When one is considering to accept a position in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a person should look at this opportunity as a once in a lifetime adventure….because that is exactly what it is.

Yes Saudi Arabia is different for sure with its different culture, dress code, religion, language, lifestyle weather, currency, working week etc but these differences are what make it such an adventure. One must come to Saudi Arabia with an open mind and a willingness to embrace and respect such differences. With an open mind and a sense of adventure life here is so much easier.

Yes, there are certain restrictions in Saudi Arabia that expats should respect but likewise we all have cultural differences within our own countries. The restrictions here are mainly dress code, prayer times and driving which mainly affect female expats. The key is to have patience with such restrictions and eventually they become part of your everyday life. Such restrictions are vastly outnumbered by the many positive aspects of working and living in Saudi Arabia. One such positive aspect of living in Saudi Arabia is the opportunity to travel to other countries.

Considering that you will have more than 50 days’ vacation per year, Saudi Arabia is a fantastic base for those who like to travel. Close proximity to places like Dubai, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman and Egypt are just some of the major attractions of living in Saudi Arabia. All of these destinations can be reached by air in less than 2 hours. Further afield places like India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Africa are all within reasonable flying distance. Most of the Middle Eastern based airlines like Saudia, Emirates, Etihad and Turkish have generous baggage allowances of up to 32 kilos per person which is unheard of in the rest of the world.

Saudi Arabia is a great place to meet new friends and people of different nationalities. Most of the compounds have a great community life and great friendships have been formed here. The compounds represent a great source of support which is offered by expats who have been living here for a number of years. One only has to be open to friendship and have an outgoing and positive attitude and you will soon be part of the expat community. The same can be said about your Saudi colleagues and friends at your workplace who you will find to be very generous and who are always willing to help if asked. The weekend in Saudi Arabia is on Friday and Saturday, which takes time to adjust to. So what is there to do when you are not working? Well one can never be bored here with the variety of activities that are available. Hash walking in the desert during the cooler months is a popular activity among the expat community and also a good way to meet new friends. If you want to learn a new activity there are opportunities for lessons in tennis, golf, salsa, zumba and aerobics. If water sports appeal to you then head for the Red Sea on the west coast of Saudi Arabia.

The Red Sea is one of the best and most unspoiled scuba diving sites in the world with beautiful coral, plenty of sea life and exciting wrecks to explore. Along with being one of the best scuba diving sites it also one of the cheapest places to dive. The great thing about all of these activities is that the climate allows you to do all of them throughout the year. If shopping is your thing then there are plenty of top class shopping malls to choose from. Likewise there are locally run markets called “souks’ where bargaining with the local shop owners is practiced. Perhaps you wish to learn Arabic as a new language and again there are plenty of courses and tutors available for you to avail of. Having Arabic as a second language is extremely beneficial and is now a much sought after skill by employers within the Middle East region. Coming to work in Saudi Arabia can help you to step out of your comfort zone and see another side of the world.

The best advice one can give is not to focus on the negative publicity of Saudi Arabia which is generated by the media. Instead one should research the many expat blogs about Saudi Arabia, which by the way are mainly written by female expats. Such blogs tell us about the positive sides of life here. When all is said and done, most expats will tell you that they have no regrets about deciding to relocate and work in Saudi Arabia. Coming to work and live in Saudi Arabia opens your eyes to a whole new world which you never knew existed. In later life I am sure that most of us who came here will look back and say I’m glad I did it….what an experience.