Indian businesses and services in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Batha is where most South Asians in Riyadh go when they want to feel close to home. The old commercial district near the city centre is crowded with shops selling clothes, electronics and phone cards, money transfer offices, barbers, and restaurants serving Kerala, Hyderabadi, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali food. On Friday it fills up with workers on their day off, so if you want a quieter visit go on a weekday evening. Professionals and families are spread out across the city, often choosing where to live by school and commute.

Indian, Pakistani and other South Asian schools, several following the CBSE curriculum, are a fixture of family life, and community associations organised by state or region run cultural programmes, cricket tournaments and Onam celebrations in rented halls. The Indian embassy in the Diplomatic Quarter handles passports and consular services and is the main contact point for community welfare.

Saudi Arabia does not permit public places of worship for faiths other than Islam, so there are no temples or gurdwaras; non-Muslim residents worship privately. For South Asian Muslims, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the high points of the year, and Ramadan reshapes the day, with shops and restaurants busiest late into the night. The weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. Entertainment rules have relaxed in recent years and large public events now take place, but it is still wise to follow local guidance on dress and behaviour in public.