Business travel to Riyadh

[Siliconslave]

I've been invited to do a days presentation in person in Riyadh, ignoring the stupidity of traveling for 3 days to do a 2hr demo/presentation, i'm wondering how safe/sensible it is?

My last experience with the region was about 15 years ago when a friend went out with their company and was basically escorted around by their company's security services but it sounds like thats changed quite a lot now.

Does anyone have any recent first hand experience?

Thanks

 

[Siliconslave]

I probably can but trying to work out if I should and totally agree its a bit silly but sometimes needed.

 

[Siliconslave]

Since the late 2010s it's really a different place to where it was. Don't write it off without going there to see what it's like.

On another level it does seem daft to travel for 2hrs... but hey, it might open your eyes a little to how different it is now?

That matches what i've read today so good to have confirmation I did expect it to have changed but always hard to read between the lines of tourism marketing.

I've not been to Saudi before but theres definatly a preference to in person meetings in the Middle East in my experience - so while its crazy to do it could well be worthwhile.

 

[Siliconslave]

I did have a hairy moment a couple of days before and almost cancelled the trip - there were some missiles fired at Riyadh airport. When I phoned our local team, the guy told me "No, don't worry, it's totally safe! We shot down all the missiles! I'd tell you if there was a problem, trust me!"

This and this:

I was there with an armed escort and they were extremely unhappy when around the police there but it was fine in the end.

aren't helping

Trips all sorted, will be on the ground for around 25hrs so got a hotel for the night, will do the meetings then head back to the airport.

Luckily I don't have to do these sort of trips too often but its part of the job and i'm compensated enough to put up with it once in a while

Just don’t take any medicines. Some are prohibited and will class you as a drug dealer and that could be fatal.

Oh, I know - the strongest stuff i'll take is some gaviscon!

 

[Siliconslave]

I've just been asked if I would be happy to be assigned to a project in Saudi Arabia, with an expectation of travel there at least once a month for an as-yet unspecified project duration - so I would be very interested to hear your feedback after your visit.

I don't honestly know how I feel about it on moral grounds overall, which is not something I've ever had to consider before.

will do - trying to ignore the second part for the most part...

 

[Siliconslave]

Well I made it - was defiantly interesting but all in all but feels like a stricter, dryer (drink and humidity wise) version of Dubai. Everyone was super welcoming and friendly, customer we went to see was incredibly happy we'd made the effort and feels like we've mad a load of progress from a few hours with them in person that we wouldn't have done on zoom. We defiantly felt like outsiders, the company we visited had almost zero western/non-local staff so we were the only ones in the place out of robes and head scarfs, but probably healthy to be put in those sort of situations once in a while & as I say they people we were meeting we're so friendly it was fine (they even gave us some gentle ribbing at various points)

In terms of safety I was careful & respectful but didn't ever feel like there was any risk, immigration was no more strict or intimidating than US customs (in fact it was friendlier than almost every US visit i've made, and much better run). The quality of driving was interesting but again no worse than the likes of Thailand or Italy.

The one mistake I/we did make was walking a block to a local mall at around 3pm - the heat (around 45C in the shade) and sun were brutal, you kind of need to get a taxi everywhere (which are cheap - £30 for a 45min airport transfer).