The purpose of the study was to describe and reflect on the lived experiences of the South African nurses residing and working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design with a phenomenological approach was adopted. Data were collected by means of individual interviews and the personal journals of the nurses who met the sampling criteria. The data analysis was done according to Tesch’s descriptive method (in Creswell 1994). The main theme that emerged was one of ‘cultural diversity’. Sub-themes related to the nurses’ religious/spiritual, environmental, emotional/psychological and professional experiences were also identified. A literature control was undertaken to verify the results. Limitations were highlighted, conclusions were drawn and recommendations relating to nursing research, education and practice were made.