While you have seen positions for teachers in Saudi Arabia, you would still require a sponsor. If you applied for any of the positions, the institution which hires you would be your sponsor.

If you choose to take a position in Saudi Arabia my advice would be to not acknowledge your sexual preference to avoid problems.

Personally I think every place in the Kingdom has something good to offer. However, Jeddah or Damman are more open cities.

Good luck!

Thank you for asking! I am feeling great!! I will not know for a few months yet on how the experimental drug is working for me. I have to receive several cycles of the drug before I get a scan. I will certainly let you know. In the meantime I have more energy than I’ve had in a long time. I love it!

Thanks for keeping this amazing and wonderful blog. I wish you the much health and good strength in your battle with cancer.

I found your blog because I am interested in coming to KSA to teach for a year or so.
I have two very pertinent questions:

I am an unmarried 27 year old woman. I read on footprintsrecruiting.com that they had positions available in KSA for women over 27. How does that work?
Am I allowed to come on my own to teach? How does that work with the guardian system? I’ve tried to get someone from there to answer that question, but I haven’t had an answer.

Secondly, I’m gay. I know that homosexuality is punishable by death in KSA. I intend to be celibate, to be safe. Could I be punished if they found out, that I am, even if I haven’t acted on it?
And one less pertinent question:
What is the best place in KSA to live?

How much do you know on how the Saudi way of life damages men and boys? What I mean is things like being forced to leave wives or children in other countries. I know it is a choice that the Saudi man does this but the fact is that there are times he must chose between them setting up issues and damage to him and his life. How about how the family or government exerts itself against the individual males wishes. Has there been any discussion on this that either you have done or maybe others have discussed? In other words, can we hear the other side’s issues and pressure to conform along with the damage it has done to young men and boys. I would think that you might have had some insight into this and the issues it causes.

I see now that a western man on a compound would not be able to offer rides to his transportation challenged cohorts aka western women. Also if he showed up at the Dept that issued the Iquama he would be deeply suspect especially if he was a teacher/doc/engineer.

It’s hard to get my head around how this all works. It’s why traveling is great.

It does seem odd that with the segregation and no women driving that unrelated men and women can be alone together in a car!

However, whoever is driving a single woman should be registered (via iqama or other id card) as a driver by profession. While there are women who will catch rides or go places with men from a compound, they take a calculated risk that they would not be stopped and asked to provide id.

Best Regards, Carol

Women can’t drive so must have male drivers. They can hire drivers. These are men that they are not married to nor relations. Conclusion the one place an unmarried man and woman can be is in a car?? Could a western woman catch a ride with some man on her compound? Or does the driver have to have some kind of special license to drive women? Could a young Saudi man interested in meeting women get a license to drive women? (I’m just trying to grasp this)

As always thanks for information.

Regards,

Annie