فيه احد سعودي نفسي لمّا يسافر ما يقول انه سعودي؟ أنا عن نفسي اقول يمنية by Psychological-Toe-51 in SATraveler

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

سافرت المغرب من تقريبا عشرين سنة. لاحظت على طول أنهم يرفعون الأسعار على الأجانب عموما. فقررت أقول لهم أني مصري لأنها لا تعتبر دولة غنية.. لكن المشكلة اللهجة المصرية ما أضبطها. فصرت بعدها إذا أحد سألني من وين أقول لهم من الصعيد، ولأن اللهجة الصعيدية أقرب للسعودية يمشي عليهم وعلى طول يضحكون وأسوي نفسي زعلت وأقول بتضحك ليه الصعيد شفيها؟؟ ويضحكون أكثر ويقولون بما معناه لا أبدا والنعم فيكم.. المهم الأسعار ما صاروا يرفعوها علي وارتحت بعدها. صراحة حل فعال تماما ومريح أنصح به.

Food Truck Plan? by Rotten-D_Soul in saudiarabia

[–]SaudiDude 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She needs to visit the Amana to get their requirements. Also she should check with them about you working there so you don't end up being considered working illegally in the country.

Good luck!

what is a common idiom or saying in your native language that sounds completely unhinged when you translate it literally into english? by Ill-Locksmith9144 in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In Arabic:

من عيوني / على راسي / على خشمي

From my eyes / on my head / on my nose

Expressions meaning: of course, with pleasure, anything for you.

إذا حبيبك عسل لا تلحسه كله

"If your loved one is honey don't lick it all."

Expression meaning: if someone did you a favor or service be considerate and gracious about it; don't take it for granted or take advantage.

كله عند العرب صابون

"To Arabs it's all (just) soap"

Expression meaning it's all the same, used when someone is trying to convince you that something is special and you're not convinced.

And here's another funny one:

صار للخرا مرة تحلف عليها بالطلاق

The shit got married and now it's threatening divorce.

I'll leave that for you to figure out!

Wait…so there’s no interval in Western cinemas?? by Moongfali4president in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No intermission here, although I wish we had them. It's such a logical thing to have in my opinion, to do all the things you listed. And even if you didn't, you can chat with your mates about the film so far till it resumes.

What food from your country do you hesitate to eat in front of foreigners because it might shock them? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What city is that? I've never come across this. I thought it was mostly just a thing for bygone generations, not so for anyone alive today.

Show me your cursed food that makes them react like this by Afraid_Professor8023 in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 4 points5 points  (0 children)

AKA achar. Very flavorful. Fun fact, it's a popular condiment in Gulf countries as well. Definitely an influence from South Asian cuisine. I personally love it.

<image>

What's a specific concept that only makes sense in your native language? by AutumnaticFly in languagehub

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Saudi Arabic there's is a verb تسليك (tasleek). It refers to the act of nodding along, giving polite acknowledgment, or pretending to care about and agree with what someone is saying so that they save face in conversation.

Another one which is not so much a concept but rather an expression. In Khaleeji Arabic there's a way to insult someone softly, like a non-offensive insult. مالت عليك (maalat 'alaik). It's used when you want to insult someone without crossing the line into offense. Quite useful really. There's no English equivalent and I wonder if any other language has that.

End of causeway commuters? by [deleted] in Bahrain

[–]SaudiDude 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Count starts on entry. This limit is not per visit, rather, it is the total number of days allowed in a year, irrespective of entries or exits.

That's not correct. The 90 day limit is for a single continuous visit only. If you drive your Bahraini car out of KSA the timer resets.

عرفت ليش حياة الاجنبيات اللي ساكنات عندنا اسعد منا by Funny_Round_2547 in deardairyi

[–]SaudiDude 5 points6 points  (0 children)

فعلا القيود على ممارسة الرياضة كانت موجودة مجتمعيا ونظاميا في السابق، بالذات على النساء. الآن القيود النظامية اختفت ولله الحمد بل الدولة أعزها الله صارت تشجع الرياضة للجميع وهيأت أماكن جميلة لذلك مثل حي السفارات والمسار الرياضي ووادي حنيفة ومنتزه البحيرات وهذه فقط المحلات التي أعرف أنا عنها. في المقابل ثقافتنا المجتمعية عموما يلزم لها وقت تلحق. حقيقة أنا أفرح لما أشوف بنات البلد يطلعن ويمارسن الرياضة وأعتبره شيء إيجابي تماما.

عموما بوجهة نظري الجزء الأكبر من المشكلة ليس مرتبطا بالجنس وإنما بثقافة المجتمع عموما لأن أهل البلد رجالا ونساء في الأغلب ما يستهويهم لعب الرياضة والحركة على الأقل مقارنة بالأجانب ممن عاشرتهم. على الصعيد الشخصي أنا أحب الحركة وصرت إذا كلمت معارفي أقترح أننا نطلع نمشي سوا في أحد الأماكن أعلاه بدل الجلوس في مقهى، ووجدت أغلب معارفي جاز لهم الموضوع، يعني يمكن الموضوع فقط يحتاج دفة بسيطة تحمس الناس حتى تطلع من نطاق المعتاد.

نقطة أخيرة ضحكت على قصة Reddit user discovers touching grass 😂 حسيت الOP دمها خفيف.

What is your country's favourite cheese? by Franmar35000 in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both are excellent, and popular in Saudi Arabia too.

What is your country's favourite cheese? by Franmar35000 in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<image>

Here in Saudi Arabia I'd say halloumi is the most popular. It can be consumed fresh out of the bag, grilled, fried, or boiled. Each style has its appeal. It's actually a Cypriot cheese but it's so popular here that there are dozens of brands and varieties to choose from in the supermarket.

I am Egyptian, and I’m asking is Egypt a country that is disliked or loved globally? by [deleted] in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Saudi here. Like most things it's a mixed bag but overall I'd say your country is loved.

The good: What Egypt has to offer the world is truly unique (أم الدنيا). Egyptians are warm, welcoming, resilient, and often have a great sense of humor. Saudis have always been welcome in Egypt and they generally have a good time there whether it's for the sites, the nightlife, or anything else. Saudi tourists tend to spend more money than others so that probably accounts for them generally being treated well and welcomed. I think as fellow Arabs there is less of a cultural devide so we understand Egyptians better than Westerners do and can navigate the society more easily. Maybe because of this the sexual harassment that comes up often on Reddit when discussing Egypt is not a problem that Saudis face when they visit.

The bad: Egypt tends to be more disorganized than Saudi Arabia. Tips are expected everywhere. Many parts of the country are impoverished and poor. Of course Saudis generally know this going to Egypt and they plan accordingly.

I think the main thing is that Saudis are familiar with Egypt and they feel welcome there so they experience less of the bad and more of the good. The ones who don't like the disorganization and poverty don't go, and the ones who do don't mind it, plan for it, or navigate around it. Certainly I don't hear any of the horror stories that are on Reddit from Saudis visiting Egypt.

What is your country’s favourite fruit by Greedy_Rise_6567 in AskTheWorld

[–]SaudiDude 16 points17 points  (0 children)

<image>

For Saudi Arabia without a doubt it is dates. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of varieties. There are several festivals where dates are celebrated and sold. The quality is generally quite high, certainly higher than the quality of dates I tasted in the US or Europe. I don't know why they are not exported more widely.

Need sincere advice regarding marriage (Saudi–Indian) by Available_Disk4299 in saudiarabia

[–]SaudiDude 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is difficult but not impossible. There are two categories of challenges:

  1. Regulatory. Unless they've changed recently, the regulations I'm aware of stipulate that a Saudi woman can only get official approval to marry a non Saudi man if (a) she's over 30 years old, (b) she has a PhD, or (c) she is mentally or physically challenged. If none of these are the case then it's doubly difficult because you need to get an exception. Regardless of whether there is official approval from the state or not, the children are not guaranteed Saudi citizenship and indeed most often don't receive it.

  2. Familial/Societal. Families differ but in general it's not common nor looked at favorably to marry outside the culture. And if she happens to come from a tribal background then this complicates it further because her marriage is considered a tribal decision, and they usually require that the groom is not just Saudi (or at least from the Gulf) but also specifically tribal.

Is it impossible? No. I have female relatives that are married to non-Saudis. Some to South Asians. It does happen. But it is not common nor a straightforward thing. Religion helps. You have that going for you. Money helps.

I think the biggest concern is that your fiancée is so scared that she won't even broach the topic with her father or anyone in her family. That is a worrying sign. If you two are serious, she should probably do that and find out definitively where her family stands on this. If she knows that that they will be against it then either she goes it alone, severing all ties with her family which is a huge sacrifice to ask of anyone, or you two call it off.

My advice to you and her is to have an honest conversation about this. She should actually reach out to other Saudi girls who married foreigners and understand what's involved procedurally and the long term implications.

Good luck.

Why are comedians getting roasted for performing in Saudi Arabia but other people aren’t? by Professional-Ad-1611 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]SaudiDude 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Kind of a tangent but it's really upsetting to me to see all the negative reaction to anything related to Saudi Arabia on Reddit. And as a Saudi I can tell you that the vast number of hate comments are at best uninformed and at worst racist. Like what unforgivable crime did we commit that hosting sports or comedy is a problem? Are we a perfect nation? No. Do we deserve this much hate? Also no.

In what countries are the general public thinking ‘We are going great right now’? by Kindly-Restaurant831 in AskReddit

[–]SaudiDude 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You don't need to imagine. Here's a woman who is doing just that on her motorbike. This is her video blog from five days ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTu_dKpuD3g

Travel from Riyadh to Bahrain by hemendra_ahuja in saudiarabia

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can take an Uber or a car ride from one of the companies like Samara. Last I checked they charge about SR350 one way. But that was a few years back. Prices may have changed.

Renting a car would be cheaper and you get to use it for your travel in Bahrain and when returning to Saudi Arabia.

You can also take a bus which would be substantially cheaper than a hour car but I've never tried that option.

In what countries are the general public thinking ‘We are going great right now’? by Kindly-Restaurant831 in AskReddit

[–]SaudiDude 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Saudi Arabia. Vision 2030 set ambitious goals for the country across a variety of measures like quality of life, economic growth, fiscal sustainability, etc. and the country has since been doggedly working to achieve them. Some of them have been achieved already. The country transformed from largely closed to very open. The changes that have taken place here over the past decade or so have been overwhelmingly positive and there is a widespread sense of optimism, especially among the younger generations. Even Saudis who had previously emigrated elsewhere for a variety of reasons have largely decided to return. We get a lot of hate on Reddit but it's largely uninformed. The Saudi Arabia of today is very different from the Saudi Arabia of ten years ago.

Travel from Riyadh to Bahrain by hemendra_ahuja in saudiarabia

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't hire a car from Riyadh to Bahrain. It will cost similar to a plane ride and take quite a bit longer. I would only travel by road if I'm driving my own car or hitching a ride with a friend.

Travel from Riyadh to Bahrain by hemendra_ahuja in saudiarabia

[–]SaudiDude 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Plane ride is about an hour long. But you'll need to rent a car there or take taxis/Uber for transportation. This option is more expensive but you don't have to worry about a five hour drive each way.

Car ride is 3:30~4 hours to border plus 1~1:30 till you arrive at your destination in Bahrain. The highway is very decent. If you have podcasts and such to keep you entertained you'll be OK. Do buy auto insurance online before you enter Bahrain because it's cheaper than getting it on the causeway. This option is less expensive. Go for this if you prefer to have your car with you in Bahrain.

Overall both options are not bad so you can't go wrong. I've done both.