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Settling in

Settling in Riyadh

Riyadh is quickly figured out, as long as you follow the right order: each person's iqama and health insurance, the consular register, housing near school, then the bank, the car and the licence. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked against official sources.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

Everything starts with the residence permit, the iqama, obtained by the working parent and then linked to each family member. Your sponsoring employer handles most of it; on your side, keep your documents at hand and register with the French consulate straight away.

Good to know

  • The residence visa is applied for outside Saudi Arabia and must be guaranteed by a sponsor. It leads to the iqama after arrival; the employer must also request the exit-re-entry visas, which alone allow you to leave and come back. Source
  • Spouse and children arrive on a residence visa sponsored by the working parent. They must hold valid health insurance before their iqama is issued: without it, no iqama, no renewal and no exit-re-entry visa. Source
  • Issuing and renewing the iqama depends on negative HIV and hepatitis tests, carried out locally. Source
  • All foreign residents' formalities then go through the Absher app: iqama, exit-re-entry visas, family updates. Your passport must remain valid for more than six months beyond your authorised stay. Source
  • Registering with the register of French nationals abroad is free, valid for 5 years and done online on service-public.fr: French ID, proof of residence and a recent photo. In Saudi Arabia, add a copy of your iqama or visa and your Saudi national address. Source
  • Security situation: after strikes on Riyadh and its airport, since 13 October 2026 the embassy has asked French nationals to avoid non-essential travel, follow the authorities' instructions and never photograph or share images of interceptions. Read its message before leaving and register promptly. Source

Addresses

  • Ambassade de France, section consulaire de Riyad

    Consulate

    Quartier diplomatique (DQ), Riyad 11693

    Appointments booked online, Sunday to Thursday; arrive early for security checks. Fees are paid in riyals, cash or Mada card; pushchairs and changing bags are allowed, large bags are not.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and compounds

In Riyadh, you first choose between a compound, the gated residences with pools and services that house most expat families, and a flat or villa in town. Then you look at the distance to school: the city is huge and everything is done by car.

Good to know

  • Most expat families prefer to live in compounds, close to other expats; diplomats mostly live in the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ). Housing prices have been rising fast in recent years. Source
  • Housing is very often part of the relocation package: have the contract spell out who chooses, who signs the lease and who pays, before you start viewing.
  • Residential leases are registered on the official Ejar platform, which frames the contract between landlord, tenant and agency. Rent is often paid in advance, yearly or half-yearly: negotiate the payment schedule. Source
  • The École française internationale de Riyad is in An Nada, in the north-east; the École de cité académique française in Al Shuhada, in the east. EFIR places go first to French pupils or those from a homologated school, with a waiting list: secure the school before signing the lease. Source
  • Local traps: rush-hour journeys, air conditioning to check before summer, and school transport, which EFIR regulates with a bus access protocol. Also ask whether the compound runs a shuttle to school. Source

Addresses

  • An Nada et le nord-est

    Neighbourhood

    The neighbourhood of the École française internationale de Riyad: compounds near the school are the most sought after by French families, with short school runs.

    Source

  • Quartier diplomatique (DQ)

    Neighbourhood

    Embassies, including France's, diplomatic residences and large green spaces: very quiet and leafy, but supply is limited and often reserved.

    Source

  • Al Nakheel et Al Muhammadiyah

    Neighbourhood

    Sought-after residential districts in the north-west, with Western compounds and spacious villas, close to several international schools.

    Source

  • Al Olaya

    Neighbourhood

    The business district, with its towers and flats: handy if you work there, less so for a family with children.

    Source

  • Al Narjis, Al Arid et Al Qirawan

    Neighbourhood

    The north of the city is growing fast: new homes and villas, often more space, but longer drives to the east.

    Source

  • Al Shuhada et l'est

    Neighbourhood

    Around the École de cité académique française, homologated from sixième to seconde: an option for families with middle-school children.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

A prepaid SIM is enough for the first weeks; once you have your iqama, link the line to your resident number. Two kinds of insurance really matter: health, which is compulsory, and car insurance.

Good to know

  • For your phone, a prepaid SIM can be bought at the airport with your passport; once you have your iqama, have the line linked to your new resident number. STC, Mobily and Zain share the market.
  • Health insurance is mandatory for foreign employees and their families, and private-sector employers must provide it: check each child's level of cover, maternity and the hospital network. Source
  • Vehicles must be insured, and fully comprehensive cover is strongly recommended: under Saudi law, a driver responsible for serious injury or a third party's death pays the « blood money ». Source
  • To keep a link with French social security (health, maternity, pension), the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger offers voluntary membership, with means-tested help to request from the consulate. Source

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Banking and money

The iqama opens the bank account, and with it the mada card, accepted almost everywhere. Transfers between Saudi banks are instant, using the recipient's mobile or iqama number.

Good to know

  • Banks open accounts for residents on presentation of the iqama; you will often be asked for your national address too. Some, such as Al Rajhi, open the account entirely online for iqama holders. Each bank has its own requirements, which can change: check the list before going in. Source
  • Until your local account is open, pay with your French card and bring some cash for the first expenses; some employers offer a salary advance on arrival, so ask. Source
  • Day to day, the local mada debit card is accepted almost everywhere, including at the consulate's cash desk. It can also be added to Apple Pay from your bank's app. Source
  • Sarie, the Central Bank's (SAMA) instant payment system, moves money between Saudi banks in seconds, at any hour. Instead of the IBAN, you can use the recipient's mobile number, iqama number or email address, provided they have linked it to their account in their app. Source
  • To send money to France, banking apps offer international transfers; compare the fees and above all the exchange rate before choosing. For school fees, ask the school how it takes payment. Source
  • Keep a bank account in France, as reopening one from abroad is harder. Tell your bank before you leave: your accounts must switch to non-resident status, and some savings products, such as the LEP, must be closed. Source

Addresses

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Getting set up

Riyadh has two large IKEA stores, in the east and north of the city, and many hypermarkets that deliver to your door. For second-hand items, Haraj is Saudi Arabia's big classifieds platform.

Addresses

  • IKEA Riyadh

    Furniture and home

    Eastern Ring Road, Al Faruq

    Large-format store with the full range and room displays.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Thumamah

    Furniture and home

    Al Thumamah Road, Al Munsiyah

    The second store, handy for north and east Riyadh.

    Website Source

  • Carrefour

    Supermarket

    Hypermarkets and online grocery shopping in the app.

    Website Source

  • Panda

    Supermarket

    Saudi hypermarket and supermarket chain, with delivery in Riyadh.

    Website Source

  • Tamimi Markets

    Supermarket

    Saudi supermarkets; loyalty programme in the Themari app.

    Website Source

  • Danube

    Supermarket

    Saudi supermarkets, with online grocery shopping.

    Website Source

  • LuLu Hypermarket

    Supermarket

    Large hypermarkets; online grocery shopping in the app.

    Website Source

  • Riyadh Park

    Shopping mall

    Northern Ring Road, Al Aqiq

    Around three hundred shops, a cinema with a screen dedicated to children's films, play areas and a Museum of Illusions.

    Website Source

  • Kingdom Centre

    Shopping mall

    King Fahd Road

    The mall in Kingdom Tower, with the panoramic Sky Bridge at the top.

    Website Source

  • Riyadh Front

    Shopping mall

    Shopping and entertainment district in the north of the city, near the airport: gardens, a fountain and cinemas.

    Website Source

  • eXtra

    Appliances

    Electronics and home appliances, with delivery and installation.

    Website Source

  • Haraj

    Second-hand

    Saudi classifieds platform for new and used goods: furniture, appliances, cars. Listings mostly in Arabic.

    Website Source

  • Riyad Accueil (Maison des Français)

    Second-hand

    The members' WhatsApp support group: ask there for what you need before buying new.

    Website Source

Getting around with children

For a long time Riyadh could only be crossed by car; since late 2024, a new air-conditioned metro links the main districts, the airport and the centre. For school runs and most outings, though, the car remains the rule.

Good to know

  • The Riyadh Metro, inaugurated on 27 November 2024, has 6 lines, 176 km and 85 stations; it works with an integrated bus network, Riyadh Bus. Routes, cards and tickets go through the Darb app. Source
  • The metro runs from 6am to midnight Saturday to Thursday and from 8am to midnight on Fridays, in two classes: first and standard. Tickets for 2 hours, 3 days, 7 days or 30 days. Source
  • Children under 6 travel free with a fare-paying adult. With a pushchair, favour off-peak hours and check station access in the app. Source
  • Your French licence is not enough once you are resident: you need to exchange it. Request the driving-rights certificate (formerly RIR) on « Mes points permis », have a copy of your licence certified at the embassy, get it translated by an approved translator, then book an appointment on Absher. Source
  • In an accident, do not move the vehicle, even for a scrape: call the police (993) and Najm, the insurance claims service (92 0000 560), and promise no payment before they arrive. Source
  • Women drive in Saudi Arabia and ride-hailing apps (Uber, Careem) offer women-driver options. Many families have a car plus a driver or a school bus for school runs. Source

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Admin: iqama, tax and consulate

No carte Vitale or French-style social security number: your identifier is your iqama number, and your counter is the Absher app. Tax-wise, salaries are not taxed locally, but VAT applies to almost everything.

Good to know

  • The iqama number is your identifier for everything: bank, phone, insurance, school, lease. Family updates and a newborn's registration are done on Absher, and parents cannot leave the country until the baby is registered there. Source
  • There is no income tax for individuals whose income comes only from employment in Saudi Arabia. Source
  • VAT has been 15% on most goods and services since 1 July 2020. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards, transcription of births and marriages, registration, legalisations, means-tested school grants for AEFE-homologated schools. It does not cover your medical costs or a repatriation. Source
  • School grants are paid by the AEFE directly to the school and cover all or part of tuition, not activities; the application, separate from enrolment, must be renewed every year. Source
  • In a serious emergency involving a French national (accident, assault, arrest, missing child), the embassy's French citizens service is reachable 24/7 on +966 (0)53 589 12 07. It does not answer visa questions. Source

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Budget: what costs more or less

A family's budget in Riyadh depends mostly on what the contract covers: housing, school, insurance, car. Outside the package, housing and schooling weigh heavily; on the other side, no tax on salaries and very cheap fuel. Without exact figures, here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: the biggest item, and rising fast in recent years, especially in compounds and near schools; often paid a year in advance. Source
  • Schooling: French schools charge fees, like international schools; EFIR publishes its fees and financial rules, and AEFE grants can lighten the bill. Source
  • Tax: no income tax on a Saudi salary, a big change from France; the 15% VAT, however, makes everyday purchases dearer. Source
  • Car: fuel costs far less than in France, but comprehensive insurance, maintenance and sometimes a driver come on top.
  • Groceries: local products are affordable, imports from France much dearer; alcohol and pork are banned from import and sale. Source
  • Outings: public parks, Wadi Hanifa and several historic sites are free or almost; theme parks, Riyadh Season and indoor activities cost money, and fast. Source

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Riyadh will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Ambassade de France en Arabie saoudite
  2. 2 Conseils aux voyageurs, entrée et séjour en Arabie saoudite
  3. 3 Conseils aux voyageurs, informations utiles
  4. 4 Ambassade de France, permis de conduire
  5. 5 Royal Commission for Riyadh City, transports publics
  6. 6 BAL, assurance santé obligatoire des familles
  7. 7 Expat.com, choisir son quartier à Riyad
  8. 8 SAMA, système de paiement instantané Sarie

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