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My name is Khaled, and I'm from Saudi Arabia. I was born and raised in Riyadh city. I have lived more than five years in the United State. During my stay in the U.S, I faced different issues especially when I had to move to different cities. This forum has helped me a lot learning about the cities I was moving to. Therefore, I believe I should help people who are considering moving to Riyadh by answering any questions they have regarding living and working in the city.
Brief about Riyadh:
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province. Riyadh is home to 5.7 million people, and the urban centre of a region with a population of close to 7.3 million people. The city is divided into 15 municipal districts, managed by Riyadh Municipality headed by the mayor of Riyadh, and the Riyadh Development Authority, chaired by the governor of Riyadh Province. The climate as having ahot desert climate temperatures during the summer months, which are extremely hot. The average high temperature in July is 42.6 °C. Winters are warm with cold, windy nights. The overall climate is , and the city experiences very little rainfall, especially in summer, but receives a fair amount of rain in March and April. It is also known to have many dust storms. The dust is often so thick that visibility is under 10 m (33 ft). In April 2015, a massive dust storm hit Riyadh, causing suspension of classes in many schools in the area and cancellation of hundreds of flights, both domestic and international.(Wiki)
How about women tourist, are they allowed to move around freely? What's the expected decorum?
I hope one day I can travel to the Middle East and honestly, I won't mind covering my face or my body. But I know there's more than that and in some places I might stand out, so I want to avoid any uncomfortable situations.
The job marker is huge because of the projects in the city such as the Riyadh Metro Project. Most of the jobs are in the construction industry, technology industry, and finance. If you are looking for a job in the petroleum and oil industry, you will have to look in the east and west side of the Saudi Arabia.
How about women tourist, are they allowed to move around freely? What's the expected decorum?
I hope one day I can travel to the Middle East and honestly, I won't mind covering my face or my body. But I know there's more than that and in some places I might stand out, so I want to avoid any uncomfortable situations.
Thanks in advance
Women cam move around freely, but they can not drive. They can take a cap everywhere, which is cheap, or they can rent a car with its driver. Riyadh is so diverse. You will find people from different countries around the world. For example, women coming from Europe or the U.S, they do not wear Hjab, or cover their face. They just put Aba'ya, which covers the body and looks like a long coat. The expected decorum is like any part of the world where you have to respect all the people and do not offend them. Religion is pretty critical here, so avoid disrespecting it. You still can discusses it and chat about it if you want, but you should do that with well educated people.
Middle east has a lot to offer. For example, Dubai is a great city. It is like any other U.S city. It does not have the same restrictions Riyadh has regarding women clothes.
Egypt is a really great country. It has a lot of culture, and the people are so nice. It is one of the country I love.
Saudi Arabia looks like an interesting and unique country. However, I don't like how there are no churches allowed to be built in that huge land despite millions of foreign Christian workers. Saudi Arabia should be more modern and not strict just like UAE, Jordan and other Muslim majority countries.
What are the leisure time spending possibilities? I know a lot of stuff is forbidden because of Islam. Seems like people like to powerslide their cars on the roads to have some fun. What else is there to do?
Are houses multifamily type of houses or single family?
Where does the water come from, underground, above ground?
Is there plants growing naturally in the area or is it mostly all sand?
Do things grow well?
Is Saudi Arabia significantly different from Yemen, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar? Or are all the countries on the Arabian peninsula pretty similar?
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