Many apartment buildings here in Jeddah are constructed in a similar fashion – imagine several really long train cars lined up and more stacked up on top 4 or 5 deep. The differences come in the finishing materials and the color of reflective windows chosen. Many of these buildings are built in identical pairs.
My theory is that the owner of the buildings builds one for himself and his family, and the other to rent out as income.
Of course this is only a guess, but I would imagine this is true in many cases.
Many apartment buildings also have business space available on the ground level, providing additional rental income for the building’s owner.
About This Blog, and About Me: Susie of Arabia
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is KSA's 2nd largest city and is located on its west coast, right on the Red Sea. I moved here in 2007 with my Saudi hubby. This journal reflects the things that I see here, life through my eyes, my lens.
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JEDDAH DAILY PHOTO 
My husband is in Jeddah Saudi right now working he has been there for almost a month now. He has told me that there are a lot of places called “compounds” that only non-saudis live there. They are owned by different businesses that hire out of the country and then put up there employees there.
Yes, there are many compounds for foreign workers here in Saudi Arabia. They are usually a small community completely surrounded by a huge wall and have armed guards. Inside the compound walls, life is very similar to what one might find back home – women don’t have to wear the abayas and can play tennis or ride bikes, things they cannot do outside the walls of the compound.
susie i heared that many saudis can’t afford to own their own homes, and there was a piece a while back in the paper sayin that many landlords don’t even want to rent to saudis anymore.
How sad, that in this day and age and in a country as rich as it is, the standard ordinary joe can’t afford to buy homes 😦 Trae x
That is really sad – but why don’t landlords want to rent to Saudis any more?
I have an identical twin brother so I can understand …..
Wow, lots of twins.
Do most people own their own apartment? Here renting is not too common.
From what I understand, most younger couples cannot afford to buy their own place. Many are given a place to live in the same building owned by one of their fathers. There are many rentals here, ranging from apartments to villas.
Seems like uniformity rules in that aspect. I kinda like it.