Riyadh: Not every journey to Saudi Arabia begins with a lifelong dream; sometimes, it starts with a single opportunity. When Susan Allen first arrived in Riyadh from the UK over eight years ago, she never imagined that the Kingdom would one day feel like home. Today, through her social media, she shares the places, people, and everyday moments that have made Saudi Arabia such a meaningful part of her life.
When Allen moved to Saudi Arabia with her husband, an operational health and safety professional, she recalled being skeptical about her next move in life.
“I was a bit worried because … I knew a lot of people that had worked in Saudi many years before and they said, ‘Oh, you don’t have to go to Saudi. It’s not a place for a woman.’ But when I came, it was so amazing. I was so impressed. It wasn’t scary. It was lovely.”
Contrary to what she had been told, she found people in Saudi Arabia to be very welcoming and hospitable.
“Everybody was so beautiful and so nice and so kind. And the Saudi ladies can’t do enough for you. I just love it here. It’s home from home. Definitely,” she added.
Finding a home away from home
Life in Saudi Arabia changed Allen’s perspective, and the Kingdom became such a special place for her.
“I just love how it’s changing all the time. I’ve watched the metro grow. And I just love going on the metro. We go to KAFD (King Abdullah Financial District) a lot for meals. But you definitely put your steps in living in Riyadh, when you go shopping … you do everything. You just enjoy life here; I do. I just really like it,” she said.
Allen found unexpected success through her TikTok journey as she shared everyday moments, finding a growing community that now recognizes her wherever she goes.
“People have been really nice. A lot of people say, ‘Oh, she sounds like she’s the English IELTS examiner,’” Allen said.
Many people ask her if she is an English teacher and whether she would teach them English, to which she responds with a smile, “I’m not a teacher, and I don’t work. I just keep myself busy here.”
Exploring the Kingdom
From camping in the desert to discovering new places, Allen said she has had many memorable adventures discovering Saudi Arabia.
“Going back a few years ago when my husband worked at Amala at Red Sea, before it was developed, when they were starting it … it was just amazing. We had a buggy. We used to go down the beaches at night — the untouched beaches, the blue water, the fish. Through the mountains, we used to see foxes and hedgehogs and mice,” she reminisced.
A special moment for her was when her daughter came for a visit to AlUla and the two stayed at the Shaden Resort.
“We had our own pool, and we told my daughter we were going to see the sunrise. So, we got in the car in the morning, early. Then we got on this bus, and we (were taken) to this place, and you were getting your wristbands. And she went, ‘Oh, I’m going on a balloon ride.’ So, we went on a balloon ride to watch the sunrise,” Allen recalled, adding that the trip would always hold a special place in her heart as her daughter had told her the experience was on her “bucket list.”
Allen said that through sharing her experiences in Saudi Arabia and its community life, she has built friendships that have shaped her life in the Kingdom and beyond.
