Moving to Laos from Saudi Arabia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Laos, and you’d need to navigate life in Lao.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Saudi Arabia and Laos stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SA
18.5
LA
16.4

Laos performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SA
$3,475
LA
$123
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SA
30.8
LA
3.3

Laos 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

SA
91.0
LA
69.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SA
18.5t
LA
3.4t

Laos performs significantly 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

SA
37.0
LA
2.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SA
974.2%
LA
4.8%

Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Laos leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SA
4.9%
LA
1.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SA
$49,600
LA
$8,400

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SA
76.7 yrs
LA
68.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SA
12.3
LA
37.8

Saudi Arabia performs better than Laos across all family life metrics.

Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Vientiane Rain: 65.4 in/yr (1660 mm)
88° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riyadh Vientiane
Jan–Mar 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) 87°/66°F (31°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) 91°/76°F (33°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) 88°/76°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) 85°/67°F (30°/20°C)
View all months
Month Riyadh Vientiane
Jan 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.4°C)
Feb 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.5°C)
Mar 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) 91°/71°F (33.0°/21.5°C)
Apr 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.8°C)
May 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) 91°/76°F (33.0°/24.6°C)
Jun 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) 89°/77°F (31.9°/24.9°C)
Jul 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) 88°/76°F (31.3°/24.7°C)
Aug 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) 87°/76°F (30.8°/24.6°C)
Sep 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) 88°/75°F (30.9°/24.1°C)
Oct 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C)
Nov 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C)
Dec 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) 83°/62°F (28.1°/16.7°C)

Data: National Center for Meteorology National Center for Meteorology, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Lao PDR

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Saudi Arabia passport

Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Laos

Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Laos.
Laos passport

Laos passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia

Visa Required
Laos passport holders need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Laos?

With 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Laos can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Saudi Arabia and Laos.

Is Laos safe for expats?

Laos performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Laos compared to Saudi Arabia?

Laos generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Laos, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Laos scores 52 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).

What's the weather like in Laos compared to Saudi Arabia?

The average high temperature in Vientiane is 88°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Vientiane receives around 65.4 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.

What language do they speak in Laos?

The official language in Laos is Lao. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

SA LA
Population 35,354,380 7,749,595
Currency Saudi Riyal (SAR) Laotian Kip (LAK)
Languages Arabic Lao
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +966 +856
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 191