Hi all,
I need to send a fairly large sum to the UAE to help out my family there..what's the best way to do it (without high & hidden fees)
? I have Rajhi here and Emirates nbd there..
Any help would be appreciated. JzkAllah, Thanks.
ASSALAMUALAIKUM
i want to apply for Umrah visa for my parents to travel beginning of next month..
they reside in UAE but with Bangladeshi passport.
whats needed and how long is process time? please helppp!
Hello again friends of Riyadh,
I recently found out about an amazing initiative for Taawuniya insurance holders, as well as Saudi Airlines employees and their families: Meena Health Clinics.
They have branches in Sulaymaniyah, Suwaidi, Wurood, and a few other locations. The service has honestly been incredible. In my experience, some of the doctors can be a bit inexperienced, but here's the part that still blows my mind: all consultations and treatments are completely free. Zero cost. Yes, really.
The only thing you pay for is your medication, and even that depends on the type of insurance coverage you have.
This has personally helped me a lot, so I thought I'd share it in case it benefits someone else too. The clinics are very clean, the staff have been wonderful, and all three branches I visited are easily accessible by the metro.
They don't offer every specialty under the sun, so you won't find highly specialized departments like neurology or cardiology. But they do cover many of the common needs, including:
I hope this information helps someone who might need it.
And please keep me in your duas. ❤️
I’ve been invited to interview for a Visitor Services Manager role at an artefacts museum. One of the exercises is to develop a practical FOH staffing plan covering staffing structure, shift patterns, visitor touchpoints (6), ticketing, workshops, and talent management.
Given your museum operations experience, do you have any advice, resources, or key considerations I should keep in mind when approaching this? I’d really value your perspective. thanks guys <33
After living in the UAE my whole life and spending the last 3 years in Riyadh, I thought I'd share some observations for anyone considering a move from Dubai/UAE to Riyadh, KSA
This is based purely on my personal experience.
As a woman, I've never felt unsafe here. I've traveled around the city alone and generally found it to be very safe.
I haven't driven once in my 3 years here. Riyadh drivers can be... adventurous 😅
Uber, Bolt, and other ride-hailing apps are much cheaper than what I was used to in the UAE, so I've never really felt the need to drive.
This is probably my biggest piece of advice.
Riyadh traffic is brutal during peak hours. A 15-minute journey can easily become 45 minutes or more. Sometimes roads get temporarily blocked due to VIP movements as well.
Choose your accommodation based on your commute before anything else.
Riyadh is huge, but the new metro network connects many key locations, malls, and business districts. It's affordable and incredibly useful if you live near a station.
Coming from the UAE's 5% VAT, Saudi Arabia's 15% VAT takes some getting used to.
Your grocery bill will definitely remind you.
If you're moving alone or only staying for a fixed period, a furnished apartment can be a great option.
Many include utilities, internet, maintenance, and sometimes even weekly cleaning.
While Uber and Bolt are affordable, driver quality varies.
I've had drivers who were wonderful, and others who were rude, smoked in the car, or made uncomfortable comments.
I always share my trip with family or friends, just as an extra precaution.
This genuinely shocked me.
Winter temperatures can drop to 4–5°C, sometimes even lower. Bring proper winter clothes if you're arriving between November and February.
Also, offices here seem permanently set to "Arctic."
They aren't cheap, but they're a huge time saver.
If you're working long hours and trying to eat healthy, they can make life much easier.
Coffee isn't just a drink here.
It's a social activity, a gathering, a reason to meet people. Riyadh's coffee scene feels bigger and more deeply rooted in everyday life than what I experienced in the UAE.
The UAE never forced me to learn Arabic despite living there for over 20 years.
Riyadh changed that within 3 years.
You'll regularly meet shopkeepers, drivers, and service staff who only speak Arabic. Even basic phrases make a huge difference.
Also, Gulf Arabic dialects vary more than you might expect.
One thing I genuinely admire is how visible Saudis are across all sectors.
You'll see Saudis working in plumbing, customer service, retail, hospitality, driving Ubers, managing teams, and leading companies.
That wasn't something I saw nearly as often in the UAE.
If you're moving from Dubai, you'll miss having the sea nearby.
Riyadh is landlocked, so beach days require a flight or a planned getaway.
If you're obsessed with UAE cafeteria culture, karak, paratha sandwiches, and late-night cafeteria runs, you'll probably miss it.
I've found decent alternatives, but nothing quite hits the same.
A random observation, but matcha drinks are noticeably cheaper here than in the UAE.
This still confuses me.
A single chicken karahi can easily cost SAR 45–90, even at fairly ordinary restaurants.
Coming from the UAE, I found that quite shocking.
There are plenty of women's networking and social groups.
My challenge has always been that many events happen on weekday mornings, which makes them difficult for working professionals to attend.
I'd love to see more evening and weekend options.
For anyone interested in art, culture, design, or creative events, JAX is a must-visit.
There's almost always an exhibition, talk, installation, or cultural event happening.
It's one of my favorite places in Riyadh.
Compared to my experience in the UAE, work generally feels less rushed.
People seem less obsessed with clocking exact hours, and holiday periods such as Eid are often longer and more relaxed.
That said, I have unfortunately noticed some nationality-based bias in certain workplaces, particularly toward non-Arab and non-Western professionals.
I absolutely love abaya shopping in Riyadh.
The fashion is incredible, women put real effort into styling themselves, and the variety is endless.
The funniest part? Whenever I ask where many of the abayas are made, the answer is often the UAE.
Yet somehow, I never find the same styles there.
Overall: Riyadh and Dubai are very different experiences.
Dubai feels more international, fast-paced, and convenience-driven.
Riyadh feels more local, community-oriented, culturally immersive, and family-focused.
Neither is better or worse. It really depends on what stage of life you're in and what you're looking for. KSA pays better (wink wink)