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American women in Saudi Arabia approx. 1984

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

I just posted about snakes in Africa and then I found this interesting letter that I'd written to my kids in the 80's. I'd found a customer who was moving here.  His dad had been working in Saudi for many years and they were able to make lots of money with the first $90,000 or so being tax free.  During the 80's that was a lot of money.

New things learned from my customer.  In Saudi, women are thought of as nothing.  Her husband will have to drive 187 miles to the airport to get her through customs.  If he doesn't arrive, she doesn't leave because no women can go through customs alone.  They live that far (187 miles) from civilization.

Saudi has no booze.  It is illegal in Saudi.  Thus, for the Americans who want to drink, they quietly provide "on base" housing with a special room set up for the still.  Of course it is illegal but the room is just there, with proper outlets, plugs, etc., for a still.  They make several gallons at a time.  They can brew light or dark and guests take their preferences.

If a woman commits a crime over there, she is not punished, the husband or owner is punished.

The Americans working over there make lots of money and send it to the states and sock it into CDs.

These few paragraphs may not state things as they are today but are just a part of my past history as a REALTOR. 

 

Comments (5)

Gregory Maley
Sold Buy the Sea Realty & R.E.N.T. - Wilmington, NC
REALTOR, GRI, CBR, SHS, e-PRO, ABR
I think $90,000 tax-free is still a lot of money!  Sad way for people to live.  My little girl dog has just come over and poked my hand as I type.  I suppose she's saying she's glad to be an American.  :-)
Dec 24, 2007 02:05 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
Gregory, that is so funny.  Tell your girl dog that we are all proud to be Americans!  Thanks for comments.
Dec 24, 2007 02:09 AM
Sean Allen
International Financing Solutions - Fort Myers, FL
International Financing Solutions

Hey Barbara,

That is a very interesting bit of Saudi Information. It is amazing the backward mentality many counries have, but I'm sure they don't see it as backwards.

Sean Allen

Dec 24, 2007 02:40 AM
Cindy Jones
Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA
Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News
In 1981 when my husband was on a TDY assignment to Saudi Arabia he wrote a couple of letters about life in the "tents".  He thought it was interesting to see nice cars sitting by the side of the road.  When he asked his counterparts why, they replied that the cars had run out of gas and since they had so much money from oil they just left them and went and bought a new one.  Wonder if that is still true today?
Dec 24, 2007 03:05 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Sean, thanks for comments.  We girls are surely proud to be in America.

Cindy, that's interesting!  I'd never heard of that one.  We'll have to check on it. 

Dec 24, 2007 09:01 AM