I occasionally get contacted by those considering moving to KSA from the West asking for advice and therefore decided to write a short post on some of the benefits of living in Saudi Arabia especially for Muslims from the West. No place is perfect but overall Saudi Arabia is a great place to live for those thinking of moving. Important to note that this is based on my own personal experience living in the Kingdom at different times over the past decade in Alhofuf, Madinah & Riyadh.
1) Makkah – When living in Saudi Arabia, it is much easier for you to go to Makkah whenever you feel like it. Furthermore, doing Hajj as a resident is much cheaper than doing it from the West.
2) Madinah – Similarly, by living in Saudi Arabia, it is much easier for you to go to Madinah.
3) Arabic – Living in Saudi Arabia will give you a great chance to learn and to subsequently practice your Arabic. Just ensure that you are spoken to in classical Arabic or the local dialects and not broken (pidgin) Arabic. You can also enrol your children in schools which have a strong focus on Arabic and they can learn Islamic values.
4) Islamic Sciences – Saudi Arabia is blessed with numerous Sharia Scholars. You will have the opportunity to attend classes in different Islamic Sciences in the various Masaajid in the country or even enrol in an institute.
5) Call to Prayer (Azaan) – While living in the West, you will not usually hear the call to prayer (Azaan) from outside of the Masaajid. This is obviously not the case in Saudi Arabia.
6) Places to Pray – While living in the West, it is a challenge to find a place to pray when you are out and about. In KSA you will not face this difficulty.
7) Holidays – In Saudi Arabia you will get Fridays off as well as the two Eids. Furthermore, working hours are reduced during the month of Ramadan.
8) Halal Restaurants – For those in the West who only eat Halal meat, you will be spoilt for choice while living in Saudi Arabia with the number of Halal restaurants on offer.
9) Friendly – Saudis for the most part are friendly to foreigners and will go out of their way to help you even if you are a stranger. It helps to be able to communicate in Arabic.
10) Generosity – Saudis are very generous. Those incidents of people fighting to pay bills in restaurants that you see on social media are actually a daily occurrence. They also know how to take a joke and don’t take themselves too seriously.
11) Duaas – Living in the Kingdom you will get lots of strangers making Duaa for you, whether that be uber drivers, shopkeepers etc. You don’t know whose Duaa will be accepted.
12) Safety – Like the rest of the Gulf, Saudi Arabia is extremely safe, and this is a big blessing. Saudi Arabia is also very safe for women and children, so you will not be overly worried for them.
13) No Income Tax – Currently, there is no income tax in Saudi Arabia. What you earn, you will keep.
14) Visa ease – It is now much easier to enter the Kingdom than it was previously, so your extended family members can easily visit you.
15) Diverse Beautiful Scenery, Culture & Food – You would be mistaken to assume that all parts of the Kingdom are the same. Each region has its own diverse beautiful scenery, culture & food, hence you can go exploring in your free time.
