Alex in KSA

A couple of days back the biggest oil company in the World, Saudi Aramco, was celebrating his 75th anniversary. Aramco initially founded by American companies belongs since 1988 to the Saudi Government and is owner of the biggest oil sources in the world. So, I guess you can imagine quite well the importance of this company not only for the King but also for Mr. President, oil prices were climbing enormous the last 12 month.

In order to have a nice party and give a good impression to the outside world the Eastern Province was dressing up. Everywhere workers cleaning up the streets from all that dirt people usually throw unthoughtful out of the window, at every corner a police car is parked, walls get repainted, flags every 25 meters in between roads and last but not least on every billboard a picture of the King himself or one of his family members, male only of course!

For a moment you think you are in a different country, everything looks better and the usual one million different shades of sand color have vanished.
While having lunch the police jumps in to the restaurant pushing us to rush out and remove our cars, great I was just about to make the first bite. Why we had to leave, don’t know; don’t ask. Maybe the King was passing with is parade and all ugly things had to be removed out of sight or it is just precocious because of possible bomb attacks by car.

The King and Mr. President have left again, the oil price is still high and the world is back to normal. Too bad they didn’t keep some of the nice things…at least I will refuel my car now, 1 Euro for 14 liters, I think that is a fair deal…

so far
Alex

Well, it is quite some time back when my parents came over to KSA for a visit to see how their boy is doing, they arrived beginning of April for a 10 days visit.
The arrival went smooth for them and no hassle at the immigration or customs. Only I screwed up the situation a little. Initially the Lufthansa flight was scheduled to arrive at 9 PM. I had to travel to Jeddah the day before and my return flight was scheduled for 8 pm on the same day my parents arrive. Perfect, I thought, so I just wait one hour at the Airport to pick them up, but Lufthansa changed the flight schedule to 8 pm (it is now a direct flight and no stop over in Kuwait City) and my flight was delayed. So when I rushed out of the plane my parents already called to ask where I am. Luckily they were sitting safely on a bench waiting for me. I was just worried because my Mom had no Abaya yet, but everything went fine and I bought an Abaya on our way back to my compound.
On Friday morning we drove together to Riyadh, I had a meeting the next day and for my parents it was a nice chance to see the capital and meet friends from their home town, which where there at the same time for a family visit as well. It was the first time for me driving by car to Riyadh, 450km thru the desert at 120km/h…. Just before Riyadh you will find the Camel market; it is a huge area with lots of camels and farmers. I talked to some guys which were loading young camels on a truck. They asked me if I would like to buy one, but it was too difficult to fit in my car, only 10.000 SR (1.800 EUR) and it would be mine
Later on after checking in to the hotel and having a coffee we went to the famous Kingdom Tower.

Riyadh is quite flat and organized like a chessboard square. Riyadh’s population was estimated at only 169,000 in 1962, but the oil boom (beginning in 1974) dramatically transformed the city and caused its population to increase dramatically, by 2003 the capital’s population was estimated at nearly 4.5 million. The rapid growth was planned on a drawing board and so the city is not very charming and feels artificial. Also the road are wide and spacious, traffic is a disaster in the capital.

On the Al-Thalya Street 2 landmarks are located: Kingdom Tower and Faisalyah Tower. The Kingdom T. can be visited for a fee and it is really nice, see the photos I will upload. On top you have a bridge connecting booth sides of the tower; it is quite impressing as well as the tower 700 meters down the street. These two are the only tall buildings in KSA at the moment and I don’t believe they will manage to build a 1 mile (1600 meters!) tall building in Jeddah! Discover here
After a nice dinner, some hours of sleep and my meeting we drove back to Khobar on Saturday evening. While I was working my parents discovered together with their friends a Souk in Riyadh and had a nice time.

Now it was time to move to a new compound, which I luckily found with the help of Joseph. This one is not only cheaper but has a much better apartment itself, nevertheless facilities are better in Eurovillage, but for me this one has more advantages. See also some pictures I will upload later. I was lucky my parents supported me a lot for the change of apartments, even if I am here for only a couple of month I already had a lot of things accumulated, plus the new home was dirty has hell. I was the first one to move in and it was empty for many months during the construction period and Saudi constructions are not famous for clean and accurate work… My parents really did a great job, without their help I had never done it. Every evening after finishing my work we rushed in the shopping malls to buy all this bits and pieces you need in a home, it was only furnished but not soft equipped (like towels, toaster, sheets, plates, TV, and and and). It took us one week to buy everything I needed; in the old compound it was included in the rent.

After a marvelous dinner in a really decent fish restaurant my parents went back to Germany, 10 days can pass very fast, but I was very happy to see them here and show them at least a little bit my life in KSA; and with my parents I was able to go to the family section for the first time

Pictures in the link below!
Cheers,
Alex

Here are the pictures!

In 3 days I will leave KSA for a couple of days off. Luckily, cause this week was pissing me really of, thanks to my work. So totally pissed on Wednesday evening I left the office heading to the supermarket. I was about to buy some food for cooking, friends are supposed to come later. I rushed into the shop, as people here can work like snails it took me 5 minutes to get my meat for cooking. Hurrying to the cashier, placing everything on the belt and of course what else could happen. Lucky prayer time just started… No way to get the things you just put on the belt, no way to pay, no way to cook for your friends. Perfect, is the weekend supposed to start as this fucking week ends?!?!

Well, frustrated I headed home and cleaned quickly my living rooms before guest are arriving. To have something to eat at home I was ordering some starters and sandwiches from a nice restaurant. Weekend could start now. At the beginning, the first two came and we started with the food, later on Rodelo and Steve joined. They were coming directly from Jeddah, as the missed their flight they arrive late. It was a very nice evening and we had good fun together. Satisfied I fell into my bed later.
On Thursday we had a barbecue from the German community. It is always very nice to meet some other people from home, have good talks, enjoy food and live. For the kids they had some nice games related to the Osterzeit (Eastern). Something for everyone.
Today I was relaxing at the pool for two hours, reading a book. Weather is perfect now, after the hopefully last sandblast is over since Thursday. Now I have my final minutes in the coffee shop. As internet has stopped working at home since more than one week now I can only check mails on the weekend in the coffee shop, were internet is free. Nevertheless, don’t expect a good speed. Does not matter where you access the internet in KSA it is always poor and far away from a high-speed connection. It took me now 1 ½ hours just to download my mails, and I skipped everything with huge attachments! So, what can I do…

Next week I will leave to Austria for skiing, looking forward to see snow again, have some perfect days on ski and see my family. Next update when I am back to KSA and work does continue.

Take careAlex

Hi Folks,

here are the pictures from Bahrain’s capital Manama and one pic from the causeway:

Alex

Hurray, Bahrain is waiting for us. On the 23^rd of Feb I went with two colleagues for one night to Bahrain. To be honest this is already the second trip for me, I just missed writing about my first one in January.  On our first trip we were four guys (Rodelo, Frank and Dirk), two of them also Germans which are currently installing our equipment in the hospital. We started on Thursday noon, which was probably not the best time to leave. To go to Bahrain you take the causeway, which connects the island with KSA. This is the only way to get there. As we went beginning of the Feb there was a huge amount of cars heading for the same.  As Saudis getting paid end of the month the pockets are full with money beginning of the month and so they also like to go to this “little heaven” It took us 4.5 hours, without traffic you could make it in 1 hour! So, how does it work?

• Paying the toll for the causeway, no problem
• Getting a piece of paper at the first gate (processing slip or Laufzettel)
• Merge 10 lanes to 3
• Watch Saudi official playing with their guns which result in two shoots of live bullets in the air, uups
• Saudi Immigration
• Demerge 3 lanes to 10
• Customs
• Merge from 10 to 2
• Demerge from 2 to 6
• Bahrain Immigration
• Merge from 6 to 4
• Returning the processing slip
• Entering Bahrain, see this nice welcome message, lean back and smile:

  As you may imagine changing the amount of lanes is a real challenge for every Saudi. I was more than surprised that we survived without scratches! It is a fight for every centimeter in combination with a chorus of horns.

When arriving in Bahrain we rushed to the grocery to get the stuff for our breakfast next day. In Bahrain you have shops, which also sell pork, necessary for eggs with bacon in the morning, :-) And then we rushed to a Philippine restaurant for Schweinshaxe. For the night Rodelo organized a nice apartment for us, from their last visit they still had beer kept for us. So we could drink our first chilled Lowenbrau. Afterwards we went out for nightclubs. Here you get drinks and beer as you wish.  After our perfect breakfast we headed back to KSA. Same procedure, just the other way round. At the Saudi immigration we were stopped suddenly. Frank, one of the installation guys, had no valid visa anymore. It was expired and Saudi refused to let him in again. We all tried to convince them but without success. I was supposed to return to Germany two days later and they told him his visa is valid from the date of first use. Now things changed and the visa was valid from date of issue. Luckily we could call someone, which lives in Bahrain. He came to the border, Rodelo and Dirk went to the hotel to get his stuff and I was waiting with Frank at the border. In the evening Frank got a flight back to Germany and so our weekend was over.Last weekend we went to Bahrain again. This time with Rodelo , Steve and me. Passing the border was quicker this time, because end of the month In the evening we went to the Hardrock Cafe. We had nice food and I could enjoy some of my favorite Vodka Bull. Later we continued to a nice club called F1, but this was too much for Steve. So Rodelo and I had one Becks and left again. However, this is a nice place for party, so I will be back for sure.As weather was nice on Friday noon we cruised thru the city of Manama and I made some pictures. I will upload them to my web.de Fotoalbum and publish the link soon.Enjoy your weekend, cheers,Alex

Well, a lot of things happened during the last month. So it’s time for the next update.

In January I went off to Dubai for almost one week. Reason was the Arab Health 2008, which is the biggest Fair for the Medical world in the Middle East. But as usual my journey was starting with trouble again. At the immigration desk at Dammam Airport in KSA the officer told me my visa is not valid anymore. I was more than surprised, because I have a 6 month multiple entry / exit visa. This is still valid until mid June 2008. So I was arguing with him and showing him in my Passport that it clearly states ‘6 month multiple entry / exit’. ‘Yes, I can see he replied’. ‘So what’s the problem?’ My answer. He: ‘In my computer it says it is a single entry visa only, which you have used in December already.’

BIG EYES and EARS.

So not my problem I think, but no way to pass the immigration. I had to report to his boss. His boss didn’t speak English at all; luckily the guy from the immigration desk came 5 minutes later. He understood my frustration and the problem, but I had to wait for the decision of his boss. After 30 minutes I had to copy my passport and declare on the copy I will report to the immigration office immediately after my return. Departure was already close, so no more time for discussions. I was just asking if they let me in again, in 5 days? ‘Inshallah’ = ‘gods willing’ or in other words ‘who knows’…

Ok, Dubai was waiting for me and 1 hour later I arrived in Dubai. Colleagues picked me up from the Airport. The next day was quite relaxing. I could sleep long and in the afternoon we went to the pre-show from our company. One day later the Arab Health opened its gates. During the four days of the fair I went at nights out to the city when possible. Dubai is a quite impressing city. Construction sites everywhere you are.  Incredible what’s going on there and this is already since a couple of years.  The, supposed to be, highest building in the world is build right now and almost finished. Our hotel was close to it, so you could see it every day going from our to the congress site. They keep the final heights secret, as there is a competition going on between Dubai and other cities in the world. One evening we went close to the Burj al Arab. It is really breathtaking seeing it at night with all this colored light.

Going back to KSA was a headache again. First Saudi Airlines cancelled my reservation, as I didn’t confirm my flight before. I called the guy organizing everything for us.  He gave me the confirmation number, but Saudi Airline still refused to fly me. So I had to get a new ticket from Emirates for a flight later at night. Luckily they are a professional Airline and you can get a ticket on short notice. As the Airport was really crowded in the evening I couldn’t enjoy all this nice shopping you have at Dubai Airport. But I was also tired and just want to see my bed again.  But before, there was the immigration in KSA again And of course they stopped me again due to my visa. This time I was proactive and telling him the whole story from the beginning. Thanks god his boss was just around and after 10 minutes they trusted me and let me pass. It is really nice that you have to suffer personally due to their mistakes…

So, that was my Dubai experience. It is definitely a place where I will go back soon and enjoy a weekend. What’s makes it really nice is the mix of the Arab World with the Western Life Style. Some women are not covered, some are.  You can sit together at night, enjoying a good dinner and a chilled glass of good wine. It gives you a really relaxing and joyful time, like in your holidays.

But before I go back to Dubai there is Bahrain, where I will go.

Alex

Dear friends,

Sorry, it took a long while for me to finally sit down and write again some lines for my blog. So, now I am in a Coffee Shop at the Corniche in Khobar and want to give you an update about the last weeks.  So let’s put on the headphone, switch the noise cancelling function on and start the music. So it feels like no one is around J

I returned back to KSA on the 4^th of January. This time I made it via Bahrain and then with a driver picking me up and driving over the bridge to KSA. This was a more pleasant way to enter the Kingdom as the customs and immigration in Bahrain is quicker. And the way from the Airport in Bahrain to Khobar is almost the same than from Dammam.

T he first two week were very stressfull for me, as I was not in the office for a long time. As you may all know your Inboxes tend to get very full even if you check your mails from time to time during the holidays.  Also I had to take care about a lot of people coming from Germany to work on site one of our big customers. As I am the only German speaking person in my office I pick them up and show them around. So the first day is more pleasant for them.  Every night I was home only after 11 p.m. No time for writing my blog, no time to relax, no time to answer my private emails. But in-between I was able to start brewing my beer. Thanks to this perfect present from my friends on my farewell party in Frankfurt

It was not very difficult to prepare, but so far I cannot tell you about the result. As it is now bottled it will continue brewing in the bottles. This will take another 5-10 weeks. So I have to be patient for the result. I am really excited if it works!

To have more possibilities at home with a computer I bought my own laptop now. So I can install all programs I need for my life down here, like Skype, music, photos and so on. If you like you can Skype me, please ask for my username by mail as I don’t want to distribute it via the internet. Spam is waiting everywhere… the quality of Skype is quite reasonable and no costs at all. And music just puts a smile on your face. Now I just need to wait for the remote control of my Soundbridge to enjoy my favorite music at home. The idiot in me forgot to take it with me from my stay in Germany, and without the remote the Soundbridge cannot be configured.   

I also checked out a new compound in which I would like to move. It comes with a far better apartment and is nicer equipped than the one I have right now. Plus it is a very small compound with only 15 villas/apartments. Of course some of the facilities I have in my compound right now are not available, like big gym, restaurant, and food store and so on. As it is very small it also has not so many nice green gardens and trees around. But the price is far better and more space for me and if possible my guests… As you all know, everyone is most welcome to my home here in KSA and I will give you every support needed to get a Visa. Only for the girls I cannot promise as this very very difficult, not to say almost impossible L

Since yesterday my parents have a visa to visit me here. This went quite smooth without any problems. My assistant did the paperwork here in KSA and my parents, me and my company in Germany the rest. They will come over beginning of April. Then the weather should be nice again, right now it is still raining from time to time and can get chilly at nights and in the morning.

I forgot the pictures today from the last rainy day, when streets are flooded. It is really amazing how quick you have lakes everywhere in the city. It stays for days unless it will be sucked off by a truck.

Tomorrow I am heading to Dubai for the Arab Health. Will be the first time for me there and had a lot of trouble due to this event in advance. Don’t want to tell here on the net, better by mail.

The next news after the Arab Health, will return Thursday evening, my Saturday. So try to get back to you on Friday.

Thanks for reading my blog and the nice mails and comments I receive. Highly appreciated.

All the best, love

Alex

Back in Germany I enjoy the x-mas time together with my family and friends. Although the cold weather is not so nice, as no snow is around me.

I already arrived back in Hanover about one week before x-mas, due to the Eid Holidays in KSA. The Hadj Season took place. I think most of you have seen it in the news as well. Millions of people are doing their pilgrimage to Mekka and Medina the two holy Mosques. Every Muslim should perform this kind of pilgrimage once in a lifetime. So a lot of people coming to KSA during the Hadj Season.

But here in Germany I could organize some things which you can only do on your own. So I was quite busy before x-mas day. Plus I met my good old buddy Fabian in Berlin. As he is also here for x-mas (he is living and working in Buenos Aires, check out his Blog as well http://fabianinba.blogg.de/). As we both are in Germany for a few days only and we wanted to meet again we decided to go to Berlin for 24 hours. And so we did. Fabian arrived by plane from Bonn and I by train from my home. When I arrived at the amazing new Hauptbahnhof in Berlin Fabian was already waiting for me. He just arrived some minutes before. So we went off to our hotel. Of course we stayed in one of the best hotels in town, the Ritz Carlton at Potsdamer Platz. The hotel is really amazing and one of the best hotels I have ever seen. And I have seen a lot! Perfect view over the Potsdamer Platz, an stunning bathroom cover in best marble and heavenly beds.

As it was just about 3 p.m. we went strait out to the Weihnachtsmarkt and the opposite site. First real Glühwein this year After two of these lovely drinks we quickly bought Fabian swimming pants, the Wellness area in the Ritz was waiting for us…. Ok, no details anymore at this point, but Jacuzzi, swimming pool and Sauna was very nice and relaxing

In the evening we went out for a restaurant called ‘White Trash’. Build in an old Chinese restaurant a mixture of Country, America and Trash. A bizarre place but fancy at the same time and staff is only talking English. After an enormous and delicious burger we both were really feed up. So we had to move to avoid falling a sleep. Next stop was the ‘Erdbeerbar’, close to the Rosa-Luxemburg Platz. Some drinks later our strength was coming back and we headed for the ‘Grüner Saloon’. Still a good place for party. But when music got worse we decided to move to the one and only ‘Alte Kantine’ where we spent the rest of our party night. Of course we don’t wanted to go home to late in order to enjoy the breakfast in the hotel. So we left back around 6, for sure not without a real Berliner Döner before

After some hours of sleep we quickly had a breakfast. Luckily check-out was only after 2 p.m. so no problem going back to bed. Fabian’s grandparents also stopped by at the hotel, so he had tea-time with them. I joined later and we had a nice chat. And at 2 p.m. everything was over again, Fabian and I jumped in the taxi, dropped me at the train station and everyone of us was going back.

But this were perfect 24 hours in Berlin and we did almost everything you should do when you are in Berlin!

In 2 days I am flying to Munich for the new years event. I will celebrate with some very goods friends together, happy to see them again!

So once again wishing you a Merry Merry Christmas, take your time to look joyously back, relax and forget for just a few hours your daily routine. May all of you have a wonderfull Happy New Year!

Alex

and here are the promised pictures from my previous post!

Heute werde ich mal einige Zeilen in deutscher Sprache verfassen, da hier einige Inhalte nicht fuer einheimische Augen gut sind und man weiss ja nie, wer so alles den Blog liest…

Also, letztes Wochenende war ich in Jeddah. Das konnte ich sehr gut mit einer Geschaeftsreise am Dienstag und Mittwoch verbinden. Ein ehemaliger Kollege aus Muenchen ist nach Saudi Arabien gekommen, um einen deutschen Kollegen der auch in Saudi Arabien arbeitet zu besuchen. Also eine gute Gelegenheit fuer mich beide zu sehen. Per Zufall habe ich noch einen zukuenftigen Mitarbeiter fuer MED am Mittwoch kennengelernt. Bei ihm konnte ich dann gleich uebernachten. Da wir somit alle im selben Compound waren, also perfekt. Am Mittwoch Abend gab es dann sehr leckeres Essen zu Hause. Shrimps and Fish, garniert mit netten Drinks. Zum Glueck gibt es in diesem Compound die Moeglichkeit, wenn auch fuer viel Geld, an Alkohol zu kommen. Also haben wir die Gunst der Stunde genutzt und den Abend mit ein paar leckeren Whiskey Pepsi begonnen. Ist zwar nicht so ganz meine Sache, aber bei der Auswahl…. Der Kollege aus Muenchen kam so kurz nach Miternacht an und damit auch gleich in den Genuss des Alkohols. Da er aber ziemlich kaputt war bin ich zusammen mit meinem Gastgeber an den Pool umgezogen, um dort der Flasche ein jaehes Ende zu bereiten Da es in Jeddah zur Zeit waermer ist konnten wir die ganze Nacht draussen sitzen. Am naechsten Morgen hatten wir natuerlich einen ordentlichen Schaedel. Aber so ist das eben. Nach dem Mittagessen ging es auf zum Strand. In Jeddah ist der Strand, ein privater, sehr schoen. Das Wasser des roten Meer ist ausserdem sehr angenehem und hat ein sehr schoenes und intensives Blau. Abends gab es ein paar schoene Steacks und die zweite Flasche J. Der Abend endete dann ziemlich identisch wie am Vorabend… Freitag ging es wieder zurueck nach Khobar, Samstag faengt bei uns ja die Woche wieder an.

Dieses Wochende war auch sehr schoen. Gestern gab es von der deutschen Botschaft ein Weihnachtsdinner. Organisiert hatten dies ein paar andere Deutsche, die im Compound gegenueber wohnen. Fuer mich also eine gute Gelegenheit ein paar Leute zu treffen. Es war wirklich sehr nett gemacht. Mit Weihnachtsschmuck, entsprechender Musik und natuerlich Gluehwein. So etwas darf ja nicht fehlen zu Weihnachten. Zumindest war das erste Mal in diesem Jahr so etwas wie eine Weihnachtsstimmung zu spueren…. War dann auch sehr komisch als die Leute bem Verabschieden schoene Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch gewuenscht haben. Aber einige nette Leute kennengerlent und hoffe diese bald wieder zu treffen. Ich bin natuerlich schon ein gewisse Ausnahme in solcher Runde, da ersten alleine und zweitens der juengste. War aber dennoch lustig und alle sehr offen. Daher werde ich naechstes Jahr zur Happy Hour der Botschaft in Riyadh fahren. Kommt man nur mit Einladung rein, aber das sollte nach diesem Abend kein Problem mehr sein Die Party soll eine der Besten Botschaftsparties im Lande sein. Werde es testen J

Heute war ich dann mit einem Kollegen aus Suedafrika unterwegs. Er ist gestern angekommen und soll sich hier informieren ueber die Arbeit. Vielleicht wird er bald unser Team unterstuetzen. Ist ein sehr netter Typ und wir haben uns gut unterhalten. Zunaechst beim gemeinsamen Fruehstueck im Hotel, dann auf dem halben Weg der Bruecke zwischen KSA und Bahrain und schliesslich an der Corniche in Khobar beim Coffee-Shop. Gleich werden wir noch mit unserem Serviceleiter zusammen Essen gehen. Ach ja, der Typ ist auch vom Service und nicht vom Sales. Aber ich habe mich trotzdem dazu bereiterklaert mich etwas um ihn zu kuemmern. Ist allerdings schon etwas schwierig hier, da es gerade am Freitag wenig zu tun und zu sehen gibt. Aber da er ein cooler Typ ist haben wir uns echt gut unterhalten. So jetzt will ich auch langsam zum Ende kommen. Werde noch ein paar Bilder von meinem Compound hochladen. Darauf koennte ihr mein Appartment sehen und wie es drumherum aussieht. Eigentlich ganz nett hier, da recht viele Baeume und Pflanzen. Das macht es dann bunter. Bald ist Weihnachten und in knapp einer Woche fliege ich nach Hause. Freue mich schon sehr darauf Einige von Euch zu sehen!!! Morgen fliege ich aber noch mal kurz nach Riyadh.

Beste Gruesse und viel Spass auf dem Weihnachstmarkt!

Alex