I suspect that this should have occurred to me before but, as ever, the more obvious things aren't necessarily the first one you think of. This isn't likely to be a comprehensive set of questions, and my answers may not be complete (or even wholly accurate in some cases), but they do represent my own experience and the 'state of play' as I currently understand it. If there's something you wish to know, feel free to shout up and I'll see what I can do to provide you with an answer.

Q: Can I buy the same sort of food in KSA as I can at home?

A: It depends on where home is for you really. If you're into witchetty grubs, then it could be tough. If however you like a normal range of Western, Indian, Thai, Chinese, fast food, Arabic, Lebanese comestibles, then sure it's available. Supermarket-wise, you can find Geant, Carrefore, Tamimi's (part of Safeway group I think), Hyper Panda and a number of other outlets. The only things you can't buy will be covered off in other questions later.

Q: Where can I get a bacon sandwich from?

A: Bahrain is the nearest point to Saudi Arabia that you can legally find pork products, though they are somewhat more expensive than you may be used to. They are proscribed in KSA and anyone found with pork products in their possession inside the borders will have them confiscated and will probably have their passport marked as a transgressor - this will inevitably see the authorities taking an up close close and personal interest in you every time you cross the border.

Q: Can I get on-line deliveries shipped to KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)?

A: Yes you can, but be aware that all delivery of mail is done to PO boxes, rather than a street address. This does sometimes present a problem for some on-line stores, but can generally be got around putting the nearest major road in the address before the PO Box number. For the record, I have had deliveries from Amazon (UK), Amazon (US), Warmoth, Stewart-Macdonald, The Glitter Pot and a whole bunch of others I can't remember right now.

Q: What's the climate like in KSA?

A: The climate in Saudi varies massively depending on where you end up being based. The central area where I am can range from -8C to 54C, though these are the absolute extremes of what I've experienced. The central region is also very dry with humidity running as low as 1-2%. We do though see rain, sometimes torrential, around the months of March/April and November. On the East and West coasts, the temperature extremes are considerably lower but the downside is that the humidity can approach close to 100% during the summer months - this is not very comfortable. In the Northern areas, you also get snow at times during the winter, not enough for a ski run, but it's snow all the same and it has the same perils when combined with a road system. Almost all buildings in KSA have some form of A/C system though, albeit in older buildings these may well be crude in operation - not to worry though, as most buildings are of relatively new construction.

Q: Is it true that women cannot drive in Saudi Arabia

A: Yes it is true, and all evidence I've seen over my 10 years suggests that the men haven't got a handle on it either. The driving standards out here are distinctly variable and take some getting used to. Your first drive out here may well be accompanied by significant levels of adrenalin induced PANIC! You get used to it though and I barely notice it now (well, most days).

Q: What is there to do in Saudi Arabia?

A: Anyone used to the range of activities available to someone living a Western lifestyle will inevitably find that there are many things that just don't exist in Saudi Arabia. For example you will not find cinemas, theatres, public houses, night clubs, sports centres and many other things that invite mixed gender activity (especially that mixed gender activity). You can though find every type of restaurant, coffee shops and shopping centres (malls) on every other street corner. If you end up living on a Western compound though, you may well find that the larger ones will have a facility that can be used for theatre or cinema use, they may well have some form of gymnasium and swimming pool(s). You can of course get out into the desert - it's never far away - but be warned, the closer you are to a town/city, the more likely it is to be covered in garbage and quad-bike tracks.

More to be added on request...