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Choosing your neighbourhood in Riyadh

Neighbourhood in Riyadh
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Updated byVincent Dall Aglioon 16 October 2024

Finding accommodation is one of the major steps to relocating to a new city. Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is considered the busiest city in the country thanks to a large number of visitors coming and staying there almost all year round. Therefore, local authorities, hotels, and property developers do their best to provide the best environment for travelers and expats planning to relocate there, regardless of the duration of their stay.

Neighborhoods in Riyadh

Riyadh comprises no clear boundaries. There is one municipality, the Riyadh Municipality, which is divided in 16 sub-municipalities named baladiyahs. As indicated in the article about Finding accommodation in Riyadh, the city is home to most foreign embassies in the country, so there's a wide range of housing options for diplomats, most of whom reside in the diplomatic quarter, also known as DQ. Other municipalities are further divided into 130 smaller areas.

If you are planning to settle outside of the above-mentioned diplomatic quarter or in any of the  compounds found nearby, you can head to Al Olayya, which is a municipality area commonly known as the business district. Other famous districts in Riyadh are Al Mohamdiya and Nakheel which also provide a wide range of accommodation options for all tastes. As Riyadh is quickly expanding, the northern areas are developing quickly, such as Al Narjis, Al Arid and Al Qirawan.

Staying outside the compounds is appreciated and recommended for bachelors in Saudi Arabia. In fact, most expat families moving to Riyadh prefer to stay close to other expats  in the modern and secure compounds. Also, employers usually provide accommodation to solo female expats, and they are usually found close to their workplace in most areas.

Benefits of moving to Riyadh

Expats usually find it easier and safer to move to Riyadh than any other destination in the region. According to a 2023 survey, the capital was ranked third city in the world in terms of human capital  It's worth noting that accommodation in Riyadh is expensive compared to Kuwait and Manama, but cheaper compared to major cities in the United Arab Emirates, for example. It is worth noting that accomodation's prices have been rising rapidly in the last few years.

Riyadh is also home to many international schools, making it an excellent choice to move to with your family. Usually, most of these are expensive but offer quality education. Also, most buildings include outdoor parking lots.

We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.

About

Vincent studied linguistics and foreign language acquisition at the University of Geneva. He first travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia to teach French and English. In 2023, he moved to Saudi Arabia. He enjoys movies, books, baking, and chess.

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Comments

  • ChrisFebster
    ChrisFebster4 years ago(Modified)
    I disagree with the comment that Riyadh is cheaper than Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Having lived in Dubai for 7 years and moving to Riyadh, I find everything either at par or more expensive in Riyadh.

See also

All of Riyadh's guide articles