Nikki1103

Hi

I am moving to Riyadh in a few months with my family and was wondering if someone could give me so general information on a few things. I have spoke to various people and they all seem to give different answers !
Please give us some honest answers and experiances of living in Riyadh.

Can you get alcohol anywhere, hotels ect ?? Or is it all home brewed on the compounds ??

How much is it for a fairly new 4x4 ?? BMW, Honda, Range Rover for example.

Bringing a pet to Saudi, vets, catteries ?

Many Thanks for any information

ladyia

i live in khobar and never been to Riyadh before so i can't give you an accurate information about the city
i heard Riyadh is very strict city
and for sure you won't get alcohol anywhere unless you knew someone who will smuggle it for you
most western live in compounds with other western expats so you won't be alone
and sorry i don't know the answers for your other questions

nottmbantam

We've been in Saudi for about three years now. Spent around a year and a half in Jeddah, but back in Riyadh now.

Riyadh is a 'strict' city, much more than either the Eastern Region ( Dhahran, Khobar ) or the West ( Jeddah ) . The climate is arid - and most folk claim the people are too ! KSA is a dry country, so alcohol is not sold legally anywhere in the country, not even in hotels.

Most westerners as laydia says, will live on a compound. THis isn't so much for security reasons, but more for social reasons, as Riyadh can be quite a boring place really, there's not a lot to entertain you out there. No cinema's, segregated restaurants, everything closes for prayer time, women must wear the black abbaya at all times and not allowed to drive. It can be quite restrictive. Shopping seems to be national sport.

So, westerners tend therefore to live on compounds, which once behind the walls - are pretty much like anywhere else - with the exception of getting alcohol, which then forces folk into making their own, which in turn is pretty easy to get hold of.

Prices for a brand new Beamer will be about the same, maybe higher , than in the UK. Servicing and maintenance will also be pricey from the main dealer, as are most European cars. Here, the Japanese ( Toyota, Nissan ) and the Americans ( GMC, Chevrolet ) rule the roost. If you really want a big 4x4, then without any competition, the Toyota LandCruiser is the Daddy. It also holds it's resale value extremely well and you will never have trouble selling it, and in reality, is probably more of a status symbol than an X5. It'll sell much easier too.

No idea about pets, haven't done that, but other folk have, so it's not a big issue I don't think. Probably not worth brings cats - there are THOUSANDS of strays, adopt one!

Good luck.

irich

Hi Nikki

'Refreshments':

Weekend trips to Bahrain, Dubai.

Get yourself on the guest lists at the Embassies/parties at the Diplomatic Quarter and elsewhere.

Join organisations such as the Caledonian, the RGBB, the HHH etc for social contacts and leads.

Make your own. Pretty simple to do.

Cars:

Prices shown in SAR here for Toyota (click on the SUV/van section then models/prices

http://www.toyota.com.sa/en/maint.asp

A decet ex embassy or expat owned 4x4 will set you back from 65K to 110K SAR (two to three years old).

I wouldn't touch BMW or Range Rover used here. They are very expensive to fix if anything goes wrong. That is just me though, I prefer the Jap 4x4's as they are solid and reliable off road. The new Prados are nice.

Bringing a pet is expensive. There are vets here in Riyadh.

gottheTshirt

Why a fairly new 4x4 . I am provided with a company V8 land Cruiser latest model. I would love them to change it for a 1985 GMC Suburban with all round bull bars. black windows and smashed head lights. The perfect car for Riyadh.

nottmbantam

Absolutely bang on.

My last motor was an old Pajero - battered, banged up, huge bull bars on the front, 245kms on the clock and looked a right mess. I could actually have fun driving that on the streets - which when you have a nice car , you can't!

OleJanx

Absolutely spot on! It is going to be a case of "When" not "If" it gets damaged. If you don't give a monkeys, it's a lot easier to find your way about ANYWHERE in the Middle East.
Good luck!-you'll need it- they really ARE out to get you....

HenryGale

Hello!
Piece of advice.
Don't move to KSA. If you are interested in tax-free income go to UAE, Kuwait, even Qatar and Bahrain are not that bad.

Southlondoner

Hi Henry

Interesting opinion.
I had a job offer from an European bank in Riyadh earlier this year.
Decided not to take it - because also offered a role here in London.

Thought long and hard though. Still not sure if I made the right call.
Saudi Arabia is a strong economy because of all the oil, growing fast and young population. The fundamentals are solid.

I would definitely look at a role in Saudi Arabia if another opportunity came up.

Is Riyadh so dull a place to live? I have been there 3 times - but really from hotel to office only, with a few compound visits.

HenryGale

Yes, quite dull. I mean there are places like malls but what is the most you can do? Just shop and Eat. We foreigners can't waste all on shopping and eat in limits. Other than that they don't allow any activities in the malls or any other place. If there are any gaming spots they are Saudi-male dominant, you won't be very welcome. Europeans are still a little more welcome than Asians but still they are foreigners.
The best place to be in is Dammam city and even there ARAMCO is the best company to join. Since you are in Financial field may be you can act as their Financial adviser or something like that.