These are some of the car repair workshops in Thuqbah, near Al Khobar. There are 100s of very similar workshops, and as seems to be the custom in Saudi Arabia, competing outlets in the same line of business are all gathered together in one area. If you need anything for your car, then off to Thuqbah you go - pretty easy for the newcomer.

Mostly staffed by third country nationals (TCNs), labour rates are low, perhaps SR40 (GBP7.40) per hour, so for most repairs, you need only be concerned by the cost of parts. However, for less common models of car, parts availability can be a problem in Saudi Arabia. For example, if a part is shipped from the US, it can take a month, which is pretty rough if you're car's off the road for that time. But our friends at Thuqbah can be very ingenious. Parts which are not available, can often be fabricated or patched up. I had power steering pipes made and my corroded cylinder head welded for the 'lemon', when new parts would no doubt have been used in the west.

Picture dated 11th May 2001