Compound near BISR

hi
there are some villas outside the alhumra compound.i know lot off peoples living there.

Charlottesweb wrote:

Hi
My husband is in final interview stages with a company in Riyadh and will only know 100 % sure at the end of November if we are moving or not, however, if he gets this role, they want him to start mid Jan 2014 which is around the corner.  We have 2 daughters (soon to be 4 and 6) and are in discussions with BISR at the moment.  My concern is accommodation.  I would like to be in a compound as there would be an instant community of expats however my husbands firm is suggesting we look at renting a private villa.  I have looked into Al Hamra as this is the one right next to BISR but they seem very expensive.  Is anybody in a similar situation or has just been through this?
Any tips or advice will be most welcome.
Thanks

Well, nobody is replying so I might as well give you my 2 cents worth.  You MUST insist on a compound.  If you are in a villa, the villa itself might be very nice but you'll be isolated.  Forget about meeting 'neighbors'--it doesn't happen here.  Each villa has a 10 foot wall around it to ensure privacy and everything happens behind those walls.

A few more thoughts.  Sometimes companies, because they don't reserve space on compounds, give housing allowances and it's up to the employee to find a place to live.

That might be the case with your hubby's potential employer so if you go to FLS's Riyadh map you can see where some of the compounds are located.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=20 … 3,0.033023

If you go to the Guide, you'll find a list of compounds, some with prices, emails/phone numbers, etc.

https://www.expat.com/en/guide/middle-e … iyadh.html

Now the problem with this is that you can't make arrangements BEFORE you hit the ground.  People land and live in serviced apts. or hotels while making the rounds of compounds and getting on the waiting list.  If you use the 'Google Custom Search' box, top right, you will find threads discussing all this.

You should also check the EB classifieds section--sometimes people get lucky!

Best of luck to you.

Thank you so much Alliecat, you have been so helpful.
It's really all very nerve racking as I just feel so in the dark.
I also would definitely prefer to be in a compound.  Are you in a compound?

Charlottesweb wrote:

Thank you so much Alliecat, you have been so helpful.
It's really all very nerve racking as I just feel so in the dark.
I also would definitely prefer to be in a compound.  Are you in a compound?

Yes but as a single woman, I am in a company compound.  It's FAR from western but there are conveniences (mini-mart, swimming pool, gym), decent security, and other expats.