Saudi Arabia in 2026: Careers & Convenience for Expats

Saudi Arabia draws expats with strong careers and easy essentials, but a thin leisure scene and lower happiness temper the appeal.

➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.

In this article:

In Brief
Smooth Essentials
A Career Destination
Strong Healthcare, Thin Leisure
A Polite but Reserved Welcome
The Typical Expat in Saudi Arabia
Further Reading

In Brief

Saudi Arabia ranks 12th out of 31 destinations in the Expat Insider 2026 survey.* It performs best in the Expat Essentials Index (3rd) and the Working Abroad Index (9th), with mid-table results for Personal Finance (12th) and Ease of Settling In (15th).

The Quality of Life Index (19th) is its weakest area, and general happiness lags — only half of expats (55%) say they’re happy with life there (vs. 70% globally). Career rather than lifestyle is plainly the motivation, with more than double the global average moving to Saudi Arabia for work-related reasons (70% vs. 33%). Over a third (36%) expect to leave again within five years or earlier, well above the global share of 21%.

Smooth Essentials

Practical life is a real strength, with Saudi Arabia placing 3rd in the Expat Essentials Index.

Admin Topics (5th) are no problem, with more than half the expats (51%) finding the local bureaucracy easy to handle — well above the 38% global average. The country also ranks 6th for getting a visa and 7th for opening a bank account.

Language is manageable too: Saudi Arabia ranks 5th for living there without speaking the local tongue, a fact that about three in five respondents (64%) agree is possible, against 48% worldwide.

Housing — a common pain point in many destinations — also fares well, with Saudi Arabia ranking 8th for both its affordability and availability. The main weak point in the index is (a comparative lack of) unrestricted online access (30th).

Opinion

Life in Saudi Arabia has a distinctive rhythm, and what stands out most to me — speaking as an observer who loves understanding how people live — is the blend of tradition and rapid transformation. (Indian expat in Riyadh)

Opinion

A Career Destination

Saudi Arabia places 9th in the Working Abroad Index, and close to three-quarters of respondents (72%) agree moving there has improved their career prospects (vs. 55% globally).

Indeed, expats regard the local job market (2nd) and economy (5th) favorably, with over four in five (83%) giving the latter a positive rating (vs. 59% globally). It’s overwhelmingly a working expat population — close to four in five respondents (78%) work full time, and 70% moved there for a job-related reason.

The cost is balance: the country ranks 26th for work-life balance, and the average full-time week is a long 47.4 hours against the 42.2-hour global norm. These long hours don’t always translate into high salaries, however, with well over twice the global average earning below 12,000 USD a year (35% vs. 15% globally).

Overall, Saudi Arabia ranks 12th in the Personal Finance Index. About two in five expats (43%) rate the cost of living positively (vs. 39% globally), and financial satisfaction sits right at the global average of 55%.

Strong Healthcare, Thin Leisure

Saudi Arabia’s results in the Quality of Life Index (19th) are much more mixed.

Healthcare is a highlight at 5th place, and Saudi Arabia ranks 10th in the Safety & Security Subcategory, helped by a 6th-place finish for political stability (81% feel it’s stable vs. 59% globally).

But most other areas of the index drag the score down: Saudi Arabia places last for the natural environment and recreational sporting opportunities, with expats further dissatisfied with, for example, the culture and nightlife (27th), availability of public transport (23rd), and the air quality (26th).

Opinion

There’s a lack of greenery and water; a lack of impromptu recreational activities like places with music and dancing; and I don’t like the reliance on cars for transport. (Australian expat in Riyadh)

Opinion

Compared to the global average, expats in Saudi Arabia are also notably less likely to feel that they can openly express themselves and their opinions (46% vs. 64% globally).

A Polite but Reserved Welcome

Saudi Arabia ranks 15th in the Ease of Settling In Index, placing it squarely in the middle of the ranking. The country performs best in the Local Friendliness Subcategory (13th), with three in five respondents (60%) describing locals as friendly toward foreign residents (vs. 61% globally). However, fewer feel the same about the general friendliness of the population (55% vs. 63%), suggesting that interactions are polite but somewhat reserved.

Stronger challenges emerge when it comes to forming deeper social ties, with fewer than half of expats (49%) saying they have a personal support network in Saudi Arabia (vs. 58% globally). Similarly, less than half (46%) are satisfied with their social life (vs. 54%).

Around two-thirds of expats feel welcome (67% vs. 64% globally), but this doesn’t always translate into a sense of belonging. Only about half feel at home (51% vs. 61%), and a comparable share say it’s easy to get used to the local culture (56% vs. 60%).

The Typical Expat in Saudi Arabia

Key Demographics of Expats in Saudi Arabia; details in description

*) Please note that this year’s Expat Insider survey was conducted by InterNations from 1 February to 31 March 2026. Since data collection took place both before and after the outbreak of the US-Iran war, the findings should be interpreted as only partially reflecting its impact on expats living in Saudi Arabia.