Sunday, January 26, 2020

Sudan - getting settled


by Ibraheem


We have been here for a month now. To come to Sudan, you must have someone make a visit visa for you first. Someone that is here, like a school, or business. The cost to pay a visa service company is around 250usd per passport. They are then your "sponsor" for your initial visit. The visit visa is good for two months. I am not sure if it can be extended but I would guess that it could be. There is also another visa fee on arrival at the airport, 150usd for USA passport holders, 100usd for others. There is also a "passport registration fee" that is paid at a small office on the outside of the airport and that is around another 25usd.

The two main schools for study here are the International University of Africa (IUA) and the smaller (much smaller) Kulliya Jebra. The IUA has many students from around the world, the school has all courses of study including an Arabic program and Islamic studies. The smaller Kulliya Jebra has an Arabic course and then Islamic studies courses, for a bachelors degree. The Kulliya is a known school that is upon the Sunnah and the professors themselves are students of Shaykh Albanee, Shaykh Bin Baz, etc.
There are also well respected mashaykh from Yemen that live in Khartoum and give lessons outside of the schools.

Cost of living. A one bedroom furnished apartment costs around 200-250 usd. Unfurnished around 150usd. Apartments are generally older and a little funky, but not too bad. Cost of living seems similar to S.E. Asia prices. Egypt is much much cheaper but seems to be unstable. There is civil war in the South Sudan country but that has no effect on the North it seems. Khartoum is very peaceful. Sudan is a very harsh country. Hot and VERY dusty, could cause health problems if you have any respitory sensitivities. The people are very kind and there is knowledge here, but the country is very poor (you will see trash EVERYWHERE), there is limited things to do like shopping, malls, restaurants etc. But for seekers of knowledge, this can be a good place. If you are looking for somewhere to go and study Arabic and take it easy, this is not the place.

I have no idea how to contact either school to arrange visas and admission beforehand. I know that people do but I don't know how. I got visas through a business service and then just went and did the admission at the Kulliya when I arrived.

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