Moving to Jeddah - Need details on VISA processing and Cost of Living

Is this the university near Dhahban?

King Abdullah's university of science and technology is the name of the university where I would be working. Sorry but I don't remember the name  of the district.

You need to think about this seriously.  KAUST is NOT in the outskirts of Jeddah, it is 100 km from Jeddah.  If you stay in Jeddah, that would mean a 2-3 hour commute daily.  Which means you would need to get a car, or car pool with other people staying in Jeddah and working in KAUST.

By the way, what will be your position?  Only asking because KAUST pays huge salaries to people in academic and admin positions, and you said you will get 8,000 package which includes transport and rent allowance.

You could stay in Thuwal, the tiny fishing village where KAUST is located, but you won't really find any info on Thuwal here.  You will have to come here and then explore the area yourself.  The only people who stay in Thuwal are locals, and some people working in KAUST such as cleaners, restaurant workers, maintenance workers, etc.  Those people are not on the internet.  But do a Google search, you might find some info.

If you stay in Jeddah, you are looking at SR. 10-15k per year rent for a 1 to 2 room apartment.  Again, it is basically impossible to find a place to live in Saudi while abroad.  You will have to come here and search.

Food in Indian and Pakistani restaurants, and local Arab restaurants is quite cheap.  SR. 10-20 per day would be sufficient.

Water and electric, not more than 100 per month.

Phone, depends on your usage, type of phone, etc.  Can't really give a figure here.

Small local gyms are usually 100-200 per month.

Thanks for all the information, it's really helpful. I'm on a payroll for RFID technology working as a system administrator(Netbackup admin) coming with 5 years of experience. I am thinking of renting a room near KAUST. I heard from my friends that people in the middle East don't pay as much as they used to and they prefer n pay more to people who have experience in middle East. The salary offered is twice that I earn in Mumbai so saving is my 1st priority.

Can u plz lemme know the crime rate in Thuwal. Is it a safe place to live there. Also can u plz lemme know the work culture in Saudi. Thank u again for all the information , it's really helpful. BTW are there any hostel/rooms that can be rented in KAUST campus? Just asking cox in India most of the universities have hostel inside. I think I would take this offer gain some Saudi experience and then demand. I think I can save 5000-6000 SAR per month. It's a lot of savings as per Indian standards. Are they any cinema/movie theaters in Jeddah? I'm an action fan specially Marvel movies. With all the movies lined up really hope there are some good theaters. Again thanks a ton, u can't even image how helpful ur post was.

Glad to help before, and again now!

Crime rate all over Saudi is extremely low.  Serious crimes are unheard of, relatively speaking.  Thuwal is very safe from what I know, and probably eves safer than Jeddah as it is a very small town.  Another option if you can't find a place in Thuwal would be to stay in another small village called as Dhahban, which is about 50 km from Jeddah, so it is only about 40-50 km from Thuwal, about 25 minutes by car as it is highway only between the 2 villages.

Work culture is not something to look forward to in Saudi, especially when dealing with Saudis at work.  Having said that, KAUST is the best or one of the best places to work in the country.  I went to visit there last year, and it looked amazing, as if it isn't a part of this country.  I wish I could work there.

Faculty, students, and administrators do live on campus, but otherwise no one can just rent a place there, even if working there.  The place is highly guarded... no one can just enter the campus to visit or look around.  Even Saudi nationals not working there can't enter.  The only way to visit the university is to know someone who lives/works there.  This is of course very different from most universities around the world, even other universities in Saudi.  It is basically the king's private property, and inside it is different from the rest of the country.  Women can drive inside and aren't required to wear the abaya, and men and women work and study side by side (work places and educational institutions are segregated by gender in Saudi).

Cinemas in Saudi?

As far as I know, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where cinemas are illegal and women aren't allowed to drive.  But since KAUST isn't part of the country, there is a cinema inside the campus!  But they mostly show documentary type movies, or at least they did when I visited.  Check their website, they might have the movie schedule there.  Anyway, don't expect blockbusters.

Your salary I think should be higher considering the position and your experience.  I am sure for someone coming from India it is very good, but according to salaries here in the IT field, it seems low.  You should budget 2.5 to 3k for all your expenses per month.  The rest can be saved.

Good luck!

Thank u for everything. It was nice learning so many things from u. Will surely catch up someone time with u in Jeddah. Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
Good bye.
Thank you !!!!

Have you finally decided to come?

Just research, think about life in saudi and savings potential and make a choice

Hello Dheeraj,

Wanna give it a shot and Yes I have considered the savings... Just wanna get some Middle East experience and see where it takes me.
Thank You for all the concerns and heads-up.