It was early May, and the sun was already showing its teeth.
With Eid al-Adha just around the corner, the first twenty days of my arrival in Riyadh were rough. The heat wasn’t just hot; it was aggressive. It hit different than any place I’d been before.
Why This Hit Different
I’ve traveled to plenty of new places. Moving cities isn’t new to me. But this time felt unique.
I am, by nature, a T-shirt and jeans guy. I’m used to tropical climates, humid seaside breezes, and adventurous green mountains. Suddenly, I was in the desert, expected to wear formal shirts, tailored trousers, and leather shoes.
I had always been the person who prioritized comfort over corporate aesthetics. I didn’t dress for the office; I dressed for myself. So, when I swapped my comfortable gear for the “corporate ninja” attire, my body rebelled immediately. Within two days of wearing those formal leather shoes, my feet were covered in blisters.
And the water? Even at 7 AM, the tap water felt like it was coming straight out of a kettle—around 60°C.
This blog is about how I navigated that situation over the next four months.
The Race Against Time: Getting My License
The turning point came ten days after I landed. I finally got my Iqama in hand. Without wasting a single hour, I applied for the driving class test the very next day.
Lucky break: I got an appointment exactly one day before the Eid holiday started.
Here’s how the timeline unfolded:
- Initial Assessment: I went in, passed, and was put on a 5-day practical class schedule.
- The Catch: To attend the practical classes, I had to complete online training first. But the online training slots weren’t available until after the Eid holidays.
- The Wait: Ten days gone. Then came the theory test.
- The Flow: After the theory, everything fell into place continuously—one step per day, excluding weekends. Simulation test, practical tests, and finally, the road test.
The final road test slot was two weeks away because there were no openings sooner. From the day I landed in Riyadh to the day I held my driving license in my hand, it took exactly 55 days.
The Car Changed Everything
The week after getting my license, I bought my car—a pre-owned, single-owner vehicle.
This changed the trajectory of my life in Saudi Arabia. Over the next two months, and even now as I write this in September, the car has been my shield against the peak summer heat of July and August.
Navigating Riyadh without a car in this climate is a battle. With one, it became manageable.