Living in Riyadh
 

I am going to start to live in Riyadh sooner. My girlfriend wants to visit and live with me on summer times. Is it possible to live there without marriage. Will they accept sth. like islamic marriage. Since I am muslim, she is christian would it be problem? What kind of advices will u give me? By the way, can she travel alone to Saudi Arabia? Looking forward to hearing from you...

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Simple answer my friend - your girlfriend will not be allowed to live with you or even enter the country - those are the rules. Choices you have are get married or meet up in one of the more lenient Middle East countries every so often.

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Hi Danajj,

Thanks for your quick reply. Since I am muslim, islamic marriage is not sth legally documented in turkey. Do they check legal marriage documents? If yes, there is no otherway except marriage.

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Hi
If you apply for an iqamah for her, she will have to present a marriage certificate at the Saudi embassy in your home country.
If you apply for a visit visa, you will prob be asked to present proof of your marriage here.

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Thanks for your replies,

I will get know how to solve this issue. See you in riyad. By the way is there any email group or forum just for riyadh? I want to join social life in riyadh.

Thanks,

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Hi .
I am arriving in Riyadh for work end of September. I would like to know what internet services are available so i can possibly set up an account in advance.

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Internet is available in Saudi via STC or Mobiley also the new provider GO. You just need to go to one of their shops in Malls and set up the contract. They will connect you immediatley. I pay 300 Riyals per month. There are other ways that I know a little of such as mobile broadbands and so on. You need to check this when you're in Saudi.

amy1417

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Hi How much are 1 bedroom apartments going for per month in compounds?
thanks

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

You really need to start searching the website my friend - these questions and answers are posted almost every day. A 1 bedroom is going to cost anywhere between 45000SAR to 130000SAR a year depending on what compound you get into. The major problem is not cost - it's availability - a lot of compounds have a waiting list of well over 12 months.

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

The rent for 1 bedroom apartment is around this figure of SAR 65.000 per annum, around SAR 3.000 per month. Of course it all depends on the compound and the facilities you access.

amy1417

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Thanks for that.
I hear its availability thats really the big issue.
Has anyone heard of availability for 1 bedder on the grapevine?

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

You've heard that availability is a problem - just read the reply posts to your questions :rofl:.

Listen - here's the score over here - you phone up or email all compounds - they'll say no space for a year +, so you'll put your name down on a list. Now unknown to most people - this list is thrown in the bin every few months - so you need to make sure you're phoning up every month. If you go and see the compound managers face to face - and they like the look of you, they might get you a place within a few weeks to a few months - that's the way it is.

At this moment - nothing on the grapevine for a 1 bed - and when it comes up - it's mine. :)

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Wowow,

crazy expensive pricesss. Let's construct sth in riyadh :-)

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Just wanna say ur welcome in Riyadh.

Re: Living in Riyadh
 

Hi everyone,

I'm going 26 and I have the opportunity to work in Riyadh for a year. Not taking in consideration how much I’ll be making. My only concern it the life that I'm going to live outside of work. I work in the IT sector and I don't have details on where I'll live yet. But from all that I've read I've got to find a good compound (heard that the American ones are the best) where there is life. So I have a few questions to pose:

1) Best 3 compounds?

2) Is it safe to go around by yourself as a tourist?

3) How much are cigarettes, full course meal in the restaurant?

4) Are there mostly families in these compounds?

5) Having my age, would you move by yourself?


Thanks,
Luca.