Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Report of what it's like to live there - 12/08/24
Personal Experiences from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, this is my ninth or so post overseas. Have lived in the DR, Germany, Hong Kong, Laos, Italy, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Baghdad.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Arlington, VA. About 18-20 hours, through Doha. Pretty easy to travel back home. There is a direct flight to Dulles but we are currently not allowed to use.
3. What years did you live here?
2023-2026
4. How long have you lived here?
1.5 years
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic Mission
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We are in the Diplomatic Quarter, in Saudi-owned housing. It's....fine. Little outdoor space, odd room setup, and fairly old fixtures. The real issue is maintenance. The Saudi landlords are, in our experience, terrible, and do not maintain their properties. So in 18 months we've had three water heaters explode (causing rainfalls in the bathrooms, numerous leaks under sinks, clogged drains, garage doors that do not work, loud and not well functioning A/C, etc. etc. The amount of time we spend on keeping the house livable is frustrating. Housing here is shockingly bad, compared to our other diplomatic assignments. Are there some gems? Sure, but the housing in the DQ is largely crap. Commute time in the DQ is great: 5 to 8 minutes to work/home.
Outside the DQ there are numerous compounds that are excellent. Great for families especially. Some nice apartments going into large buildings. Will be curious if those work out as in say Dubai. Generally plan on 30 minute commutes at least each way, as traffic here is bad. The metro recently opened, and some people are finding it useful to commute. Will be interesting to see if this becomes a reality and how well the government links up housing/work/metro over the next few years. It's a huge, seven-line system, so lots of potential. If it gets people off the roads...would be great.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
About the same to less. Depends on what you buy; it's easy to splurge on imported stuff processed stuff, but seems like we spend less here. Usually pretty good selection of fruit and veg. Berry prices are starting to come down. You really see the seasonal nature of produce. Good meat and surprisingly good fish prices. Prices vary widely from store to store and you can spend quite a bit if you want.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Glad we shipped paper towels, garbage bags, and avocado oil, plus lots of Asian stuff. All available, but a good Costco run to purchase consumables is something I would recommend to anyone to save money and limit the need to find the specialty stores. The selection within Riyadh is impressive, you just need to do a bit of looking. Plain coffee for American drip machines is also a bit expensive; it's worth bringing a fair amount. There is a serious coffee culture here, and some nice roasteries, but when you just want regular coffee for the machine, lots of expensive Folgers...
No pork or booze allowed, unless you have diplomatic privileges. Alcohol could change in the next few years, the groundwork is clearly being laid.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
It's pretty much all here. Hunger Station is popular and will deliver food and groceries. Amazon.sa is great. Tons of options. Just about every American fast food or quick service restaurant is here, or a Saudi equivalent. Chipotle should be here next here. Chik-Fil-A probably not coming anytime soon, but one of the few not here. Saudis love burgers, and there are tons of really good ones here.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Sometimes. We have a few ants every day downstairs. But no infestations. Depends on location.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Diplomatic Post Office. It's nice.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Lots of help available. We pay about $500/month for a maid 2X/week, and we overpay. You can get a live-in for $550/month, but most people (westerners) supplement that since the money goes to a service that is taking a large swipe off the top. Plenty of options.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
KSA is super safe when it comes to violence. Within the DQ good walking/running around the track that surrounds the area. Within the rest of the city not as good and of course need to be careful how you are dressed as a woman. DQ dress code for women has become more restrictive , and similar to outside, as more Saudis come inside.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Lots outside the DQ, not too expensive. Very limited inside the DQ for men. CORE runs about $11k/year minimum.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes and yes. Pretty much every restaurant uses the handheld credit card swiper in the cities. Tons of ATMs, super safe.
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Nothing public.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Not needed for most expats. Large population of service workers speak English. It is great to develop deeper relationships etc. as always, but truly not needed. Believe there are local language teachers.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Riyadh has done a fair amount of work to make the city more accessible. It tends to be each specific point, i.e. each building, as opposed to the sidewalks between them (which can have ramps but be narrow/blocked/etc.) But someone in a wheelchair can get around most govt. buildings, malls, larger restaurants, etc. fairly well from what I have seen. Was surprising to me but wheelchair access at least is something generally thought about. Considering the general lack of effort put into the pedestrian experience, it is a noticeable positive.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Uber is cheap and easy. The metro just opened and is cheap, busses are also cheap. Everything safe. Public transit is just starting to take off here, but the government is taking it seriously and has linked buses and the metro, for example. So while have not had a chance to evaluate, it is beginning to be real.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
I'd bring a larger SUV just because there are so many large cars and semi-crazy drivers. Ford, Toyota, GM. Beginning to see more Chinese cars and the development of an electric car infrastructure, would be ok for travel within Riyadh, would not take city to city. Drivers here are not as bad as say Cairo, and the government is really cracking down via cameras and tickets on unsafe practices, but you still need to be ready for random fender benders and people who simply are not trained to drive.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes, was already installed.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Hard to not use STC or a government owned service because of government restrictions. T-Mobile roaming works.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Yes, there are some good vets in Riyadh, but for dogs especially it does require some work to find the infrastructure. But it is there. Lots of cats/birds/other animals. The pet souks can be pretty wild. Saudis are generally not dog people, but it's slowly changing.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Not sure, many seem to work on the local economy (as expats).
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Generally dress for westerners is long sleeve/long pants. Women should dress well but modest (below the knee dress, covered shoulders). Abayas are no longer required and many western women do not wear. Suits/dresses very common.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Be careful driving and crossing streets on foot. KSA itself has very little crime against property or people. Government takes it seriously, foreigners generally want to keep their jobs, Saudis themselves are generally pretty mild mannered and polite.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Generally very good health care options with expat doctors. Easy to get out if needed, but you can do most of what is generally needed here from what we have seen.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Moderate. Can be lots of dust in Riyadh. Have not seen much of an impact on health though.
4. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Not really. Nice to get out of the country every few months (Oman! UAE! Jordan! Austria!) for a bit of color and a different vibe.
5. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Riyadh is exceedingly hot and dry. Which is great -- the lack of humidity makes the heat much more bearable. One trip to Jeddah or the Gulf coast makes that clear real fast...
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
For American diplomats tAISR is available and is great. The British school generally has room (and has a campus on the DQ). Overall the forecast is for demand to soar, and international schools are looking to expand to meet the demand.
2. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Yes.
3. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Some, especially at schools.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Very large, generally pretty good morale for the high-end expat community. Once you find some people pull the thread and there is a large community here. Often large ethnic groups which can help -- Portuguese, Philippina, Pakistani, British, etc. There are also class differences:
working class South Asians, for example, have a very different experience compared to Pakistani financiers. Lots of good people doing interesting work.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Lots of parties and things like hiking clubs. Compounds are often a great way to start! Get to know your neighbors and work colleagues, and go from there.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Couples and families yes. Great infrastructure and pretty easy living. Harder for single people as dating between Saudis and expats is very, very rare, so you have a much smaller pool of potential partners.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
It's hard but possible, many Saudis educated in the USA and like Americans, for example. Generally happens through work. Harder to be African, definitely some prejudice still.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Hard to say. There is a community here that thrives and the government is well aware of, it just stays pretty much on the down low and that seems to work for everyone (here in Riyadh) based on my experience.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Officially there is only Islam as a religion. While there have been large strides in improving the position of women, the executive ranks of business and politics remain very male dominated.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Some good scuba diving, which could become great if the infrastructure is built to make it happen. Internal tourism is improving, but not easy yet.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Plenty of shopping, but little that is "Saudi".
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Money, and experiencing the changes.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Living is much easier than expected, Saudis are generally very polite, flight departure times are often pretty terrible for travel to Europe/USA!
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes, but the move happened because of availability of interesting jobs and high pay to help finance children's school etc. Not the place I would come to just to live and work, but Riyadh is constantly getting better.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Likely wrong impression of Saudi Arabia and the people/culture. It's much different than a casual reader of say the Washingtonpost for the last 20 years might think.
4. But don't forget your:
Sunshade for you car's windshield. Makes all the difference in the summer/hot months.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads.
6. Do you have any other comments?
KSA has a complex culture that the Crown Prince is trying to change rapidly while simultaneously developing a non-oil economy. The changes are coming very, very fast. Saudis are developing a real pride in their country and generally want to show it off. It's super safe, has some real business opportunity, and is a welcome bastion of stability in a rough region. MbS is very focused on internal development of his country, and if you come here you'll see constant change. Government decision making can be frustrating, as it is very siloed and not based on subsidiarity, but living is pretty easy, and getting better.
