Oh, Saudi Arabia. People not living in it might think otherwise, but it was a peaceful and energetic place to grow up in. If you got the chance to live in compounds, there was even more liberty to do things you couldn’t in the Kingdom. 

But there’s definitely some things you can agree to know if you’ve ever lived in Saudi:

1. You get to save a lot of your salary (if you work there)

Food, petrol and rent is inexpensive, so it’s pretty decent to save a lot of what you earn

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2. Probably the best food in all of Gulf

Kabsa, shawarmas, mandi and more.. inexpensive and RICH traditional dishes are easy to order but give you that home-y feeling you’ll never get anywhere else.

3. Obviously, petrol is pretty inexpensive 

Since oil is one of the main income for revenue in Saudi Arabia, it’s no surprise that our petrol can range from SAR 0.45/Litre 

4. Al Baik’s food was always the option

Jumbo shrimps, the broasted chicken= what more do you need?

5. The mall was your best friend

Shopping, food, new clothes, books and things you can entertain yourself with. The mall was pretty much the hangout spot for youngsters in Saudi then.

6. Multi-cultural: You’d think you’ll only see Saudi locals, when in fact, it was a semi-melting pot of cultures 

A lot of expatriates coming to work are from many areas around the world, such as: India, GCC countries, America, UK, Europe, etc. It wasn’t a surprise if you had Filipino or Chinese food, home-made from a neighbor.

7. Whatever it was you were doing, either getting a haircut or shopping for abayas- you will get kicked out the store by prayer time 

Sometimes giving you option to either stay in or go out, until the prayer time is over.

8. If you lived in Al Khobar, Bahrain was the ultimate weekend vacay spot

Bahrain City Centre, Adliya and Juffair?! Bring it on, road trip!