Settling into Sana'a

This is by no means an extensive guide, but just some of my observations about how I and other people got basic things done.

If you plan on making Hijrah to Yemen and you don’t speak any Arabic, best you start studying hard. I wouldn’t recommend single sisters making hijrah to Yemen without any ansar to assist them upon arrival and for the rest of your life in the country.

Finding accommodation:

You can go into apartment blocks and knock on doors to ask the occupants if there are any apartments available. Most apartment blocks have a “haris” watchman and he will know everything about his block and if nothing is available, maybe he can phone a friend for you. You can also look for an apartment through a real estate office, but this method is for muhajireen with a bigger budget.

Single sisters without mahram may have problems signing a lease contract. Many landlords won’t even consider allowing a sister without mahram lease an apartment from them. It is not to be nasty but because if anything happens to you, he might be held responsible. Some landlords will lease an apartment to you once you have a letter from your employer saying that if anything happens, the landlord will not be held responsible. This is a serious issue in Yemen, for example, if you see someone lying in the street in need of first aid, don’t help! If they die and you are with them when they die, you can be charged with murder! That is what I have heard – I have not seen myself any reports of it actually happening, just that it could happen.

Rent prices for small apartments that are decent and have clean water pipes and no vermin start from around $US150 per month (small apartment). The average for a decent 2br place is $US200-250 per month. (approximate prices at time of writing).

Utilities: Reminder – if you don’t speak Arabic, study!

Electricity: You can pay electricity at the post office, which is a hectic place. Queuing is not well established in Yemen, in fact, orderly queuing is not well established in many countries. So to pay your bill at the post office, you need to get in and mix with it and inshaAllah the men will get out of your way. More likely, all electricity issues will be dealt with by the haris. Make sure you see the electricity bill rather than just take his word for it that it costs 20,000 riyal. In reality, a monthly electricity bill will be in the vicinity of 5000-7000 riyal.

Blackouts are regular all over Yemen and are usually scheduled. If you live in the fancy areas, blackouts rarely occur. Brown outs are also a feature of the electricity system. You will find during brown outs that any appliance that generates heat – toasters, microwaves, kettles, hotwater systems, and flouro tube lights will slow down and sometimes become inoperable.

Water:
I don’t actually know if there is a town water supply in Sana’a. Out in my area and most areas I have seen, all the houses and apartments have water tanks that are filled up regularly by water truck. Water is a few thousand riyal per month (no more than $US20 per month). Organising a water truck is normally done by the haris. Be careful of paying, the haris may increase the amount for you because you are a foreigner.

Internet: If you want the luxury of internet at home, Yemen telecom is the main provider. Personally I would not bother with the hassle of getting connected and the monthly trip to pay the fees. Internet cafes are cheap and many have separate women’s sections. Ten minutes at the internet cafe will cost 30-40 riyal which is around 15 cents.

Phone: Like internet, I wouldn’t bother myself with getting connected. Mobile phones are easier and you can buy credit anywhere. To purchase a sim card you will need to provide your passport for identification purposes. It doesn’t matter if your visa is expired, they only want your ID page. Public phones are also very easily accessible and you will find them everywhere.

Postal System: If you want to send mail overseas, registered postage is cheap and generally reliable. If you want to receive mail, you can get a post box which is around 5000riyal per year. Otherwise once you find a job, employees can usually have their mail sent to the company address. Another way to receive mail is to just provide the sender with your mobile number and the post office will call you to pick up your mail (this is for registered mail).

Police: There are police everywhere. I have never seen a place with so many police and military personnel hanging around. If you get busted for a traffic infringement, you will need to pay up, then the police will usually let you go. They don’t earn much so this supplements their $80 per month wage. Apart from being all over the streets, the police also fill the cafes and drink shops.

Garbage collection:

There is a garbage collection service in Sana’a, though you might be forgiven for thinking otherwise. I have been told by good authority that just a few years ago, Sana’a was drowning in garbage, where as now you only find it along the edges of the roads and in trees. When the wind picks up, so does the garbage. Plastic bags are a major problem and they travel far in the wind but make a spectacular site as they decorate trees, fences and electricity wires around the country. The red and green bags are particularly attractive, colouring a drab brown landscape. I have also seen these bags decorating the desert sand areas, mountain passes and the gastro-intestinal tracts of camels. So when in Yemen, start a trend and use re-usable bags. Say no to plastic!

Driving:

Hire cars are expensive. And to buy a car is ridiculously expensive, even a beat up old car can cost a few thousand American dollars. If you do have the opportunity to drive in Sana’a you will have a fun time. There are not a lot of road rules apart from making sure you drive on the right hand side (fun for English and Australian muhajireen).

You must have a driver’s license. In the past, licenses were not essential and in village areas are still optional, but in the cities they are now compulsory. All you need to do is take your current license to the licensing department. They will give you a small driving test then issue a license.

Getting Married in Yemen

For muhajiraat to get married in Yemen, a letter of no objection is required from her embassy. At last look, men do not need this letter but things may change as Yemen steps up security and red tape to assist USA fight Islam and to harass muhajireen.

Once you have the required papers, the rest is simple. Just go to the Sharia’ah court and sign the papers then the government will issue an official marriage certificate.

A shara’an marriage certificate of aqd from the sheikh is not enough proof of marriage and will not be accepted by hotels or police checkspoints.