Most specialized technical workers are American or European , and are occupied particularly in the defence and petrochemical industries . Westerners generally feel that they are paid well and have excellent living conditions and housing with schooling paid for by their employers . They often live in compounds or gated communities , such as the Saudi Aramco compound at Dhahran Camp . However , many Westerners left the country in 2003 and 2004 following the terrorist attacks in Riyadh , Khobar and Yanbu . A significant number of U.S. workers are English teachers
Yanbu
2004 Yanbu attack
Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia