Welcome kayo dito sa Saudi.

[desert fox]

me kumakalat na sabi sabi, in the near future, 89 and below...scrap na at di na mapaprehistro...

phase out system, mukhang iimplementa na din dito...

[chua_riwap]

me kumakalat na sabi sabi, in the near future, 89 and below...scrap na at di na mapaprehistro...

phase out system, mukhang iimplementa na din dito...

sa kotse ba yan?
oo naman. dami bulok na kotse rito. tatamaan yung mga sudanese.
at saka yung ibang kabayan natin, na lokbu na yung tsikot.....pinagtitiyagaan pa.

[desert fox]

sa kotse ba yan?
oo naman. dami bulok na kotse rito. tatamaan yung mga sudanese.
at saka yung ibang kabayan natin, na lokbu na yung tsikot.....pinagtitiyagaan pa.

oo bro....maski din dito...kasi dati kapag laborer ang working permit, di pwede magkalisensya...pero later on pwede na...kaya dumami ang meron sasakyan na bulok....me nakikita pa nga ako, wala na tail lamps...kaliwa at kanan...langya...

marami din tatamaan na pinoy dito....alam naman natin ang pinoy, maalaga sa sasakyan...kaya kahit old model na ok pa din kundisyon...

[desert fox]

di naman pala totoo yung kumakalat na balita sa exit visa....

read...

Passport officials quash

[desert fox]

Expat govt employees to be paid cost-of-living allowance

By ARAB NEWS
Published: Jun 24, 2011 23:17 Updated: Jun 24, 2011 23:17
JEDDAH: Foreign workers contracted by various government bodies will by paid the 15 percent cost-of-living allowance on equal footing with their Saudi colleagues, local daily Al-Watan reported Friday, citing the Ministry of Finance.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah recently ordered a 15-percent increase in the basic salaries of Saudis working for the government as a cost-of-living allowance. It also established a minimum wage for public employees and paid out a one-time bonus. Foreign state workers, such as employees in public hospitals, have been wondering if any of the benefits would be extended to them.
The newspaper said the ministry sent cables to all government ministries and departments to pay their foreign employees the allowance ordered by the king until the end of their current contracts.
The ministry said the salaries for foreign workers in the new contracts would be according to prevailing rules and regulations. It added that the royal directives regarding the cost-of-living allowance and the minimum wages should be implemented in letter and spirit.
The ministry asked all government bodies whose salary scales were not within those established by the government to correct them immediately and to add the 15 percent cost-of-living allowance.
Shoura Council member Zain Al-Abideen Berri described the decision as “very wise” and said the high costs of living and incredible hikes in house rents were not limited to Saudis alone.
“The term (current contracts) used by the ministry means the amount of money the employee gets without other allowances such as transport allowance and others that foreigners are paid, which are less than what Saudis get,” he explained.
Employees in the private sector, Saudi and foreign alike, have not been included in the royal decree. Some private-sector employers have followed suit, either by applying all or a portion of the bonuses to all employees or to just Saudi employees.
However the implementation of these salary bumps were optional in the private sector.
The SR3,000 a month minimum wage only applies to workers in the public sector. The government is the largest employer of Saudi citizens.
Meanwhile Al-Madinah newspaper said Friday that Saudis working in the medical sector would have a new salary scale, including doctors and technicians. It said the Health Services Board and the Ministry of Labor were working on the new scale.
“The move is aimed at boosting the salaries of Saudi employees in this sector and to remove all obstacles that may impede them joining it,” it said.
Expat govt employees to be paid cost-of-living allowance - Arab News

[desert fox]

Aquino asked to address Nitaqat effects on OFWs

By RODOLFO ESTIMO JR. | ARAB NEWS
Published: Jun 25, 2011 23:34 Updated: Jun 25, 2011 23:34
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s Nitaqat system to take effect on Sept. 10 has not only caused Filipino workers in the Kingdom to panic, it has also caused nongovernment organizations (NGOs) as well as labor recruiters in the Philippines to worry.
In a symposium held Thursday in Pasay City, Philippines, they unanimously called on President Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino lll to address the impact of the system on the country’s overseas deployment program.
“The Philippine government must study and prepare for the implications of the Nitaqat system on more than a million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom. We would like to see a more proactive approach taken in explaining the Nitaqat to the workers and their families,” the Daily Inquirer quoted Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, on its website. The center was the co-organizer of the symposium.
Participants unanimously concluded that the policy announced recently by the Kingdom would lead to massive losses of jobs among OFWs in Saudi Arabia.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator, told Arab News earlier that he had received reports about OFWs terminated from their jobs.
Nitaqat aims to apply 205 categories of quotas that vary based on the line of work and size of the company. The Saudi Labor Ministry’s ideal setup for firms is to have more than 10 percent of their employees to be Saudi citizens, the Inquirer said.
Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel lll, a lawyer and also a convenor of the symposium, said that “Manila had no choice but to respect Riyadh’s new policy, which is meant to address the sharp rise in joblessness among Saudi youths.”
“They (the Saudis) are clearly looking out for the welfare and advancement of their own citizens. We ought to do the same by preparing a contingency plan for our own nationals that would be affected by Saudization,” said Pimentel, who is also the president of the PDP-Laban political party.
He added that he would bring the concerns of OFWs and recruitment sectors to his party mate, Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is also the concurrent presidential adviser on OFW affairs.
LBS Recruitment Solutions Corp. president Lito Soriano, one of the convenors, said Nitaqat would affect Saudi-based OFWs who are rehires and who earn and remit more.
Citing government data, Soriano said that in 2009, there were 291,419 OFWs deployed in Saudi Arabia, of whom nearly 77 percent were rehires.

Aquino asked to address Nitaqat effects on OFWs - Arab News

[desert fox]

Does closing shops during prayers serve purpose?

By MARIAM NIHAL | ARAB NEWS
Published: Jul 2, 2011 23:36 Updated: Jul 2, 2011 23:36
Locals claim it is not an Islamic law but a man-made one which may hurt people in medical emergencies
JEDDAH: Residents in the Kingdom have expressed concern over a rule that halts all activity during prayer times, and called for pharmacies and convenience stores to remain open to deal with emergency cases.
In Saudi Arabia all businesses, including pharmacies, stores, gyms and shopping malls, halt operations during prayer time.
“I don't understand why the pharmacy closes down during Salah (prayer) or even a 24-hour convenience store for that matter,” Farah Wahabi, a 33-year-old teacher in Jeddah, told Arab News.
“In case of emergency you cannot even get hold of a bottle of water or medicine because both the corner store and pharmacy are closed. If I have an asthma attack, should I tell it to come back after Salah?”
She recalls many incidents when elders and children with her have needed medical supplies but had to wait till after prayer when business resumes.
Locals claim it is not an Islamic law but a man-made one that has become fundamentally redundant.
Samah Zahrani, a 24-year-old marketing sales assistant in Jeddah, said one of the managers at a medical store in Jeddah told her they could not sell during prayer because no transactions were allowed during that period.
“We are not the only Muslim country. Everyone prays, so why don’t we have any consideration for others? One can pray and another can facilitate ongoing operations. It is not criminal. Why can't they take turns, how else does the whole world operate?” she added.
Another parent argued that it is the likelihood of emergency situations that is leading to questions over why all business halts during prayer time.
“If I fall sick during Salah, or my child is hungry while we wait outside a shop, I have to wait for a while and that may just worsen my situation. Is the point of prayer and worship to be devoid of being reasonable, persistent and considerate of others needs?” asked Firdous Saleh, a 29-year-old HR official. “It is imperative they at least open pharmacies so the old and young can be helped in what may be their hour of need.”
Other GCC countries do not conform to this rule, which most locals find particularly bizarre.
“Why everything comes to a halt midway is beyond my comprehension,” said Saad Amri, a 31-year-old business consultant living in Jeddah.
“I lived in Dubai and in Bahrain. They are Muslim countries too and people pray but there are certain things you cannot shut down instantly,” he added.
All restaurants and cafes also close down prior to prayer time and no one is allowed to enter once the call to prayer is made, leaving most families stranded outside waiting to enter.
Amir Nadawi, a 26-year-old accountant, remembers being stranded without petrol and being delayed on several occasions because fuel stations refuse to do business during Salah.
“Most workers stand outside malls smoking and talking while we have to wait for 30 to 40 minutes in the heat. If the purpose for stopping is Salah, they should all be praying not standing around indolently.”

[desert fox]

Expatriate tenants feel the heat of rent hikes

By FATIMA NAVEED | ARAB NEWS
Published: Jul 3, 2011 21:47 Updated: Jul 3, 2011 21:47
JEDDAH: Expatriates across the Kingdom are suffering due to the steep increase in rent prices, leaving them feeling the pinch.
A large number of tenants said they are suffering at the hands of merciless landlords who increase prices according to their moods. They added that landlords’ pockets have become bottomless wells and they are driven by greed.
Pleas to authorities to pass a law to regulate price increases have fallen on deaf ears.
Currently, there is no clear law regulating hikes in rent. In Dubai, landlords cannot increase rents by more than 5 percent annually.
An interesting trend has also started to occur where landlords are buying villas, demolishing them and constructing new buildings there. They say there is more profit in leasing out apartments due to the lack of laws.
An opinion echoing among all expatriates is that landlords are only increasing prices because everyone else is doing the same.
They said not only are the rent hikes unreasonable, the landlords have adopted a “pay up or leave” policy as they know due to the shortage of houses other desperate tenants will pay up.
Suisse Group AG estimates that the Kingdom will need 2 million homes by 2014 to keep up with the demands of a population that has quadrupled over 40 years.
Expatriates who can afford rising rent prices said they have trouble finding suitable accommodation and often end up settling for something that is not only expensive, but also in poor condition.
They added that the rent increase is not in line with any pay rises they receive, putting a huge burden on them. “Nowadays, a four or five bedroom apartment is being leased at SR20,000 plus. I had to change my apartment because the landlord increased the price from SR15,000 to SR19,000,” said business development executive F. Ali, who lives in Jeddah’s Al-Faisliyah district.
“Another major problem with the rent increase is that landlords are not offering any incentives. The buildings are old and have very little or no maintenance. The price increases are being used to fill the landlord’s pockets and nothing is being done to maintain the building, so residents are losing either way,” said Ali.
L. Ansari, an expatriate doctor who lives in Alkhobar, considers a hike in rent a big issue. Being a father of three, he is especially frustrated due to the rise in school fees.
Ansari also mentioned that in Alkhobar the rent of a two bedroom apartment is at least SR20,000, making it difficult to find an affordable, decent-sized home. To cope with the rising prices, Ansari and his wife are both working.
R. Bhatti, who lives with his wife and two children in Riyadh and is employed in the private sector, is also facing a difficult time in his life due to the rent hikes.
Their rent increased from SR24,000 to SR25,000, an increase that was enough to force them to move to a smaller apartment in the same building.
The new two-bedroom apartment does not have a living room and only one bathroom, despite costing the same to rent as their previous apartment.
Bhatti’s company rent allowance is SR18,000 and the rest comes out of his pocket.
On average, his monthly rent is SR2,100, while the company allowance is SR1,500. The extra SR600 puts a strain on his finances because he only makes SR5,000 a month. He also pays SR3,000 a month for his children’s school fees. Bhatti is left with SR1,400 every month to run his house and meet expenses such as groceries, fuel and supplies. To make ends meet, both husband and wife are working.
H. Kassem is an expatriate who had expressed serious concerns on the increase in rent prices. He works as a marketing manager in the private sector.
He was living in a compound but it was demolished and all the expatriates there were asked to vacate. If they wished to return there, they were offered a place at a much higher price.
Kassem said finding a new place was extremely difficult and attributed it to the shortage of good homes available in Jeddah.

[chua_riwap]

grabe nga yang rent.....magri-renew kami this august.
+SR20k na rent namin sa villa......

[desert fox]

Tickets for littering streets tame drivers


By RIMA AL-MUKHTAR | ARAB NEWS
Published: Jul 3, 2011 23:17 Updated: Jul 3, 2011 23:22
JEDDAH: Jeddah Traffic Police recorded 11,940 offenses for littering from vehicles in the first half of 2011, according to Col. Mohammed Al-Qahtani, director of the Jeddah Traffic Department.
“The campaign was launched in 2010 with the support of Jeddah municipality and ever since we have been issuing tickets to discourage people from throwing trash from their car windows,” said Al-Qahtani.
“This campaign aims to educate and steer people away from dirtying the streets. We have had this problem for a while and we found that charging people money for this act is the best way to keep them from doing it.”
Calling littering “an uncultured and uncivilized act,” the colonel said the number of violations is down from the same period last year when 19,438 tickets were issued.
The anti-littering campaign includes signs to discourage people from carelessly tossing their refuse from their vehicles.
“We have also distributed special bags to be kept in cars so people can collect their trash in them and then throw them away later,” said Al-Qahtani.
The fine for littering is SR150. Al-Qahtani says that some have expressed opposition to forcing people to pay fines for this offense while others fully support the punishment.
Many have responded positively to this campaign claiming that the streets seem to be less littered.
“If I compare Jeddah streets now with the ones five years ago, I would say that people are more civilized and educated,” said Tarik Al-Saadi, a 42-year-old mall security guard.
“Even inside supermarkets and shopping centers, people are asking for trash bins to throw in their rubbish. This only makes me happy because it makes it easier for mall and street cleaners.”
But Pakistani street cleaner Abdulmannan says he hasn’t seen much difference when it comes to cleaning up after families who picnic on the corniche — a popular local pastime.
“They have meals and snacks and leave their trash behind,” he said. “We come every morning to collect the trash and battle the street cats that make it even worse by scattering disposed food and litter everywhere.”