Working & living in rural Al Quwayiyah (2015)
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| Salim & Saeed (Both from UK) - Streams in the desert - Near Al Quwayiyah, KSA |
Our financial situation in South Africa forced us to a certain extent to accept teaching positions in Saudi Arabia. We had to live on a single income in South Africa, and was barely making ends meet. We were in debts and wanted to get out of it. Previous colleagues of ours who worked with us in Oman told us of a new Educational project in Saudi Arabia, with which they got involved and told us that they were looking for more teachers. I was lecturing law in South Africa, but Pearson was paying so little that we could not even afford to rent an apartment on our own, and still lived with my parents in law. Saudi was a good opportunity to pay off all our debts and maybe even buy property when we return after the completion of the two year contract we signed. Our plan to stay for 2 years did not work out as we were faced with difficulties beyond our control. Our working and living arrangements in Al Quwayiyah was extremely challenging, and we lasted only 6 months. We taught ESL at vocational colleges in Al Quwayiyah. Education in Saudi is not co-ed, so I taught at the male college, and my wife at the female college on separate campuses about 2 km apart. We were not the only ones, the turn-over rate for teachers was 80%. To read more about our experience in Al Quwayiyah from a professional standpoint please click here.
To say that Saudi Arabia is an extreme culture to work and live in is probably the understatement of the year, especially as a Christian. We faced opposition not so much from the Saudi culture or people, but more so from our colleagues, with whom we had to live and work with 24/7. The culture of the company that employed us did not make things easier. At least we managed to pay off all our debts upon our return and have a honeymoon, we never really had, in Mauritius. I have worked in challenging places like Sudan and Somalia before, but this was by far my biggest challenge. There are however good experiences and memories that we can take away with us. To have worked in a rural dusty Bedouin town gave us a unique and privileged view of the Saudi way of life, culture and heart. We were overwhelmed by the love and acceptance from the Saudi people with their extremely hospitable and giving hearts. In that respect we walk away with fond memories.
The photo expose will tell the story of our time in Saudi in visible images. One cannot get a tourist visa for Saudi, so people who gain access are those who work in Saudi. There are many expats in Riyadh and other bigger cities, but very few get to set foot where we got to, so the photos reveal 'uncharted' territory.
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| Ansu on Al Quwayiyah hill - Highway to Riyadh in the background |
About Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is an Arab sovereign state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land area of approximately 2,150,000 km2, Saudi Arabia is geographically the fifth-largest state in Asia and second-largest state in the Arab world after Algeria. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast and a Persian Gulf coast. Most of its terrain consists of arid desert and mountains.
The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia (Al-Ahsa) and Southern Arabia ('Asir). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia has since been an absolute monarchy, effectively a hereditary dictatorship governed along Islamic lines. The ultra-conservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam has been called "the predominant feature of Saudi culture", with its global spread largely financed by the oil and gas trade (Wikipedia).
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| Souq - Al Quwayiyah |
About Al Quwayiyah
Al-Quway’iyah or Al Gwei'iyyah is a small town in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. It is located 175 kilometres by road southwest of Riyadh. As of the 2004 census it had a population of 18,275 people (Wikipedia).
Teaching at the Al Quwayiyah Vocational College
Campus
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus |
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus |
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus - Basketball court |
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus - soccer field |
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus - Main entrance gate |
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus |
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus |
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| Al Quwayiyah male college campus - Foundation year teaching block |
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| Turki, one of my students |
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| ESG hallway slogan |
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| ESG hallway slogan |
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| My desk in my classroom |
Students
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| Students |
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| Mohamed |
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| Class in session |
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| Class in session |
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| With Satam and Jeashaan |
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| Turki |
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| Salim with students |
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| Salim encouraging the team before a match |
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| Class activity |
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| Taking a break |
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| Nasr - students brought tea, coffee and snacks every day....lots of sugar |
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| Dates....regular snack |
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| Choccies |
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| Nasr handing Ali his coffee |
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| Satam & Mohamed |
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| Turki with his camel - He sent me the photo |
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| Brothers - Yusuf and Satam |
Socials with students
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| At the winter sunset college BBQ |
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| BBQ picnic - Saudi style |
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| Mustaffa |
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| Snack time |
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| Group selfie |
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| Selfie |
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| Nasr |
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| Saeed the IT guy taking pics |
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| Having fun |
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| Saudi treats until BBQ is ready |
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| Bonfire |
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| Enjoying the view |
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| BBQ time |
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| Bonfire & BBQ |
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| BBQ |
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| Dinner with students during a social held at college |
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| Yusuf & Satam at a social |
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| My students rented this 'holiday' house for an evening and invited Salim and I for the fun |
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| Yusuf & Satam |
Living in Al Quwayiyah
Our home
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| Road that passes the main compound on the left |
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| Recreational area - Main compound |
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| Ansu - First day of work |
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| Main compound - Single female 'chalets' |
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| Ansu and I had a chalet here until we could move into our villa |
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| Single female 'chalets' - Fake lawn |
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| Ansu at work - in our chalet |
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| Our mini kitchen |
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| Our Bedroom |
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| Studying in the common area of the main house |
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| Married couples compound where we had our villa, on the right |
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| Our villa & garden....with real grass |
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| Swimming pool area |
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| Inside our villa - Ansu hard at work |
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| Ansu playing housewife |
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| Desert area across from our compound where I often went for solitary walks |
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| Desert plant |
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| Solitary tree |
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| Desert sunset |
The town
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| Al Quwayiyah town square ..... mild 38 degrees Celsius |
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| Central downtown Al Quwayiyah |
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| Street scenery - downtown Al Quwayiyah |
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| Fresh produce Souq entrance |
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| Ansu on her way to the blue 'Drive-Thru' ATM |
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| 'Drive-Thru' ATM......only in Saudi |
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| Fresh produce Souq |
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| Fresh produce Souq - Fruit and veg shop we frequented |
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| Dates vendor - Fresh produce Souq |
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| Syrian restaurant - Al Quwayiyah |
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| Main Road - Al Quwayiyah |
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| Main Road - Al Quwayiyah |
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| Road - Al Quwayiyah |
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| Road - Al Quwayiyah |
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| Al Quwayiyah town |
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| Colorful truck - Fuel station, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Saeed enjoying his curry dish - Truck stop restaurant, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Chicken & rice dish - Truck stop restaurant, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Truck stop restaurant, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Truck stop restaurant, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Our waiter |
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| Yemeni restaurant we frequented for their whole rotisserie BBQ chicken |
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| Rotisserie BBQ chicken |
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| Ansu on a bench outside the plastic shop - Al Quwayiyah |
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| Main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Street scenery - main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Materials for sale at the main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Yemeni perfume shop Main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Street food - Main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Sunset sky - main souq in central Al Quwayiyah |
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| Farmer's truck - Our neighborhood, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Villa wall - Our neighborhood, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Laborer's room - Our neighborhood, Al Quwayiyah |
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| Restaurant Salim and I ate at once - Al Quwayiyah |
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| Our meal |
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| View of Al Quwayiyah from a nearby hill |
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| View of Al Quwayiyah from a nearby hill |
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| Ansu on a hill - View of Al Quwayiyah |
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| View of Riyadh highway |
Engaging with the locals
A Community organization invited all the teachers on an authentic cultural trip and event. They took us to an old school to explain the heritage and history of Al Quwayiyah. In the late afternoon and evening, they showed us true Bedouin hospitality at a camp ground where we were treated with horse riding, Falconry, authentic BBQ dishes and activities around the camp fire. They then concluded the evening with a ceremony where they awarded us various gifts.
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| Ansu and our company bus at a site they showed us - Al Quwayiyah |
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| An old school that has been restored |
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| View of the Al Quwayiyah hill - taken from an old school that has been restored |
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| With Salim and Saeed at the cultural event |
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| falconry |
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| Bedouin camp |
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| Horse riding |
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| Gift ceremony |
'Streams of water in the desert'
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| Dam near Al Quwayiyah |
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| Stream in the desert after a rain shower |
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| Stream in the desert after a rain shower |
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| Dam wall |
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| Dam wall |
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| Stream in the desert after a rain shower |
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| Saudi's see this as an event - Picnic goers are everywhere |
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| Picnic with Salim and Saeed |
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| Stream in the desert after a rain shower |
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| Enjoying the cool water |
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| Late afternoon with Salim and Abdul-Aziz |
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| Late afternoon with Salim and Abdul-Aziz |
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| While we were exploring our neighbourhood, locals stopped and gave us snacks. They then propped their baby into Ansu's arms and took a photo shoot |
Trips to Riyadh
About Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and most populous city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau and home to more than six million people. The city is divided into 15 municipal districts, managed by Riyadh Municipality headed by the mayor of Riyadh, and the Riyadh Development Authority, chaired by the governor of Riyadh Province, Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud. It has been designated a global city (Wikipedia).
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| The road outside our villa compound that marks the start of our journey to Riyadh |
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| Al Quwayiyah to Riyadh highway |
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| Al Quwayiyah to Riyadh highway |
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| On the ESG bus to Riyadh for a weekend away |
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| Al Quwayiyah to Riyadh highway scenery |
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| Al Quwayiyah to Riyadh highway |
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| Al Quwayiyah to Riyadh highway - Near Riyadh |
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| Al Quwayiyah to Riyadh highway - Rocky outcrop |
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| Main road entering Riyadh from Al Quwayiyah |
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| Riyadh |
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| Riyadh |
Staying at Seder Village Motel
Once a month we had a company sponsored weekend at the Seder Village Motel, which I refer to as a sanity break from the challenges in Al Quwayiyah. The stay included a buffet brunch every day.
Seder Village Motel is located in Seder Village, a western style compound in Riyadh. The village has three outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a gym. It also has a small shopping center that one can buy the basics and of course a lovely big dining hall for buffets and a ’la carte. The Motel consists of single rooms and 2 bedroom suites, each with a fully equipped kitchen and direct access to the motel's swimming pool that overlooks the lounge. The premises are secured by the National Guard and the Seder Village security team.
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| Entrance to motel |
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| View of village from Motel |
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| View of village from Motel - The start of a relaxing weekend |
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| Motel |
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| Seder village walk |
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| Seder village recreation office |
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| A Western house - Seder Village |
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| There is also a salon .... with a foot spa |
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| Seder village dining room |
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| Seder village scenery on a rainy day |
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| Seder village scenery on a rainy day |
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| Seder village scenery on a rainy day - main swimming pool, taken from Dining room |
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| Seder village scenery on a rainy day |
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| Main swimming pool |
Riyadh malls
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| Mall entrance |
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| Cell phone booth - mall in Riyadh |
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| Mall interior - Riyadh |
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| Applebee's dish - Riyadh |
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| Milkshakes - Riyadh |
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| Ansu at Shakeaway - Riyadh |
High tea at the Ritz Carlton hotel
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| Ritz Carlton access road and hotel - Riyadh |
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| Ansu at the Ritz Carlton hotel fountains - Riyadh |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel fountains - Riyadh |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel - Riyadh |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel - Riyadh |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel fountains - Riyadh |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel lobby ceiling - Riyadh |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel courtyard where we had high tea - Riyadh |
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| Our waiter |
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| High tea at the Ritz Carlton hotel, Riyadh |
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| In the hotel lobby |
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| Our high tea snacks and treats |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel entrance - Riyadh |
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| Ritz Carlton hotel entrance - Riyadh |
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| Ansu in front of the Ritz Carlton hotel entrance - Riyadh |
Environmental protection & awareness project: Community outreach in rural Saudi Arabia
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| Giving a lesson on littering and recycling |
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| Shane the PBL teacher teaching students how to make a windbreak and paraffin stove out of recycled aluminium cans |
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| The final product |
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| Teaching students to make posters on MS Word |
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| Abdul Aziz busy making a poster |
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| Desert clean-up & Restoration project |
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| Desert clean-up & Restoration project |
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| Nasr picking up litter |
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| Saad, Satam & Yusuf |
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| Helping |
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| Picnic afterwards |
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| Later Pizza.... |
We were sent to Bahrain on a visa run. We did not manage to get visas and after 11 days in Bahrain had to fly back to South Africa, having to leave most of our stuff in Saudi behind. Upon our return to South Africa, we decided not to return to Saudi.
