Offered a job in Afghanistan! Do I go?!
Discussion
Olivera said:
Absolutely not, unless you are being suitably rewarded for taking a contract in a dangerous and far flung location.
I'd say a reasonable rate would be £1000 per day.
It has to be done as a multiplier on UK nett to be meaningful & also factor in leave/conditions/risk. I'd say a reasonable rate would be £1000 per day.
By way of example my last 3 international assignments have been:
KSA : 3.5x UK Nett, all found, 4x flights pa, 36 days leave, 60hr 6day weeks, camp accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk med
Kuwait : 2x Uk Nett, all found, 3x flights pa, 36 days leave, 48hr 5day weeks, 2 bed penthouse, visitors no probs, personal risk low
Kazakhstan : 1.8x UK Nett, all found, 6x flights pa, 6 months leave, 78hr 7 day weeks, prison accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk low.
The company I work for also operates in Afghanistan on military compounds. Leave is better than than the md-east locations, nett annuals similar.
LimaDelta said:
LemonParty said:
In your shoes, I'd do it - you'll always regret not doing it otherwise.
This. Life is about experiences. It's good to get out of your comfort zone. Olivera said:
Absolutely not, unless you are being suitably rewarded for taking a contract in a dangerous and far flung location.
I'd say a reasonable rate would be £1000 per day.
You'd be lucky to get that rate in an IT position...even at the peak of the oil price boom I didn't quite make that for Angola and at the time Luanda was probably about the same risk profile. Our project heads were on substantially more than that though.I'd say a reasonable rate would be £1000 per day.
I'm interested that there is still a need for (highly paid) on-site IT support.
I'd expect by now even hanging off the end of a satellite link most stuff should be able to be done remotely. And that it would be cheaper to have some spare kit in case things break rather than a guy there to repair it.
Or are these more specialised roles than general support? I'd have thought development and operations would also be done from somewhere a little less "front line".
I'd expect by now even hanging off the end of a satellite link most stuff should be able to be done remotely. And that it would be cheaper to have some spare kit in case things break rather than a guy there to repair it.
Or are these more specialised roles than general support? I'd have thought development and operations would also be done from somewhere a little less "front line".
Olivera said:
Absolutely not, unless you are being suitably rewarded for taking a contract in a dangerous and far flung location.
I'd say a reasonable rate would be £1000 per day.
Ah the old grand a day trotted out by those clueless souls who have no real world understanding of the current market or any intention to actually partake. I'd say a reasonable rate would be £1000 per day.
DoubleTime said:
Ah the old grand a day trotted out by those clueless souls who have no real world understanding of the current market or any intention to actually partake.
Ah the old 'I'll just go for the experience' naivety, whilst the agency or company sending you out there is creaming off a gigantic markup.It's entirely possible and common to earn £500 (or more) per day contracting in IT in the UK, so Afghanistan would need to pay more than that.
Olivera said:
DoubleTime said:
Ah the old grand a day trotted out by those clueless souls who have no real world understanding of the current market or any intention to actually partake.
Ah the old 'I'll just go for the experience' naivety, whilst the agency or company sending you out there is creaming off a gigantic markup.It's entirely possible and common to earn £500 (or more) per day contracting in IT in the UK, so Afghanistan would need to pay more than that.
DoubleTime said:
You’re revealing your own ignorance. Gt03 rob already explained the fundamentals. Some of us are versed in both UK and foreign contracts. Friendly and hostile.
Stop it. You're not allowed to use actual experience and hands on knowledge of a subject on here, you'll upset the whole apple cart 
randomeddy said:
This 100%. If you flatly said to yourself 'I dont fancy that' then so be it. But if you are considering it and don't do it you will regret it later.
Yup I looked at roles in Afghanistan a few years ago. I can’t leave the kids for more than a couple of days at a time though so it was a non-starter and I still wish I could have gone for it
Lot of big softies on here. In my mid twenties I did 4 years in Iraq as a contractor (‘03-‘07) building military bases for the US DOD. 12/7, 3-5 months on, 3 weeks off. Fallujah, Ramadi, Baghdad, Balad, Taji, for those that know the place. f
king dangerous, exciting, and great tax free danger money.
Do I regret it? Hell no! Really opened my eyes and I learned so much that you would never learn anywhere else....particularly a really good sense of perspective.
Would I do it again now in my late thirties with a family and kids? Not right now, but maybe in the future if my circumstances allowed.
In short, take the job, it’ll be a piece of piss as there’s nothing else to do whilst you’re there, and Afghanistan is a relative walk in the park these days.
king dangerous, exciting, and great tax free danger money.Do I regret it? Hell no! Really opened my eyes and I learned so much that you would never learn anywhere else....particularly a really good sense of perspective.
Would I do it again now in my late thirties with a family and kids? Not right now, but maybe in the future if my circumstances allowed.
In short, take the job, it’ll be a piece of piss as there’s nothing else to do whilst you’re there, and Afghanistan is a relative walk in the park these days.
GT03ROB said:
It has to be done as a multiplier on UK nett to be meaningful & also factor in leave/conditions/risk.
By way of example my last 3 international assignments have been:
KSA : 3.5x UK Nett, all found, 4x flights pa, 36 days leave, 60hr 6day weeks, camp accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk med
Kuwait : 2x Uk Nett, all found, 3x flights pa, 36 days leave, 48hr 5day weeks, 2 bed penthouse, visitors no probs, personal risk low
Kazakhstan : 1.8x UK Nett, all found, 6x flights pa, 6 months leave, 78hr 7 day weeks, prison accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk low.
The company I work for also operates in Afghanistan on military compounds. Leave is better than than the md-east locations, nett annuals similar.
Where in KSA was that ? ( I’ve recently done a long stint in Bahrain and have had a project in kuwait)By way of example my last 3 international assignments have been:
KSA : 3.5x UK Nett, all found, 4x flights pa, 36 days leave, 60hr 6day weeks, camp accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk med
Kuwait : 2x Uk Nett, all found, 3x flights pa, 36 days leave, 48hr 5day weeks, 2 bed penthouse, visitors no probs, personal risk low
Kazakhstan : 1.8x UK Nett, all found, 6x flights pa, 6 months leave, 78hr 7 day weeks, prison accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk low.
The company I work for also operates in Afghanistan on military compounds. Leave is better than than the md-east locations, nett annuals similar.
.. surprised the Saudi uplift is that much compared to Kuwait - was it a remote part of Saudi rather than EP where you can hop over to Bahrain?
When you say 2x nett - do you mean your nett after tax is 2x your UK gross wage pre tax?
( I was in Civ eng overseas many years ago and 2x UK salary tax free - plus food and Accom ... was generally the norm back then for Libya, falklands, Middle East, and generally 2 months+ leave per annum or 6 months on ( up to a 6 day week ) 1 month off
alfaman said:
GT03ROB said:
It has to be done as a multiplier on UK nett to be meaningful & also factor in leave/conditions/risk.
By way of example my last 3 international assignments have been:
KSA : 3.5x UK Nett, all found, 4x flights pa, 36 days leave, 60hr 6day weeks, camp accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk med
Kuwait : 2x Uk Nett, all found, 3x flights pa, 36 days leave, 48hr 5day weeks, 2 bed penthouse, visitors no probs, personal risk low
Kazakhstan : 1.8x UK Nett, all found, 6x flights pa, 6 months leave, 78hr 7 day weeks, prison accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk low.
The company I work for also operates in Afghanistan on military compounds. Leave is better than than the md-east locations, nett annuals similar.
Where in KSA was that ? ( I’ve recently done a long stint in Bahrain and have had a project in kuwait)By way of example my last 3 international assignments have been:
KSA : 3.5x UK Nett, all found, 4x flights pa, 36 days leave, 60hr 6day weeks, camp accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk med
Kuwait : 2x Uk Nett, all found, 3x flights pa, 36 days leave, 48hr 5day weeks, 2 bed penthouse, visitors no probs, personal risk low
Kazakhstan : 1.8x UK Nett, all found, 6x flights pa, 6 months leave, 78hr 7 day weeks, prison accommodation, visitors forget it, personal risk low.
The company I work for also operates in Afghanistan on military compounds. Leave is better than than the md-east locations, nett annuals similar.
.. surprised the Saudi uplift is that much compared to Kuwait - was it a remote part of Saudi rather than EP where you can hop over to Bahrain?
When you say 2x nett - do you mean your nett after tax is 2x your UK gross wage pre tax?
( I was in Civ eng overseas many years ago and 2x UK salary tax free - plus food and Accom ... was generally the norm back then for Libya, falklands, Middle East, and generally 2 months+ leave per annum or 6 months on ( up to a 6 day week ) 1 month off
Edited by GT03ROB on Sunday 7th October 08:32
Edited by GT03ROB on Sunday 7th October 08:34
768 said:
I wouldn't mind a stint somewhere sunny and sandy, especially somewhere like Saudi that isn't quite a war zone and has a coast. Not convinced I'd get much of an uplift if any though (software dev).
Personally I would prefer Bahrain, UAE or Oman over Saudi / Kuwait / Qatar ... and would not go to Yemen. From what I know from friends in Eastern provinces it can be limited socially.
The single expat women tell me it is very segregated/ not that easy to mix ( though meet up with other westerners through groups like Hash House Harriers )
If you work in Riyadh you may be able to get into embassy parties ( which have alcohol legally )
I've lived in Saudi before, in the mid 90s, not far from the causeway to Bahrain, but on one of a few compounds - plenty of homebrew and friends with access to the US base imports at the time. Social life wasn't bad in that sort of environment, but those particular compounds aren't there anymore.
Watch the "uplift" you may eventually get and the Ex with the "finances are sorted". Mate divorced in the mid 2000s, same agreement. He went to work in Oil and Gas in Libya - didn't make himself quite offshore enough. Divorce awarded on the basis of his Libya income - managed some re-negotiation but now post UK 2015 oil price crash Stockton and Middlesborough don't pay the best and he is hurting (mind you that could be as he keeps restoring RX-7s and crashing them!!!)..
I remember being asked to go out when times were more active. It was 1.5x daily rate, the guys doing it loved it but they were ex services. Seem to remember asking about death in service cover.....maybe that’s why I didn’t go.
IT kIt came back full of sand and job was to go out with the refresh
IT kIt came back full of sand and job was to go out with the refresh
Edited by AndrewO on Sunday 7th October 23:08
dvs_dave said:
Lot of big softies on here. In my mid twenties I did 4 years in Iraq as a contractor (‘03-‘07) building military bases for the US DOD. 12/7, 3-5 months on, 3 weeks off. Fallujah, Ramadi, Baghdad, Balad, Taji, for those that know the place. fking dangerous, exciting, and great tax free danger money.
Do I regret it? Hell no! Really opened my eyes and I learned so much that you would never learn anywhere else....particularly a really good sense of perspective.
Would I do it again now in my late thirties with a family and kids? Not right now, but maybe in the future if my circumstances allowed.
In short, take the job, it’ll be a piece of piss as there’s nothing else to do whilst you’re there, and Afghanistan is a relative walk in the park these days.
Except he’s not going to do what you did in Iraq. He’s going to sit in a compound in Afghanistan, work for 75 days straight, and not get paid any extra.king dangerous, exciting, and great tax free danger money.Do I regret it? Hell no! Really opened my eyes and I learned so much that you would never learn anywhere else....particularly a really good sense of perspective.
Would I do it again now in my late thirties with a family and kids? Not right now, but maybe in the future if my circumstances allowed.
In short, take the job, it’ll be a piece of piss as there’s nothing else to do whilst you’re there, and Afghanistan is a relative walk in the park these days.
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