‘Everyone has a milkman who delivers bootleg booze': life as a British expat in Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump's first foreign trip since returning to the White House was highly symbolic.
In a typically Trumpian turn of phrase, he told business leaders in Saudi Arabia that 'the US is the hottest country, with the exception of your country.'
He is not the only fan of the Middle Eastern country, which is urgently trying to shed its image as a repressive state with an appalling human rights record.
Tens of thousands of British expats now call Saudi home, attracted by zero income taxes and salaries that surpass even those offered in Dubai.
Yet, despite the presence of British comforts like Marks & Spencer, living a typical Western lifestyle remains tricky – with restricted access to alcohol and women still expected to cover up.
Saudi's 'Vision 2030' project is fast diversifying its economy away from oil with renewable energy, technology, finance, tourism and sport. And a key part of the transformation are 35 infrastructure projects, or 'giga projects', the star of which is Neom, a new super-state the size of Belgium in a corner of desert next to the Red Sea.
The Saudi housing market is booming with apartment prices up 70pc in Riyadh, the capital, since 2019, according to Knight Frank. The country has slowly been opening up to international buyers, expanding its 'golden visa' style Premium Residency scheme last year.
With so many highly-paid jobs to fill, the financial allure of a stint in Saudi is strong. Like the other GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) there is no personal income tax.
Senior jobs in some sectors offer salaries between 15pc and 25pc more than in Dubai, and the cost of living is around 34pc lower than in Britain, according to numbeo.com.
An executive PA working for an energy company might earn between £50,000 and £90,000 tax-free, according to Oriel Partners, a recruitment agency, while the average teaching salary is £2,700 a month (plus benefits such as private healthcare and free housing). Expat salaries typically range from £2,010 to £7,036 a month, according to Hays, another recruiter.
Yet the atrocious human rights record of the country ruled by an absolute monarchy remains a big deterrent for many.
Although some reforms have been promised in the run-up to Saudi hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2034, there is still little tolerance for openly gay people, for instance.
Its social conservatism can be tough to stomach. Jordan Henderson was one of the top-flight footballers tempted by eye-watering salaries offered at Saudi clubs, but he and his family only lasted six months.
Yet as the labour and rental markets have become fiercely competitive in Dubai, some Britons are packing their bags for Saudi, according to Harry Goodson-Wickes, head of Savills Northern Gulf.
He says: 'There are still misconceptions and mental barriers about the country, but for many it's the most exciting story in the world right now.
'People who see the opportunities are coming with their eyes open. The door is ajar but has not swung open [to foreign property ownership].'
It is believed that between 26,000 and 30,000 Britons live in Saudi, and evidence suggests that number is growing. The relocation company John Mason International moved three households between the UK and Saudi Arabia in 2018, and last year it was 277. The tally for this year so far suggests 2025 will surpass that.
Amongst those attracted by the higher remuneration is Sarah*, who moved to Riyadh last year with her husband after he secured a job in the sports industry.
'Saudi Arabia is turning into an entrepreneurial country. I have found people here friendly, helpful and with a great sense of humour. It reminds me of Oman,' says Sarah, 40, who has two children in private school in Riyadh, the capital.
She says the cost of living is slightly more in Saudi Arabia than in Dubai. They rent a three-bedroom home on a compound that costs £30,000 a year. Most families have drivers (public transport is minimal and the road network around Riyadh is changing rapidly) and domestic staff.
Weekends sound rather like those in Dubai, revolving around pool parties, going to the shopping mall, a myriad of indoor-based activities for the children to escape the heat, and camping trips into the desert.
The ban on women driving was lifted in 2018 and Sarah says she's noticed an influx of female entrepreneurs, especially fashion pop-ups. Around 36pc of the workforce in Saudi are now women, according to the Saudi government – double the proportion in 2017.
The abaya (robe) is no longer mandatory but still commonplace, and women are expected to cover their arms and legs – for gyms this means leggings and a T-shirt, she says.
But the influx of new expats has downsides. The British International School was 'massively oversubscribed', she says.
Increased demand from expats has led to new schools, including an offshoot of Sherborne in Jeddah, and two new schools from the SEK Education Group this year. School fees are around £10,000 per year for her primary age children, but rise to £20,000 a year for older children. Reigate Grammar School Riyadh charges £15,000.
Julie*, who has also moved from Dubai, sees more expats in public since she arrived more than three years ago from Edinburgh, for her husband's job at the airport. They live in a nearby compound with their toddler – with their rent covered by his employer.
'Like many, he came for a bigger and better job than in Dubai. The salaries are higher and, as expats, we follow the money. Who knows what life will be like here in four years' time?'
She says it feels much more cosmopolitan than when they arrived. 'Saudi men now chat to me rather than avoiding eye contact.
'Life is more difficult after having everything easy. I was a 'Dubai brat' – but new shops and restaurants are arriving fast: Marks & Spencer, Boots and global brands like Zuma. There are glitzy bars set up with gleaming champagne glasses but of course you can't buy alcohol.'
Equally at odds are the window displays of barely-there lingerie in Victoria's Secret. Julie explains every compound has their 'milkman' sourcing bootleg booze for residents (alcohol is only permitted in the Diplomatic Quarter).
Western expats have always rented in compounds, but as rules on foreign ownership loosen, there's been a move towards a more inclusive society with resort-style and mixed-use schemes designed to tempt residents to buy.
One is SEDRA, a new community of 30,000 homes in north Riyadh, where four-bedroom villas cost around SAR 2.8m (£571,069), and come with maid and driver rooms.
'A new Freehold Law is in the final draft. The country is cautiously opening the flood gates to foreign investment, but ensuring that domestic demand is first met,' says Goodson-Wickes.
In the luxury market, branded residences have arrived – like The Armani Residences Diriyah – 15 homes styled by Giorgio Armani. The ancient mud-brick UNESCO World Heritage Site is being developed into a mega-city as toured by Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week week.
Erick Knaider, from estate agent Saudi Arabia Sotheby's International Realty, says: 'We are at a turning point. International buyers are becoming curious.
'As soon as the legal framework allows off-plan purchase for foreigners it will level the playing field with Dubai.'
Offering something starkly different from the traffic-clogged six-lane highways of Dubai is Neom, where Emma moved last year from Dubai, for her husband's job in logistics.
Neom is where The Line is being constructed, probably the planet's most futuristic concept city. Originally meant to be 170km long, the project has been drastically scaled back and will now only be 2.4km long by 2030.
Emma*, 44, an education consultant who grew up in Dubai, says her family have 'a very simple life' in a compound with her two children attending its only school.
'It's quite different from life elsewhere in Saudi, but we like it much more than we thought.
'The kids cycle to school, it's very safe and freer than in Riyadh, and we have supermarkets and restaurants on our doorstep, though the nearest mall is two hours' away. Buses take us around the compound, where I chat to the young [Saudi] women teachers in the school.'
It would certainly not suit many, and while she misses all that was on tap in Dubai, she says she is not bored.
'We have a car to get out and do things: to the beach to snorkel – it's like the Maldives – or camping in the mountains. We have Alula, an ancient oasis city, nearby with its five-star hotels and a wellness festival.'
Emma's visa came with her husband's job, as did private healthcare for the family.
But if you're not being sponsored by a company, there are five types of the Premium Residency visa – the 'Saudi Green Card' – which can be for special talents (business), gifted (sport, culture arts), investors, entrepreneurs or investment of over four million Saudi riyals (£807,000) in real estate.
There is also an option with a one-off payment of 800,000 riyals (£160,857).
*Names have been changed.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
23 minutes ago
Trump's actions in Los Angeles spur debate over deportation funds in his 'big, beautiful' bill
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' in Congress includes more than tax breaks and spending cuts — it also seeks to pour billions of dollars into the administration's mass deportation agenda. Republican leaders capitalized Tuesday on the demonstrations in Los Angeles, where people are protesting Trump's immigration raids at Home Depot and other places, to make the case for swift passage of their sprawling 1,000-plus-page bill over staunch Democratic opposition. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers 'much-needed reinforcements,' including 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, $45 billion to expand migrant detention facilities and billions more to carry out at least 1 million deportations a year. 'All you have to do is look at what's happening in Los Angeles to realize that our law enforcement needs all the support that we can possibly give them,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. The focus on some $350 billion in national security funding comes as action on the massive package is lumbering along in Congress at a critical moment. Trump wants the bill on his desk by the Fourth of July. But Senate Republicans trying to heave it to passage without Democrats are also running up against objections from within their GOP ranks over the details. At the same time, Democrats are warning that Trump's executive reach into California — sending in the National Guard over the governor's objections and calling up the Marines — is inflaming tensions in what had been isolated protests in pockets of LA. They warned the president's heavy-handed approach has the potential to spread, if unchecked, to other communities nationwide. 'We are at a dangerous inflection point in our country,' said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who represents the Los Angeles area. 'Trump created this political distraction to divide us and keep our focus away from his policies that are wreaking havoc on our economy and hurting working families," he said. "It's a deliberate attempt by Trump to incite unrest, test the limits of executive power and distract from the lawlessness of his administration.' At its core, the bill extends some $4.5 trillion in existing tax breaks that would otherwise expire at the end of the year without action in Congress, cutting some $1.4 trillion in spending over the decade to help offset costs. The Congressional Budget Office found the bill's changes to Medicaid and other programs would leave an estimated 10.9 million more people without health insurance and at least 3 million each month without food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. At the same time, CBO said the package will add some $2.4 trillion to deficits over the decade. One emerging area of concern for Republican leaders has been the bill's status before the Senate parliamentarian's office, which assesses whether the package complies with the strict rules used for legislation under the so-called budget reconciliation process. Late Monday, Republicans acknowledged potential 'red flags' coming from the parliamentarian's office that will require changes in the House bill before it can be sent to the Senate. Leaders are using the reconciliation process because it allows for simple majority passage in both chambers, were GOP majorities are razor-thin. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Republicans are preparing to address the concerns with a vote in the House, possibly as soon as this week, to change the package. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer seized on the House's upcoming do-over vote as a chance for Republicans who are dissatisfied with the package to reassert their leverage and 'force the bill back to the drawing board.' 'They say they don't like parts of the bill — now is their opportunity to change it,' Schumer said. On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance was dispatched to speak with one GOP holdout, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who has pushed for deeper spending reductions in the bill to prevent skyrocketing deficits from adding to the nation's $36 trillion debt load. Other Republican senators have raised concerns about the health care cuts. But Republicans are in agreement on border security, deportation and military funding, over the objections of Democrats who fought vigorously during the committee process to strip those provisions from the bill. The package includes about $150 billion for border security and deportation operations, including funding for hiring 10,000 new ICE officers — with what Johnson said are $10,000 hiring bonuses — as well as 3,000 new Border Patrol agents and other field operations and support staff. There's also funding for a daily detention capacity for 100,000 migrants and for flights for 1 million deportations annually. The package includes $46 billion for construction of Trump's long promised wall between the U.S.-Mexico border. Additionally, the bill includes $150 billion for the Pentagon, with $5 billion for the military deployment in support of border security, along with nearly $25 billion for Trump's 'Golden Dome' defense system over the U.S. Separately, the bill adds another $21 billion for the Coast Guard. Democrats have argued against the deportations, and warned that Trump appears to be stirring up protests so he can clamp down on migrant communities. Rep. Nanette Barragan — whose district represents the suburban city of Paramount, where the weekend Home Depot raid touched off protests — implored Americans: 'Listen to the words of this administration: They're using words like insurrection. They're using words like invasion.' She warned the administration is laying the groundwork for even steeper actions. 'That's a concern,' she said. 'That is dangerous. It's wrong.'
35 minutes ago
LA police swiftly enforce downtown curfew as protests against Trump's immigration crackdown continue
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles police swiftly enforced a downtown curfew Tuesday night, making arrests moments after it took effect, while deploying officers on horseback and using crowd control projectiles to break up a group of hundreds demonstrating against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Members of the National Guard stood watch behind plastic shields, but did not appear to participate in the arrests. Hours later, many of the protesters had dispersed, although sporadic confrontations continued that were much smaller than in previous nights. Officials said the curfew was necessary to stop vandalism and theft by agitators looking to cause trouble. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier accused Trump of drawing a 'military dragnet' across the nation's second-largest city with his escalating use of the National Guard. He also deployed Marines, though none were seen on the streets Tuesday. Newsom asked a court to put an emergency stop to the military helping federal immigration agents, with some guardsmen now standing in protection around agents as they carried out arrests. He said it would only heighten tensions and promote civil unrest. The judge set a hearing for Thursday, giving the administration several days to continue those activities. The change moves troops closer to engaging in law enforcement actions like deportations as Trump has promised as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. The Guard has the authority to temporarily detain people who attack officers but any arrests ultimately would be made by law enforcement. Trump has activated more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines over the objections of city and state leaders. They were originally deployed to protect federal buildings. Demonstrations have spread to other cities nationwide, including Dallas and Austin, Texas, Chicago and New York, where a thousand people rallied and multiple arrests were made. In Texas, where police in Austin used chemical irritants to disperse several hundred demonstrators Monday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's office said Texas National Guard troops were 'on standby" in areas where demonstrations are planned, Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said Tuesday evening. Guard members were deployed to San Antonio, according to assistant police chief Jesse Salame. He said he did not know how many were sent or details on the deployment. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency on the fifth day of protests and said the curfew will run from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday. She said it was expected to last for several days. 'We reached a tipping point' after 23 businesses were looted, Bass said during a news conference Tuesday. The curfew covers a 1 square mile (2.5 square kilometer) section of downtown that includes the area where protests have occurred since Friday. The city of Los Angeles encompasses roughly 500 square miles (nearly 2,300 square kilometers). The curfew doesn't apply to residents who live in the designated area, people who are homeless, credentialed media or public safety and emergency officials, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. McDonnell said 'unlawful and dangerous behavior' had been escalating since Saturday. 'The curfew is a necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property following several consecutive days of growing unrest throughout the city,' McDonnell said. Trump left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations. It's one of the most extreme emergency powers available to a U.S. president. 'If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We'll see,' he said from the Oval Office. Later the president called protesters 'animals' and 'a foreign enemy' in a speech at Fort Bragg ostensibly to recognize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. In a public address Tuesday evening, Newsom called Trump's actions the start of an 'assault' on democracy. 'California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next,' he said. Newsom warned people against inciting violence, but urged them to stand up to the president's actions. 'What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence. To be complicit in this moment," he said. 'Do not give it to him.' The protests began Friday after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire over the weekend, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated downtown in the city of 4 million. Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids. Despite the protests, immigration enforcement activity has continued throughout the county, with city leaders and community groups reporting ICE present at libraries, car washes and Home Depots. School graduations in Los Angeles have increased security over fears of ICE action and some have offered parents the option to watch on Zoom. McDonnell said that police had made 197 arrests on Tuesday, including 67 who were taken into custody for unlawfully occupying part of the 101 freeway. Several businesses were broken into Monday, though authorities didn't say if the looting was tied to the protests. The vast majority of arrests have been for failing to disperse, while a few others were for assault with a deadly weapon, looting, vandalism and attempted murder for tossing a Molotov cocktail. Seven police officers were reportedly injured, and at least two were taken to a hospital and released. ___
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Space Stock Rocket Lab Soared Today
President Trump threatened last week to take away "governmental subsidies and contracts" from SpaceX. Investors may be wondering now who will end up with those subsidies and contracts, if SpaceX loses them. Rocket Lab seems a prime beneficiary of any such move. 10 stocks we like better than Rocket Lab › Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) stock jumped 5.5% Monday afternoon on no obviously good news -- at least nothing specific to Rocket Lab. Despite the lack of news, The Fly is reporting "bullish flow" in the space stock, with call options buying outweighing put options purchases by nearly 5 to 1. So what's going on with Rocket Lab stock today? Most likely, the reason Rocket Lab is performing so well today is that another space stock is getting into some trouble. Over in Washington, D.C., you see, President Donald Trump and (ex-?) close advisor Elon Musk had a falling out last week, leading to the president threatening to "terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts." And the seeming implication of this statement is that billions of dollars of government contracts hiring Musk's SpaceX to ferry astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station, to operate Starlink satellites for the Pentagon, and to build human landing systems for the moon, could now be up for grabs. Was the president's post on social media site Truth Social just bluster, or something more serious? No one knows for sure, but just the chance that billions of dollars of space work might open up to new bidders seems to be making Rocket Lab stock more valuable today. Still, a few words of caution are in order. On the one hand, the chance that Rocket Lab might steal some space contracts from SpaceX does seem a reasonable reason to bid up shares of Rocket Lab stock, but this is speculative. On the other hand, Rocket Lab's very expensive valuation is a present-day, verifiable fact. Lacking profits and trading for a heady 31 times sales valuation, I'd be cautious about buying more Rocket Lab stock until the price comes down a bit. Before you buy stock in Rocket Lab, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Rocket Lab wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 173% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Rich Smith has positions in Rocket Lab. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Rocket Lab. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Space Stock Rocket Lab Soared Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
