HiHo

Google maps says 32 mins but its 11:50 in rush hour double it plus you have to get through security at the compound you choose. FAL compound is about the same quality wise as Ranco but nearer. Kingdom Compound is better quality and close too.

Djuro

An hour's commute is not great but not disastrous; where I am now I have a 40 minute commute.

What are the rush hour times - or is it always crazy?

nonthaburi

If you're going to be working near Riyadh Front I'd suggest one of the compound behind Granada Mall. There are about 5 close together behind there: Najd, Nakheel Village, Eid, Granada Village and another one I can't remember the name of.

It would mean negotiating the Eastern ring road but at that point you're far enough North that traffic wouldn't be such an issue.

Riyadh Front is quite a good place to be close to. I was there tonight as it goes. Loads of options for food etc, and it's clean and modern. The new Saudi in fact.

starwalker

Thanks for the compound suggestions, everyone - not hijacking the thread, but watching it closely as we're about to move in two months as well, and I'm running into the same problem of trying to figure out what and where. There are some great suggestions here, so I hope to mooch off some of them

[edit] btw. anyone know if you can bring a BBQ grill (propane), are there any rules against it? I have a huge Weber grill that I can't bring myself to sell, or store, so I'm kind of thinking of just throwing it into the container and bringing it.

Djuro

Do hijack - the more people sharing their experience the better.

At the moment we’re leaning towards Ranco or Cordoba as cheper options or Nakhla as more expensive. Of course this may change by..tomorrow

HiHo

Cordoba is a better option from the point of view of a commute. Rush hour is from 7an to 9am and 5pm till 9pm. Fuel is cheap and the locals "cruise" all night which is basically driving around aimlessly. The rush hour is bad not just because of the number of people but their driving skill level which is extremely low. Collisions are common place and that makes the traffic crawl. They only have to operate a steering wheel, brake and accelerator and cant mange that. If they had a clutch and gear stick to contend with the streets would be carnage.

Djuro

Are they agressive or just generally incompetent? I am used to dreadful, agressive driving of cars equipped with clutches - people cutting in, swerving, driving too fast, not indicating etc.

HiHo

None of the drivers appear capable of anticipation (I intend to turn Left thus will get in the left hand lane to facilitate this). None of them understand the process of filtering in traffic. Most of them attempt (unsuccessfully) to drive whilst texting. Lots of children drive. The standard of driver training is next to none existent other than the use of simulators such as Grand theft Auto. The chaos is exasperated through the introduction of external influences. Europeans confuse the indigenous population through the use of exotic practices such as allowing sufficient breaking distance, indication the intention to make a turn and allowing other road users to enter the flow of traffic. Lane discipline is not commonly understood, 30% believe in driving between the lines, 20% believe one is to follow the line, 20% believe in alternating randomly between the two options and the remainder have no appreciation of lane discipline what so ever. The understanding of technology posses another problem. The appreciation that a Camaro behaves differently to a Poarch in terms of road holding and deceleration a step beyond believe for many. These factors and others beside to make Riyadh the most dangerous driving environment imaginable. 14 People are dead at the seen in traffic collisions in Riyadh alone, many more die later from injuries sustained.

Djuro

sounds like a mix of Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Fingers crossed I'll survive!

Waay off topic but my thread..is it complicated to buy a used car? I don't want to shell out on a new one - I have no idea how long I'll want to stay there so buying new seems like a potential waste of money in depreciation. I'd buy a second hand Corolla or something similar (i.e. Japanese, European cars break and I don't want a car that breaks over there). Are there any manuals on the market? I have an irrational but deep seated dislike of autos.

starwalker

So as a car guy I’m going to jump in on this one. It looks like it’s pretty simple to buy a car; the widest choice of used cars seems to be on haraj.com.sa - but you need to haggle for everything, so having local help would be a godsend here. I think they don’t have manuals for reasons like the post above - it appears to be just one variable too many to process. Prices seem somewhat similar to the West, so it’s not necessarily terrible. I’d maybe recommend getting an SUV, though … if only for better visibility and the occasional opportunity to go out for some light dune bashing. Unless you’re planning on drifting your Corolla through evening traffic.

Djuro

Won't bother with SUVs, I am a diesel manual compact scrooge type of a car guy. Real shame there's no Dacia in KSA

starwalker

Good news! The Dacia Sandero is delayed another year!

… sorry. every time Dacia is mentioned, that comes out.

Djuro

It's bad news! There is no Dacia Sandero in KSA!

Laugh we may but I recently drove the newest model of the Sandero and GOOD NEWS! there is honestly no reason at all to choose e.g. a Golf over the Sandero unless you're into more expensive looking plastic. Not just acceptable but a fine car to drive.

starwalker

Huh really. So they’re not the running joke they used to be. How the world changes. 🤔

Portuguese_KSA

Hello Djuro and everyone,

I have already signed a contract and will start working at KSA before Christmas.
I am looking for a compound for myself and the information I found in this thread was excellent! Thanks Djuro and all the others!!
My housing allowance is SR 120K/year (with the possibility of going up to 135K/year), do you think that with this amount I can rent a two bedroom apartment in a modern compound with all the usual facilities? Ideally I would like a two bedroom villa, but I don't know if this budget is enough. Eventually I might supplement my housing allowance with money of my own. What do you think abour this?

I also have a car allowance of 3,500 SR/month. With this amount what kind of car can I have?