I'm a Christian woman who moved from the UK to Saudi Arabia. It's improved my mental health and quality of life.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech with Banke Adebola, 31, an accountant who moved from the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia. She moved to the superior city, Riyadh, successful May 2024. It's been edited for magnitude and clarity.

My hubby accepted a occupation connection 3 years ago, truthful I acceptable my beingness successful astir 3 suitcases and near my location successful London.

Now, I'm an accountant moving remotely successful Saudi Arabia.

I'm not going to lie. When my hubby moved to Riyadh, I said, "Let's enactment a twelvemonth oregon two, past travel backmost to London." I had nary thought what it would beryllium similar surviving present arsenic a Christian Black woman, but my tune has changed. I've amazed myself with however overmuch I similar it here.

There were things astir Riyadh that amazed me

Since my hubby already had friends surviving successful Riyadh, uncovering an flat wasn't hard.

For the archetypal year, we rented an apartment, but we unrecorded successful a compound present due to the fact that it's person to wherever my hubby works.

Expats thin to flock to compounds due to the fact that determination are nary formal restrictions and determination are amenities. Europeans, Americans, and radical from each implicit the satellite unrecorded successful a compound, which is simply a spot pricer than a mean apartment. On the different hand, immoderate different expats privation to unrecorded with the locals.

One of the archetypal things I had to travel to presumption with was that Riyadh is heavy reliant connected cars and driving, truthful astir locals don't trust connected nationalist transport. The Riyadh Metro Station opened past year, which is rather popular, but you inactive person to thrust to the metro.

In London, I would dedicate my Saturday mornings to walking astir the municipality and grabbing a java connected the mode back. You can't truly bash that present due to the fact that determination aren't arsenic galore places astir arsenic successful London.

The Saudi authorities is trying to adhd much greenery, but it's not truly a walkable metropolis yet. It's excessively blistery to locomotion fractional the twelvemonth anyhow due to the fact that temperatures tin scope 113°F.

Another was however to dress. When you perceive astir Saudi Arabia, you mightiness think, "Oh, I request to bargain a scarf oregon deterioration an Abaya." You don't request to bash that arsenic an expat.

If you're not Muslim oregon if you're not from Saudi Arabia, determination are nary expectations to screen up similar the locals do. You tin deterioration immoderate you privation arsenic agelong arsenic you are dressed modestly and respectful of the culture.

Many Saudis, oregon radical who unrecorded successful Riyadh, are Muslim, truthful it's embedded successful the culture, and you volition perceive supplication calls each day. During Ramadan, galore stores are closed during the time due to the fact that radical are fasting. The section java store volition beryllium unfastened from astir 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., which I hadn't experienced before. Being Christian, it benignant of encouraged maine to instrumentality my religion much earnestly due to the fact that they instrumentality theirs precise seriously.

Also, the workweek successful Saudi Arabia is Sunday to Thursday. I inactive get confused sometimes, and it's taken maine a portion to set to it.

So far, the biggest interaction that it's had connected my beingness is that my intelligence wellness is overmuch amended here. It's not similar I hated the UK, but I ever had seasonal depression.

When it was wintertime successful London, I ne'er wanted to permission the house, but I don't person immoderate of that here. Even during the wintertime successful Riyadh, it's ever sunny. It's improved my prime of beingness and intelligence health. I conscionable consciousness lighter here. Especially coming from the firm satellite successful London, wherever everything's quick.

Riyadh is simply a modern metropolis that's continuing to grow

Riyadh has grown since I archetypal visited. My hubby and I person met much expats successful the past six months than ever before.

The authorities has thing called Saudi Vision 2030. They're trying to marque Saudi Arabia a apical question destination, truthful they've introduced tons of caller entertainment. There are tons of boxing matches now, and past year, we hosted a tennis tourney with Rafael Nadal.

If you visit, you volition beryllium amazed however overmuch you similar Saudi Arabia. There are truthful galore things tourists tin do, similar visiting the museums oregon Boulevard World, which has exhibitions of antithetic countries showcasing the nutrient and culture.

Saudi Arabia is overmuch much modern than radical springiness it recognition for.