Why Expat Women Need Community

Since I moved to Saudi I have been very aware from both my own experience and from talking to others of the importance of having a community, for everyone really but especially so for us as ex-pat women. from the time I started documenting my experiences through my blog, TikTok, and social media I have received countless messages from ex-pat women and many of the messages are almost always around 5 common situations:

1. I'm new here and don't know how to meet anyone

2. I want to go out and about/travel but am too worried to go out by myself

3. I need to find out about a service and don't know who else to ask (doctor, gym, tour guide, bank, school)

4. I'm really unhappy here due to loneliness

5. I need help with a difficult situation

The problems are different but the solution always seems the same to me: finding community. I will always try to respond as quickly as possible to the messages I get and will always try to help where I can but I am just one person and I only know about things from my own personal experience and this can never compare to being a part of a community here's why;

1. If we have a community then we have access to the knowledge and experiences of many people.

2. We have opportunities to meet people and develop real friendships.

3. We have things to do by getting involved in activities and events.

4. We have people to check we are OK and help us if things go wrong.

5. We have a sense of purpose in being a needed member of our community.

What are some of the barriers to us as ex-pat women in Saudi finding our community?

1. We are more likely than men to be at home and not be able to meet people through a job.

2. We are more likely to be the main caregivers for children and find little time to get out outside of that.

3. In Saudi Arabia, it can be quite hard to meet people spontaneously unless you live in a compound that provides opportunities to meet people.

4. Women who are new to Saudi are likely to be more cautious to get out and about alone due to uncertainty about local culture perhaps.

5. We are more likely to have given up our careers in order to move and therefore our mental health and therefore the confidence to meet new people can take a big knock once the initial excitement of moving has subsided.

So how to find your community?

1. Join online communities such as the Facebook group ex-pat women in Saudi Arabia or other similar groups.

2. Be active: respond to others on relevant social media groups who express a need to meet others and arrange a meet-up.

3. If you are interested then go to some group classes at a local gym or educational facility

4. If you are a Muslim then go to the mosque or Islamic classes

5. If you like outdoor activities/adventure go on regular group trips such as with adventure Khobar to meet people.

6. Be brave and start your own group.

I have also just started a regular women's meet-up. We will be meeting on the first Saturday of every month at a different location in the Khobar area. If you would like more information please send me a message on Instagram and I will get the details to you.

If you can relate to some of the issues raised in this post then I hope you now know that you aren't alone and I truly believe that the first step to really being able to live your best life in a new country is getting out and finding your community. I wish you all the best with it. Don't forget to share if you know anyone who needs to hear this too.

I'm so interested in this topic and would love to hear your opinions. I would also love to help those of you who want to set up a similar group in their own local area so in my next blog I will share some tips about this.