Anyone in Saudi or been there recently?

I've just been offered a new role in Saudi based near Dammam and want to find out about life there.

Obviously I need to know about the biking culture, availability of BMW bikes, but the Riyadh dealer has not responded. ( They still have a K1200S listed on their new stock, kind of indicates where they are I suspect).

Expecting to live in a compound, car will be a 4x4 I think and then it's bikes and water related activities to keep me sane, so fishing and jetskiing.

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

Nigel

Its been a while since i was there

its a nice city or it was in 1991 well Dhahran is (just next door)only 420km to the Shark shopping centre in Q8 (every fast food you can think of)and Bahrain is just over the causeway.but for me no amount of money would drag me out there now i am a civy.
btw the foto was taken in Iraq in 2007

Salam Alikum Nigel,
I was there today, rush hour madness most of the time but Friday is the big prayer day and the mosques were full.

Salam Alikum Nigel,
I was there today, rush hour madness most of the time but Friday is the big prayer day and the mosques were full.

Khobar / Dammam is full of expats of all nationalities. The best are the Brits (naturally) followed by the rest.
Bike scene is OK at weekends and as the HD dealer is local we ride that make. As a club make, the dealer organises runs and events and due to the bumpy and cracked straight roads between towns, there is no need for anything that goes fast or handles. As you mentioned, there is BMW dealer in Riyadh but, I bought my old 1150GSA in Kuwait (now back in Cheshire). East coast is flat and featureless, Camels roam the byways and sometimes the highways. So good lights needed at night.

Good thing about the east coast and a multiple entry/exit visa, we travel to Q8, Qatar, Bahrain (cannot ride the causeway), UAE and Oman.

PM me when you are coming and I'll send my mobile no. Communications are excellent and most of all, fuel is cheap.
Steve Williams
Up nr. Jubail

Before I forget, it gets bloody hot : Motomartin.

Did you make it?

Nigel, Did the job offer fall through?

If not, maybe the madness on the roads have put you off getting a motorcycle here.

Rugged Path said:

Nigel, Did the job offer fall through?

If not, maybe the madness on the roads have put you off getting a motorcycle here.

Click to expand...

I did 3 years in Kuwait, next door (in Mina Saud on the Saudi border). We drove a Toyota Land Cruiser for our own protection, cause the traffic was just insane. The Saudis say its the Indian drivers, the Indians say its the Saudi drivers. As much as I love riding my GS, there isn't any reason in the world to drive one there. They're nuts on the roads there, just nuts.

That said, I'm now working every few months in Rio and they won't let us drive there (we have to have an assigned driver, even to go out for dinner in Copacabana, and we're not allowed to go to the flavellas).