I lived briefly in Riyadh, not Jeddah, and in Qatar now.
Originally Posted by
2tall4economy
Would be curious what sorts of things I should normally expect to be included in my package (ie car, rental home, medical, intl schools, tickets home).
It depends on the job. Yes, a typical white-collar job offer often includes these things, but it's hard to generalize. You already have a job offer, right, so are you seeking to benchmark? I would rather have all of my comp in cash, but some people value in-kind benefits for some reason.
Originally Posted by
2tall4economy
Also curious what the expat life is like (are all the expats corralled to a certain part of town? Can I get anything I want if I pay, much like Dubai (like Wine?)).
No to the first question. As to the second question, alcohol is illegal in KSA, unlike the UAE. You could probably find it unofficially; I don't know how easy it is and what the risks are. I wouldn't bother; you can fly to Dubai/Bahrain or elsewhere every weekend.
Originally Posted by
2tall4economy
Finally, off the top of my head, what apartments are like there style wise (are Western style available?), and what sorts of availability exists for flights in/out to the USA.
Wouldn't hurt to know what credit card acceptance is like either so I can plan ahead
As for the first question, probably, though you'll find the standard lower than in the Western world. No U.S. airlines fly to KSA, but some of the major European carriers do, so you will have no problem getting to any U.S. gateway with a relatively convenient one-stop in Europe. Also regional airlines like RJ, MS, and the Gulf carriers serve JED. It's not the most convenient or cheapest destination, but pretty well-served (much more than TAS, for example).
I don't think you would have a problem with U.S. credit cards.