Yanbu Introduction

I've come to find that Yanbu is a pretty interesting little town.  First off Yanbu is an old city...I'm talking 2500 years old.  According to Wikipedia., "Yanbu served as a supply and operational base for Arab and British forces fighting the Ottoman Empire during the World War I. It remained a small port town until 1975, when the Saudi government designated it as one of the country's two new industrial centres (the other being Al Jubayl on the Persian Gulf)."
The "Old Yanbu" part of town houses the ancient ruins along with a wide variety of buildings. Very few Westerners live there.
Our neighborhood has a wide variety of nationalities as well, and you'll find most of the Westerner's here.  There are two compounds (one nearer to Old Yanbu...Arabian Homes and the other The Cove.) And a neighborhood known as the Royal Commission. 

When I walk from our home to other houses in the neighborhood, it's easy to see the lack of care for the buildings.  They are crumbling, some are uninhabitable, the landscaping is not maintained, lots of garbage around.  However, whenever I enter someones front gate, you can see what people have done to make their homes beautiful.  Most of us take great pride in our yards .The inside of the homes are identical (some with more rooms than others, but otherwise, identical) and the furniture is nearly the same as well.  But, each, of course, has it's own unique style. It's fun to visit other families and see their homes.
All in all, Yanbu is a nice place.  At least I think so.  We have tons of parks and playgrounds for the kids, the Red Sea is just blocks away, and best of all...I've met some fantastic people. 
 
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