Hey!

I'm due to move to Riyadh around the 21st June, sometime after Eid. I'm a 28 years old, British and married, wifey will be coming in the future when her contract in the UK finishes so i'm hoping to find a 1 or 2 bed with good social elements. My company is going to put me in a hotel for 1 month giving me time to find somewhere permanent. My questions are as followed:

1. My office is in the Al Sulimaniyah area, can anyone suggest compounds?
2. I've read a lot about trying to DM compound suggestions but not having much luck, do i try this or just wait till i'm there to begin this initial comms process?
3. My current research has presented the following as potential suggestions but with 15/30 mins travel time, are my suggestions okay and is the travel time sufficient?
   1. Ranco Village
   2. Rotunda Compound

I'd like to be around other expats initially so i can build a social circle but eventually, i can imagine i'll move out a compound and move into an apartment.

Any advice is welcomed!

To be honest, unless you're living right beside where you're working, a 15 minute commute is optimistic. Traffic in Riyadh is like nowhere else on the planet. Most short journeys are 45 minutes to 1 hour+. Is your company providing you with transport? There is no public transport and you cannot walk anywhere. The roads are dangerous and driving is appalling. If you've not driven here before, take it slow and get on the road on a Friday morning to start off with.

As for compounds, some will reply to emails, many won't. Factor in cost over location as prices are extortionate. A studio is on average around 100k SAR per year, and all compounds want that up front (or paid in two installments if you're lucky). 1 or 2 bedrooms cost a lot more. Anything from 125k for a 1 bed and around 240k for a 2 bedroom. If your employer is covering the cost, not such a drama but more and more companies are no longer doing this, instead providing an allowance that usually doesn't touch the sides when it comes to compound prices. It's a big chunk of change to have to fork out in one go, or even two chunks.....Living out (living outside a compound) is much cheaper but lacks the facilities of a compound obviously and you won't be around other expats as most are on compounds and even then there are a lot less than previous years pre-pandemic.

Good luck.

Hi Khalil,

I am currently in the process of my visa application. Would love to hear your experience of applying? I am hearing differing answers about how long it takes and the requirements.

I am stuck with a visa agent that my company recommended and he is SO bad at communicating. Joined this forum for real answers!