Inside Saudi Arabia
Claim This Podcastby helloinsidesaudi
Podcast Overview
<p class="p1">Before moving to Saudi Arabia, we searched everywhere for a glimpse of what everyday life would be like. Inside Saudi Arabia was born from that search — a podcast exploring culture, family, style, wellness<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and life in today’s Kingdom. Hosted by Carly Overman and Vesna Petrovic, each episode blends our personal experiences as expats with the everyday rhythms of a country in transformation. Whether you’re moving here, already living here, or simply curious about life inside Saudi Arabia, we’ll give you our perspective on the trends, shifts and conversations shaping the Kingdom right now.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
9/30/2025
1 verified contact email on file for Inside Saudi Arabia
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Recent Episodes
July 7, 2026
Google Told Him Not to Come to Saudi. One Message Changed Everything. (Victor Barrero, Part 1)
In the summer of 2009, Victor Barrero typed "life in Saudi Arabia" into Google and got scared. He came anyway, on an eight-week flynas internship, a 25-year-old from Mexico who packed a camera and a checklist: camel market, old Diriyah, the grand bazaar. None of it looked like the photos. Diriyah was boarded up. He got into Kingdom Tower only because a guard mistook him for a diplomat. Then a friend in Mexico sent one Facebook message introducing him to a Saudi named Sultan. Sultan took him to lunch. Three weeks later Victor was at an istraha an hour outside the city with thirty Saudi men, dates and Arabic coffee, getting mistaken for an Egyptian who wouldn't come pray. That single introduction turned the whole summer around. In Part 1, Victor tells Carly and Vesna how Riyadh went from a place Google warned him about to the place that felt like home, why he taught himself to read Arabic in three weeks, what revenue management at an airline actually is, and the family decision that brought him back in 2024. Part 2 is next Monday. Listen: https://linktr.ee/insidesaudi FOLLOW VICTOR HERE: https://www.instagram.com/victorinriyadh/ and follow us for more: https://www.instagram.com/insidesaudiarabia/ https://www.instagram.com/caroverman/ https://www.instagram.com/vesnapetrovicx/ Chapters: 0:00 Teaser: Landing in Riyadh, 2009 1:13 Welcome to Inside Saudi 2:15 Victor Joins the Show 3:07 First Landing in Riyadh, Summer 2009 5:43 Adjusting to Saudi Business Culture 8:19 Failed Sightseeing & Early Misconceptions 13:07 The Facebook Message That Changed Everything 13:50 Straha Nights & Saudi Hospitality 17:58 Deciding to Return & Starting a Blog 20:20 Going Fully Local 25:04 Revenue Management at Flynas 28:29 Insider Flight Booking Tips 31:40 Leaving Saudi & a Career Around the World 35:55 Pandemic Reinvention 37:42 Costa Rica & Wellness 39:41 Lessons from a Math Teacher 41:34 The Power of Real Relationships 42:24 The Fire That Shaped Everything 45:01 Returning to Riyadh in 2024 47:21 Riyadh Transformed 49:02 Joining Flow 49:45 What Expats Get Wrong About Housing 52:07 Selling a Lifestyle, Not Just a Villa 55:01 Advice for People Relocating 57:05 The Kingdom's Vision for Quality of Life 59:36 Take It Slow: First 90 Days Advice 1:01:26 Adjusting to a New Culture 1:04:31 Wrap-Up & Part Two Teaser
June 30, 2026
How Much It Really Costs to Live in Riyadh (2026 Update)
A year in, Carly and Vesna re-priced their whole life in Riyadh: what's gone up, what surprised them, and what they'd tell someone running the numbers before a move. This is the granular version of the cost conversation, from the two biggest line items down to the ones nobody warns you about. They walk through compounds across four tiers, from the common 300 to 350K range to the half-million luxe end, plus what an off-compound option like Sedra actually trades away. International school fees land near 100K per child once trips, uniforms and deposits are counted, and they're honest about the math that forces real choices: cheaper school or more travel, space or community, save or spend. They get into the Chinese cars they both bought outright, fuel so cheap it changes how you move around the city, a four-tier map of where to grocery shop, and the beauty, abaya and travel spend that adds up quietly underneath everything. No invented numbers, just what a year of living it has actually cost them. Follow Inside Saudi so you never miss a Monday episode. New here? Start with our cost of living and relocation episodes. Follow us:Show: @insidesaudiarabiaCarly: @caroverman on insta / @carlyoverman on tiktokVesna: @vesnapetrovicx Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/insidesaudi Got a question we didn't cover? Drop it in the comments and we'll get to it in a future episode. Listen wherever you get podcasts Chapters: 00:00 Cold open01:01 Welcome and what this episode covers02:47 The biggest cost: schools vs compounds03:37 Is Riyadh expensive? London, Sydney, Vancouver04:27 Housing: compounds and your top-three list06:47 The common tier: 300 to 350K compounds09:11 Apartment-style compounds: 150 to 250K13:53 Off-compound: the community trade-off14:42 The luxe end: half a million to one million16:35 Less is more: what a year taught us17:28 Utilities, electricity and internet19:17 School fees: roughly 100K per child20:50 Uniforms, ECAs and the trips that add up24:40 Visas, exit re-entry and premium residency25:58 Cars: why we both bought Chinese, outright28:22 Fuel: the one genuinely cheap thing29:08 Groceries: weekly spend and where we shop31:00 The grocery map: Spinneys down to corner shops34:31 Beauty: nails, Botox, finding someone you trust39:35 Abayas: 50 riyals to a few thousand42:30 Clothing and kids' clothes44:20 Help, nannies and cleaners45:00 Travel: why living here makes you want to go46:01 Wrap-up
June 22, 2026
Your Neck Pain Starts In Your Gut? Wellness in Riyadh (Peter, Tonic The Method)
Your neck pain and your gut might be the same problem. This week we sit down with Peter from Tonic The Method on what wellness actually looks like in Riyadh right now. Peter is a physical therapist and Chinese-medicine specialist who moved here from Lebanon expecting wellness to rank near the bottom of people's priorities. He was wrong. We get into the nerve that connects your neck to your stomach, the breathing fix he reaches for before any machine, which everyday foods are quietly acidic, the exact contrast-therapy order he recommends, and why he reads teeth grinding as a clue to something bigger. Plus the colon-massage story Vesna will never live down. Hosted by Carly and Vesna. Listen and follow wherever you get podcasts: https://linktr.ee/insidesaudi Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Teaser Highlights01:18 Welcome - What This Episode Is About03:13 Meet Peter and Introducing Tonic 18006:15 Tonic's Services and Kingdom Tower Launch11:47 The Wellness Scene in Riyadh13:21 The Gut and Neck Pain Connection19:13 Diet: Alkaline vs Acidic Foods24:21 Pressotherapy Explained26:33 Infrared Sauna and Cold Plunge33:58 Red Light Therapy39:29 Laser Body Remodeling45:59 EMS (Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation)48:19 The Tonic Signature Massage and Colon Cleanse52:26 PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields)56:10 Dry Needling and Electroacupuncture59:22 Personalised Protocols and Recommendations
34 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Inside Saudi Arabia?
<p class="p1">Before moving to Saudi Arabia, we searched everywhere for a glimpse of what everyday life would be like. Inside Saudi Arabia was born from that search — a podcast exploring culture, family, style, wellness<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and life in today’s Kingdom. Hosted by Carly Overman and Vesna Petrovic, each episode blends our personal experiences as expats with the everyday rhythms of a country in transformation. Whether you’re moving here, already living here, or simply curious about life inside Saudi Arabia, we’ll give you our perspective on the trends, shifts and conversations shaping the Kingdom right now.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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