I. Where is Dhahran, Arabia?
Take a look at the map.

II. What is the weather like in Dhahran?
Check the current temperature.

III. What is Dhahran like? Did you like living in Saudi Arabia?
    As you can tell from this web site Dhahran made a big impression on me. The desert can be a very interesting and beautiful place. It is very different than other regions of the world.
    Dhahran is the headquarters of the Saudi oil company ARAMCO. ARAMCO was originally American owned but was later sold to the Saudi's in the 1980s. Dhahran is mostly comprised of ARAMCO employees and families but some contractors and other workers live there as well. I am an American that moved to Saudi Arabia when I was 2 years old. I spent much of my childhood attending the American school in Dhahran.  I participated in sports (baseball, soccer and tennis) like most American kids. It is too hot for American football so this is not played in an organized league. For the most part growing up in Dhahran is alot like growing up in a small town in the USA, except that you are in the Middle east. In the last 10 years Dhahran has become more westernized than ever before with fast food chains, satellite TV, the internet and parts of Saudi Arabia opened to tourism.
    Dhahran is a compound or contained town much like a military compound. It is a fenced in, access controlled area. It is by no means a tiny place though. Dhahran is totally self contained with its own recreation facilities (pools, tennis courts, raquetball courts, weight rooms, golf course, arcade, movie theatre playing out of date movies, putt-putt golf, incredible SCUBA in the Red Sea, private beach, BMX track, youth center and tons of desert for motorcycle riding). Dhahran also has its own commissary (supermarket), mail center, snack bar (horrible food) and dining hall (also horrible food). Dhahran is split into two sections, main camp and the Rolling Hills. Each contain there own school with the Jr. High School being located in main camp. They are not seperate communities only seperated by a few miles. The Hills was created when Dhahran was expanding. The schools in Dhahran are excellent covering K-9. Most of the facilty are American or British and are some of the best teachers I have ever had. After 9th grade the non-Saudi students must leave Dhahran to attend boarding school in Europe or the states. This is a scary experience at first but it makes you grow up. You also recieve a first rate education. I don't regret going to boarding school but I would never do it again either. Once at boarding school you can come back to visit summer, spring and Christmas. Students that return for vacation are called "returning students".  Some of the best years of my life were my "returning student" experiences. That's another story though. :)
     Main camp is the older portion of Dhahran while the Hills was built during the 80's when ARAMCO was hiring like crazy. Dhahran looks alot like parts of Arizona. Check out the pictures I have posted. The older houses have a 50's feel to them while the newer Dhahran Hills homes have an 80's townhouse feel.  The living conditions are very nice.  Air conditioning and electricity are free. We used to keep our AC at a steady 72F 24 hours a day.  This habit would get me into trouble after moving moving back to the states. Dhahran is the size of a small to mid-sized town. There is no rush hour, almost zero crime and not always alot to do. However people tend to make close friendships. The friends I grew up with there are still some of my closest friends in the world and we have managed to stay in touch after all these years. This is no small task considering that we are now scattered all over the world. (See the reunion section)
    Outside of Dhahran lies the Saudi city of Khobar. Khobar is not as nice or tranquil as Dhahran. The city is polluted and can be very crowded at times. Khobar is not owned by Aramco like Dhahran is so you must be more aware of your surroundings and the Arab culture. Khobar has become suprisingly westernized since the Gulf War. American fast food places and stores have popped up everywhere. These are thing you never would have seen prior to the 90's. This has also caused some anti-westerner sentiment by fundamentalist groups. It is a safe place to go as long as you are respectful of the Arab culture. Khobar is where people go to do shopping (clothes, antiques, gifts, special food items, etc...) Driving there is quite challenging and considered risky by some. You often see abandoned or burned out cars on the side of the road to Khobar.  The rule of the road seems to be anything goes and every man for themselves. Americans will find driving in Khobar total chaos. Culturally Khobar is an Arab city. You must respect Saudi culture and remember you are a visitor in this country. This means women must dress conservatively, not necessarily covered by a veil like the Saudi women, but long sleeve shirts and pants are recommended. Woman also cannot drive or work outside of Dhahran. This is something that irritates many western woman understandably so. You can find more information on this in the culture section.
    There are people from all over the world working in Saudi Arabia.  Many people from India, Pakistan and Asia work here temporarily to make money to support their families in another country. Saudi Arabia has many different cultures and nationalities present. I found that I became very open to other cultures and peoples by living in Saudi Arabia.
    For me Dhahran was a great experience. I moved there as a young child though. Most of my friends loved the experience as much as I did. I would go back to visit in a second. This is impossible though since visas are very difficult to obtain. This is what keeps Dhahran very small and closed off.

IV. Will I experience culture shock? What is the Saudi culture like?
    A great guide to a first time trip to Saudi Arabia is the Saudi Arabian Culture Page on the Saudi Embassy Website. (warning the site is slow.) I did not write this but it is a good guide to Saudi customs and culture. I believe it is written from a conservative stand point. Especially for life in Dhahran. However it is a good reference for the first time visitor. I guess it is better to be over cautious your first time in Saudi Arabia.
    Many Ameicans do experience culture shock when first moving to Dhahran. This is especially true for the adults working there. I have never experienced this first hand since I was always a student when I lived there. I can only go by what I have heard from people who moved there with their families for the first time. There are many differences from living in the USA.  For instance, alcohol is against Islamic law so is illegal. That means no beer, no wine, no liquor no nothing! However just because it is illegal doesn't mean you can't have a beer or mixed drink while in Dhahran. It is definatley accessible inside of Dhahran. Descretion is everything when it comes to drinking. I will leave it at that.
    Another difference is that you must have a satellite dish to get American television. This is something that has become available in the last 10 years. I remember in the 80's only have one station. If you wanted to watch TV you had to watch the 10 year old sitcoms or documentaries that ARAMCO aired. It was really awful. (Sadly Channel 3, the Dhahran TV station has been closed) Consequently I didn't watch alot of TV growing up which is probably a good thing.
    An important thing to remember about Saudi Arabia is that you are a visitor and you do not have the same liberties as you do in the USA. There aer mnay cultural and ideological differences. Magazines, books, movies, and endless other materials are often censored by the Saudi government upon entring the country. Material that is considered acceptable in western countries is not always acceptable in Saudi Arabia. You must dress conservatively when traveling outside of Dhahran. It is advised that you don't travel outside of Dhahran with women that you are not either married to or related to. They may be considered prostitutes if you do. The religious police, the Matawa, have been known to cause problems for westerners not obeying Saudi customs.  This isn't true inside Dhahran however. You also do not want to get into any sort of criminal trouble in Saudi Arabia. It is not the place you want to do jail time or get in any sort of legel trouble. In Saudi Arabia your rights are very different than in the USA. Another major
    Saudi Arabia may sound like a harsh place from my description of the culture but this is not true. As long as you respect the culture and remember that you are a visitor you should have no probelms. Saudi Arabia and the neighboring countries can also be a beautiful and exciting place to visit. The people can also be very gracious and friendly. Living in Saudi Arabia has been one of the best experiences I my life.

SECURITY CONCERNS-

In recent years there have been security threats such as the Gulf War, Dhahran bombings and 9/11. Terrorism is also a new and very real threat. This has obviously raised concern for many Americans. You definately need to be careful when living or travelling in the Middle East. It can be a potentially dangerous place. We cannot advise you whether you should travel to Saudi Arabia or not. We do recommend researching the country and political situation thoroughly though. Our site can help you do this.

V. Tell me about the religion? What are some facts about Islam?
Here is some basic info on Islam. Check it out.

VI. What is the geography like in Saudi Arabia?
Check out ArabNet.

VII. How do I find out more about ARAMCO?
Take a look at their website.

VIII. How do I find a job in Saudi Arabia?
Take a look at the the Dhahran Home Page Job Search.

IX. What do I need to do before my first trip to Saudi Arabia? What should I know?
Before you step foot into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia it is important to become familiar with the culture and laws. There are many rules and customs that you MUST be aware of while in Saudi Arabia. The Consular Information Sheet for Saudi Arabia outlines this important information and is a MUST read for the first time visitor to Saudi Arabia.

X. More detailed information on Saudi Arabia can be found at ARAB.NET.