More and more people find themselves living abroad these days, whether because of work or simply pleasure. The number of British expats moving to The Middle East is growing and it’s not surprising once you discover the benefits. But first, here are some quick facts and statistics to get you up to speed with Saudi Arabia.
Capital: Riyadh
Official Language: Arabic
Religion: Islam
Population: 29,994,272 (2013 estimate)
Currency: Saudi Riyal
Side of Road Driven On: Right
Time Zone: AST (UTC+3)
Below are what we consider to be the top 3 benefits of moving to Saudi Arabia.
1. Money/Tax-Free Salaries
The majority of people move to Saudi due to work and it is no surprise when the perks are pretty impressive, with the main perk being tax-free salaries! Plus, depending on the job, some corporate overseas assignments have compensation packages which can often include transport, housing and paid education for children.
2. Food
Arabian food has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years, and as a result of this long-term perfection of traditional dishes Saudi Arabian cuisine is very highly regarded. Kabsa is the national dish, which is a combination of rice and meat, served on huge platter. Many say this meal, often eaten in company whilst sitting on the floor, is an unforgettable social experience.
3. Diversity
It’s often surprising discovering just how many different nationalities are living in Saudi, this can often be quite an eye-opening experience for people but one they thoroughly enjoy as new expats soon find themselves with a whole bunch of new friends from all around the world.
Don’t just take our word for it as there are some excellent blogs out there of expats who have moved to Saudi Arabia, with some of our favourites being:
“Foreign Girl” (http://margocatts.com/)
Foreign Girl follows the journey of an American woman who explores all that Saudi Arabia has to offer; her posts are honest and generally humorous.
“Living in Saudi” (http://ohran-saudi.blogspot.co.uk/)
Similar to the previous blog, but this one concentrates more on family life in Saudi Arabia.
“Living In Jeddah” (http://www.livinginjeddah.com/)
An in-depth and extremely helpful blog discussing culture, things to do, places to go, shopping and restaurants.
We hope you have found this article informative and interesting to read and we would love to hear from any of you who have either recently moved to Saudi Arabia or are planning to in the future!
