Saudi Arabia: Ever Lived There Or Living There Now?

Once again it is time to seek the sage advice from that Great Oracle known as The DataLounge. Am being recruited for a hospital laboratory position there. The salary and benefits are spectacular. I'm recently single, have significant debt and a mortgage. Would consider renting out my house and working overseas for a few years. I'm a single gay male, age 50, who is becoming concerned about the lack of local responses to job applications in my "highly desirable" and competitive hometown area. Have been draining my retirement savings. Anyone here know of any non-military professional who has lived in Saudi, Dubai, or the UAE? I'm relatively traveled and would expect to have to adhere to local laws and customs (i.e. celibacy for me and no booze...).

• You're a gay man who wants to go and live in Saudi Arabia? Are you fucked in the head?

• I lived 4 years in Yanbu Industrial City, Red Sea Coast north of Jeddah. I don't even know where to begin. TOTALLY schitzo, fucked up bat shit. I drank and fucked more while there than any other period in my life. (definately NOT a recommendation-I was very young) The truth is that you can do anything you want as long as you give the Saudis the respect of discretion, and that you NEVER involve Saudis (better yet, any Muslim) in any of your 'illegal' activities. And that is the best advise I can give you. There are a lot of very unhappy, fucked up people there who will report you to the authorities to even a score. Get a nook and put a few hundred books on it, and get a big script for klonopin. There are hundreds of thousands of MALE guest workers - Thais, Filipinos, Indians- nearly all asian countries are represented. You definately can meet some nice men eager to bump uglies . The Brits and Americans can be toxic and do nothing but complain. They'll suck the life out of u and I regret much of the time I wasted with them. There are many good Saudis, I don't mean to imply otherwise, but they are very repressed. And oppressed. They are discouraged from knowing you well. Being seen with you too often in public- socially- will damage their reputations. Many men are drop dead stunning, hung like mules, and are flirtatious to the point of harassment. Stay away from it. I can't emphasize this enough. You CAN have a good time. I did, in spite of so much. I don't think any other western poster who has lived there will disagree with most of what I've written.

• It would be cheaper and quicker to buy a gun and a round of bullets.

• r2 What do you mean they are flirtatious to the point of harassment, stay away from it? Why? What will happen? Sounds hot. lol

• They have very few sexual outlets. And they're very keen to notice if a western man gives them a look. I've been followed home on more than a few occasions. They LOVE to buttfuck and bareback. Many std's. There is also a considerable amount of man on man and boy rape.

• r5, So why were you followed? Did you give them the look? Cleavage out? Butt cleave - I mean... lol

• Just got caught looking a litle too long

• Dear r2, thank you. That is exactly the type of response I'm seeking. I would be working in Jeddah on the Red Sea in a mixed-gender environment unsupervised by religious police. Nevertheless, at my age, I'm fully prepared to live like a monk for two years, anyway. Have already had enough adventures in life, and just need to make money for a few years and then come home. Living in the Arab world would be an adventure itself. Certain friends and family would certainly visit me, and I get two free trips home per year. But would probably use that benefit to travel elsewhere in the world. Thanks again.

  OP

• No, and never will. I'm scared of being raped and or beaten. I heard it was a lawless land. That and also, isn't it one of the poorest countries on planet with something being blown up every few minutes? Maybe I'm confusing Saudi Arabia with India but I'm pretty sure in one of these countries, women are brutally raped and beaten and things are blowing up every few minutes.

• After having sought primary counsel from the DL, been Googling around. OMF Allah! There's scuba diving, sandy beaches, camels (but not one camel toe to be seen) no women drivers... but best of all, I'd get to wear a Caftan whenever and wherever I want! Who cares about the homosex and the Friday afternoon drinkies. This ain't my first time shopping at the oppression mall. Gleefully hateraping my mangina with self-wounding mansogeny as I type.

  http://www.sourcherry.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Saudi-Arabian-Wedding.jpg

  OP

• R2 is correct in some ways. Discretion, discretion, discretion. From my own experience, many of the Brits who go there are racist cunts who have moved "because Britain isn't what it used to be". Many others (and many Americans) are just like you and me - go, make a quick buck, and then GTFOOD... And trust me, you'll enjoy it...

  British DLer

• I have never lived in Saudi, but I have known about a dozen people who have at various times in their lives. All of them were there for work. According to what they've told me, R2 seems right on the money. Only one of these friends is gay and he says he never had so much sex in his life, mostly with other horny Westerners. Several of them have told me Saudi Arabia has the best Indian food in the world, much better and more exciting than anything you'll find in the West. What I think is odd is that most of them, while complaining about living in a Western "ghetto", say they would gladly go back for a few more years. Only one, the gay guy, says he enjoyed it while he was there but wouldn't do it again.

• Lived in Abu Dhabi. Enjoyed my time there. Fun social life and comfortable work environment. Just learn a few of the rules for ex-pats and you'll be fine. Go for it!

• If you're a white, non-Jewish male, you'll be fine. And if you are raped, the courts will take you at your word instead of requiring 3 male witnesses like they do with women. Will you be living on an American base or just on your own? I had relatives who lived there for 30 years working for oil companies and they enjoyed it, for what it was.

• It's hilarious that the same queens who fly into a sputtering rage at the mention of gay Republicans are now debating the merits of working in Saudi Arabia. So much for putting self-repect before financial advantage, eh? Would you also have gone to apartheid-era South Africa as a black man if you'd been offered a well-paying job there?

• I was in Dubai for about 8 months. If you can find people in the local sub culture scene you will have a blast. Constant sex and probably the best cocaine I've had anywhere on earth. Never cut with speed and feels like snorting a nice piece of silk. Really fun fucks there too. Respect privacy, do not flaunt your actions in public and you are fine.

• Within the last ten years they have beheaded (chopped off their heads with either an ax or a sword) young men accused of homosexual activity. Chopped off their heads. The only saving grace is that under Muslim law there must be witnesses other than the participants. Didn't save those boys though. Not enough for you, OP?

• Australian here - Had several gay male - and straight female! - friends in various medical fields go over and work in UAE - and their stories sound very much like R2s. Basically tho - they made truckloads of cash and were able to eventually return and but property or pay off mortgages and debts - so they were pretty happy all up. i'm seriously envious OP - I think the chance to get out of your comfort zone for a year or two at this stage of life (I'm same age as you!) and explore the big, wide world a little and really get to know a place and new people - would be wonderful... - and lotsa flights to nearby locations in North Africa and parts of Europe - so you could have a ball - when you're not working hard and cloistered up like some monk... :)

• I lived there in 1981 so I'm not sure how relevant my experience was. I was working for the Federal government (at the Embassy, which was in Jeddah at the time.) It was a very strange place. There were essentially no places for people to socialize (especially with people of the opposite sex.) Houses and apartments have separate entrances and living rooms/parlors for each gender. Not many restaurants (except in hotels), no movie theaters, etc. At the embassy, we had access to pork and alcohol (came in in the diplomatic pouch), but they're verboten elsewhere. Not really much to do except stroll through the souks (markets). The Red Sea is nice, but the water is very warm. Gas was VERY cheap. You're not allowed to go to Mecca unless you're a Muslim. I also had to go to Riyadh and Dhahran (consulates) while I was there. Not too much different, although Riyadh was much more conservative. Everything shuts down five times a day for prayers, even fast food places at the height of lunch hour.

• [quote]No, and never will. I'm scared of being raped and or beaten. I heard it was a lawless land. That and also, isn't it one of the poorest countries on planet with something being blown up every few minutes? Maybe I'm confusing Saudi Arabia with India but I'm pretty sure in one of these countries, women are brutally raped and beaten and things are blowing up every few minutes. Saudi and India - so similar!! Why bother responding. You obviously haven't got a clue.

  Not%20the%20OP

• I seriously doubt they'd behead a non-muslim foreigner! Instead, one's residence permit would probably be immediately cancelled.

• They behead non muslim foreigners all the time -just not American ones. Ask the Indians and Filipinos.

• [quote]I heard it was a lawless land. It's the exact OPPOSITE of a lawless land. Very repressive. There's very little crime because of the draconian punishments.

• There was an episode of Locked Up Abroad on NatGeo about a gay man who took a work assignment in Saudi Arabia. The show is probably not the holy grail of information but might be a gauge re internet access to gay sites (you'll need a vpn), cruising, hooking up, and the actual intentions of the person you're involved with. Link to episode promo below on NatGeo. I saw full episode was on youtube but you had to sign in to view it.

  http://tvblogs.nationalgeographic.com/2012/06/06/locked-up-abroad-travel-tips-saudi-arabia/

• OP, I've lived in Saudi Arabia AND Dubai in the UAE and they are NOT the same. The UAE is much more liberal than Saudi Arabia. This isn't saying much. I really enjoyed my time in Jeddah but it was quite a few years ago and knowing what I know now, I did a few things that could have easily gotten me thrown in jail or worse. (Dating a Saudi, which apparently is a good way to get your ass reported to the religious police) It's a very odd place, but interesting. Plenty of gold and people walking around with wads of cash, but theft is rare because you'll lose your left hand on a Friday when public stonings and other punishment is meted out. When I was there, underground alcohol was available but horrible stuff. I tried it once and that was enough. The year after I left, a number of women were arrested at a party given by a person I know - simply because there were men there (as well as illegal alcohol). They spent some time in prison (which I've driven past) and then were deported. Ask yourself if you can seriously abstain from sex for a year or while you are in the country. Sure you could get involved with another expatriate, but seriously... many, if not most of them are what could be called social misfits. I don't envy you. I think I'd have a hard time deciding what to do and I'm the same age as you and have already been there. If you do go, watch out for the weird things in the Red Sea. I had what looked like a tapeworm burrow into my hand without me feeling a thing. I didn't notice until it started coming back out.

  Tokyo%20Joe

• You'll notice that most of the middle Eastern countries are conspicuously unrepresented on Cam4, Chaturbate, et. al.

• [quote] I had what looked like a tapeworm burrow into my hand without me feeling a thing. I didn't notice until it started coming back out. Okay, I was totally on board until this.

  Cancel%20the%20plane%20ticket%21

• Salam, bitches! I did it. Applied for the position. Would be living in a modern, high-tech industrial and academic area that is explicitly free of religious police to attract foreign professionals; however, I intend to adhere to local laws, anyway -- especially when visiting outside of this island like complex. As long as I am given sufficient vacation time to visit other countries, I would consider going. Am watching r24's link now. My living conditions would be almost the polar opposite. Thanks for all the responses -- and warnings. This is why I love the DL!

  OP

• So any word on the job OP?

• OP is stuck in a hijab and can't message

• What are the odds that you can rent your place in the US to cover the mortgage? If you can, and if you can go several years witthout a gay social life, not to mention a sex life -- because they can and will CUT YOUR HEAD OFF -- if you are caught with a guy, go for it. I would say report back from time to time or start a blog to let us know how it is going but you can't. THEY WILL CUT YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF FOR BEING GAY.

• I agree with R31. If you do go, please oh please keep a blog here and start each entry with "Salaam, bitches!". I find you delightful and would want to keep up with your adventures, and then that way we know you haven't been beheaded.

• I wonder what they're paying you to go there. I would go...except there's no pot, right? Now that's barbaric

• Is there a place you can apply for jobs there?

• For entertainment, young males like to show off their car drifting skills. Looks like fun.

• R17, what right do you have to dictate how a country handles justice for crimes in THEIR OWN COUNTRY?!

• Yeah, how dare someone posting at a gay gossip site point out executions of homosexuals in any country?

• Are you fucking kidding me R36? In my hypothetical country what if I wanted to boil fraus in oil? Would the laws of my country be ok with you? And no one should fight back?

• Be serious. Everyone knows you fry fraus in butter, R38.

• Can you be beheaded for reading Datalounge?

• My sister in law and her husband and two kids moved to UAE last year. They had to go through background checks, etc. Her husband had a DUI and it took forever for his visa to come through. They work in hospitals as nurses and she told me that they are 10 years behind in terms of medicine. If these countries are so rich esp in oil, how come they are behind at least 10yrs in medicine??

• The position was filled. I am a back-up candidate if that person doesn't work out. It would have been my dream job anywhere. Am still unemployed and nervous. I was encouraged to apply for other positions on the campus. Turns out that friends and family would have beheaded me before I ever got there for even thinking about leaving town. I have multiple job leads in Boston, Texas, and San Diego. Would rather die than move to Texas. Have since sent my resume to a recruiter in Dubai but am less enthusiastic about living there. The main attraction for me about Jeddah, KSA, was the scuba diving on the Red Sea. I now know more about the Arab and Texan world than I used to. Thanks to all who posted.

  OP

• good luck, OP, I hope you get a nice job in a place you like

• r25, your post was very interesting to read, but was upstaged by TAPEWORM. Uggggggggghhhhhh.

• r41 yes, they also mostly do not seem to be interested in developing long-term investments like technology. Despite having the advantage of having liquid gold, they simply seem to have depended on this finite resource alone.

• I live in Cleveland, the rich Saudis come here to Cleveland Clinic for medical treatment.

• Thank you, r43, wish I could take you wherever I go! @r45, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now investing heavily in computer, bio, and medical technology, which is why they are recruiting the likes of me. Same with the UAE. Someone told me that the rich/educated class are too rich to work, while everyone else is undereducated and that's why they are recruiting foreigners so aggressively. The salaries and benefits are incredible. More than anything else, my main motivation for not actively pursuing a career in the middle east is my three cats. They'd love all that sand, but would never forgive me for the flights over. Will update if I get any more offers.

  OP

• I have 2 friends who worked there. *Incredible money for the work they did--and great benefits. *The work both did involved contracts with Saudi princes. What that meant was that the princes had a lot of pull. If you are smart do what my friends did. Keep a low profile with your sex life, and stay on good terms with those princes. *About those princes: drank like fishes, snorted copious amounts of coke, and swung every which way but loose. The princes were not "gay" since they did not suck or get fucked. However, they loved bj's and driving on Hershey highway. I know a few Saudi students in grad school. Gorgeous--hung--HWAT--but some serious issues. Great for the moment, but in the long run, a lot of regrets.

• "Would rather die than move to Texas." Well, Saudi Arabia could arrange that for you.

  Texas%20Bashing%20%3D%20Played%20Out

• By the way, the weather there is really HOT! I wilt just thinking about it. They also have dust storms. It's OK i guess if you have no other options. They royal saudis have private wings in a hospital in singapore for their families to use. They have sex with wives for children and have sex with boys (allegedly) for fun. That's what I was told.

• Sorry, r49. That was harsh, but living in your hot, Red state with Baptist Fundies offers nothing compared with the high salaries of an Islamic Kingdom. In Saudi I could return home with debts paid and the understanding of another culture. Working and living in Texas, I would return home without dignity, savings, or any care about another culture. I absolutely despise the US South, and yes, Texas, you are The South. Don't bitch at me until you've made your place less bigoted.

• How much money are we talking? I heard expats in Qatar do well financially too.

• Surely the South is another culture as well, r51? Your histrionic displays of revulsion about living in the South are highly amusing coming from someone who was enthusiastic about living in Saudi fucking Arabia. You're a guy complaining about a restaurant's lack of hygiene while eating a dog poo sandwich.

• R44 - I think I said it was tape-worm like. All I know is that one of my friends mentioned that my arm was bleeding. When I looked I noticed a hole... and then something wriggling in there. One of my friends was a nurse and pinched pulled until she got it out. Someone else had my head turned so I couldn't see. When I went to the clinic, the Dr there said "there are things in that water even we don't know about". Thus ended my first and only day swimming in the Red Sea. Another friend heard about someone who was making breakfast and suddenly collapsed screaming in pain. A worm-like creature came out of her temple. He thought it was bullshit until I told him my story.

  Tokyo%20Joe

• R51 is truly a moron. Both the South and Saudi Arabia have cultures. All of us openly gay men are working towards making our homes more hospitable. What do you do, other than throw glittery, histrionic fits? "Baptist Fundies" are no different than Islamic fundies. Truly, you are beyond stupid.

  Wow

• I would loove to have an affair with a hot Saudi sheikh!

• [quote]You're a guy complaining about a restaurant's lack of hygiene while eating a dog poo sandwich. LOL! I totally deserved that. Still can't see myself living in Houston, TX, but might not have a choice. Clearly, I have bad karma. Pray for me now, damnit. Two of my favorite humans on the planet were Texans: Gov. Ann Richards and Molly Ivins. Need to make that fact my mantra.

• OP, Houston is full of hot guys. Seriously. Good restaurants and museums, too. You should at least consider it.

• [quote]Clearly, I have bad karma. I find all this "karma" silliness terrifying. Are people for real with this pagan thinking? Of all the garbage to believe in! Weird, and so predictable.

• Calm down, r59, and learn to be playful. Life can be fun.

• Actually the person who said these Arab countries aren't on gay sites is wrong. Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Middle East repressive countries have members with face photos on Manhunt, Silver Daddies etc. Check it out. They are there.