Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

Working in Saudia Arabia

34 replies

MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:08

Hiya all, just to prefice me and DH are both Muslim and have visited Saudia for Pilgrimage. However he has been offered work there where he will earn 3x what he does a salary of more then £170k in Riyadh. He is way too over qualified for positions in the UK and he has been unable to progress here as the next position would be CEO and not many of those going around in his line of work (won't disclose anymore) he is at the max top of his salary £65k a year and we do live comfortably but if he moved abroad and earned that amount we could finally purchase a home debt free in cash and provide a good education for the kids.

Wouldn't want to stay in Saudia long term maybe 10years top amd then move back to the UK as this is where family are. BUT what is it really like living there? Day to day, travel, things to do. When I went it was for Pilgrimage and I spent 4 weeks but only 1 week in Jeddah, and 3 weeks in Medina and Mecca I loved it there but hated Jeddah. Such a massive overwhelming city and imppssible to navigate. Never been to Riyadh has anyone ever worked there? With kids? Whats it like living there day to day. What can I expect living there not just visiting. (Positive experince with people when doing Pilgrimage)

OP posts:
Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 08:10

Yes worked there

will never ever ever ever ever return

Original poster
MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:12

Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 08:10

Yes worked there

will never ever ever ever ever return

That reaponse is not helpful.
Care to elborate? In Riyadh? With children?

OP posts:
Simonjt · 21/09/2025 08:15

Are any of the children girls?

Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 08:15

MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:12

That reaponse is not helpful.
Care to elborate? In Riyadh? With children?

Show quote history

I don’t “care to elaborate”

that’s my response. I worked there. And will never ever ever ever return.

Like it or lump it 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:19

Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 08:15

I don’t “care to elaborate”

that’s my response. I worked there. And will never ever ever ever return.

Like it or lump it 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

I asked queations in my post. Whats it like etc etc.

Serious responders only please.

OP posts:
warmapplepies · 21/09/2025 08:19

You’re not going to get many (any?) balanced responses here - people don’t like countries like this and for good reason.

If you want a genuine response you may be better off finding a board specifically about living in Saudi.

Original poster
MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:20

Simonjt · 21/09/2025 08:15

Are any of the children girls?

Sorry could you answer my questions please or move along. Serious answers only.

If you read my post me and DH have visited we are both practicing Muslims. So what ever you are trying to get at with your comment cut it out!

OP posts:
Original poster
MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:21

Sorry could you answer my questions please or move along. Serious answers only.

If you read my post me and DH have visited we are both practicing Muslims. So what ever you are trying to get at with your comment cut it out!

OP posts:
Fruitlips · 21/09/2025 08:21

You know what Op…. I think you’ll really enjoy it there. Go for it!

KateMiskin · 21/09/2025 08:22

Try posting in the " Living Overseas" board or even searching.

Original poster
MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:23

warmapplepies · 21/09/2025 08:19

You’re not going to get many (any?) balanced responses here - people don’t like countries like this and for good reason.

If you want a genuine response you may be better off finding a board specifically about living in Saudi.

Yeah I will ask there but where is that board?

OP posts:
PurpleChrayn · 21/09/2025 08:23

Personally I wouldn’t move there because I’m a Jew and historically life hasn’t been exactly rosy for Jews living in totalitarian Muslim countries. Also I would not want to live in a country that values women’s rights so little.

Hope this answer is serious enough for you.

warmapplepies · 21/09/2025 08:23

MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:21

Sorry could you answer my questions please or move along. Serious answers only.

If you read my post me and DH have visited we are both practicing Muslims. So what ever you are trying to get at with your comment cut it out!

You don’t get to demand how people respond 🤣

warmapplepies · 21/09/2025 08:24

MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:23

Yeah I will ask there but where is that board?

Show quote history

You’d have to google and find one.

Most westerners are not going to have positive things to say about a country that treats women as badly as Saudi does.

HermioneWeasley · 21/09/2025 08:26

MixedBananas · 21/09/2025 08:21

Sorry could you answer my questions please or move along. Serious answers only.

If you read my post me and DH have visited we are both practicing Muslims. So what ever you are trying to get at with your comment cut it out!

Whats not serious about asking if any of your children are girls?

Saudi has an appalling human rights record towards women and girls (among others). Just because you’re practising Muslims doesn’t mean you automatically want your daughters to be second class citizens.

if having zero rights for yourself or your daughters doesn’t worry you then you should specify that.

ACynicalDad · 21/09/2025 08:29

A friend lived there, a relation of his had a falling out with his boss and they said they, the employer, wouldn’t grant him an exit permit unless he gave up his rights to a chunk of his salary. Is all great, until it isn’t, then you’ll want to get home. Get as much money out of the country as regularly as you can.

DessertOrDesert · 21/09/2025 08:34

As a Muslim woman, you will probably not get treated with much respect. A white woman gets more more respect and tolerance, as it is assumed they are the spouse of a highly earning expat. You will not get the same assumptions.

Riyadh is a big, busy city.

The question about the kids is valid. From early teens the number of children rapidly decreases as many kids start boarding school elsewhere in the world.

We lived in KSA (but not Riyadh). It was great for DHs career, great for our bank balance (although if you are paying rent and schooling out of that oackage, it doesn't sound amazing), great for our primary aged kids, and crap for my career.

Living in a country with very many restrictions and a massive melting pot of cultures and expectations takes a great amount of patience and understanding. If your responses to people here are the way you conduct yourself in real life, I think you will struggle in KSA.

Do I regret it: no.
Would I go back: also no.

minipoodlemum · 21/09/2025 08:35

You would be best off looking for a Saudi ex-pats group on FB OP. Life for women has improved hugely in the last 5-6 years but if I were you I’d want to speak to those who actually live there.

mamagogo1 · 21/09/2025 08:37

I have an acquaintance who lived there for around 12 years, he lived in a compound with other westerners but his partner now wife (who I know far better) never went to live because of the repression of women, no driving, covering up etc (this is before they liberalised a bit) she did visit and hated it because of the blatant misogyny and the fact she couldn’t just go out, even at the airport with a British passport they wanted to know about her husband and whether he knew she was travelling alone!

As you say, you are Muslim so some aspect won’t bother you, some are a bonus but the heat is so high, you still as a woman are lesser than a man, your children if you have any belong to your husband not you so if you split up he gets custody etc

mamagogo1 · 21/09/2025 08:40

Oh and not sure that’s a great salary because of costs, certainly in Dubai which know far more about, cost of living is incredibly high so people arriving on £150k salaries are realising it doesn’t go far

coravantexel · 21/09/2025 08:50

If you are ok with living in a country where human rights, female equality and environmental concerns mean nothing, as long as you make lots of money, then go for it.

backinthebox · 21/09/2025 08:51

As the pilot of the airliner bringing people into the country, I was handed an abaya to wear as soon as I stepped out of the cockpit and told to sit behind my male crew members on the bus. No gym or use of the pool at the hotel, I was sent back to my room by the hotel staff because I was not wearing my black abaya in the lobby and I was told I was making the men feel uncomfortable. (I was modestly and correctly dressed, just not in black, and I did not have a man with me who ‘owned’ me.) 3 days was quite enough for me - and there have been multiple 3 day trips over the years, apparently it has got better, I do not care for the place enough to go back and find out and have managed to avoid it for the last 6 years. Centuries of oppression and misogyny does not just disappear in a few years.)

I feel I need to mention your delightful way of corresponding with helpful posters on here - if you are going to live in a wealthy compound, keep yourself separate from the outside world, and bark orders at your servants you’ll probably have a great time. You husband will need to earn more than £170k to pay for that sort of lifestyle though.

Everyonelikecapybaras · 21/09/2025 09:16

As pps said ask on living overseas board, and ask people who are living there or did recently. Saudi is going through massive changes and fast, and someone living there 10 years ago will have different experience to someone living there now.

Iamfree · 21/09/2025 09:21

That’s a teeny tiny salary in Saudi unless the employer also pays for accommodation, hired help and schools. You’ll be way poorer than on 65k in the UK. Please check your numbers

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 21/09/2025 09:25

Go for it OP. I think you will love it and never want to return to the miserable infidel dump that is the UK.