Riyadh - Post Report Question and Answers
What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Family friendly, very modern. - Jul 2021
A very different culture, beautiful weather in fall and winter, a brilliant blue sky, interesting places to explore if you just look for them, incredibly hospitable people (the Saudis). And if you're a photographer like me, an endless variety of innovative architecture and unusual sights to capture. - Oct 2017
You can save money. And just ... life. It is so, so odd here and even odder that it sort of becomes commonplace. You'll acquire a lot of stories. - Jan 2017
You can save money because entertainment options are few and the shopping is just O.K. There are some nice Turkish carpets and jewelry to buy at reasonable prices. - May 2016
Not many. No snow. Tax-free income. - Nov 2015
Living in a secluded country, not accessible for tourists. - Oct 2015
Not much. You can save money because there isn't really a lot to do here (no cinemas, clubs, bars, etc). There is a lot of time off for the various Islamic holidays so many people travel often. It is easy to travel to other countries - lots of direct flights out of Riyadh to Asia and Europe. Other than that, there is not much to do here. It gets really boring. - Oct 2015
Saving money is the biggest plus of living here because most people get higher salaries. The winters are really great, cool weather and sunshine. - Jan 2015
Saving money, lots of family time at home, close Embassy community (everyone on DQ, so everyone close by). If you are a Muslim, special opportunities for Hajj/Umrah. - Sep 2014
A very different culture, beautiful weather in fall and winter, interesting places to explore if you just look for them, incredibly hospitable people (the Saudis). - Mar 2014
Experiencing the culture, the weather is great, lots to see and do. - Dec 2013
This nation has great weather in the winter and provides an interesting cultural experience. - Oct 2013
It is a good base for exploring the Middle East, and travel within Saudi can be beautiful, if tiring. - Mar 2013
Interesting culture - Apr 2011
There are many advantages to life in Riyadh. One of them is the short commute to work. Most people within the Embassy community live within walking distance of the Embassy, if they choose to drive, it's only a few minutes away. Gas is extremely inexpensive, groceries and imported products are easy to find--the main grocery store in town is a subsidiary of the US grocery store Safeway which stocks all of the regular Safeway brand products. I have never lived in a place with such a wide range of the usual American products. English is widely spoken, I have absolutely no trouble getting around without Arabic. There are some great restaurants in this city and although the usual entertainment options- movie theaters, concerts, etc are not available here, the social life on the various compounds keeps you busy. The pay is also excellent and regional travel is very affordable. - Jul 2010
There really aren't any. - Mar 2010
