
22.07 Driver of second car feeling sleepy.
22.09 Stopped at roadside restaurant but no tea avalable.
22.10 People jogging on the highway wearing shorts and white t-shirts!
2211 Place selling lots of pots and pans very big ones - they hav a small cafe selling tea. It is called Madaam. Nice carpets and cheap pans and pots. 65 Dirhams for nice big kettle - cost 150 in Jeddah airport. Extensive parade of shops furrher in Hatta 47 kilometeres
22.32 Wilayah Mahda. Street lights continued and speed cameras have changed.
22.36 Beginning to loose reception to Radio Sharjah.
22.40 Shell petrol station. Warning sign for camels.
22.42 Oman mobile network picked up.
22.43 Rocky landscape begins.
22.42 Entered Masfout, lots of carpet shops.
22.46 Diesel advertised. Hills getting taller.
22.48 Stadium in the middle of no where, 10 kilometers to Hatta.
22.51 Sign for service station. Shrubs and trees increasing in number.
22.53 Hatta sign posted right Oman straight at roundabout, Emirates co-op on right. First sign for Masqat.
22.56 Road becomes hilly.
22.57 Checkpost 300 metres.
23.00 Arrived at Hatta pasport section.
2319 We arrive at a portacabin office. Need to get out of car. It's the first UAE checkpoint, passports are stamped with an exit stamp. We drive on in our UAE hired number plate car. Road continues through no man's land about 1 kilometer. First building on the right, easy to miss, insurance company and petrol station. It looks shut and as its the dead of night we decide to forget about getting car insurance and take a chance. If we need it we will come back but we can argue we are not really entering Oman. Small snack shop, last chance for food. I note a long queue of lorries, right lane for lorries and left lane for passenger vehicles.
Omani security guard waves us forward past the truck queue. A sign reads 30 percent tinted glasses are not allowed to enter Oman. Next stop is customs.
We switch lights off at customs and the officer gives a cursory check, peers into the boot. He then gives us a piece of paper and tells us to hand it over at the the exit point. We carry on the road, there is no sign of life. The single lane becomes two lanes and street lights appear.
23:50 We come to an open area with a white building in the middle. Road passing on the right and left and a big car park in front of the building. Some cars are parking while others head straight on to the side of the building where they stop and are handing over documents to a man sitting at a roadside window booth. The border post is called Wajaja.
The building is quite impressive and looks clean from the outside. We enter through a double sliding door into an air conditioned hall. The air conditioning is not as good as it ought to be but is acceptable. Its probably much warmer in the middle of the day. It is quiet at the moment. There is a cash machine for Oman Arab Bank on the right hand corner as we enter and some 4 marble plinths acting as benches with a few indoor plants. Toilets wise they have male and female toilets and there is a ramp for disabled or wheelchair access into and out of the building. My wife reassures me the toilets are not in good shape, avoid them if you can. There are no food kiosks, machines or drink dispensers. It's a nice place for kids to run around, though there are lots of strangers around, it feels pretty safe.
We line up at booth 1. The sign above reads 'Arrival visa, tasheerat al-qadimeen / cashier'. There are windows on either side but only one is open at the moment. A sign on the counter says we accept Visa. I searched for the paper which I was given when we arrived by the guard at customs. I panic as I thought I had lost it but alhamdulillah I found it. The paper had our car number plate and the country of origin written on it. One of my children asks, 'Why is this taking so long?' I reply blankly, 'It's a border'.
The queue is typically Middle Eastern, it is broad rather than long. We get to the front, I tell him the number of passports we have. They are charging 60 AED per passport and accept UAE dirhams. The guy takes our money and punches something into his computer and gives us some forms. We came armed with extra pens and quickly distributed the form filling chores and tried to fill everything as quickly as possible. We then slide back into the queue and patiently edge our passports in front of the officer, the clock ticks on.
00:55 am He eventually takes our passports, he asks us whether we would like to go back or enter Oman. He's obviously aware of the visa runners, we say 'Go back'. We get two stamps, one square the other round.
01:04 He takes the passports to the officers sitting at the window booth dealing with cars entering Oman.
01:12 We get our passports back.
01:14 Walked to the exiting Oman window booth and gave passports in - guy took them & said i need qaseemat khurooj ie a vehicle exit fee receipt 20 AED (2 omani). He points to a cabin situated further down the road, I walk over slowly until I arrive at the cabin which is 600m deeper in Omani territory. I give them the money and I get my qaseemat and walk back.
01:21 My vehicle 'exit fee receipt' is stamped. He writes on the card the number of people in the car, it must tally with the passengers so make sure it is right. He gets our number wrong and I show him the passports and he agrees and amends the number. We make our way back, the car park has an exit on both sides, one leading to Oman the other heading back. We meet the customs guard, I notice I have misplaced the customs document that we got when we came in. I think I left it with the guy at the border office post. The officer says we don't need it.
01:44 The customs officer takes our vehicle exit receipt and gives the stub back. we carry on back to the UAE across no-man's land to the welcome sight of the UAE border post. I look at the trip meter which we had reset when we set off, it reads: 115 km.
01:51 Back at customs he just waives us on. We stop at another portacabin a mirror image of the one we just left. I hand in the passports as the family stays in the car, he peers out and makes sure the number in the car match the number of passports. We get a new 60 day visa, he enquires why we are entering, I say for a visit. As the hush of the night gathers we exchange notes on wages in the Middle East.
02:01 Our passports are stamped and we get one final bit of paper.
02:04 We edge forward another 20 metres and hand the paper to a sentry standing with the barrier lowered and watching in puzzlement as the kids who have now got out of the car are ducking underneath and running on to meet our relative who had been waiting on the other side for our return. As i come to the barrier I note on the other side of the road two ladies driving a four wheel drive car seem to be doing the same visa run, they are alone and seem quite well practiced. I make a mental note that it seems very secure at this border point. We give our final piece of paper to the sentry and we have re-enter the UAE, alhamdulillah (thank God).
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
How do you install a water tank in Jeddah?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
We needed a water tank as the old one was leaking. These tanks sit perched at the highest possible point on a building and are quite large. The smallest capacity is 1000 litres costing 750 Riyals at that volume. Other more expensive varieties exist which claim to keep the water cool and can start at 4000 Riyals.
Being quite large you can't carry them through the door and up onto the roof via the roof access. The word crane had been mentioned and I sat waiting for the delivery of the tank. I was very surprised to find that it arrived in a small pickup with no crane in sight. On inquiring two men brandished their coiled ropes and said don't worry they would sort it out. The pictures tell the rest of the story. As with programs for children this one goes with a danger warning - do not do this at home!
First: One worker climbs onto the edge of the wall on the flat roof and assesses the situation from the third floor.
Second he squats calmly on the edge and lowers two ropes down.
Third the ropes are tied around the water tank, with a third steering rope.
Fourth, he is joined by his colleague, equally happy to sit perched on the edge of the roof oblivious of the potential danger.
Fifth, with a gravity defying deftness they stand up and begin to haul up the water tank.
Sixth, job done.
Welcome to Jeddah.
We needed a water tank as the old one was leaking. These tanks sit perched at the highest possible point on a building and are quite large. The smallest capacity is 1000 litres costing 750 Riyals at that volume. Other more expensive varieties exist which claim to keep the water cool and can start at 4000 Riyals.
Being quite large you can't carry them through the door and up onto the roof via the roof access. The word crane had been mentioned and I sat waiting for the delivery of the tank. I was very surprised to find that it arrived in a small pickup with no crane in sight. On inquiring two men brandished their coiled ropes and said don't worry they would sort it out. The pictures tell the rest of the story. As with programs for children this one goes with a danger warning - do not do this at home!
First: One worker climbs onto the edge of the wall on the flat roof and assesses the situation from the third floor.
Second he squats calmly on the edge and lowers two ropes down.
Third the ropes are tied around the water tank, with a third steering rope.
Fourth, he is joined by his colleague, equally happy to sit perched on the edge of the roof oblivious of the potential danger.
Fifth, with a gravity defying deftness they stand up and begin to haul up the water tank.
Sixth, job done.
Welcome to Jeddah.
Monday, 20 October 2008
Arabic - How many words do I need?
Bismillah alhamdulillah.
Language learning is a continuous process and without realising it by the time a student reaches university they have a very wide ranging vocabulary. One of the major problems that learners of a new language face is vocabulary acquisition, getting new words into their receptive and expressive memories. There is an interesting PhD Research proposal which looks at this problem and offers some interesting ideas and vocabulary acquisition strategies.
The good news is that by just knowing 2000 word families a person will understand 80% of the words he reads. The bad news is that the 20% of words that remain are the key to understanding the meaning. Also guessing the meaning of the new words from context is not possible when you only know 80% of the words. The silver lining to the cloud is that if you understand 95% of the words then you can have a much better chance of successfully guessing the meaning of the remaining words. You can achieve this by having a vocabulary of 3000 word families. Though a guess it is probably not a bad estimate that this applies equally to knowledge of Arabic roots.
Though quite long it is a valuable read for anyone interested in the topic or struggling to learn those elusive 20,000 word families that will give university level proficiency in a target language!
Language learning is a continuous process and without realising it by the time a student reaches university they have a very wide ranging vocabulary. One of the major problems that learners of a new language face is vocabulary acquisition, getting new words into their receptive and expressive memories. There is an interesting PhD Research proposal which looks at this problem and offers some interesting ideas and vocabulary acquisition strategies.
The good news is that by just knowing 2000 word families a person will understand 80% of the words he reads. The bad news is that the 20% of words that remain are the key to understanding the meaning. Also guessing the meaning of the new words from context is not possible when you only know 80% of the words. The silver lining to the cloud is that if you understand 95% of the words then you can have a much better chance of successfully guessing the meaning of the remaining words. You can achieve this by having a vocabulary of 3000 word families. Though a guess it is probably not a bad estimate that this applies equally to knowledge of Arabic roots.
Though quite long it is a valuable read for anyone interested in the topic or struggling to learn those elusive 20,000 word families that will give university level proficiency in a target language!
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Observations from a British nurse
"It's amazing that patients accept treatment from people who don't speak their language. We would never accept that in the UK" "Saudi Arabia is a high context culture in contrast to the UK which is a low context culture..."
"...here the context of a situation is part of the communication..."
"...people here see, more than they hear'
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Driving licence - Jeddah style
Bismillah, alhamdulillah:
With my international driving licence wearing away I decided it was time to grit my teeth and take the trip to get my licence. The international licence had come in handy as it allowed me to hire a car for the first few months. But the international licence does not last forever so I started by trying to work out the requirements to apply for a Saudi Arabian driving licence:
Medical form: These are presumably present at the licensing office. Most large companies have a department or at least a person dedicated to helping foreigners negotiate the various official requirements. The form is issued by the General Traffic Department ( Ar. idaarat al-aamah lil muroor). The medical exam is quite cursory and the signing doctor confirms your blood group, eyesight and whether or not you are disabled in any way that will impair driving. No mention of heart attacks, epilepsy, stroke or diabetes is mentioned. Don't forget to get the piece of paper suitably stamped, nothing like a good old round gleaming stamp.
Photocopies galore: I count the papers carefully making sure I have everything:
1. Identity card (known as your iqaamah or hawiyyah)
2. A copy of my current licence (European and N American licenses qualify),
3. A copy of my passport
4. A copy of the visa entry page in my passport
Letter of Introduction: A letter known as a 'Letter of Introduction' (Ar. kitaab ta'reef), this paper is essentially a letter from your employer confirming your are employed with your company. It should be on an official letter head addressed to the Traffic Department.
Eight photos, yes 8, two less than the total number of fingers that most people usually have. What happens with the eight copies of the photos is unclear but rest assured make sure if you come to live in this part of the world always carry a ready stash of photos in your wallet. Tip: Photos are cheaper than in the West, most studios will give you a digital copy of your photo which you can carry on a USB stick, it will save you some time when you ask for more copies. Carry two sizes a small and a normal passport sized one to cover most situations.
The fee, it is a very reasonable 75 Saudi Riyals for a five year licence. Just in case you could flash your Visa card take a deep breath. Fees must be made via an ATM machine directly to the government, so far so good. But one slight problem, it seems only certain banks are linked into this system. Most foreigners tend to have a fair degree of doubt about the efficiency and reliability of local banks. They tend to opt for banks that are familiar to them back home but come unstuck when they need to pay the various government fees. Local banks such Al-Rajhi are fully linked to the payment system. Where foreigners do not have accounts with such banks they usually find someone who does and pay them in cash and request a payment on their behalf. The ATM spits out a receipt which has the payment receipt, reference and your iqaamah or ID number.
Cash: You also need to carry 75 Riyals in cash to pay for the translation of your licence. This is separate to the 75 riyal fee above.
Having counted all my papers I made my way to the assisting department, a day was set for me to be taken to the licensing office and we were off:
08:45: Left place of work. We weaved across Jeddah via Madeenah Road, then Tahliah, then Makaronah, right at Ameer Maajid (aka sab'een road), left at Garnata street and then right at Arbaeen street. A U turn about half-way down and a right just after Manarat school. Roughly 1 km down the road we turn right and park the traffic office lies on our left.
09:10: The outside of the traffic department was a sea of people and make shift cabins where people were seeking help to fill in their forms. Photocopiers powered by petrol generators dotted the pavement and customer support staff were hawking the streets looking for people who looked a bit lost and tried to guide them to their shop. Walking quickly behind my guide I avoided their queries and we were soon through the gates entering into a building probably built in the late 60's or 70's. Soon we were through the front door and into a chaotic mass of people. The first thing that struck me which was unexpected was the presence of large easily read signs. They were written four different languages (Arabic, English, Fillipino, and one Indian language) were clearly numbered and easily read. I was looking around for a sign that would give some helpful instructions but could not find one. My guide asked me to join a queue while he waited for my arrival at the front.
Counter 1: the queue moved quickly, a man stood inside with a cup of cold coffee in a polysterene cup carefully placed on the inside ledge keeping him company. He was the 'have you got all the papers' man he would quickly glance at the papers and make sure all the paperwork was in order. He gave my papers a quick look and then with a flourish that he probably maintains for the first 2 hours of work he stamped my form. Forms in hand we moved to the next stop.
Counter 2: Eyesight test, I walk into a room a man sits with a long cane behind an empty desk. I sit down on the only other chair in the room and look at a mirror which reflects an eye chart from the wall opposite. Armed with his cane he looks rather sinister and blows a puff of smoke into the air. The cane is manouvered onto a letter - I repeat the letters and three letters later I have bagged another stamp and signature and move on. As I leave the eyesight testing counter I spot a room where blood tests are being performed on an industrial scale, blood groups are done locally I take a mental note.
Counter 3: The translation booth, I give my 75 riyals and hand over the card part of my licence. A few minutes of standing and the licence is translated. I dispense with paper part deciding making things complicated would slow things down - nobody blinks an eye and we soon move on.
Counter 4. A ticker tape system stands on the right and a dull red sign hanging overhead with numbers changing regularly. I instinctively head towards the ticket dispenser and take a ticket. My guide has decided to ignore the system and makes his way pushing through the people at the counter with my papers. He waves my papers at the officer standing on the other side hoping to avoid the queuing system. I sit down waiting to see what would happen. To my surprise he is politely rebuffed and asked to get a ticket number. I wave the ticket in my hand and let him know I have a ticket, he joins me and we sit down on the provided chairs. A moment to pen some of my observations down.
Soon our number appears and we submit our papers and use the ATM paid 75 riyals to submit the payment. We pay at the cashier pick up a receipt and the first stage comes to an end. My licence will be ready sometime later the agent tells me and he will pick it up and bring it back to my workplace. I look at my watch and to my surprise it is only 09:23.
As we leave without my new Saudi licence I wonder when I will get it, I am told by the guide about 2 days. As we return it turns out he is a second hand car sales man. After discussing what type of car I was looking for he just happens to have a car waiting outside the car park which he can show me. I have a quick look at the car and nearly faint at the strong smell of smoke that permeates the fabric of the car. I thank him and say sorry the car is not one I would be looking for. I am not too sure whether this disappointed him or not but the 2 days stretched themselves into 2 weeks, no clear explanation was given but I eventually acquired my credit card sized licence. I don't complain as I am suely becoming acclimatised to the slower pace of life in this part of the world.
With my international driving licence wearing away I decided it was time to grit my teeth and take the trip to get my licence. The international licence had come in handy as it allowed me to hire a car for the first few months. But the international licence does not last forever so I started by trying to work out the requirements to apply for a Saudi Arabian driving licence:Medical form: These are presumably present at the licensing office. Most large companies have a department or at least a person dedicated to helping foreigners negotiate the various official requirements. The form is issued by the General Traffic Department ( Ar. idaarat al-aamah lil muroor). The medical exam is quite cursory and the signing doctor confirms your blood group, eyesight and whether or not you are disabled in any way that will impair driving. No mention of heart attacks, epilepsy, stroke or diabetes is mentioned. Don't forget to get the piece of paper suitably stamped, nothing like a good old round gleaming stamp.
Photocopies galore: I count the papers carefully making sure I have everything:
1. Identity card (known as your iqaamah or hawiyyah)
2. A copy of my current licence (European and N American licenses qualify),
3. A copy of my passport
4. A copy of the visa entry page in my passport
Letter of Introduction: A letter known as a 'Letter of Introduction' (Ar. kitaab ta'reef), this paper is essentially a letter from your employer confirming your are employed with your company. It should be on an official letter head addressed to the Traffic Department.
Eight photos, yes 8, two less than the total number of fingers that most people usually have. What happens with the eight copies of the photos is unclear but rest assured make sure if you come to live in this part of the world always carry a ready stash of photos in your wallet. Tip: Photos are cheaper than in the West, most studios will give you a digital copy of your photo which you can carry on a USB stick, it will save you some time when you ask for more copies. Carry two sizes a small and a normal passport sized one to cover most situations.
The fee, it is a very reasonable 75 Saudi Riyals for a five year licence. Just in case you could flash your Visa card take a deep breath. Fees must be made via an ATM machine directly to the government, so far so good. But one slight problem, it seems only certain banks are linked into this system. Most foreigners tend to have a fair degree of doubt about the efficiency and reliability of local banks. They tend to opt for banks that are familiar to them back home but come unstuck when they need to pay the various government fees. Local banks such Al-Rajhi are fully linked to the payment system. Where foreigners do not have accounts with such banks they usually find someone who does and pay them in cash and request a payment on their behalf. The ATM spits out a receipt which has the payment receipt, reference and your iqaamah or ID number.
Cash: You also need to carry 75 Riyals in cash to pay for the translation of your licence. This is separate to the 75 riyal fee above.
Having counted all my papers I made my way to the assisting department, a day was set for me to be taken to the licensing office and we were off:
08:45: Left place of work. We weaved across Jeddah via Madeenah Road, then Tahliah, then Makaronah, right at Ameer Maajid (aka sab'een road), left at Garnata street and then right at Arbaeen street. A U turn about half-way down and a right just after Manarat school. Roughly 1 km down the road we turn right and park the traffic office lies on our left.
09:10: The outside of the traffic department was a sea of people and make shift cabins where people were seeking help to fill in their forms. Photocopiers powered by petrol generators dotted the pavement and customer support staff were hawking the streets looking for people who looked a bit lost and tried to guide them to their shop. Walking quickly behind my guide I avoided their queries and we were soon through the gates entering into a building probably built in the late 60's or 70's. Soon we were through the front door and into a chaotic mass of people. The first thing that struck me which was unexpected was the presence of large easily read signs. They were written four different languages (Arabic, English, Fillipino, and one Indian language) were clearly numbered and easily read. I was looking around for a sign that would give some helpful instructions but could not find one. My guide asked me to join a queue while he waited for my arrival at the front.
Counter 1: the queue moved quickly, a man stood inside with a cup of cold coffee in a polysterene cup carefully placed on the inside ledge keeping him company. He was the 'have you got all the papers' man he would quickly glance at the papers and make sure all the paperwork was in order. He gave my papers a quick look and then with a flourish that he probably maintains for the first 2 hours of work he stamped my form. Forms in hand we moved to the next stop.
Counter 2: Eyesight test, I walk into a room a man sits with a long cane behind an empty desk. I sit down on the only other chair in the room and look at a mirror which reflects an eye chart from the wall opposite. Armed with his cane he looks rather sinister and blows a puff of smoke into the air. The cane is manouvered onto a letter - I repeat the letters and three letters later I have bagged another stamp and signature and move on. As I leave the eyesight testing counter I spot a room where blood tests are being performed on an industrial scale, blood groups are done locally I take a mental note.
Counter 3: The translation booth, I give my 75 riyals and hand over the card part of my licence. A few minutes of standing and the licence is translated. I dispense with paper part deciding making things complicated would slow things down - nobody blinks an eye and we soon move on.
Counter 4. A ticker tape system stands on the right and a dull red sign hanging overhead with numbers changing regularly. I instinctively head towards the ticket dispenser and take a ticket. My guide has decided to ignore the system and makes his way pushing through the people at the counter with my papers. He waves my papers at the officer standing on the other side hoping to avoid the queuing system. I sit down waiting to see what would happen. To my surprise he is politely rebuffed and asked to get a ticket number. I wave the ticket in my hand and let him know I have a ticket, he joins me and we sit down on the provided chairs. A moment to pen some of my observations down.
Soon our number appears and we submit our papers and use the ATM paid 75 riyals to submit the payment. We pay at the cashier pick up a receipt and the first stage comes to an end. My licence will be ready sometime later the agent tells me and he will pick it up and bring it back to my workplace. I look at my watch and to my surprise it is only 09:23.
As we leave without my new Saudi licence I wonder when I will get it, I am told by the guide about 2 days. As we return it turns out he is a second hand car sales man. After discussing what type of car I was looking for he just happens to have a car waiting outside the car park which he can show me. I have a quick look at the car and nearly faint at the strong smell of smoke that permeates the fabric of the car. I thank him and say sorry the car is not one I would be looking for. I am not too sure whether this disappointed him or not but the 2 days stretched themselves into 2 weeks, no clear explanation was given but I eventually acquired my credit card sized licence. I don't complain as I am suely becoming acclimatised to the slower pace of life in this part of the world.
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Do you know your collar-ankle length?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah: Some useful tips on thawb buying. A thawb (Arabic: ثوب, ṯawb), dishdasha (دشداشة, dišdāšä), kandura (كندورة, kandūrä) or khameez (قميص, qamīṣ) is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. Chest sizes are mentioned with letter sizes: M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL. A medium chest size corresponds to a thin person, the L to a the average 70 Kg man, XL for someone who is slightly overweight and so on.The other challenge is to get the right length of the thawb. Thawbs come with an extra number which corresponds to you collar-ankle length. Simply work out the collar-length in inches and remove two inches to work out which thawb is suitable. A few example conversions are given below:
| Thawb Length Size | Collar - ankle length | Suitable Height |
| 60 | 58 | 5' 10'' |
| 62 | 60 | 6' 0'' |
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