I lived in Jeddah from 1996 to 1998. May be things are different nowadays. But I have a lot of pleasant and unpleasant memories.
I liked: Low cost of living: Food and accommodation are not very costly. Most employers provide either free bachelor accommodation or housing allowance if you are with family. Bachelors usually have a monthly understanding with a nearby restaurant for 200 or 300 riyals a month for two time meals a day for the whole month. Malayalees have a nice time as most of the restaurants are run by Mallus and their food is cheaply available. Puttu or Kappa for breakfast, Rice, meenkari, kozhi porichathu for lunch, chappathi + chicken fry or even kanchi for dinner. Four big Afghani rotis (will fill two people) with channa will cost only 2 riyals.
I liked: The way Jeddah is decked up and decorated for the month of Ramadaan. Every building is decorated with colour serial lights and moving flashlights below illuminate the building. Every lamppost has serial lights. Every fountain in the roundabouts work with colourful lights. It is a great pleasure to take a walk thru Jeddah’s roads during Ramadaan month nights. Also the working hours are just six hours during the Ramadaan month.
I liked: No Taxes and No Interest on loans: If you are working in KSA you have the highest saving potential. Employers provide you with car-purchase loans with no interest, as interest is sin in this country.
Most colleagues advance loans to you when you go on vacation to your home country. You can repay them after you come back. Employers also give you interest-free loans if you have a family emergency. My employer gave me an advance of salary when I landed there, for the first time, and I have to remind them many times to deduct the amount from my actual salary even after four months.
I liked: The afternoon siesta break. Most employers allow you to go home and sleep from 1.30 pm in the afternoon to about 4pm in the afternoon. Offices re-open only after the afternoon prayers. I got so used to this afternoon nap, that it was very difficult to come out of this habit after I left KSA!
I liked: The Marhaba chain of departmental stores. The Al-Baik Broast. The Giant Bicycle art in one of the roundabouts (Human forms, statues or mannequins with heads are not allowed in this part of the world!). Travelled to Riyadh, Gizan, Yanboo, Taif, Khamis Mushayat. Khamis Mushayat, I liked very much due to the cool climate there all the year round.
I liked: Sharafiyah and the its streets with Malayalam signboards on all shops. First time when I went there I suddenly thought I am in Manjeri or Kozhikode in Kerala! I liked the unity among Mallus living and working in Jeddah. I liked the Pilipino community of Jeddah. Hard workers always and they enjoy fishing and scuba diving. I liked the good quality of gold. I liked the price of petrol (it was just 60 halalahs for a litre – 100 halalahs make a Riyal).
I liked the culture of people greeting you “Peace be unto you” even if you are a stranger. And you greet them back “Unto you too, be Peace”
I disliked: The illegal Indian workers. They get into the country using a prayer-visit-visa, throw away their passports, and work in low paid jobs illegally. (May be nowadays the law enforcement is stricter there!). These Indians bring a bad name to other Indians.
I disliked: Mindless censorship of magazines. I did not like getting my “Reader’s Digest” with some pages torn off. I disliked the strict rule of having your original ‘iqama’ (visa booklet) always with you in person when you are outside your dwelling. Every one is prone to forgetting, sometimes.