Ok - quality of life in Riyadh. This is very subjective. Pardon me for asking, but are you muslim? I am not trying to be rude, but different rules apply for different groups. This is Saudi Arabia. It is a double edged sword. If your wife is also from a Middle Eastern background but used to a western lifestyle she may find living in Riyadh very restrictive. To a certain point it helps to be blond and European. The darker haired ladies get hassled a lot more than the "whites". The religious police obviously feel they can be harsher with the ladies who "should" follow the Islamic teachings.

SAR 50,000 is not enough to live a compound. I would think that you need to budget at least 100,000 to 200,000 for a compound. Also, compounds vary tremendously. If you are looking for a Western style compound where the ladies don't have to wear abayas and families can swimming together you need to specify this in your search. It is not so necessary to have a driver when one lives on a compound as many compounds have daily bus services to shopping malls and supermarkets. Also there are busses to certain school. Of course, this does depend on the compound.

My husband and I live in an apartment in town. Our budget is between SAR 50,000 and 60,000. As we live in town, we have a driver. Budget between SAR 30,000 and 40,000 a year, plus iqama fees and holidays, depending if the driver lives in or out one can negotiate.

As for districts: this varies widely. An apartment in the building next door to us is between 23,000 and 35,000 depending on size. Also, depending on what languages who speaks and the colour of your skin. This might sound politically incorrect, however, you will find adverts clearly stating such things as "no phillipinos or no indians or bachelors only or families only". This is not Europe!

There is a big market in good secondhand cars, however, the great majority of cars are Toyota or Hyundai. We own a Mitsubishi. A fourwheel drive would probably be a excellent idea as traffic is horrendous. Also if you want to do desert trips a 4X4 is a must. There are organisations one can join. So, cost is anything from SAR 50,000 to 250,000.

For your son, there is a German School in Riyadh. This is a private school, however, I don't have much information. I do know that most, if not all teachers are German. It is attached to Al Bustan compound.

Grocery shopping is very comparable to European prices. Main supermarket chains are Carrefour, Tamimi (Safeways) and then there is Panda and top of the range Danube. Round and about town there are endless small shops where the prices are much lower, but not as convenient.

Everything in Saudi is dictated by prayer times. Everything shuts during prayer 5 times a day.

Travelling out of the Kingdom requires an exit/re-entry visa. One can get multiple ones. The visas these days can be acquired on-line, so not difficult. Driving to Bahrain is totally possible, but obviously a long drive.

Nothing much is publicised in Riyadh as far as social life is concerned so it is a matter of being patient and joining all the clubs and seeing which ones suits you best. Also, definitely register with your embassy as they also tend to organise events and one gets to meet other like minded people.

Some things for you to consider for now. As for your salary, it is tax free so do that that into consideration.

Petrol is so cheap, it's not worth mentioning, by the way. Eating out almost makes cooking at home pointless too.

I hope this has been of some help and I hope I have not offended you with my honesty. That is not my intention.

Post a Reply

00abuse