Response to corporate wives considering a move to KSA:
To some extent we all live in social bubbles. In Saudi Arabia the bubbles are more clearly defined, particularly for women, specifically manifested in the requirement that women wear an abaya cloak in public. For Muslim women the bubble is even more tangible and restrictive. Compound living allows for a slightly bigger bubble.
Message to women in Saudi Arabia: You can be happy living in the bubble of your house, your chauffeured car, your fitness club, your women's group, your friends' salons, your kids' school. And periodic escapes to other countries with more freedom.
Restrictive, yes; Dangerous? no.
Happy? chacune a son gout.
Most will say that pursuing a vocation greatly eases the feeling of restriction. That vocation could be a homebound one, such as book editing or telecommuting. As in most countries, foreign residents need permission from the government in order to work here; however, there seems to be a tacit understanding allowing wives to work at schools without a labor permit. This provides a worthy vocation for many women; sometimes simply volunteering at a school a few days a week provides a sense of accomplishment and socialization. (Noted that our school once hired an accompanying husband -- his wife taught at a nearby college -- who was immediately shunned by the school's HR and Government Relations Office, as men, without exception, must have work permits.)
To some extent we all live in social bubbles. In Saudi Arabia the bubbles are more clearly defined, particularly for women, specifically manifested in the requirement that women wear an abaya cloak in public. For Muslim women the bubble is even more tangible and restrictive. Compound living allows for a slightly bigger bubble.
Message to women in Saudi Arabia: You can be happy living in the bubble of your house, your chauffeured car, your fitness club, your women's group, your friends' salons, your kids' school. And periodic escapes to other countries with more freedom.
Restrictive, yes; Dangerous? no.
Happy? chacune a son gout.
Most will say that pursuing a vocation greatly eases the feeling of restriction. That vocation could be a homebound one, such as book editing or telecommuting. As in most countries, foreign residents need permission from the government in order to work here; however, there seems to be a tacit understanding allowing wives to work at schools without a labor permit. This provides a worthy vocation for many women; sometimes simply volunteering at a school a few days a week provides a sense of accomplishment and socialization. (Noted that our school once hired an accompanying husband -- his wife taught at a nearby college -- who was immediately shunned by the school's HR and Government Relations Office, as men, without exception, must have work permits.)
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