What happens when life forces you to stop - and start again?

In this episode of Saudi Life Unpacked, Frankie & Lily sit down with Umniah Alzahery, a Saudi entrepreneur based in Jeddah, to talk about career ambition, burnout, illness, and building a business that brought joy back into her life.

Umniah shares her journey from a high-pressure corporate HR career to surviving cancer during the pandemic - and how that experience completely reshaped her relationship with work, health, and success. We explore what it is really like to navigate Saudi Arabia’s corporate world, the healthcare system, and female entrepreneurship, and how a simple love of food evolved into a taco truck business that went all the way to Formula 1 events.This is an honest, powerful conversation about resilience, reinvention, and what life and business can look like when you choose purpose over pressure.

A must-listen for those at a crossroads - For anyone feeling burned out, rethinking their career, building something new, or finding their place in Saudi Arabia.

SHOWNOTES:
- Working in Saudi Arabia’s corporate world and the pressure to succeed
- Burnout, health challenges, and navigating cancer during COVID
- The Saudi healthcare system and personal care experiences
- Leaving corporate life and redefining success
- Building a food truck business in Jeddah from scratch
- Turning a side hustle into a Formula 1-level business
- Female entrepreneurship and startup culture in Saudi Arabia
- Life lessons on resilience, purpose, and starting again

For community questions tips, join our Whatsapp community here:
Khobar; https://chat.whatsapp.com/K8Dk4iX50tNLukqgHHLnvV?mode=ems_copy_c
Jeddah; https://chat.whatsapp.com/Kv6MxVrWKwG3pjv2XXFciH?mode=ems_copy_c
Riyadh; https://chat.whatsapp.com/DysXvVVswHoHhUNMxALH1s?mode=ems_copy_c

In this episode of Saudi Life Unpacked, Frankie and Lily sit down for an honest, end-of-year conversation about expat life in Saudi Arabia - the highs, the challenges, and the moments that make the Kingdom start to feel like home.

They share personal life updates, winter travel plans, parenting reflections, and what it really looks like to raise happy children while living abroad. The conversation also dives into community questions, including practical expat topics like shipping, Christmas traditions, events, and navigating everyday life in Saudi.Frankie and Lily pull back the curtain on building Saudi Life Unpacked as a podcast, business, and community platform - from authenticity and monetisation to why listening to the community has shaped everything they do. They also reflect on expat wins, buying property, finding identity after moving countries, and the small moments that signal you are no longer just visiting, you belong.

A thoughtful, reassuring listen for anyone living abroad, re-evaluating their journey, or stepping into a new chapter in Saudi Arabia.

Show Notes:
- Expat family life, parenting, and school holidays
- Winter travel plans and life updates
- Community QA on shipping, Christmas, and everyday logistics
- Building Saudi Life Unpacked as a podcast, business, and community
- Events, WhatsApp groups, and bringing Saudis and expats together
- When Saudi Arabia starts to feel like home
- Personal wins, identity, and settling into life in the Kingdom

For community questions tips, join our Whatsapp community here:
Khobar; https://chat.whatsapp.com/K8Dk4iX50tNLukqgHHLnvV?mode=ems_copy_c
Jeddah; https://chat.whatsapp.com/Kv6MxVrWKwG3pjv2XXFciH?mode=ems_copy_c
Riyadh; https://chat.whatsapp.com/DysXvVVswHoHhUNMxALH1s?mode=ems_copy_c

Ep. 60 Drinking Water!!!! Everything you need to know (with all the research done!) 

Ep 59. Rozana Albanawi: The Heartbeat of Human-Centred Leadership (and golden Insights into Jeddah!)

Ep 58. From Identity to Anxiety: Psychologist, Carl Garner on the Real Emotional Impact of Moving Abroad 

Ep. 57 "So Here's the tip...." We answer some FAQ's & give some tips on 'what to wear' to 'how to drive' (and all in-between)

Through His Eyes: A Husband’s Take on Moving to Saudi Frankie sits down with her husband Michael to unpack the highs, lows,

Ep. 54 Bonjour Arabia! Frankie Lily sit down with Cecilia Pueyo, co-founder CEO of Bonjour Arabia (formally 'Bonjour Saudi') - expert on cultural experiences in Saudi.

The Stories Behind the Hosts – Frankie & Lily’s Path to Saudi Arabia 

Ep 53. Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Dr Felwa AlMarshad joins Lily & Frankie for a practical and honest discussion on her mission to educate (Men & women) in the region.