LONDON: Saudi Arabia has been voted as one of the best places to live for expats, outperforming the US in this particular ranking, a new report has found.
According to the Expat Insider 2023 survey, Saudi Arabia, with its vibrant expat community, claimed the 28th spot, leaving countries such as the US (30th), France (33rd) and Germany (49th) trailing behind.
This ranking comes from the comprehensive Expat Insider 2023 report by InterNations, the world’s largest expat community, which provides a unique perspective into the world as seen through the eyes of expats.
While the US and Saudi Arabia grappled in the middle, Mexico stole the spotlight as the global frontrunner for expats, closely followed by Spain and Panama.
From the Middle East and North Africa, Bahrain claimed the ninth spot, followed closely by the UAE and Oman, which ranked 11th and 12th respectively. Kuwait, instead, was left at the bottom of the ranking, scoring 53rd.
The survey, which was sent to over 12,000 expats across 172 countries, asked participants to rate various factors across five categories. These included quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance, and the expat essentials index, which covered housing, administration, language, and digital life.
While Saudi Arabia performed well in various categories, such as working abroad (14th) and expat essentials (ninth), it scored lower in quality of life (40th) and ease of settling in (32nd), indicating specific areas that could be improved to make the country a more attractive destination for people living abroad.
The US was confirmed to be a top destination for job prospects and career growth, but it fell short in areas of personal finance, quality of life, and healthcare, a subcategory that proved to be particularly challenging, as it ranked 52nd, only ahead of Ireland.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mexico’s top spot was earned through high scores in local friendliness and cultural adaptability subcategories, consistently ranking in the top five since the survey’s inception in 2014. The podium was completed by Spain, second, and Panama, third.
Bahrain, the highest-ranking country in MENA, boasted the best score in expat essentials and made a significant leap in personal finance, moving up 19 spots from the previous year. Almost half of the expats in Bahrain gave a thumbs-up to the cost of living, a significant increase from the previous year.
The UAE narrowly missed the top 10, due to its low score in the environment and climate subcategory. Despite the harsh desert climate, the UAE shone in the expat essentials category, maintaining its second place from last year.
Oman, ranking close behind the UAE at 12th place, scored well in the expat essentials and housing subcategories, with many expats reporting that it was relatively easy and affordable to find a house in Oman.
Kuwait, on the other hand, found itself at the bottom of the list, with expats expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of life, leisure options, and their ability to express their opinions openly. Many respondents also reported struggling to form friendships in Kuwait.
Interestingly, half of the countries in the top 10 for expat essentials were Arab, indicating the ease of settling in for expats even without proficiency in the local language. In this sub-category, Saudi Arabia, however, missed the top 10, ranking 17th.
