# I cannot Leave Saudi Arabia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824 "2008-07-09T13:50:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/101 "2008-07-11T14:00:19Z")
Damn. I was hoping for a post-departure exposé. ☹ Oh, well. I guess Paul _could_ smuggle out a manuscript. Maybe with the help of a lover who works in the French embassy? ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/102 "2008-07-11T14:22:51Z")
**Paul** that is great news on the job interview. May it lead to a very profitable relationship for both you and the company. If they hire you, can they use their influence to get you an exit visa so you can return on a clean passport? Or will you not need to exit and reenter for this job? Horrid thought, can the Saudis get upset with you for _not_ leaving when you said you would, even when they won’t give you the exit visa? Best of luck on the interview next week! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/103 "2008-07-11T14:35:42Z")
You have to leave (the country and the employer) to reenter (with a new employer). This is because our visas are tied to our employers. This is the sort of semi-slave system that some American lawmakers want to impose on guest workers. It is sometimes not-so-nice. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/104 "2008-07-11T16:13:59Z")
Best of luck Paul ! Hope to see new user name as **" Paul Back In Saudi "** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/105 "2008-07-11T16:40:19Z")
> [@Desert Nomad](#): > > That Israeli sticker will ban you from lots of other countries too, most of the Mid East except maybe Dubai. Also Malaysia. I forgot that, but I knew it when they put the sticker on, and I made that decision to make absolutely sure I’d never end up in a situation like the one **Paul in Saudi** is in now–or worse, since blood libel still pops up from time to time even in the state newspapers of Israel’s allies over there. Trust me, I’m not losing any sleep over it. By the way, Dubai is a city/emirate, not a country. Do emirates have their own visa rules? That sounds mighty odd to me, but I’d defer to your knowledge on that, since a quick Wiki search has turned up fruitless. > [@Desert Nomad](#): > > I see the US as becoming more and more a dictatorship and a theocracy. So do I. Which is why I’m here taking part in activist causes, doing my part to (hopefully) reverse that trend. I’ve said for a while that if it gets much worse I’m leaving for Canada or Western Europe. > [@Desert Nomad](#): > > I don’t worry about being murdered, mugged etc. Neither do I. Spare me the Chicken Little routine. Murder and mugging are simply not issues for the vast majority of non-gang-affiliated Americans. BTW, **Paul** , congrats on the serendipity! Here’s hoping you don’t run into this mess again in less favorable circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/106 "2008-07-11T16:47:12Z")
This is what we call an “adventure.” We only call it that in retrospect however. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/107 "2008-07-11T16:50:34Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] This is what we call an “adventure.” We only call it that in retrospect however. [/QUOTE] Like the Chinese curse - “May you live in interesting times.” These really do sound interesting for you. 😃 Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/108 "2008-07-11T17:31:29Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] This is what we call an “adventure.” We only call it that in retrospect however. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > “Things _happen_. Usually, they happen to _other_ people. _This_ is _entertainment_. Occasionally, however, they happen to _you_.”~~ **Phil** & **Kaja Foglio** …_this_ we call _adventure_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/109 "2008-07-11T17:34:50Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] I forgot that, but I knew it when they put the sticker on, and I made that decision to make absolutely sure I’d never end up in a situation like the one **Paul in Saudi** is in now–or worse, since blood libel still pops up from time to time even in the state newspapers of Israel’s allies over there. Trust me, I’m not losing any sleep over it. By the way, Dubai is a city/emirate, not a country. Do emirates have their own visa rules? That sounds mighty odd to me, but I’d defer to your knowledge on that, since a quick Wiki search has turned up fruitless. [/QUOTE] I am actually not sure if an Israeli stamp is ok in the UAE (I have no intention of ever going to em Occupied Palestine). I know people have gotten into Dubai while having Israeli stamps and based on my own experience living in the UAE, Dubai is going to let it slide a bit more to get the tourism dollars. No way could an Israeli passport holder get in tho. They certainly don’t look as hard in Dubai as they do in Sharjah or at the Omani border posts. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/110 "2008-07-12T00:37:30Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] You have to leave (the country and the employer) to reenter (with a new employer). This is because our visas are tied to our employers. This is the sort of semi-slave system that some American lawmakers want to impose on guest workers. It is sometimes not-so-nice. [/QUOTE] That’s the way Polish work visas work, too, at least as of 2002. It wasn’t sufficient to leave Poland; the visa had to be issued by a Polish consulate in your country of origin. Enforcement was uneven and usually rather lax for English teachers, though. Some schools would let you slide along on tourist visas. I started working for a school in September with just a tourist visa, but they made me get a work visa on my visit home over Christmas break. I found out they reported all of my pre-visa pay as if it had happened after I entered the country on the work visa in order to keep things square with their tax people. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/111 "2008-07-12T05:36:03Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] This is what we call an “adventure.” We only call it that in retrospect however. [/QUOTE] I believe it was Thornton Wilder who said you know when you’re having an adventure when you’re wishing you were safe and sound back at home. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/112 "2008-07-12T12:29:05Z")
I found the problem. The buyer of the car did not transfer the insurance. (Or something.) It will be fixed by this time tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/113 "2008-07-12T12:32:34Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] I found the problem. The buyer of the car did not transfer the insurance. (Or something.) It will be fixed by this time tomorrow. [/QUOTE] Seriously though…I’d leave. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/114 "2008-07-12T13:12:33Z")
[QUOTE=FarmerChick] What the heck? I really don’t get all the animosity for the Saudis. [/QUOTE] You know, you’re right. My animosity towards the Saudis is completely unjustified. Say - how’s about I fly over and give **Paul** a hand? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/115 "2008-07-12T17:01:37Z")
Thanks but no. Some dogs do better on their own porch, if you get my drift. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/116 "2008-07-12T19:46:22Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Thanks but no. Some dogs do better on their own porch, if you get my drift. [/QUOTE] And some dogs insist upon sitting on another’s porch, even though they’ve frequently had sticks thrown at them. Just from what I’ve read and seen on TV, and a little of what I’ve been told, I feel a pretty strong animosity toward the Saudis. It seems they embrace ideas I’ve railed against all my life. Of course, that’s just me. They do have real nice, sweet crude oil. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/117 "2008-07-13T15:28:48Z")
Actually no. Saudi oil is “sour,” is has a buckeload of sulfur in it. It is low-grade crude. (Over in Dammam we got tanker trucks labeled “molten sulfur” taking it somewhere to do something with it. I give them a wide berth. Just had a phone interview with one of the best companies in the world for my business. I think I got the job! Of course nothing queers the deal like saying that aloud. I am very, very excited right now. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/118 "2008-07-14T16:12:18Z")
Bumping in the hopes of getting new information. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/119 "2008-07-14T16:28:04Z")
I just got a job offer from Sultan Cabose University. (It is NOT in Muscat, some provincial village.) They are offing a lousy 900OMR/month. It must be my haircut, they think I would work cheap. I will make a counter-offer. The exit visa ought to be ready tomorrow afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/120 "2008-07-14T16:30:06Z")
Paul, you’ve been there a while. What do you have to do if you want to just come to the States on vacation for a couple of weeks? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824.md?page=7)