‘Everyone has a milkman who delivers bootleg booze': life as a British expat in Saudi Arabia

Telegraph

24-05-2025

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' projec t 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.
'Saudi Arabia is turning into an entrepreneurial country'
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.
'As expats, we follow the money'
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.'
How can you move to Saudi?
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.