Advice on Saudi Arabia/ Riyadh

[Looby4]

I am in discussions with a firm to take up a Project Director/ Senior Project role on a Giga project (massive project) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I am wondering if anyone out there could help me with salary and benefits and also let me know what I should expect to pay. I am worried about not asking for enough money/ agreeing to work for too little money and getting this negotiation wrong.

1. If anyone could advise on salaries for this type of role - please do let me know.
2. How much would I expect to pay for a 2 bed rental apartment in a nice compound per month? Are bills included in these compounds, or additional? If additional, how much are bills?
3. How much would I pay for a driver or taxis to get around per month?
4. How much would a ladies' gym cost?
5. Is grocery shopping more expensive, the same, or less in Riyadh?
6. Beauty - hair cut/ colour, nails, waxing - more or less than in the UK?
7. Health Insurance costs approx
8. Mobile phone costs approx.
9. Restaurants, cinema etc. going out - more or less than UK?

Are there things I haven't mentioned or thought of?

All help gratefully received.

I’m not there, but DH looked into all of the above a few months ago. He was offered something elsewhere in the end. KSA, and Riyadh, do seem to be a lot more expensive for accommodation, we were very shocked at the cost of nice compounds.

I will look up his figures on each of your specific questions, but the salary he was offered was 75K/month and that would have allowed for a comfortable lifestyle for 4 of us.

Main question, are you alone or with partner/kids?

I visited Riyadh once, for work, in 2015. I can’t comment on salaries, healthcare etc, but there are a few things about the place which stick in my memory:

1, Restaurants have two entrances. One for men, the other for ‘families’. Women are only allowed in the ‘family’ section and only when chaperoned by a man.

2, There are no cinemas, and no theatres. Dens of iniquity, apparently. And no alcohol, obviously. Some Western expats who live in compounds produce their own, but this obviously entails risks.

3, Chop-chop square is very real, and very busy. Particularly on Friday mornings, before prayers.

4, Shopping malls have separate floors for men & women.

5, I visited in November, and the temperature was pleasantly warm in the evening so me & my male colleagues decided to go for a wander around town before dinner. All the cafes were busy with tables of people sitting outside eating drinking, smoking & chatting. All seems perfectly normal for a hot country at first until you realise that the people are all men. Not one woman was anywhere to be seen.

Thank you both for your helpful replies.
@DaysofHoney I would be going alone, initially, with DH joining towards the end of next year. My children are young adults now and in university of working.

The Facebook group Two Far Expats (funny name but helpful group) is worth joining. They can probably recommend other forums/groups

All of that info is years out of date and no longer true.

A 2 bed rental in a nice compound is about £50k per year with bills included.

Beauty is more expensive.

Grocery shopping isn't too bad. You can feed a family of 4 for about £150 per week.

Health insurance should be included by your employer. The hospitals are good. Much much better than the UK.

Restaurants and cinema are more expensive than the uk.

Classic Libs information is way out of date. I was in Riyadh last year for work.

Cinemas are popular, and there are plenty of them. There are no separate sections anymore for families and single men. Women no longer have to wear an abaya.

Shopping is more expensive than the UK. Driving is a nightmare. Hopefully, the metro will open eventually.

Please ignore ClassicLib - that's so out of date!
I live in Riyadh and can assure you there very definitely no separate floors for men and women in shopping centres - I can go where I want. They also let me drive a car (shock horror!).

I can't help with pay as I'm in a different sector but for some of your other questions -

Accommodation - companies often have accom included, or deals with compounds for reduced rates - so you need to check with the employer what is offered. There is also a statutory minimum that must be given for accomodation (3 months basic pay) if accom is not provided.

Health insurance - covered by employer, I think as a condition of the visa. Healthcare is very good here.

Getting around - Uber - cheap but varies through the day. The roads are CRAZY - the driving is the worst I've ever seen so even though I now have a car I use Uber for some trips.

Restaurants - vary from cheap- as- chips local/Indian/fast food joints to high end Dubai-style stuff.

Mobiles - most likely your company will provide but have a look at mobily and stc for an idea.

Have you lived in the Middle East before?
Have you got the chance to visit? (You can get a tourist evisa very quickly online)

50,000 English pounds, not SAR? Sorry we’re just contemplating this move ourselves and that amount has shocked me as we haven’t budgeted anywhere near that - you see so many different things x

Yes, 50 thousand uk pounds for a family rental n a compound sounds about right (we weren't in Riyadh). For us, payable in one cheque annually. Thank fcuk DH's company stumped up for that one!

Wow. If that’s the case there’s absolutely no point in my husband taking this job! We’ll be no better off (I’m staying in uk)

If you don't need a 3-bed you can get it much cheaper! I've just got our exact figures - 40k GBP (200KSAR) for a 3 bed. And I always thought Ryiadh was cheaper than where we were.
If you are on facebook, get onto Susie Of Arabia / Blue Abaya to get some up to date numbers - i think everything dropped during Covid.
And if he's not wedded to a compound, prices will drop further. With family I would strongly advise compound living. We contemplated DH staying behind and us coming back to the UK, and he was looking at living in a block of (expat) flats, but without the compound walls.

thank you for all of this info, it’s really helpful. He’s looking for a 1 bedroom in a compound, I think I’d be happier with him in a compound too, especially initially. It’s really hard to find prices anywhere!

Hubby looking at job in North Riyadh. Would be first time in KSA. Wanting a two bed apartment/villa. I wouldn't be working, wanting comfortable, clean, safe environment. Don't want to feel claustraphobic but don't want to pay stupid amount. Only hubby and me with adult son visiting sometimes.
Which compound?
Help? Thank you.

Cordoba compound

You are wrong on so many levels, have you really Ben to Riyadh?

Hi, please ignore a lot of nonsense in the replies from people who have clearly not travelled to Saudi Arabia.

1. if you are Project Director material you will be on a minimum £200k tax free. You will be paid in SAR.
2. Compounds vary, you need to be close to work place. Brits generally live in the North East suburbs, but expect to pay £20-30k pa. Usually 6-12 months in advance. Fully includes utilities and furniture. A family needs to be on a compound.
3. Hire Car - £550 per month, fuel is cheap I pay £20 for a full tank. Some compounds have buses and you can always get lifts off colleagues.
4. compounds usually have a gym and pool
5. Groceries - same as UK, but chemists are expensive. Bring over your own supply of toiletries
6. Beauty . Same as UK
7. Health Care - Should be included in the company benefits
8. .Mobile Phone - you will need unlimited data to run Netflix, laptop etc £70 pmonth
9. Resturants - same as UK, fast food is slightly cheaper, you have M&S, H&M, IKEA,

it is a very safe country, but you need to be on a compound unless you like your own company. The people are friendly, big into fashion and brands.

Depends on his earning potential?