About DebraKirkwood

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

Canada

Citizen Of:

Canada

Dual Citizen Of:

United States

About DebraKirkwood

Outgoing, athletic, love trekking, climbing, cross contry skiing and long distance running.

I would love to live in...

Napal

HR/Relo
Professional:

Provider of Expat-Related Services & Products

Education:

McGill University Master's Degree
  1992 to 1994

George Washington Medical School
  1996 to 1999

Some Forum Posts:

Saudi Arabia: health requirments:

As u know being hepatitis positive does not mean u have hepatitis. I am also positive from working with the homeless and natives in western Canada, but it just means I had to have a chest X-ray as part. Of my medical and they repeated it when I started work. Don't worry it will not be an issue.

Saudi Arabia: Looking for job in saudi arabia:

I'm not sure I understand your questions but I can tell you that you are attached to your husband's Igama so cannot stay in KSA if he is not there. It also is not possible to live as a single woman in the general population. Safety issues.

Saudi Arabia: Moving to Riyadh:

I live in King Faisal G complex so can answer some questions. Pure VPN is what I use quite successfully. However Netflix has stopped any VPN PC from receiving. The VPN company is trying to negotitate with them but it will not be successful. However Amazon Prime works great and I know there r other sites. But please load the VPN, Prime, etc programs onto your computer at home before u come. Your kitchen here will be fully stocked with dishes, cutlery, set of pots, blender, toaster, and sometimes an electric kettle. You can go around to the masalama sales where people sell their household items before they go home. U will find alot of deals of gently used items to suppliment what the hospital gives u. Finding protein powder is hit and miss so bring your own for at least a few month. And it is unlikely u will find the exact brand u like. But we all learn to adapt. If u tell me what your job is and your grade on your contract I can probably fill u in on what u will encounter when u get here.

Saudi Arabia: mental health:

You will probably not get a visa if the embassy knows you have a psych diagnosis. Not fair I know but Saudis are quite prejudice about mental illness of any kind. Bring your full year supply of meds with you and have them buried in your large checked luggage and no one will recognize what they are.

Saudi Arabia: Moving to Al Khobar:

I live in Riyadh so cannot answer questions pertaining to Al Khobar but I can tell you a few things. Don't bring any household appliances. You may have some included in your rented house. If not they are easily found in the stores and you can choose the ones that are compatible with your electricity. If you move into a compound with mainly westerners (I hope you do) there will be house parties you will want some outfits for. While you can buy clothes here you cannot try them on in the store and it is often diffiuclt or impossible to return if you buy the wrong size. I would recommend you bring a few pairs of sandles, as that is the most popular footware. Any essentail medicines should be brought with you. Many of the most commonly used drugs, such as BP meds can be bought here but bring a 6 month supply to cover you when you first arrive. Don't bring books. While there is a limited supply of books for sale, an E-reader (kindle, ipad) gives you access to any books sold in the west. Your dgter will use the ipad books when she starts to read. Hope this has answered some of your questions. Welcome to KSA!

Saudi Arabia: What should I buy before moving to Saudi Arabia?:

Welcome to KSA. I would not ship anything to your new home, as almost everything is available here and cheaper than it takes to ship it. As far a outlet adapter, you will not know what kind of plug you need until you move into your new home and then you will discover lots of places that sell them. If you are in a compound the local shop should carry them. If not many of the stores including Lulu's groceries carries them. Ask your neighbours. It would be a good idea to bring a univeral adaptor. They now come with USB ports so only one is needed until you find some adaptors. If you cannot find them at home all airports now sell them in their shops. If you like to read I would strongly suggest an EReader (kindle or ipad) and download books, magazines, and news from amazon and the news stations. If you want to watch the same shows as your home country download PURE VPN onto your PC & ipad before you move. I am told it is the VPN program that works best here. You can then get into netflix, amazon Prime, etc without getting that anoying message saying they do not broadcast in KSA. Downloading VPN here is tricky but not impossible. Also download the facetime program. While skype is available, the gov't keeps threatening to cut it off and it takes up too much bandwidth. The internet service here is old and Skype can be frustrating to use if your neighbours are on line. Facetime is owned by Apple I believe, so it cannot be cut off by gov't agencies. It is a life saver for those of us who can only survive here with the support of family and friends. As far as household things, make a trip to IKEA when u get here for things like linen (beds are different size than home), towels, utensils, etc. Many grocery stores have a merchandise dept where u can pick up any electronics you need. As far as the safety warnings u have received, yes u have to be careful here. I have been here 4.5 yrs and am still careful but I am beginning to think the USA and Europe are more of a threat these days.

Saudi Arabia: Possibly moving to Jeddah:

Download PURE VPN onto your ipad and PC. That way u can change your location to UK, USA,whatever. Then join netflix & amazon prime to get quality TV viewing. These programs can be very difficult to download in KSA, expecially onto an ipad, so do it in your home country. There r no content restrictions once you access netflix or prime.

Saudi Arabia: Looking for a Lady in Riyadh Compond:

THIS IS NOT A SITE TO PIMP OUT WESTERN WOMEN! You would not treat a Muslim woman this way, so have a little respect and GET OFF THIS SITE!

Saudi Arabia: Single girl looking for ...:

I believe u r right. The Cheq girl is probably a middle aged Saudi man enjoying watching western men make fools of themselves. If a single man did that (and several have) they receive angry replies. While that is acceptable on a dating site in the west, here it is interpreted as looking for sex for hire. Even western women find this insulting - essentially being called prostitutes.

Saudi Arabia: Custom:

I don't see that as causing any issues. I have brought kosher things from home, packing everything in freezer bags so they didn't send off any alarms when X rayed. The only time I have had to remove something for inspection was a bottle of olive oil that I was in one dufflebag. The guy was convinced it was a liqueur bottle. He was quite disappointed!

Date Joined:

5/23/2011

Total Posts:

67

Posts/Day:

0.03