Al Nakhla Compound
 

Just in case anyone's considering living at Al Nakhla Compound in Riyadh, do not pay the asking price. They are currently struggling to find tenants due to the very high prices they are quoting, so you can easily beat them down. For example, they quoted me 375k SAR per year for a (cramped) 3 bed villa, but collapsed to 300k SAR very quickly. I think significant further discounts would be possible.

Plus points of Al Nakhla - excellent communal facilities (best in Riyadh, along with Al Bustan), lots of swimming pools, villas very modern and clean, direct access by foot to a huge Danube supermarket and several other "casual dining" places, location convenient for the airport.

Minus points of Al Nakhla - villas surprisingly cramped, no green spaces, compound will get very crowded if they ever fill it, extraordinarily expensive even by Riyadh standards (asking prices are 180k for tiny 1 bed flat, 220k for tiny 2 bed flat, 335k for tiny 2 bed villa, 375k for cramped 3 bed villa, 575k for reasonable sized 4 bed villa).

Re: Al Nakhla Compound
 

we have recently moved into the 1 bedroom singles apartments at the compound.

pros and cons:

as mentioned previously the compound is new so everything is smelling new and undamaged, facilities are great, location, blah blah,

unfortunately the cons are on the increase.

(1) price is not my concern our company pays so its their problem
(2) layout and sizes are weird and small, for an European you will struggle to find in your flat storage spaces
(3) the apartments are very very lightly equipped so expect to spend up to 4000 SAR if you want comfort. (buy pots /pans chest of draws, eating table / chairs etc etc.
(4) great TV set in the living room, but unfortunately no receiver... that's your responsibility to buy. try and get your company to arrange the compound to provide you with one before you arrive.
(5) onsite restaurant expensive compared to other compound restaurants in the neighborhood (such as Arizona Compound).
(6) no house keeping included in rent so if you want cleaning done it will cost you 50 SAR per hour. (quite expensive, more so than in Europe).

Overall having come from an older compound next door called Arizona, consider shopping around for better accommodation and value for money wise.

as for me i will make do with what i have and spend more SARs to increase my comfort. Our company has no interest in moving out from here at this point.

welcome to KSA people ;):cool:

Re: Al Nakhla Compound
 

I live exactly outside this compound, in one of those new apartments, and am paying SAR 35,000 for a brand new very large 3 bedroom apartment.

Forget facilities inside compounds, all facilities in Qurtoba are good.. plenty of gyms, restaurants, shopping areas, coffee shops etc. Get out of your comfort zones people. see the world, go out more often.... being inside a compound all the time is no fun.

I work in real estate... compounds are a big rip off. Some compounds are good, but the prices are way too high.

Market is dying, you can negotiate well as mentioned.

There are compounds for 200k a year in Riyadh... large 3 bed villas. Shop around!

Good luck,

Inv.