My partner is 27 and has been offered a 5 year contract to work in Saudi! The money is amazing but as Im only 24 with a 20 month old baby Im not sure how I feel!! I have said I wont stay longer than 2 years due to my son starting school at 4.
I have been doing research and it scares me that while my partner is at work my son and I will be in our rented accommodation all day with only each others company! Dont get me wrong, I could spend all day, everyday with my little lad but its not healthy for him!!
How would we be treated as a young family? Is it best to ask for a placed to live on a western complex so we may get the chance to meet some friends?? Also, if we left the complex to go shopping would i need to cover up??
Please any help would be muchly appreciated, im really confused about what to do 
Young family moving to Saudi....Help!!
Hey Lucy, welcome !
I hope you'll find the answers you need and good luck !
I see where you're coming from and I don't blame you. Life in Saudi can be a little difficult for a homemaker.
Best suggestion I can give is to find accommodation in a compound (or western complex, as you put it). Compounds can be pretty lively places and are a lot less strict than the laws outside.
Depending on which city you're moving to, yes it would be best to wear an Abaya. Riyadh is pretty strict on the matter, but if you're moving to Jeddah or the east coast (Dammam, AlKhobar, Dhahran) you can get away without a head covering (though keep one on you, just in case). That said, the worst that can happen is an angry religions police guy will tell you to cover up.
As for being a young family, theres no better place than Saudi than to get a savings going. I myself am an expat who grew up in Saudi, and probably could not think of a better childhood (though the love-hate relationship with Saudi remains 
). Theres been a bunch of families that have been raised and formed in Saudi. Check out aramco-brats.com, its a bunch of expat kids who were raised in Saudi Aramco (a compound in Dhahran)
ya you will have to wear the traditional arab dress known as the "Abaya" whenever you go outside, Covering the head and face is not necessary.
(moderated)
Hi there,,, l think the cover is depend on the city , if u r comming to central of saudi arbai, l can say u need it on public placese. if u r going to onother citiey on the east or west coas, l think u do not need to cover ur head of face, just ur body,and it is not that strick, but u as a western people ar more lucky than us people coming from develoving countries although l have been living here for more than 20 years and my age is 22 
good luck
Articles to help you in your expat project in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia can be a challenging destination for women. As a strict Islamic country, Saudi Arabia imposes a lot ...
If you are coming to Saudi Arabia with children and plan to work full time, you may want to look into getting some ...
Settling in Saudi Arabia can create a culture shock among many expats due to the lack of proper information. It is ...
Saudi Arabia was famously known for its conservative society and rules of modesty. Recently, major social changes ...
Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia, but English is widely spoken. It is used in business and is a ...
“What to do in Riyadh this summer?”
