Life of an Expat in Saudi Arabia
We shifted to Saudi Arabia not so long ago and wanted to share an insight of what we feel of this place. I could have kept on writing on this topic of how amazed I was after reaching this country, to how wonderful the locals are here. But have tried to summarize to not make this blog post lengthy.
We have noticed a lot of negative, derailed narrative of this place which is not true and wanted to share our experience of this beautiful country. Seeing is believing.
I would like to share our top 10 experiences here.
Top 10 experiences in Saudi Arabia as an Expat
1. Arabic Hospitality
Locals in Saudi Arabia are kind, welcoming, and compassionate no matter where you go. The Arabic and Bedouin people hold a great belief in “Karam,” which implies kindness. Everyone in the area, from store owners to taxi drivers, smiles and says, “Welcome to our country.” This country differs greatly from most other nations worldwide and whatever western media portrays it to be.
2. Friendly Street cats
We have visited three big cities in this country, and everywhere we look, there are CATS, or the feline fatal. Dogs are rare to find. Because cats are revered in Islam, people feed and care for them. I encountered a unique KIT KAT, a charming, less than a year-old kitten with unique abilities to drift while sprinting and a heart-melting meow.
3. World Cuisine
Seven days a week and seven modes you got. From Italian Mondays to Indian Tuesdays, Japanese/Chinese Wednesdays, Lebanese/Egyptian Thursdays, Arabic Fridays, Thai/ Vietnamese Saturdays to only deserts Sundays. 😊 You got all covered. The restaurants scene in Jeddah I am more aware of and it got everything. To name a few of our go to places are- Haldi Restaurant in AR Rawdah, Koki in Al Fahd, Sushi Yoshi at 3 locations (my go to one is near the cornice), Asia Thai Restaurant, Baytoti and Gulf Royal Chinese restaurant for Chinese cuisine, Al Dawar Al Masrey, Khayal Restaurant. And don’t let me begin with coffee. I guess this deserves a separate Blog with all the details.
4. Urban Fabric
A city is happier if it has an urban fabric which includes public amenities with ease. Like UAE, Jeddah also has its own Corniche, inaugurated in 2017, a 30 km costal resort along the red sea. The sunsets here are magical. You will find walking, cycling infrastructure with amenities like playgrounds etc designed for children, sitting by the beachside and sipping coffee, enjoying an evening walk with the whole family, fountains, public toilets, stores, and waterfront.
5. Growing Infrastructure
Although the Line at Neom may already be familiar to you, there are other projects underway in Saudi as well. Here, you can see how evident the locals’ vision for 2030 is. They are committed to improving their surroundings and leaving a remarkable legacy. And nothing can stop such determination. Where there is will, there is a way. Most of the cities we have visited in Saudi have infrastructure development everywhere.
6. Safety
It is sad to check the western countries government websites declaring how unsafe is Saudi Arabia with false claims of overcrowding, threat of missile attack, occupational safety risks etc. Honestly, it is all false. As a women or man of foreign looks, never received any threat. I must inform you of some instances, I was carrying a huge bag of laundry from the shop to my hotel nearby, the shop owner helped me carry my bag, the guys passing by offered help. Doorman at the gate helped. In end, I was carrying no bags at all. Most of restaurants offer free drinks and bread. The safety norms are better here than any part of the world.
7. Slow down Mate
The Saudi people have strong Islamic moral code. They are traditional, loyal, hospitable, and carry a sense of duty for their community. They take pride in their culture, food, attire. And we should also respect it. Most of the major cities here do not have New York sort of hustle and bustle. It is cleaner, calmer, peaceful. People do take prayer breaks, coffee and Sheesha breaks. They do not simply run around. Locals enjoy the little joys around. They believe in balanced life.
8. Beautiful Residential Compounds
A mini city within a Metropolis, that is how I would describe these compounds. Major cities in Saudi Arabia have these compounds. Some can be large with 500 units to sometimes 50 or lesser residential units. All these residential units could be villas or apartments which come with parking spaces, store rooms, maid’s room, driver’s room with 1 bedroom configuration to 5-bedroom configurations, suitable for every type of budget. Some of major ones in Jeddah area as follows: – Mura Bustan, Saudia City, Al Bustan, J one, Saraia Compounds etc. I will post a separate blog with details for these compounds.
9. Untapped Tourist Destination sites
Paris, Rome, Santorini, everyone is aware of. But Saudi Arabia has lot of unexplored history and beautiful destinations to explore. From stargazing at the Martian beauty Al ula, Scuba diving in Jeddah, artistic treasures in the ancient town of Al Balad in Jeddah, to contemporary art center JAX district in Riyadh, will keep you fascinated. It so much to see and believe that this topic also deserves a separate blog. Stay tuned!
10. Art and Architecture
There is a proverb in Hindi that states, “The necessities for humans are Roti (bread), Kapda (garment), and Makan (house).” In our numerous millennia of life on Earth, however, humankind has always sought culinary variety and science of cooking, delicious meal spread, beautiful attires crafted out of variety of garments, and definitive, vernacular type of architecture.
That is art, that is architecture. And Saudi Arabia will not disappoint you. Whether you are an artist, architect, dreamer, designer, this place has the capacity to inspire you. From coral plastered walls of Al balad, geometric patterns of nature mimicked in carpets, to carvings and just watching the artisans create magic, it is all mesmerizing. Upcoming blogs on channel will have a lot of information for these topics.
Whether you are an artist, architect, dreamer, designer, this place has the capacity to inspire you.