Your Expat Community in Saudi Arabia

Moving to Saudi Arabia: Your Questions, Answered

If you’re a new or soon-to-be expat in Saudi Arabia, you probably aren’t quite sure yet what it will be like. That’s why we gathered the answers to some key questions you may have about life in Saudi Arabia. If you want to ask more specific questions — or even share your own tips — join InterNations! You’ll be part of a community of new and experienced expats who love to help each other out.

What are the most common nationalities in Saudi Arabia? As an expat in Saudi Arabia, you'll meet people from many different cultures (especially if you're an InterNations member!) The top nationalities in the InterNations Communities in Saudi Arabia currently are:

• Indians
• Pakistanis
• Americans
• Egyptians

Which cities are most popular among expats in Saudi Arabia? Some cities attract more expats than others. These are the cities with the largest expat communities in Saudi Arabia:

• Riyadh
• Jeddah
• Dhahran

How much rent do expats pay in Saudi Arabia? Your personal situation plays a role here. Single expats spend on average 675 USD on their accommodation per month, while expat families spend around 850 USD. And of course, rents can also vary greatly depending on the location and city within Saudi Arabia.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here are some rent averages for the most popular cities in Saudi Arabia.

Average rent in Riyadh

• Single expats: 989 USD
• Expat families: 1.430 USD

Average rent in Jeddah

• Single expats: 710 USD
• Expat families: 933 USD

Average rent in Dhahran

• Single expats: 656 USD
• Expat families: 895 USD

How safe is Saudi Arabia? You may be wondering about safety. In general people perceive their personal safety situation in Saudi Arabia as very safe. People rate the risk of falling victim to petty crime (such as pickpocketing or minor theft) as low. They consider the chance of being the victim of violent crime (including mugging) very low. And, they rate confidence in the police force and related local authorities as high.

How safe is Saudi Arabia for women? Female expats rated the safety situation in Saudi Arabia as rather safe. This is based on the feedback of expat women living in Saudi Arabia (rather than actual crime statistics). So obviously this can be highly subjective and depends on factors such as where people live.

Discover Saudi Arabia with Other Expats!

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arab world and is home to the two most important cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. The capital, Riyadh, has a population of over 5 million people and is the largest city in the country. In 2019, Saudi Arabia will boast the world’s tallest building when the 20 billion USD Kingdom Tower is completed in Jeddah. Red Sea beaches, the Sarrawat and Hijaz mountains, the UNESCO World Heritage site at Al-Hijr — these are just the pinnacles of this remarkable country. Your expat compatriots have visited all these places on their travels and, with their help, you too will discover unseen parts of the country that even the guidebooks won’t tell you about! Try new foods: the Halal diet is inspired by a mixture of Persian, Turkish, and Indian food and you can try the national dish, a st￭ lamb known as khūzī, or shāwarmā, a marinated dish of chicken or mutton. In Damman, you can explore the outdoor markets and bazaars. Your expat community will be able to advise you about the best places to go.

InterNations is the largest global network for expatriates, with communities in 420 cities around the world. Meet fellow global minds in your city of residence or get to know local expatriates before you're moving or traveling abroad and never feel like a stranger. InterNations makes it easy for you to stay in touch with your expat friends, both online and offline, so you can grow your network of friends and contacts from all over the world. Whether they live in Malaysia or Peru, InterNations allows you to be close to them even if they are miles away.

Who Makes Up Your InterNations Expat Community?

With InterNations, you'll be able to find like-minded people. We hold regular events which bring you together with people who have been living and working in Saudi for months or even years, whether they're young professionals, experienced CEOs or entire families. Our network of expats have gone through a careful approval process and all our members value our principles of courtesy, respect, and honesty which mean that you, and everyone who joins us, can be assured of being able to connect with people online and offline in a safe and secure environment. There are the very popular InterNations Groups which can be anything from dance lessons to food and wine tasting, as well as places for families to enjoy safe and inspirational days out. At our larger community-wide social events, you can network with expats and global minds from around the world. You can ask anything you may need to know, and get answers about how to deal with legal and administrative issues. So goodnight from Saudi Arabia — or as we say here, as-salaam'alaykum (Peace be with you) and we hope to see you soon!