Public hospitals offer free services to all but suffer from low efficiency. The best hospitals belong to state institutions such as the national guards and the interior ministry. There are a number of sophisticated specialised clinics in Riyadh. Private clinics are booming, raising the quality of health services. The Saudi-German Hospital tries to reach out to expatriates through various marketing channels.
Some employers provide generous health insurance schemes, while others offer their own facilities.
Aramco, for example, has its own clinic, although some users say it would benefit from an upgrade. Clearing goods through Saudi customs can be difficult. Many expatriates choose to use a local shipping agent as an intermediary. For a fee, the agent can arrange for goods to be delivered to the expatriate's residence and for a customs official to go there to break the seal on the container and inspect its contents. Saudi customs is exceptionally strict concerning inbound cargo and insists on inspecting all items.