Posted on: 15th December 2025

Saudi Arabia’s Quiet Reinvention – and Why More British Families Are Paying Attention

Not so long ago, Saudi Arabia was a country most Britons thought about only in headlines: oil, religion, geopolitics. Few imagined it as a place to raise a family, build a career, or enjoy a high quality of life.

That view is now badly out of date.

Over the next five years, Saudi Arabia is undergoing a transformation on a scale rarely seen in modern times. Vision 2030 — once dismissed by sceptics as ambitious theory — is now very much in motion. Roads, cities, schools, sports venues and entire industries are being built at speed. And quietly, steadily, expat families are arriving.

For many, Saudi Arabia has become one of the most interesting places in the world to live, work and bring up children

The view from Britain

This shift is happening against a difficult backdrop at home. The UK economy feels stuck in low gear. Taxes are at their highest level in decades, public services are under strain, and many middle- and upper‑income families feel increasingly squeezed.

Fiscal drag has quietly pulled more families into higher tax brackets. Energy costs, schooling, housing and childcare have all risen sharply. At the same time, political uncertainty and frequent policy changes have made long‑term planning harder.

For a growing number of British professionals, the question is no longer whether to work harder — it is whether the system still rewards effort at all.

From pilgrims to sun-seekers

Saudi Arabia has set itself a bold target: 150 million visitors a year by 2030. That would place it among the world’s top tourist destinations.

But this is not tourism as we know it in Spain or Greece. Saudi’s vision is carefully curated. Think ultra‑luxury eco‑resorts along the Red Sea, world‑class cultural tourism in AlUla, heritage districts in Diriyah, and futuristic mountain resorts rising out of the desert.

Tourism is not just about holidays. It brings schools, hospitals, restaurants, jobs and infrastructure. It creates places where families can live well — not just pass through.

Sport as a way in

Sport has become one of Saudi Arabia’s most effective calling cards.

Football, Formula 1, boxing, golf, tennis and even esports have arrived not as one‑off spectacles, but as part of a long‑term plan. The Kingdom has recognised something important: sport connects cultures faster than policy ever can.

For expat families, the benefits are tangible. Children have access to excellent facilities, coaching and opportunities that would cost a fortune in the UK. For parents, sport has become a bridge into community life.

A new business capital

Saudi Arabia is reshaping itself as the commercial heart of the Middle East, and increasingly a gateway to Africa and Asia.

International companies are being encouraged — and in some cases required — to base regional headquarters in Riyadh. Licensing is simpler. Foreign ownership is more open. Capital is plentiful.

For British professionals used to crowded, mature markets at home, this creates something rare: career acceleration. Senior roles arrive earlier. Decision‑making is faster. Entrepreneurship is actively encouraged.

What this means for a British family

Wealth

Saudi Arabia remains one of the few places where families can still make meaningful financial progress. With no income tax and strong salaries, many find they can save, invest and plan for the future in a way that has become increasingly difficult in the UK.

Education

International education has been a major focus. British and international schools offer modern facilities, smaller class sizes and broad extracurricular programmes. Children grow up globally minded and confident.

Lifestyle

Modern Saudi life often surprises newcomers. Secure housing, excellent healthcare, domestic help and a strong expat community give families something many have lost in Britain: time.

Why Holborn has opened in Riyadh

It is against this backdrop — a rapidly rising Saudi Arabia and a more constrained Britain — that HOLBORN has opened a fully licensed advisory office in Riyadh.

For families who choose to relocate, wealth can build quickly and complexity soon follows. Cross‑border taxation, education planning, investment structuring and long‑term succession all require careful thought.

Being on the ground, regulated and locally embedded allows HOLBORN to support British families properly as they navigate this transition.

A final thought

Saudi Arabia is not asking the world to take its transformation on trust. It is building it — visibly, decisively and at pace.

At a time when many British families feel over‑taxed, over‑regulated and under‑rewarded, it offers something increasingly rare: momentum.

The question many are now asking is not “Why Saudi Arabia?” It is simply “Why not now?