A gig in Saudi - whats it like to work there?

[Judge]

I have been asked to go and light a show out there for a month and I feel very leery about the whole thing. I know that technically I can get whatever we want, but I have major issues with the whole regime and the way they treat people, specifically women and I really doubt I could cope with the whole game of trying top stay "respectful"

Our company has a female artistic director, and four women performers. I have heard that girls cannot even walk around without official escort. This sounds like a hostile environment to me, in all possible ways!

So I would like some intel from anyone who has worked out there. I would like the company to have all the facts before they sign anything. I am aware that the rate of pay can be large, but I really dont think I can let that get the better of my principles so the second part of this is to see if we have any Avo ops that would be up for the job possibly. 15th July to 18th August.

Cheers

j

[paulears]

You need to put these things to one side.

 

If the job was in this country, then principles and perhaps even morals creep into your day to day life and of course the law. While you might hate their regime and two tier society, it seems to work for them, and the 'oppressed' over there don't seem to be particularly upset by it. My first visit to the arab states made me wonder how negotiating this would be, but the surprise was it wasn't really an issue. More of a problem is the two tier status between those in charge and those who do the dirty work, who are often not nationals, and dealing with these people was far more taxing. I found the management/employers to be ok, the imported skilled labour ok, but the local unskilled labour a real pain and something you had to monitor closely. One of the agents we dealt with was a German female and she was efficient and respected by the locals of all statuses.

 

As far as being respectful - just be 'British'. Being courteous is fine. They cut europeans a lot of slack because we often don't behave that well. Your women performers will be treated fine, as long as they don't rub it in their faces. If they stay in a hotel, then flashing acres of flesh will get some dour looks - but oddly, often from the women, who clearly do not like it.

 

My experience is that what I was told was far, far worse than it really was!

[Judge]

Okay thanks Paul, appreciate your thoughts. I have yet to find out anything about the venue or even who the show is for so do not know what we have to deal with in the way of stage and crew. I have been working with the company for five years so regardless of whether I go or not I want their show to be as good as possible and to know that they are safe. It may just be that I go out and focus and program, then leave it with a local tech. I know there are some good skilled people there. What with the "culture" and heat I really dont know if I could deal with it for a month.

[sparkyweb]

I can't talk about Saudi as I haven't been there (well landed as we needed more fuel due to fog in Kuwait but that's another story) but I have travelled around other areas of the GCC. I agree pretty much with what paul has said. It's a great place to work and experience and the media here does tend to over egg the situation.

 

I would say that the two biggest things to consider are the heat and the end of Ramadan which is due to finish around 17th July. Over this time you will find that a lot of restaurants (even those in western chain hotels) will be shut during the day or have limited opening hours.

[richard]

I've had both male and female friends work out there - the males generally find it a lot easier. The main thing is to just be sensible and remember a few key things:

 

- Absolutely no alcohol

- No physical contact between sexes, even if you know the person I would avoid it, especially in public but also be careful with what happens in hotel rooms as people do talk!

- Be sensible with what you wear, I believe even men should generally wear long trousers.

 

It's worth getting in touch with the British Council as, even if you're not a BC event, they have some very helpful guidance sheets for brits working in each country.

 

As Paul says you should remember that you are a guest in another country and that there is no point trying to make a stand and change things while you are there - feel free to blog/write/complain about it after you have left but only bad things will happen if you start to kick up a fuss when there.

 

I have worked in other areas of the middle east and always found the arabs brilliant hosts and had a great time - if you go into this with the right attitude you stand a chance of getting a great insight into another culture!

[Jivemaster]

The first point of contact should be the UK Foreign Office (web site first) for legal information including advice for tourists and workers there. Secondly I'd speak to your GP about travel medicine, especially anything to be taken before the journey.

 

As for your morals, make certain they are based on fact rather than other people's unwise braying. Someone has thought it appropriate for your company to perform there so there should be little problem.

[paulears]

When we were in Dubai, one of the guys brought his wife, and she'd heard all the stories, and got treated very well. One of the band found a shop that stocked booze - but he wasn't allowed to buy it - however, a box with his name on was discreetly delivered to the hotel a few hours later. Walking through the streets with alcohol is not on, but they are tolerant of foreigners who at least try to get it right.

 

I've done jobs in awkward places in the UK that were far more difficult to manage for either race or religious constraints. Taking a female technical person to a male only club, or worse was far more tricky.

 

I've never spoken to anyone who didn't wish to return to that part of the world for any of these reasons - in most cases, boredom, and working practices seem to be the most common. Plenty of female europeans in management and leisure industries - they wouldn't stay if things were awkward, would they?

[Shaggy]

Dubai is an awful lot more liberal than Saudi though. I've met plenty of people in Dubai who are fine working and living in Dubai, but have not enjoyed their Saudi experiences.

[richard]

I would second that about Dubai - it's a completely different kettle of fish there as they have made a concerted effort to attract foreign money

[adam2]

I would agree with those who suggest entirely avoiding alcohol whilst in Saudi. Alcoholic drink CAN be found, but so doing is of doubtful legality, and the drink itself may be of dubious origins and unsafe to consume.

 

Stories circulate of hotel staff recommending discreet drinking dens in which dodgy liquor may be purchased at high prices. These establishments are then raided by the religious police, and the payment of a large cash fine or bribe demanded to avoid imprisonment. A cynic might suspect that the helpful hotel staff, the operator of the drinking den, and the religious police are all in it together.

 

I presume that you are aware that power is usually 3 phase, 4 wire, at 220/380 volts. But other systems do exist, including 3 phase, 4 wire at 127/220 volt and also 3 phase, 3 wire at 220 volt.

 

(I have never been to Saudi, but a friend worked there for years as an electrical engineer)

 

 

 

[Judge]

Well you're not really selling it you know! A few days without drink will probably do me good. So it now seems like a subset of the show will go, just some of the acro boys and no sassy girls at all. So that gets one problem out of the way - and also I am only available for the first 6 days of the engagement, so may put principles to one side, fly in, set it up and program then get the heck out of Dodge.

We still do not know where though, and the problem remains on who to trust to run the show.

[Jivemaster]

Hang on! Has someone booked "the show as known" and you have decided to take half of it out?

[Judge]

No - it has not even been booked yet and I am in no position to take things out anyway, I'm just the LD. However, as the original full show did feature some sexy Colombian dancer/singers shaking their booties this is probably a very wise idea.

 

"As for your morals, make certain they are based on fact rather than other people's unwise braying."

 

Indeed Jivemaster - but it is a fact that Saudi Arabia has an apalling record of human rights violations - as reported by respected news sources and Amnesty International - people who see and hear much more than casual visitors. So we know what goes on out there, and I was not questioning this, rather investigating if and how our show could deal with it. I am sure that plenty of people have gone out there and had perfectly nice times, and you can choose to see or not see things. We cant change their ways. We can make informed choices about whether we want to participate though by bringing skills and entertainment out there. And we certainly should make good judgement calls on what the content of the entertainment should be.

[paulears]

I learned years ago to put my own morals into a little bag and forget them. The best paying shows are always the ones that attract trouble.

 

We did the preproduction days for a new tour - which we figured was a Chippendales type show. In truth, the performers were male strippers, and the content tacky and downright filthy, and I simply hated it. On top of this, I'd got a 16 year old girl working on the show - oddly doing her mother a favour, and had decided based on the Chippendales, that despite being under 18, she'd be OK. seeing a dozen naked blokes with willy pumps and her watching was excruciating. Cross with myself and them for not being clear it was nut just suggestive.

 

Loads of our stuff is controversial, and some horrible.

 

If you can afford to have your morals in control, that's fine - but career wise, I had to switch mine on and off continually. I guess that's a problem for you to manage.

 

Saudi would not concern me. I work with blinkers, and what doesn't impact on me, is not for me, an issue.

 

I get the impression you don't want to go - if that is how you feel, are you able to get out of it?

[Tom_M]

I work for a company that has subsidiary in Saudi and have some experience in working with the Saudis.

 

If any of the company are taking any pain meds with you make sure that the meds don't have codeine in then as possession of codeine will land you in big trouble with the police in Saudi.

 

Get everyone to clean up the contents of any laptops and any external storage (memory sticks, USB disk drives, etc.) that they are taking with them before they go as Saudi customs have been known to look through the files on incoming equipment for files that they would find objectionable. They have a very wide definition of objectionable!

 

Depending on where you are going you female cast and crew may be required to wear an abaya (sorry spelling probably wrong, spelt it phonetically). Check this with your hosts as they will get you to the appropriate souk to buy them.