ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades saudi arabia power

Hi all my brother who is a radio hams talking to an australian technician working in Arabia to day and we asked about the sockets there. It sounds like they use euro sockets possibly schuko type voltage is 110 or 220 some sockets give 110 only others give both frequency is 60 cycles hope this is useful

In the 70's, as Saudi began to receive royalty monies literally faster than they could spend them, Saudi went on a building boom.

Contractors poured in from all over the world. Engineers and architects migrated like lemmings. A country noted for sand and rock began to sprout developments like a forest sprouts mushrooms after a rain.

In 1991, this expense was validated, as the "useless" military bases and roads built in the boom years proved critical to the success of Desert Storm.

The only fly in the ointment was that every contractor built to whatever norms he was accustomed to. In Saudi, you can find every form of electrical service known to man ... American, European, British, and Japanese standard systems abound. Even DC systems exist. Some systems are grounded, and some are not. Single phase, two phase, and three phase systems exist.

In short, there's no way to guess what power is in use, without actually measuring it. Even a system that looks like an American system might really be a 100v Japanese network.

Wow what a mixture! The chap we were talking to was in Jeddah so maybe 220 volts 60 cycles is the standard ther. I was only passing on information

Reno...

There actually is a bias:

The prime contractor usually stipulated the critical electrical norms -- which -- at least for KSA -- meant American prime contractors.

This did not stop side deals with Japan/ Europe from bringing in their primes -- so you have a Balkanized power grid -- if such a term is even appropriate.

Kuwait and Iran and Iraq started out as British sales 'turf' going all the way back to WWI. If you REALLY want to see a fouled up scheme -- it's in Iraq.

Afghanistan is not far behind. It still has Soviet era systems (usually abandoned - with the wires ripped out for 'salvage') Plus European and American systems.

Like KSA the prime contractors set the standards. So when this or that foreign power provides aid to Kabul it always takes the form of importing their manufactures.

So, it's no surprise that the moment the installation crews leave, everything falls apart. The only source of repair parts/ system extensions is some European state -- or the Americans.

It is the land of the backyard generator -- typically Honda! Between Iraq and Afghanistan, I don't know which land has a higher usage of these gen-sets.

In every one of these lands, no-one knows what voltage is on any conductor. There are countless tales of blue being a neutral return and energized hot at 120V RMS. These can even be SIDE BY SIDE in kludged up systems. Yiikes!

Should anyone enter such lands with their personal tools -- beware that in the Third World you are never allowed to take your own tools back out of the country! This is one of the reasons why the paychecks appear to be so fat: you're throwing in ALL of your tools assets. You must bring them to work, and you must sacrifice ALL of them to leave. It's a condition of your departure!

These statutes are not restricted to the Muslim world -- they are in force EVERYWHERE in the Third World: India, Red China, Africa, South America, etc. (Try even getting tools out of Mexico.)

For reasons unknown, it is the universal impression of Third World politicians that if only the tools showed up/ were trapped that their boys could be successful tradesmen.

Instead, what you have is an entire nation of trunk slammers -- without a car.

Hi guys I'm now annemarie1 I accidently deleted sum thing and couldn't remember my password so just re registered