Moving to Saudi Arabia from Papua New Guinea

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Papua New Guinea to Saudi Arabia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Papua New Guinea to Saudi Arabia, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Papua New Guinea and Saudi Arabia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

per 100,000 people per year

PG
9.4
SA
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PG
14.9
SA
18.5

Papua New Guinea generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

PG
$133
SA
$3,475
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

PG
0.6
SA
30.8

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PG
38.0
SA
91.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PG
0.5t
SA
18.5t

Papua New Guinea performs better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PG
0.2
SA
37.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PG
0.1%
SA
974.2%

Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Papua New Guinea leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PG
2.6%
SA
4.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PG
$4,200
SA
$49,600

Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Papua New Guinea leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PG
69.4 yrs
SA
76.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PG
33.6
SA
12.3

Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.

Data: Internal Revenue Commission, Papua New Guinea, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Port Moresby Rain: 35.4 in/yr (899 mm)
88° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Riyadh Rain: 4.4 in/yr (111 mm)
92° / 64°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Port Moresby Riyadh
Jan–Mar 89°/74°F (32°/24°C) 75°/50°F (24°/10°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) 101°/72°F (38°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) 109°/77°F (43°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 90°/74°F (32°/24°C) 84°/56°F (29°/13°C)
View all months
Month Port Moresby Riyadh
Jan 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C) 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C)
Feb 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C) 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C)
Mar 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C)
Apr 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C)
May 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C) 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C)
Jun 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C) 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C)
Jul 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C)
Aug 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C) 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C)
Sep 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C) 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C)
Oct 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C) 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C)
Nov 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C) 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C)
Dec 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C) 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C)

Data: Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service, National Center for Meteorology National Center for Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Papua New Guinea and Saudi Arabia. To live, work, or study long-term in Saudi Arabia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Saudi Arabia's immigration authority.

Papua New Guinea passport

Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia

Visa Required
Papua New Guinea passport holders need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia passport

Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea

Visa Required
Saudi Arabia passport holders need a visa to enter Papua New Guinea.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?

With 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Saudi Arabia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Papua New Guinea and Saudi Arabia.

Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?

Papua New Guinea generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Papua New Guinea.

How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Papua New Guinea?

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 0.6 in Papua New Guinea. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Papua New Guinea: 30).

What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Papua New Guinea?

The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 88°F in Port Moresby. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Port Moresby gets 35.4 in.

What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?

The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Papua New Guinea, the official languages are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin.

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At a Glance

PG SA
Population 9,593,498 35,354,380
Currency Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK) Saudi Riyal (SAR)
Languages English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin Arabic
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +675 +966
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 000 911