Being a Single Expat Woman in Saudi Arabia | Expats Everywhere 

She needs to be respectful. I would love to hear Adhan 5x daily

well said!

Because people they're so jealous of her 👧this lady she is telling the truth she honest lot's of luck and happiness for all those people working in Saudi Arabia🇸🇦🇸🇦

Me too. She looks sad.

Khatuna KT if I were in that position I would be too. I go nuts when I can’t go places.

She acts like she is in prison. Like I'll be glad when this contract is over

Sameee

Why is she acting like she's in a concentration camp da f??

I mean I m hearing alot from non Muslim westerners like families that it is a wonderful place If you like the party alcohol and crazy life of course it isn't for you

Thanks for the comment. Here's a couple of things to think about. This person lived in Riyadh for several years before moving to Hofuf. Uqair Beach is about 100 km from where she's currently living and she doesn't have car. Another thing is that your perspective on life in Saudi is going to be vastly different to hers because you're a local and she's a foreigner. This channel is all about the outsiders perspective. It's awesome that a local like you wants to help out, but we also want people to get an idea of what life is like before they move there. In saying that, if you'd like to give an expat interview about life in Illinois for people to watch, we would be more than happy to set up an interview with you. What do you think? If you're down to, email us at expatseverywhere@gmail.com Thanks again for connecting to our community. We'd love to hear from you.

Of course she’s stuck on the compound. Saudi Arabia horribly abuses its woman and forces them to cover from head to toe in the desert and makes them have a “male chaperone” if they want to do anything like they’re a toddler. It’s a disgusting horrendous misogynistic medieval culture. It makes me sick to my stomach how you treat your women.

λεβελ γυπα > 1000

I am Muslim InshAllah I would like to move to Saudi one day but I would not enjoy living on a compound

Thanks, Evangel! Good to hear from you. Great perspective. We have a new Saudi interview coming out soon. Hope you like it.

Going to up your videos right now!

Thank you for your comment..To be honest she sounds like a disgruntled individual regardless where she lives from her spirit and energy..first thing she said was “unfortunately they have prayer 5 times a day and good thing it’s tuned out” She went to a country that is hyper religious so RESPECTING their culture is a must..im moving to work between UAE and Saudi this fall as a medical diplomat (in USA an advance nurse which is a nurse practitioner) and I have connected with a black American teacher from New York and a white Canadian registered nurse and both are living their best lives..they stay fit healthy and cute They are dating one currently engaged to marry a man from Yemen in December they travel a lot and go out they both been there 5 plus years and love their jobs too..I pick up on energy and her energy speaks “miserable and bitter”” You attract what you! Playing victim will always make you unhappy regardless where you are located..im heading over to your channel thank you for commenting

@@dr.aliadixonnursepractitio6473 "They are dating one currently engaged to marry a man from Yemen..." You proved her point. There is no fraternizing or dating Saudi men with the intention for marriage in Saudi Arabia. Some compounds are all women! I can see how it would be frustrating month after month being shut away from the opposite sex. It's ILLEGAL for a woman to talk to a man in public who isn't a spouse or family member.

@@Mmmmkaaay I didn't prove anyone's "point" again one of them are engaged soon to be married who said they are "out" in Saudi except YOU..Reading is fundamental..I don't go back and forth with people who try to pick a comment that they are unable to comprehend correctly..However have a good day..

Abdullah, that was very nice and sincere message. We agree with you. Without a genuine opinion from our interviewees, this channel wouldn't work. We appreciate people like you that respect people's opinions. Personally, I found my time in Saudi just fine. Nearly every single person that I met on a personal level was lovely and kind. There is a cultural divide between the two that our viewers need to see. If some people can't accept those opinions, that's fine. They can express their opinions as long as there is no cursing or harassment. We really appreciate viewers like you. Please share the video with others that you think would appreciate it. We wish you many blessings on your journey in the US. Thank you. Sincerely, ExpatsEverywhere Team

hiii

She is obviously super uncomfortable living in KSA, open about it but also super polite and carefool about her wording. To me this seems its just about the money. I'm just watching this videos as i was offered project in KSA but as someone from Europe i'm starting to see, way to many downsides of working and living for a year in KSA. I may get some extra money - but not loads as i will be still employed by the same company, i may get some working experience and cultural experience. But thats it, for that i will pay with my personal freedom.

Thank you for supporting and understand our interviewee. You hit the nail on the head with Jenn.

Janis DavisJanis Thanks for being honest I really liked What you said. Many expats never leave the compound and socialize and then describe the country as a jail. Kinda hard to hear people saying bad things about you without respect while they are living with you.

Thanks for giving an alternative view to life in S.A. I am sure the woman in this video is a nice person, but to be honest she was offensive in this video with her constant critiques of the culture. If you were not okay with the culture of the place then you should not go to a particular place.

Me Bcn 100% We appreciate you recognizing that and commenting.

It's not that bad. From our understanding, she's still living in Saudi. It's probably her 7th or 8th year at this point.

my friends live in saudi, internet is censored some ways. u cant access porns or illegal music or movie downloading sites. u cant access torrent site but rest is pretty much accessible. people use VPNs to access such things.

@Mitch 1066 then stay in your country.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

😂😂😂

@Fahad M. Marry me 💜💜💜

I have a different perception about Saudi. I worked and lived there and I am at the moment in Philippines and I would love to go back there again. I think it's about how you use your lenses.

@@missangela4255 by lens u mean put your blind fold on? U r only fooling yourself here...none buys into that delusional crap.

Thank you for the comment here and the detail. Just as a point of reference on Jenn, she has lived in Riyadh as well but most recently Hofuf.

@@ExpatsEverywhere thank you also. i picked that up from her interview but she seemed like she isolated herself in the compound and i wish she went out more so she didn't get that bored.

@@WA-ge5jo :-) Yup, to each their own, right? We think it's more fun to go out and explore and learn, but we respect others that are more of homebodies or need certain familiarity to go out. Again, thanks for watching and commenting.

@ismail adam she needs to complete her contract

Don’t go. It makes me sick to my stomach how they treat their women. Like they’re some sort of property that needs to be covered and hidden and “chaperoned”. It’s vile. It makes my stomach turn.

Thank you for coming into the comments and proving how sick and twisted middle eastern people are towards their women.

Im saudi girl its not as bad as she said shes exaggerating.. I see a lot of americans in the supermarket no body stares at them and if we do stare we just want to help out or give friendly smiles.. were normal people like the rest of the world.. saudis are very educated and we understand your culture u can dress up the way u like as long as its not very skin showing clothes. the men treats women with respect meaning if they see you carry heavy things theyll help u out and if were waiting in line theyll give u their turn.. u have to come up here your self to see the respect youll get in this country dont take words from anyone.

@@cnacma Nobody asked for your opinion.

@@noramakeup7595 I thought it's illegal for a man to speak to women in public.

Thank you. Have you had a chance to see one of the videos from a guy's perspective?

@@ExpatsEverywhereyes

@@09smike Ok, great. Let us know if you need anything. Thanks again for watching.

@@09smike This interview was done 4 years ago and lots of things has changed since then . Also, she lived in Riyadh but she talked mostly about Hufuf , a small town. Your experience as a guy in a Riyadh or Jeddah now will not be the same as a woman in a small town 4 years ago.

Hi, you're writing in the past tense would leads us to believe that you've moved. Have you lived there recently and would you be willing to do an interview so people can her your perspective?

It's many years since I lived there.....but I am kept up to date on what has changed by a NZ friend who was there before I arrived and who is still there since I left. If you have questions I would be happy to answer them.

Thanks.

Many Americans are scared of Arabs :P Even living in the Arab countries

@@ameritas2 I would like to hear more about your experiences here in KSA! Are you from America?

Yes, this video is getting on in years. Let us know if you’d like to be interviewed for the channel. We’d love to update our Saudi content. If you’re interested, email Kalie at info@expatseverywhere.com

Cost you nothing to saying something nice

For us personally, the several people with EE that have worked in Saudi haven't experienced an attack or intentional harm while living there. Being a pedestrian or jogger can be a little dodgy, but personal safety in Saudi is actually quite good.

We're not 100% if Jenn is still there, however, she was there at least up to 2020. We've not spoken to her since then or heard from others that know her.

There are pros and cons for sure. None of us have ever been to jail but I'm sure it's not how Saudi feels. There are certainly restrictions but they're mainly due to climate and culture. Have you visited other places in the Middle East, Alice?

No I have not but have friends who did. I believe women are not allow to drive, in Saudi. Women can't work without permission , to go out on their own. I class that like living in a jail. Yes that is their culture where women have so few rights.

why are you bothered ..?you have same sex marriages ( against the nature) you have people doing s...x with animals ( bestiality) nobody is bothered.....

women can work without permission.

Alice 2, she's made it her own jail, I lived there for 8 years, never felt like I was ''locked up'' it is a state of mind.

Yes, compounds are guarded. Some are guarded more than others. Not all compounds are completely foreign but in general, yes, it would be mainly, if not completely full of foreigners.The one she lived on was small but with 100% foreigners.

Thanks for the love and support of our content. We'll try to keep putting genuine interviews out for people like you. Also, thank you for commenting in a respectful way. Great stuff.

I stopped listening to her after she said that they are lucky they are only hearing one of the 5 prayers. She is very disrespectful of the country that she chose to do her job at. I bet she wouldn't earn what she is earning in Saudi in her hometown.

She understands the culture and finds it to be sexist, oppressive and intolerant. That's her opinion based on how she has to live there.... you just don't like her fact based opnion.

Yes I said the exact same thing! She is a miserable self entitled who’re women..so disrespectful about prayer This world need PRAYER a million times that’s why the crime rates are low there because they respect higher powers..she is the epitome of being alone with cats!

not who’re but white woman* autocorrect sorry

We hear that all the time. Hofuf has a bad reputation. It's very conservative and tradition and all around sleepy. Thanks for commenting.

We're continuing to source interviews be on the lookout.

if u r in front of women u can wear loose cloths u wont understand unless u see it lol

Jewelssparks thank you 🙏

Seems like a prison interview. if the Yoga day is the hay day of your week, you are fucked.

The only liberal country in the Middle East is Israel. All the rest horribly oppress their women and treat them like property. Make them cover themselves in tarps. Have to “chaperoned” by a man. It’s so disgusting. Makes my stomach tie up in knots when I think about it.

You can try countries in North Africa, like Morocco or the Gulf States, like UAE. They have vibrant cultures, lots of variety in cuisines, and lots of shopping. Some of these countries have night life as well. These countries don't have dress restrictions and have many expats or visitors.

@@cnacma israel is far too dangerous and boring And mmm excuse me but what?! Tunisia and Lebanon are completely liberal countries but bad systems And there's very good tourism countries like UAE and morocco I don't know much about tourism but there might be even much better tourist sites across the region

Thanks for the comment, Fahad! 😊

Thanks for your comment. Why do you think it's ridiculous?

Yes, it is possible.

Karen Farr You’re welcome. We have several female teacher’s perspective on Saudi Arabia. Thanks for the share. Let us know if we can help with anything else.

Expats Everywhere, it’s a pleasure. We are on our 9th year and soon to be 4th country, abroad. Videos like the ones you create are a vital part of helping new teachers learn about what they are walking into.

Karen Farr Truly humbled. What you said is why we do it. We’re just trying to grow this thing so we can get even more content out there for those that find it useful. Thanks for the help. 🙏

If you want more current information from a lecturer who teaches at a university in Riyadh, search for the channel of my friend. His channel is simply named James Foster and I usually find his content by searching James Foster Saudi Arabia. He tours the city and shows off the place and explains the significance of it, among other content. He also gives historical commentary and other cool stuff.

Yeah, except if you are for example gay in this country. Then will easily end up in jail, then maybe executed. In public.

Thank you.

Thanks for the support. The compound situation is different in Hofuf compared to Ryiadh or Jeddah for example. Even at her old job at Princess Nourah University, the female professors like her were discouraged from going out for whatever reason.

@@ExpatsEverywhere They were discouraged but that doesn't mean you have to listen. Saudi people like Americans. I know several. They are all very friendly :-)

@@KatErina-ii6ru Yeah, a few of us here have worked in Saudi and we always felt love. The people were curious and friendly in a very respectful way.

Me Bcn Good question. The AC inside gets cold so you might want to bring something for indoors and during winters, the temperature really drops at night so mornings can be cold. Just don’t bother packing heavy.

@@ExpatsEverywhere thanks so much!👏😉

Me Bcn You’re welcome. Thanks for the comment.

You can get the Bible app on your phone. That'll work. On the compound, women do wear whatever they like. However, in a university setting, women need to dress professionally by Saudi standards, which means covering at minimum knees and elbows because they'll remove their abayas once they're inside the all-women campus.

Thanks for the reply. Is a real ink and paper Bible allowed in the country?

That's a great question. We're not 100% sure to be honest as we never engaged officials on the topic, however, if kept on one's person and not in one's luggage, it probably wouldn't be checked. From what we understand, you're not supposed to bring it, but we met several Christians that just used an app. A bible translated into Arabic could be particularly dangerous.

Not being able to bring a Bible or biblical literature is absurd! How can that seriously be enforced?

@@lockergr Hmm, this is a tricky one. While it's not a law on the books, the Mutttawa (religious police) have in some cases been known to confiscate non-Islamic religious material. You're not going to find a Bible in a book shop, but bringing one is okay. It's not advisable to read it in public.

From what we know, she's still there working and not against her will.

As an international school teacher? Try Search Associates or ISS.

Stuart had no problems meeting people in Riyadh. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dlGFJ2s1ZP4.html There's a certain bias in the media but no women are definitely not sexualized there. Here's an article on freedom of expression. www.dw.com/en/freedom-of-expression-ranks-low-in-saudi-arabia/a-47120447

Thanks for sharing. If you have any other questions about Saudi Arabia, let us know. You can email us at expatseverywhere@gmail.com or watch some other videos for alternative perspectives on Saudi Arabia. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OjWru8HkyJ4.html or ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2bL9yavNu8Q.html

Well, it's Michigan. So there's that.🤣

@@Mmmmkaaay what do you think Lady of what she is saying ?

@@dontaco5459 I think that she is just speaking from her own perspective. I mean, I imagine it's a culture shock when someone from Saudi Arabia comes to America for the first time. So of course it's going to be a culture shock for an American when they go to Saudi Arabia, especially for a woman who is used to doing what she wants, wearing what she wants, etc. And I also know that if you're going to go spend a long time with a certain culture, you better read up on everything so you know what you're getting into.

Looks can be deceiving. It's just her personality. She's actually really great, but just not bubbly. She very blunt. She likes Saudi Arabia well enough.

She's definitely traveled a lot around the country.

@Mitch 1066 lol I see you in every comment what's wrong with you? Did Saudi's do something horrible to you? Why so much dedication to hatred? 😂

Hi Nap, thanks for the comment. Would you be willing to do an interview with us so we can tell your story in Saudi?

Well, actually she probably was told that by one or more expats, as alcohol is "basically" forbidden in Saudi and it's readily available in most westernized countries. Since women in her position really can't go anywhere (except shopping in a designated nearby area), it would make sense that expat teachers who suddenly can't drink would justify it as a good thing to cut down on their drinking and lead a quieter, less partying, more s,ane and introspective lifestyle...which is good. So, she was told this by other expats, obviously, and that would make sense in their unique situation.

Good question. Yes and no. The dress is more conservative there. On a foreign compound, basically anything goes as long as you're clothed and within reason. Off the compound, it's best to wear an abaya out of respect for local culture.

At the time of that interview, if a woman doesn’t wear abaya , the religious police would yell at her. But recently some Saudi women went public without abaya and others started wearing very colorful and fashionable ones ( totally different from the black she had to wear at the time ). The way things are changing in Saudi , I could see foreign women not required to wear abaya. Already , I’ve seen foreign women not wearing it in some places.

Do you mean "adhan"? Could you explain what was disrespectful?

@@ExpatsEverywhere auto spell , i spelt it correct but Google decided other wise. I feel she could have waited until the call for prayer finished . Why choose right at this time ? People are preparing to pray while she is interviewing looking very unhappy . This time me is disrespect

@@babeena_gt_3645 Our apologies on the disrespect. The reality for us is that we didn't take away prayer from anyone else by disturbing them as we were in a private place. Furthermore, she doesn't personally adhere to the prayer times as she's not a Muslim. For our non-Muslim viewers, this shows a bit of the reality of living in Saudi Arabia. That authenticity is something that we seek to show in all of our videos and although it wasn't our intention to capture the call of prayer in the background, we did decided to continue the interview instead of editing it out so that others that aren't used to it could hear it. In our opinion, it's a beautiful thing and wasn't meant as disrespect.

@@ExpatsEverywhere what a kiss ass, PC, white guilt reply. Please have some moral back bone. You r not doing close minded societies and people any favors by caving in - do u want them to stay intolerant and not understanding of other free thinking cultures and societies. HERE IS WHAT a real reply looks like... a reply that helps people in seeing view points outside the Islamic laws. I am from the middle East originally now a citizen of a free western nation who travels the world. I have the kind of job that requires for me to travel outside of the tourist safe zones (according to the US embassy RSO). So I am talking real stuff here. Here goes: Jews follow Jewish rules of respect / protocol towards their religion, so do Hindus for Hinduism, Buddhists for Budhism etc. Other than Islam no religion expects people of other religions to follow their religious rules/protocols. It makes sense for Muslims to not records interviews during the loud prayer call but why should the non-Muslims be forced to observe the same Muslim rule. The person u r replying to who complained about recording during azaan shows the kind of (religious) imposing intolerance of the Muslim lands like Saudia. Hence the frustration and sadness shines through in the voice of this free western lady being interviewed DURING azaan in a PRIVATE room with NO Muslims present in the room on a PRIVATE compound full of NON-Muslims... So No the interview is NOT intolerant YOU (the person complaining about interview during azaan) is intolerant towards the people who r not Muslim. Not just intolerant you are actually oppressive by forcing them to follow the rules of your Islamic religion. Truly tolerant societies, religions or people don't impose their rules and religion on others. PERIOD.

Wtf?! Why on earth it's disrespectful?? No it's not, stop spreading ignorance Adhan is just calling for prayer there's nothing wrong they recorded during it But you maybe meant that they intentionally picked that time to record adhan, regardless there's no problem recording during that time

No, it's not. If Jen reads this, she can contact you but we're not in that business.

Expats Everywhere, I'm sorry you took my comment seriously, hence the smiley face. It does look like one of those video dating sites, and aside from the good information provided, I was transfixed by Jen's wonderful demeanor and facial expressions.

Sorry, I didn't pick up on that. We get all sorts of comments from native and non-native speakers so it's really hard to read sarcasm on here. Forgive me for not picking up on it. We're glad that you like the information. Was there some specific reason that you clicked on Jennifer's video? Is there any content you'd like to see on our channel?

Expats Everywhere, I was researching life in Saudi Arabia, which started with a video where a reporter made the comment (repeating the official story, but I believe to be erroneous propaganda) that 15 of the 19 (9/11) terrorists came from SA. Your videos, naturally, we're offered in the mix. Thanks for what you do. I think it's a good primer to prepare women AND men, on what to expect in SA.

Interesting research. Is it for a university paper or journalism? You wouldn't see women without abayas on just walking around the streets unless it's on a compound or in the airport. Feel free to contact us at expatseverywhere@gmail.com if you have any more little queries.

hisham hiisham - wow...that's so kind to not kick women so long as they wear a garbage bag. Sounds awwwwwesome.

Hi Hisham, thank you for watching the video. We ask a standard set of questions and everyone's answers vary from person to person based on experience. In Al Hasa/Hofuf, the "dress" is far more traditional as you probably know. So based on her experience it's far more conservative. Let us know what you think of the other videos.

@@ExpatsEverywhere I am sooo confused that Jennifer expressed her safety concerns, yet remain in the country? I presumed if there was/is an imminent threat, the US Embassy would notify US Citizens not to travel to the US quite similarly to Mexico, North Korea, Yemen, etc. She mentioned about getting attention in Riyadh due to her dress, but in various cities there are non-Muslims and or Muslim women who likewise do not cover their hair, face, and/or hands. It seems this slightly pretentious, particularly since scores of other women of European ancestry have worked in KSA and were no more noticed than the sand blowing through the air.

@@khalilhood6176 We don't know what to tell you. It's her experience living there after all.

@@ExpatsEverywhere I just figured as a producer you would ensure the content (narratives) were logical, and made sense. However, since this is the Internet, you probably do not have to (required) have any standards. Nevertheless, thanks for replying.

She keeps her own passport but the management is mixed. If you'd like your Saudi story to be told, write us at expatseverywhere@gmail.com and we'll set something up.

How can someone take your passport from you?

Jenn knows some Arabic, yes. She's not fluent though.

Yes.

Hi, back at you. :-)

You are right if a person does not like your country they should leave, it seems a lot of your own people are leaving as well.

Alice O'Hagan yes every person and every country have choice

Alice O'Hagan did u ask those women at ur self about ur bullshit !!

I have friends who have worked in your country, why would they lie. Why is so many media programmes show the same, so is everyone lying. No country is perfect, but we can talk about the differences, the right to live with out fear in any part of the world should be what we all want to achieve. ?

Alice O'Hagan everyone lying !!!!! you talking about lie and you lier how u know everyone in saudia arabia !! again u bullshit