Numerous people seek working abroad or may move to a different country for family purposes (they’re called expatriates, or expats for short), and their choice of destination usually depends on several factors. Saudi Arabia is currently a home to millions of expats, and many live in Jeddah, the largest coastal city.
Here, I, as a Google local guide in Jeddah, interviewed two expats who have been living in the city for years to share their perspectives and what they liked the most. The goal is to provide an insight from non-locals on life here.
Sam is an American from San Diego (Instagram: @displaced.american) who first came to Jeddah for work back in 2016 has a long list of things that made him call the city his second home. As an avid traveler, Sam enjoys the close proximity of the city to numerous countries making traveling very easy and inexpensive, which he sees as a luxury that most people in the US cannot enjoy. Moreover, he could save a lot for his trips (and more) since the cost of living is very cheap, where he rents an apartment for only a quarter of what he used to pay back home if not less. Interestingly, feeling homesick is less of a concern to him since many American food chains have branches in Jeddah. This includes, but not limited to, Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s, KFC, and many others. There is even Dunkin Donuts, which is not widely available in California, particularly in San Diego. However, the famous “In n Out” burgers is the only place that is missed; though, it is easily replaceable by many great burger joints.
Unlike the US, Sam stated that safety has never been an issue and that he has never felt unsafe in any situation. In fact, many expats see Saudi Arabia in general as one of the safest countries in terms of crime. Not to mention that it is a continuously developing country. Sam adds “if you think you’ll find everyone riding around and on camels, then you might be shocked when you see Lamborghinis and Bentleys pass by you. If you still want to ride a camel though, that can be easily arranged!”
Among the things that Sam recommends visitors to do while in the city are visiting the Historic District (Al-Balad), the Waterfront (called Jeddah Corniche), malls, horseback riding (by the beach if you would), hiking, snorkeling, or scuba diving, as well as museums (art and history).
With all these advantages of Jeddah, a few downsides cannot be overlooked, such as the hot and humid weather, especially in the summer. However, a little A/C can just do the fix! While the coast is beautiful, swimming for free is limited to small areas since many coastal areas are private, and resorts charge no less than $25 for entry. As such, the Corniche can be great for walking and hanging out, but it is not recommended for swimming as the sea water pollution level is ten times higher than the world average, unfortunately. Sam suggests that if you don’t want to make it to a local resort, then a weekend trip to the north town of Umluj is well worth it and is truly amazing (it is locally known as the Maldives of Saudi Arabia). Lastly, if you need to do anything related to government services, he asks that you make sure you are patient. A small car accident or renewing the ID card may require multiple visits to different locations, where a translator is definitely needed. In spite of that, things have been progressing rapidly in the Kingdom with the digitalization of the government and the streamlining of its services. Thus, he hopes that such a headache will not be an issue in the upcoming couple of years.
After crossing three continents and an ocean and staying in Jeddah for about 5 years, Sam decided to settle in the city for good!
Trisha is an American wife of a Saudi husband who has been living in Jeddah since 2015. She currently runs a small business as a lash artist (find it on Instagram @trishas.lashes).
Although she never visited Saudi Arabia before her move from the Chicago suburbs, Trisha didn’t experience a culture shock as many may expect after moving to a more conservative country. Instead, the pleasant personality of the local people made the adaptation easy for her. However, the hot and humid weather is one remaining challenge and barrier that’s limiting many outdoor activities (other than swimming and diving) during seasons other than the winter and early spring. This didn’t come as a surprise as many Saudis find such weather unbearable during the summer; hence, they would treat themselves with a trip abroad or to the cold mountains of the south.
From medical and cost perspectives, she was impressed by the quality of medical services offered (as many healthcare workers were trained in the west) and the very low costs of investigations and medicines compared to her home. Moreover, she thinks that the overall cost of living is better (cost of groceries and food when dining out).
As a mom of three children, Trisha enjoys seeing her kids having fun at the Waterfront, where there are multiple playgrounds that overlook the sea, as well as ground fountains, where kids can have a blast during hot summer days. There’s also a bike path and some bike rental shops where she would rent a five-seat bike with her friend and go on a round with her kids. As far as schools, the availability of international schools made it possible to have her kids educated in English. This helps when her kids attend summer camps when visiting the US. With her little family and her promising business, Trisha now calls Jeddah her home.
These interviews are intended to help prospective expats in Jeddah, who may also benefit from the posts of @expatriates_in_saudi on Instagram. First time visitors may find the information here useful; however, they may benefit more from a quick guide to the city I previously wrote here.
* All photos were taken by the author unless specified otherwise.
