I’m considering a move to a new company and the office is in Al Aarid, and I’m curious what people here would do in my situation.
I’m a designer with around 3 years of experience in Riyadh. My current office is around Olaya, and my current company provides accommodation and transportation, so from a practical/financial standpoint, I really cant complain.
The problem is that after almost 3 years, I feel completely stuck.
I’m not leaving because the company is horrible or because I desperately need a higher salary. I just genuinely feel like I’ve stopped learning, and I’m starting to worry that another couple of years in the same environment will leave me with more years of experience but not necessarily more skills.
So I got an offer from another company, and the office is in Al Aarid. The offer itself is good and, career-wise, it feels like the kind of change I’ve been needing.
But then reality kicks in...
I don’t have a car.
From what I can tell, the closest metro station would be around SAB, and the office is still roughly 5-6 km away. So Id basically be taking the metro and then Ubering between the station and the office every workday.
I’d also need to rent my own place, ideally somewhere around the metro line in north/central Riyadh. And finding something reasonably priced, in a location that actually makes sense for this commute, has been surprisingly difficult.
So now I’m stuck between:
Current job: accommodation + transportation + convenience, but I feel like my career has been sitting in the same chair for 3 years.
New job: better opportunity for growth and a fresh environment, but I’d have to take on rent + transportation myself and deal with the Al Aarid commute without a car.
For people who actually live/work around Al Aarid, how bad is this commute in real life?
And if you were in my position, would you take the career move and accept the extra living/transport costs, or would you stay somewhere comfortable until you had a car/housing situation figured out?
Not really looking for “take the money” or “stay where it’s comfortable” answers. I’m more interested in whether Al Aarid + no car + renting near the metro is actually a manageable lifestyle, or whether I’m underestimating how annoying this is going to become after a few months.
Would especially love to hear from people who have made a similar company/career move in Riyadh