First days

Inform your bank you are "travelling" to Saudi to avoid any issues drawing cash with your bank card (Lloyd's I know can be a pain with their over zealous security when abroad). If you decide to bring some SAR with you tell the bank to give it in 100s, else you will get 500 SAR notes.

Bring an old mobile with you so you can use a PAYG Saudi sim card for calls & data (I have been using a dual sim for years as it saves swapping sims / carrying 2 phones) Make sure you get a sim card BEFORE you leave the airport as you will likely be landing in the early hours of the Friday morning (generally STC is the best signal, but also a little more expensive). Until you get your Iqama you can have only 1 sim card so this is essential.

If you are going to be streaming Netflix etc you can be using 8Gb of data per hour so plan your data package accordingly. Once you get your Iqama sorted you can either go for STC fiber Internet or a second sim card purely for data.

Office dress code is smart casual - shirt, pants, shoes so no need to go overboard. Laundry is really cheap vs UK so no need to bring more than 2 weeks of clothes.

Around camp - RT is pretty small but buses and taxis are hit and miss. Worst case you have a 10-15minute walk to the commisery which is open 24 hours. Heavy items like water can be ordered for delivery from bulk store. A bicycle or 50cc scooter is also an option to get around early on.

Medication - only thing we bring is a few boxes of anti-histamine as they are really cheap in UK supermarkets vs here.

If you want a speedy process for your family to join, make sure to bring all your original birth/marraige certificates for you and your dependents. Also any attested paperwork from the Embassy in London. Take copies of your dependents passports too.

Nothing more to add than what BlueStaff has already said.


I would say get yourself a bank account set up as soon as possible. You can apply for one once you have your iqama. You'll need this to make the government payments for the family visa fees. I'd also suggest focus on a driving license too early on as it can take a few attempts to get it. Fortunately for a full UK driving license holder, it's just a simple transfer with no test now. You can't buy a car until you have your driving license.

You'll also need to transfer your SIM card from your passport to your Iqama once you have it. Then you can register yourself on Absher.


I stay in RT with my wife and kids. It's a nice place to stay, very safe and secure.

Thank you kyle1639 and mcshane, great advice.