One Year in Saudi Arabia

Despite being away for a sizable portion of the summer, I have officially lived in Saudi Arabia for a year and have really enjoyed it more than I would’ve previously thought possible. Recently passing the one-year mark got me thinking about some of the things I have learned along the way, as well as a few things I might attempt to improve this year about my surrounds and myself. Below is a list of most important lessons about life in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

1) Don’t Freak Out

Patience is a skill most urgently required when living in the KSA. This cannot be overstated. Tasks that might have otherwise been very simple or mundane in one’s home country can take several times longer to accomplish in Saudi Arabia, and getting frustrated by that fact will only make matters worse. Take Internet access for example. There are only a few telecommunications companies operating in The Kingdom, with STC, the largest and only government-funded company stifling the opportunity for up-and-comers to break into the market. It’s not exactly a monopoly, but sometimes it feels like one. With a mix of insidious market manipulation and clever advertising, STC sits atop the heap of Internet providers yet offers abysmal customer service. The last trip I took to one of their main branches to reload my prepaid Internet (yes, the only way to do this is by physically visiting one of their centers – tragically ironic, isn’t it?) took 4 hours before I walked out with what I needed. Halting business twice for two separate prayers (called dhuhr and Asr, respectively) coupled with a “fingerprint system failure”, my brother and I were left unattended, twiddling our thumbs for what felt like the entire afternoon. Time well spent? Hardly. Of course, to successfully get what you need in that situation, you must remain cool, calm and collect. Showing any visible signs of outward frustration will only result in your being completely ignored or they will pass you along from one rep to another so as to avoid taking responsibility for rectifying the situation – the exact definition of passing the buck. Despite the fact that you are a paying customer, rightfully disgruntled due to poor service, calm patience is the key to success in such circumstances.

2) Avoid Driving Whenever Possible

The driving in Riyadh, where I live, is notoriously horrific. Aside from the aggressive, rude behavior on the road there is also the road closures to deal with. Since the city is currently undergoing a huge project to implement a comprehensive metro system, there are detours and construction-induced bottlenecks all over the place. The quietest times on the road as far as I can tell are Friday morning before Friday Prayer, Saturday between Asr and Maghrib, and super early in the morning any day of the week (I’m talking like 4-5 am). Aside from those golden nuggets of relaxed driving, it is best to avoid going anywhere by car unless it is absolutely necessary. Doing this has helped me create a much more stress-free living environment in the hopes of accomplishing my third and final point…..


3) Careful Planning = Increased Longevity

I have seen too many people burn out already in such a short period of time. Most of my colleagues in the English Preparatory Department at our university arrived one year before I did, all of us signing 3-year contracts. Of the 5 males instructors and 5 female instructors I have spoken to about resigning, all but one have decided to leave at the end of this year, which will be the end of their third and final year contractually. When asked what their main motivations are for leaving, most of them cited difficulties with the Saudi way of life as being their main reason and none of them had any real bones to pick with our university per se, all thanks to God for that.
Initially, the news of so many talented, dedicated teachers leaving our program saddened me, but then it really got me thinking as to why that might be.
A typical conversation with another expat when discussing life in Saudi Arabia usually includes at least one of the following components: 1) a complaint about the hierarchical dysfunction of the country, 2) a complaint about the corruption-derived decisions being made for future plans of the country, 3) a remark about how hot it is here, or 4) a poignant observation about the woes of driving, usually coupled with a recent, thoroughly detailed close encounter and subsequent verbal/gestural altercation with a taxi, or perhaps with a Nissan Patrol (there’s some correlation between being a jerk and buying a patrol, I just can’t figure out what it is yet). Anyhow, as you may have noticed, most of the common remarks made, while accurate, are usually one form of criticism or another. Left unchecked, this can become a daily habit, which often reduces your chances of living a happy, well-balanced life for many years and instead leaves you in a constant cycle of complaining – not fun for any of the parties involved.

In order to live a life worth living – even one that may resemble your life back home to some degree – there are a few key things to remember to maximize longevity inside the KSA (which can be applied to living in other foreign countries as well). Here’s a short list of some of the most important things to remember:

• You didn’t move there (wherever you’ve moved) to change the country, its policies, or the people
• You’re a guest in their land – act like one and be gracious
• Try to accept other ways of doing things and seek the good in them – your way might be familiar        and effective, but it is likely not the only worthwhile approach
• Don’t let climate dictate your level of daily satisfaction
• Take advantage of vacation time and get out of the country for a while
• Befriend some locals
• Try new things out of your comfort zone
• Avoid driving needlessly…didn’t’ I mention that already? Why yes, yes I did.


Having said all of that, I think the main thing to remember when living in any foreign country is that it’s not your home country; so don’t try to make it out to be. Just go with the flow and adapt to your surroundings because I promise that if you don’t, the place won’t change because you will to do to so, but your quality of life most certainly will.