Technically you should not be working on a business visa. If you have one, you cannot open a bank account or bring dependants. With a business visa you have no labour rights under the Labour Law.

With an Iqama, you can open a bank account, bring dependants, rent a car , get a mobile contract, etc

The one he has got he is not allowed to work on, only 'consult'. If he gets caught during the illegals roundup he's going to face some issues. Also, no bank account, no KSA driving license, difficult to get simcards/internet. Has to waste lots of weekends (unpaid) travelling back and for across borders, spending time dropping off and picking up visa packages.

So, my latest plan is Riyadh -> Athens, Greece -> Paflio, Greece on the get-out-every-30-days KSA visa requirements.

Ever been to Nafplio? It seems close enough to Athens (airport) but on a coast, gotta beach, quaint, got some historic stuff.

Nafplio:>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nafplio
and more on Nafplio: >> http://www.tigtn.com/

I'm looking at the Latini Family Hotel. Or,
Hotel Perivoli

Much less hot than Riyadh. And no Ramadan.

Thoughts?

I thought I might do 7-10 days in Istanbul on the I-quit! return leg at the end of the contract and then another 7-10 days in Paris.

Amman's nice, Cairo's nice, Addis Ababa is doable (not been), Tbilisi is good, Beirut's really nice.

Europe beats all of them, hands down.

Tbilisi ? How would you get there from KSA ? Maybe Turkish Airlines ? They have an extensive network serving what used to be the Ottoman Empire.(And may soon be the Neo-Ottoman Empire !)

If you have not visited Istanbul - go there. Byzantium, Constantinople, City of the World's Desire. To the Anglo-saxons it was "Micklegarth" The Great City. Go before it becomes the centre of the New Caliphate !

Istanbul or Doha can be done in 8 hrs each way, or cheaper if you have longer. I was there last autumn and enjoyed it immensely; off the beaten track, cheap, friendly people, good food, not crowded apart from the city centre and lots of history and culture.

Great advice. I looked on Kayak and it looks like Istanbul can be done in 4 hours, Athens in 6 hours.

Is that not correct?

I was referring to going to Tbilisi via those airports. I see where I wasn't so clear - hey, it's the weekend.

What I meant to say was you can go Riyadh -> Tbilisi in about 8 hours, via Doha or Istanbul and it's a nice place to go to. A bit basic, it was Soviet for a while, but cheap, up and coming, and still not on the Ryanair, stag do, wankersville radar.

And, if you've got enough time, it's right next to Armenia which is also a cheap and cultural place to visit.

Excellent advice. Many thanks.

You're welcome, mate, Feel free to PM me for more info - glad to help out a fellow expat.

Well, the KSA visa finally came. 90 days. Apparently I am not required to leave the country every 30 days.

Big, huge, freakin'

Really. I finally had my sights on Nafplio and Kea.

Beirut, Istanbul, Morocco?

can confirm tbilisi is awesome, great food, place, people and cheap as chips

And probably full of proles from UK on Stag Weekends.

I would double check your visa, it may be valid for 90 days, but you may only stay for 30 consecutive days(this is normal for business visa's).
also I assume you are aware of the risks working on a business visa in anything except a consulting role.