Curious about what kind of clothing, food, toys, medicines, to bring? Here is a short list of what we recommend.
Lightweight summer type clothing. Bring undergarments like underwear, socks and bras. It is harder to find good quality ones here and they might be more expensive. We stock up on the boy’s socks and underwear when we come into the country, as well as our own needs. You will never need a wool coat, scarf, mittens, warm boots. Just leave them at home, unless you want to plan a trip abroad on vacation and do some winter activities. But then is it worth storing these very seldom used items in Saudi?
Workout Clothing. These will probably be your staple garments worn everyday while here. They are great to wear under an Abaya for women. I have never lived in my workout clothes until now! For you sports enthusiasts this is a natural! Don’t forget a bathing suit. Your compound may have a pool(s).
Dry food goods cans of tuna, sardines, cereal, chocolate, pretzels, candy. You will find out quickly that they are so much more expensive here. There is a great website https://sa.iherb.com/ where you can find supplements and food items that can be shipped here from US.
Kitchen items: parchment paper, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, dishwasher pods. Just the pods alone are a small fortune when bought here!
Medicines: Any prescription type medicines you need (bring prescription for these things). Get 2 bottles of Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, etc that you need when sick with aches/pains, flu, contact lens solution, etc. Don’t forget the kids. Medicines can be bought here at most pharmacies and hospitals, however some have side effects unlike ones you’ve used, and sometimes the medicines here have more potency.
Toiletries: Makeup! Expensive here and very probable that you won’t find your brands/type. Soaps you use, aloe gel, sun protection cream, toothpaste, toothbrushes (more expensive here), bandages .
Toys: Try to pack one or two of their favorites. It’s not that there aren’t toy stores here, it’s that the quality might not be a good, and for things like Legos, very expensive and limited choices. (You can go to Bahrain and in the mall there is a Lego Store!!)
NOTE: This is a small list of banned items not to be brought into the country. If you look online you will find more help in this area. So far as I know cleaning supplies, aerosol sprays, paint, solvents, alcohol, pork products, frog meat, food items such as vanilla (contains alcohol), some perfumes/colognes (contain alcohol), anything containing nudity, in magazines/books, religious books/pamphlets, and probably a few more things that I forgot.
Date Palms & Camels 