GearAz

I am looking to purchase some motorbike and quad bike gear. Looked around at Harely, and Kawasaki, but not happy. Any other vendors around in Riyadh ?

The latest, reason being the spouse (wife) being more educated than the husband. I also remember, arabnews reading that saudi bachelors are marrying more foreign women, than saudi women cause they can't afford the dowries of women from saudi. What are your views on this.

There is lot of stalemate question which require voting... can we take an effort to vote for these questions...I hate to see so many back logs piling up.

Thanks Everyone.

I want to travel to, lost cities, old cities, castles, etc. Oh and where are places to take the 4x4 on the desert.

Is there are any 4x4 clubs here where people get together and go on trails etc.

Well, this is my final part of the 3 part series of obtaining saudi driving license. So for the benefit of all I am adding this as a question.

If you don't know how to drive, you need to register for a Driving course at your regional driving schools. They are located all over the country. And the website is www.rt.gov.sa.

If you have a foreign license, you can register for a immediate urgent course and get your license with in a day.

1. Get a letter from your company, attest it at the Chamber of Commerce. 25 Riyals for attestation.

2. If you don't know your blood type, you need to get a medical report with the blood type.

3. Take copies of your iqama, passport, visa, local driving license

4. Get your driving license translated to arabic. You can get it from services from shops near the driving school area. I got my translated the application form filled in arabic, photos taken all in one stop shop. Cost me 50 riyals in total. You can also get these guys to make a file with all the documents and photo copies needed. I got this done this way. You need 4 photos depending on the license type but 6 Max. But take at least 4 extra photos with you at all times. They tend to loose photos at some times.

5. Go to the first counter (license checking) they will check for all documentation, and will stamp.

6. Next go to the Eye Testing, give your documents, look through the eye testing machine, get the file stamped

7. Head to the Driving test area, Do the Forward and Reverse in the car, don't forget the seat belt, hand brake, neutral gear rules. Instructor will sign if you pass it.

8. Go back to the license counter, give your iqama, and driving license with file to the license checking counter. He stamp the file again. Take back the iqama. Attach firm your original driving license and hand over to the document receiving counter. Pay 100 Riyals. He will give you a pink slip with your photo, and a date and time for the next test.

9. Test are usually from 6 in the morning or after 8 in the night. Be there on time for the test. Hand over your pink slip to the instructor there, and collect the sheet of paper which contains all the traffic symbols and rules and regulations.

10. Time to study. Make sure you learn everything.

11. Your instructor will guide you to the steps on how to use the computer and what type of questions what will come on the computer. Both in english and arabic.

12. Head to the examination all,(follow the instructor). Study while your can. Wait until your name is been called.

13. Go to the computer room, choose the language you want to receive the question in and answer them Good Luck.

14. Guidelines (YOU MUST! get the 1 - 10 Question correct, next question you can get 5 wrong on light vehicles and 2 wrong on heavy vehicle type of questions. Anything more than that you will fail. You got 30 minutes. Its plenty of time, So RELAX!! Don't be in a hurry.

Once you, pass the examiner will call your name, he will attach the your pink slip with the exam results. You have nothing to do here. Just speak to him, thank him and go out of the door.

15. Sit on the bench and enjoy, relax while your name is been called for driving test.

16. Driving Test - Final Obstacle. Make Sure!! YOU See ALL The Traffic Signs, and not exceed speed of 50 Km. You can shift up to 3rd gear. Use traffic signal at all times, Seat Belt, make sure your examiners seat belt if on as well. Traffic signs - STOP, where there is STOP sign don't just drive through STOP the car, look left and right, and wait for your examiner to give go. Good luck.

17. If you pass, you go straight back to first examination hall. Wait there until your name is called. Take the file, make sure your local license is there.

18. File your other results which are attached, take your driving license, keep it with you. Go to the license issue hall, take a number and wait. Here you need to pay 400 riyals for the license. Use riyadh bank, there are few people there, they will agree to transfer the money for 450 riyals. Make sure you go with them and get the slip. Slip should have your iqama number. * you can also do this your self by paying directly to any Riyadh Bank branches.

19. When you are called, take the file show the iqama, show the 400 riyals slip, show your driving license. He will ask you for blood group. If you know you need to tell him exactly what it is, if not attach the blood report to file.

20. Once you hand over, wait for 15 minutes, you will get your driving license.

All in a days work.

Congrats. You got your driving license. OBEY THE RULES on the ROAD. The highest death in saudi is caused by high speed and not obeying traffic lights.

If you guys have anything to add please add.

The fourth grade teacher cautiously approached the subject of sex education, knowing little Johnny's propensity for sexual innuendo. Surprisingly, Johnny remained quite attentive throughout her entire lecture.

Towards the end of her lesson, the teacher asked for examples of sex education from the class.

Bobby raised his hand and told the teacher, "Yesterday, I saw a bird in her nest with some eggs." "Very good example," praised the teacher.

Little Mary stood up and said, "My mommy had a baby." "That's wonderful," the teacher said.

Johnny then raised his hand. With much trepidation and fear, the teacher called on him.

"I was watching the Lone Ranger on TV and he was surrounded by tons of Indians. They all attacked him at the same time and he killed all of them with his two guns," Johnny said, proudly.

Relieved, but puzzled, the teacher asked, "What does that have to do with sex education, Johnny?"

"It sure taught those Indians not to f@!# (you know the word) with the Lone Ranger!"

Good joke.

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But I want to ask you all serious question. When I was in school in europe, in my british school we had a day of sex education. I guess we all ages of 14 - 16. So they thought us about it, and etc etc.. etc.., + about AIDs and the usage of condoms etc.

Later, most of the Asian and Middle Eastern, parents had got upset and complained to the school principle. My mom specially was upset, while my dad was quite happy about it. (I think he was relieved that he didn't have to explain all these).

The they had these session again for all the parents. And after all the parents were ok with it.

My question. How would you react if your 14 year old son or daughter was given this lesson.

I also remember, when I was when I was involved in community service back home, we did a AIDs campaign in major towns in my home country. I was surprised that some medical clinic refused us of putting posters from the UN. Thus most of the bus drivers agreed quite frankly to put these posters in their busses. We also distributed condoms, and people were laughing.

This was serious business, we were explaining, the risks of aids.

But latter, 2 - 3 years later, the Cricket team started wearing the red ribbons, and the campaign picked up. Followed by breast cancer campaigns, with pick ribbons. And various other campaigns followed.

Has saudi conducted, any of these to their comunities, how would they feel about it ?

I know they did a faily good job for the swine flu. But that was a global epidemic. But what about the rest ?

The professor of a European history class at a very conservative Baptist college invited a local World War I "Ace" pilot to lecture to his class about the air war during WWI.

The very weathered-looking old man began his lecture by saying, "I'll never forget one beautiful morning in the spring of 1917. I was flying over the French vineyard country enjoying all of God's natural beauty, when all of a sudden the solitude of the day was broken when a bunch of them German 'fokkers' emerged from behind a cloud."

The students began buzzing over the language used by the old man, when the professor interjected, "There may be some need to further clarify what was just said. A 'Fokker' is a German airplane from that time period."

Guess what the The old flying ace then said, ?

The teacher called on Little Johnny to go to the map and point out where North America is.

Little Johnny looked the map over, found North America, and proudly said, "Here it is, right here!"

"Very good, Johnny," the teacher said. "Now, class, can you tell me who discovered North America?"

So what did the class say ?

Two fathers and two sons went out fishing. They caught three fish. How did they divide them up equally?

Here is the story and scenario. Nuclear war has begun, and each country is launching nuclear weapons, and you have 30 minutes to decided, on 5 people to enter a vault (a bunker, deep underground, living quarters protection against nuclear holocausts). The people you choose will one day repopulate and rebuild earth. They are basically the future of man kind.

You have the following people : Husband and Wife(pregnant), A Priest, Worlds fastest runner in his late 20's, Policemen with a gun, Indian Bio Chemist, A world renown historian in his 50's, A Famous actress in her 20's, Construction worker in his 30s, Financial Analyst, A civil enginner.

Which five would you choose, and why ?

I for a fact, hate to have any questions in voting. I take an hour off, just to read through and vote for all the question that there is in this section.

I have seen lot of people here, expect for some expats the love and care they have for a car... well far below average.

People don't seem to take care of their vehicles.

Question 2 - Do you take care of th vehicles, e.g clean, service at the right time, fix any default immediately etc.

Do you go back and see, what people have said about it or what are others answers until the answer is resolved.

Or

Do you just answer, and forget about it and move on.

I tend to revisit most answers I have written.

This the Part 2 of series of obtaining driving license in KSA. The series will end when I get my driving license. ; ) LOL.

Anyway, so I went today to Dallah Driving School. Got my home country driving license translators - attached it with photos, company letter, iqama copy, passport and visa copy. Made a little file.

Did a Eye test there, then went to the license checking counter, he stamped the file, then went to another section, he directed me to the trial place. Did my trial, (Go front turn left, reverse and park.)

Then went to the payment counter, Payed 100 riyals got a receipt, they kept the file with my home country license. The receipt says come back on Saturday, 6 - 9 in the morning. I don't know what it say.

What do I do from here !! So confused. Anyway, I studied all the material on the rt.gov.sa web site, procedures, guidelines, traffic signals etc..

Is this a normal procedure ?

Apparently, I find out that my International Driving license is not valid here to drive. I am bit confused here, so many ppl say so many different thing and the web site rt.gov.sa has no much of info.

So here is the scenario : I got my countries driving license + international driving license.

Ppl told me the following which I summarized as follows :- need to translate my driving licenses to Arabic, Need a company letter certified by Chamber of Commerce, copies of iqama. Need to hand over 100 Riyals when handing over docs, then they give a date for some theory, then next day test, which we pay another 300 riyals...

Is this all correct ? if not what is the correct procedure ?

I have been around riyadh, trying to find where can I put all the glass bottles.

I know there are lot of trash cans, but Glass Bottles are recyclable. Is there any place to hand over glass bottles in Riyadh.

I check out Orbit, but not impressed ? I need to watch mainly Formula 1. I know somebody said Bahrain Sports Channel when I asked similar question 2 months back. But I still have no idea on how or where I obtain the SAT connection, other than Orbit. Thanks in advance.

First of all, I am kind of repeating this question from previous question I asked.

Scenario : I am wait listed for wired DSL connection, whatever that means from STC ? I have no idea. I though he telecom infrastructure is good here.

Anyway, so I decided to get a wireless connection, My first attempt STC modem with SAWA wireless was a disaster. So unreliable network I ever experience. So I thought of giving a second shot at getting a Wi MAX for STC - apparently it happens to be same 3G network with a wireless router. Its however. much better than the SAWA and cheaper.

But again, reliability is very poor. I moved around in the house I get all sorts of different single bars. But the connection remains the same. (most of the time down, or very slow, even with full bars and sometimes fast).

This is last draw with STC, now I am opened for Options. There is Mobily and Go for my options. Mobily offers same as STC but in the long run the connection is expensive, compared to STC and GO. Go very good price, but I have no idea about there company and connections. But they have good customer service.

So people, Let me know what are the options I have. What would you recommend ? I really need a good reliable stable connection, else my HALO 3 ranking gonna go down real bad.

How's the connection and download speed compared to 512KB or 1 MB DSL connection from STC.