Arabie Saoudite: La cuisine à votre porte

Avez-vous déjà été coincé dans un embouteillage seulement pour arriver et constater que vous devez attendre devant les portes du restaurant parce qu'ils sont fermés pour les prières ? Si c'est le cas, vous pouvez désormais faire des découvertes culinaires tout en restant dans le confort de votre maison grâce à Hellofood. Avec Hellofood, vous pouvez consulter les menus en ligne sans quitter votre salon. Et c'est facile ! Permettez-moi de partager mon expérience.

Tout d'abord, je me suis inscrite sur ​​leur site. C'était gratuit. Je devais seulement écrire mon nom et prénom, numéro de téléphone portable (y compris le code du pays), adresse e-mail et le mot de passe. Je ne devais pas fournir des informations de carte de crédit ou quoi que ce soit. Ensuite, j'ai parcouru la liste des restaurants qui livrent les repas dans ma région. Puis, j'ai trouvée un restaurant et j'ai choisi le menu. J'étais étonnée que c’était facile de naviguer et sélectionner l'élément que je voulais. Une petite case s’est affichée sur l'écran de mon pc (à l’extrême droite), montrant ce que j'avais commandé ainsi que ma facture. Je ne devais pas payer pour la livraison comme le restaurant l’avait mentionné sur le site de Hellofood. En un seul clic, j'ai passée ma commande, et en moins de 5 minutes, mon téléphone a sonné — c'était un membre du personnel de Hellofood. Il ma demandée mon lieu de domicile et a confirmé que le livreur allait m’appeler quand ma commande était prête. Environs une heure plus tard, mon vieux portable a sonné. C’était le chauffeur qui appelait pour confirmer mon lieu de résidence. Après quelques minutes, mon époux est allé à sa rencontre. La prochaine chose que je savais, mon repas est arrivé, soigneusement enveloppé dans un sac en papier, et s'est assis sur ma table. Vous pouvez imaginer ce qui s'est passé après.

En effet, Hellofood vous permet de commander votre repas en ligne en quelques clics seulement. L'inscription est facile et la facture est payable à la livraison. Les clients paient des frais minimes pour la livraison, qui varient d'un restaurant à l'autre. En plus, les membres de l'équipe Hellofood sont rapides, professionnels et courtois. Ils rendent le processus facile et pratique pour le client.





Hellofood possède des succursales dans cinq grandes villes, à savoir Djeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Al Khobar et Dhahran. Les restaurants populaires tels que Pizza Hut, Tako Hut, Way Roma, Canton, etc, offrent leurs services sur le site Web de Hellofood. Les clients peuvent choisir leur spécialité préférée parmi les styles de cuisines différentes, y compris la cuisine japonaise, américaine, italienne, orientale ou indienne.


Bref, si vous chercher à faire un voyage gastronomique, essayez Hellofood. Vous ne serez pas déçu.

Saudi Arabia: Food at Your Doorstep

Yes, it's food at your doorstep. Gone are those days when you have to jump into the car, beat the traffic, and sometimes arrive only to find that you have to wait outside because the restaurant has closed its doors for prayers. With Hellofood around, it is easy to bring the restaurant into your living room. And the process is easy. Let me share my experience.

First, I registered on their Website. It was free. All I was required to do was write my first and last names, mobile number (including the country code), email address, and password. I wasn’t asked to provide credit card information or anything of the like. Next, I browsed the restaurants available for delivery in my area. Then I found a restaurant and selected the menu. I was amazed at how easy it was to browse and select the item that I wanted. A small box appeared on my pc screen (extreme right), displaying what I had ordered and the total cost. I didn't have to pay a riyal for delivery, as the restaurant mentioned on their landing page. I clicked on the order button, and within 5 minutes, my phone rang—it was someone from Hellofood. He asked my location and said the driver was going to call back when my order was ready. Waiting time over. Ring ring went my old mobile phone again. It was the driver calling to confirm my location. After a few minutes, my husband went out to meet him. Next thing I knew, my meal came in, neatly wrapped in a paper bag, and sat on my table. You can imagine what happened after that.

Indeed, Hellofood makes it easy to order food online. Registration is easy and clients pay cash on delivery. Clients pay a minimal fee for delivery, which varies from one restaurant to the other. A plus that comes with the whole service is that the Hellofood team is rapid, professional, and courteous. They make the process smooth and convenient for the client.

Hellofood has branches in five main cities, namely Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Al Khobar, and Dhahran. Popular restaurants, such as Pizza Hut, Tako Hut, Roma Way, Canton, etc, offer their services on the Hellofood Website. The restaurants specialize in a variety of cuisines, including Oriental, Indian, Japanese, American, and Italian cuisine, enough to satisfy the taste buds of the largely multicultural community in the above-mentioned cities.

The bottom line is, anyone who is looking for the next hot thing to explore, in terms of food, should try Hellofood. You won’t be disappointed.

Ramadan Kareem

Dear readers,

I am sorry I have shied away from my blog for a very long time. I have been very busy with work and my "new baby". I hope to blog regularly when she gets older, insha'Allah. 

Ramadan, the month of mercy and blessings, has begun. Muslims around the world would refrain from eating during the day; however, they may eat before the sun rises and after it sets. 

As this month commences, I wish you all a happy Ramadan and many blessings.

Jeddah: Family Festival 2

After the success of FAMILY FESTIVAL, Al Mutamayuz and Z Collection proudly presents its sequel, FAMILY FESTIVAL 2, with more entertainment and excitement. The festival will include a wide selection of stalls to do shopping, delicious food at Savory Corner, and lots of fun acitivities for kids at Kids' Corner. Participants will also have the opportunity to Win lots of awesome prizes.

The entry ticket is only 3 SR for adults. Families only.
Place: Golden Tulip Hotel, Sharafiyah, Jeddah
When: 18th April from 4 pm - 12 am

People who are interested in booking stalls are kindly requested to contact Mr. Imran (mobile, 0555246018) or Mrs. Zaara (mobile, 0543361527). Booking is on first come first served basis and a stall costs 200 SAR.

You can visit their Facebook page for more at: http://www.facebook.com/events/423556491052230/

Haraj, Djeddah : Une mine d'or?

Il était 17 heures, mais il faisait encore très chaud. Le vent soufflait doucement autour de nous, amenant le sable du désert. On pouvait entendre les commercants crier, appelant les clients de venir apprécier leur marchandise. "Wonly 5 Riyals, wonly 5 Riyals», criait un vendeur. On pouvait même voir une veine palpitante de son cou quand il criant de toutes ses forces pour attirer les clients. Je suppose qu'il voulait dire "only 5 riyals" (en français, seulement 5 riyals), mais personne ne semblait s'en soucier. C'était un autre monde - différent de la vision classique dans les centres de Djeddah. C'était Haraj, l'endroit où vous pouvez tout acheter à un prix exceptionnel.

Certaines personnes l'appelent la jungle moderne et j'ai maintenant compris pourquoi. Dans certains endroits, les marchands avaient entassés des vêtements sur le sol : foulards, chemisiers, pantalons, jupes, et chemises étaient tous empilés. D'autres vendeurs avaient affichés leurs marchandises d'une manière différente. Certains vêtements étaient accrochés sur des cintres tandis que d'autres étaient affichés sur des mannequins. Les chaussures étaient disposées en désordre sur le sol et un client devait transpirer pour sélectionner une paire de chaussures de son choix.

Les couverts étaient posés sur les étals mais on aurait cru que ceux-ci avaient été ramassés au fond de l'océan. A première vue, on pourrait se demander si quelqu'un voudrait acheter ses objets et encore moins pour les utilser pendant les repas. Pourtant, les gens se bousculaient pour s'en procurer.

Les produits électroniques étaient exposés d'une façon beaucoup plus ordonnée. Les téléviseurs étaient enveloppés dans des films plastiques transparents et bien agencés sur les étals. Cependant, les écrans plats ne partagaient pas ce luxe, et la plupart étaient placés sur le sol où les clients pouvaient faire leur choix. Bien que la plupart des écrans étaient couverts de poussière et de toiles d'araignée, les marchands rassuraient leurs clients qu'ils étaient comme neufs et n'avaient besoin que d'un simple coup de chiffon pour fonctionner de nouveau.

Haraj est l'endroit idéal pour des gens qui ont de faibles revenus. Vêtements, produits électroniques, meubles, outils, et tout ce que vous ne trouvez pas dans les centres commerciaux, vous pouvez les obtenir ici - et à un très bon prix! Toutefois, avant de s'aventurer là-bas, vous devez être prêt à transpirer pour trouver ce que vous voulez vraiment acheter.

Haraj, Jeddah: The Place to Be?

It was 5 p.m., yet it was still very hot. The wind blew gently around us, carrying the desert sand along with it. You could hear their cries as they called for customers to see their displayed merchandise. “Wonly 5 Riyals, wonly 5 Riyals,” screamed a nearby vendor. You could even see a pulsating vein in his neck as he shouted with all his might to attract customers. I supposed he meant “only 5 Riyals”, but no one seemed to care. This was a different world - different from the classical view in the malls of Jeddah; this was Haraj, the place where you could get any used item at a bargain price. 

Some people called it the modern jungle and I now understood why. In some places, merchants had piled up clothes in heaps: scarfs, blouses, trousers, skirts, and shirts were all piled high. Other merchants displayed their merchandise in a different manner. Some hung clothes on hangers while others displayed them on handmade mannequins. Shoes were thrown on the market floor, and a customer had to sweat through the process of selecting a pair of his or her choice. 

Crockery and cutlery were displayed on stalls, but these seemed to have been picked up from the ocean floor. At first glance, one would wonder whether anyone would want to buy such dirty-looking stuff for use in their homes, let alone for use at the table during meals. Yet, people were scrambling to get their share of the goods. 

Electronic items were displayed in a much more orderly manner. Television sets were wrapped in transparent plastic films and well arranged on stalls. However, flat screens did not share this luxury, and most of them were placed on the market floor, where customers could take their pick. Although most of them were covered in dust and cobwebs, merchants reassured their customers that they were as good as new and needed just a quick wipe to come back to life. 

Haraj is the ideal place to shop for people who have low incomes. Clothes, electronic products, furniture, tools, and anything else that you do not find in the malls, you could get them here – and at a very good price. However, before venturing there, you must be prepared to sweat it out to get what you really wish to purchase.

American by Accident and What the IRS May Have to Say About It

Guest post by I. J. Zemelman, EA, Taxes for Expats
 

Default Citizenship by Birth

Thanks to the US Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, any person born in the United States is automatically a US Citizen – despite the nationality of his/her parents or the length of time spent in the US. Conversely, children born outside of the United States can also receive automatic US Citizenship, provided at least one of the biological parents is a United States Citizen and had spent at least 5 years in the US or a US Territory prior to the birth of the child. The only exception to the laws of citizenship at birth is that of a child born to a foreign diplomat while serving official duty in the United States.

Taxation of Worldwide Income

Having default American Citizenship may seem like a great gift to offer a child with immigrants for parents; but if the child winds up living and working in another country as an adult and never enters the United States, an unfair tax burden will be placed on the individual: A requirement to file an annual US expat tax return and reporting his worldwide income. This requirement is imposed on every United States Citizen no matter where in the world he/she is living. Not only will the individual be responsible for personal income taxes in the United States, he/she will also be liable for any estate taxes which are owed by parents or other descendents if they passed with any tax liability.

How to Legally Avoid Filing a United States Tax Return

If an individual was born with a default US Citizen status and does not wish to live or work in the United States or be responsible for US taxes, the individual has an option to give up his/her United States Citizenship. This can be done in one of 2 ways: Relinquishment or Renunciation of citizenship.

Relinquishment of United States Citizenship

Relinquishment of United States Citizenship isn’t necessarily easy, but it’s an option for an individual who’s lived his/her life in another country and has taken patriotic steps as a citizen of that country such as having enrolled in foreign military, taken an oath of allegiance, or has otherwise accepted foreign citizenship. Upon turning 18 years of age, a default US Citizen who has lived his/her entire life in another country may voluntarily relinquish all the rights and liberties of United States Citizenship and, therefore, be free of all US Citizen responsibilities of filing US taxes.

In order for the relinquishment of citizenship to be formally recognized, an individual must have completed one or more foreign patriot acts including those which were previously mentioned) defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 349. If the individual had lived and worked in the United States for any portion of time, simply relinquishing his/her status will not be sufficient. If any money was earned by the individual living and working in the US as a Citizen, an exit tax will be assessed, and steps to renounce citizenship must be taken.

Renunciation of United States Citizenship

While a relinquishment of US Citizenship is limited to those who have spent their entire lives (or a considerable amount of time) living as a citizen of a foreign country, voluntary renunciation of US Citizenship can be performed by any United States Citizen as long as all tax liabilities are met. In order to satisfy United States tax liability, one must have met all of his/her obligations as a taxpayer for the previous 5 years. Additionally, a person renouncing his/her citizenship will be required to pay estate taxes on property or other valuables as if the items had been sold. This imposition is part of what’s known as an exit tax: The final taxes the IRS imposes onto its expatriating Citizens officially and permanently renouncing their citizenship.
 

If an individual had earned over a specific threshold in the 5 year period preceding expatriation, he/she may be subject to additional taxes as part of the exit tax. Additional penalties may be assessed on individuals who have not sufficiently proven and stated to the IRS that all tax obligations for the preceding 5-year period had been met. In order to ‘prove’ that an individual has met all tax obligations for the previous 5 years, he/she must complete a very detailed form and send it to the IRS with a final tax return. The information required on the form includes a certification under penalty of perjury that all taxes (income, gift, estate, etc) have been paid and there is no outstanding tax liability.

There are circumstances in which an expatriating US Citizen can avoid being charged an exit tax. If the individual had spent a period of 10 years or longer out of the 15 year period preceding expatriation living as a citizen in a foreign country and had not accrued any US tax liability for a period of 5 years or more, he/she may be able to expatriate without having to pay an exit tax, unless property or other valuable assets are held within the United States. Find out more about voluntarily renouncing US Citizenship.

If you are an individual with dual citizenship and you have never taken steps to relinquish or renounce your US Citizenship, you may be interested in taking the time to make sure that you are current on your US expat tax obligations and take the steps to free yourself of future tax liability. If you are in debt to the IRS for not having filed previous years’ returns, Taxes for Expats can help get you on track and may be able to help you avoid paying excessive fees and back taxes.

I.J. Zemelman, EA is the founder of Taxesfor Expats. She may be reached at: +1-646-397-2887
Email: questions@taxesforexpats.com
Web site: www.taxesforexpats.com