Working in the Middle East with no degree.
Discussion
Depends on where you end up. UAE, Qatar or Oman may be possible to pick up local work. Saudi no chance, and I’d be surprised if it were possible in Kuwait. Expat jobs tend to require degrees unless you’re specialised in a particular role they can’t get anywhere else.
If your wife’s getting free accommodation with the job then I’d think it quite do-able to be a house husband, possibly a bit boring. However if not and she’s getting an allowance, you’ll need to evaluate wether that allowance will get you big enough accommodation for you both to live in....
If your wife’s getting free accommodation with the job then I’d think it quite do-able to be a house husband, possibly a bit boring. However if not and she’s getting an allowance, you’ll need to evaluate wether that allowance will get you big enough accommodation for you both to live in....
Having a recognised formal qualification is in many cases stated as a mandatory requirement, but not always.
You could both start looking at jobs you could do and see what they’re asking for. The aim would be to start applying for jobs in those areas where you’ve both found a vacancy that your eligible to apply for.
For yourself, you would probably need to think about your skills and experiences and then how transferable they could be in to other roles you could do.
If you do come up against the need for formal qualifications for the roles you’re interested in, you could apply anyway to see if there’s interest in you or you could try and get qualified or even part qualified before you go. If there’s a shortage of applicants for a particular role, employers will be more flexible too.
Good luck!
You could both start looking at jobs you could do and see what they’re asking for. The aim would be to start applying for jobs in those areas where you’ve both found a vacancy that your eligible to apply for.
For yourself, you would probably need to think about your skills and experiences and then how transferable they could be in to other roles you could do.
If you do come up against the need for formal qualifications for the roles you’re interested in, you could apply anyway to see if there’s interest in you or you could try and get qualified or even part qualified before you go. If there’s a shortage of applicants for a particular role, employers will be more flexible too.
Good luck!
We are finding it harder and harder to get expats into Kuwait and Saudi without degrees. Which makes life very difficult, as the sector I am in does not have a tradition of degree qualifications for Supervisors / Superintendents. Even where we do have people in managerial positions clients are looking for individuals under 40 with 20 years experience and 10 (or more) in role.
Where is she thinking of going? As others have said it varies country to country. In some it is irrelevant whether you could gt a job, you just won't get a work visa. In some such as Kuwait you also won't get a driving licence.
Bare in mind also the money as a teacher whilst better than UK may not compensate for you not working, with the expensive living in the gulf. The teachers I saw in Kuwait were generally young, single & lived frugally to pocket a few quid early in their careers.
Bare in mind also the money as a teacher whilst better than UK may not compensate for you not working, with the expensive living in the gulf. The teachers I saw in Kuwait were generally young, single & lived frugally to pocket a few quid early in their careers.
Depends on where you end up. UAE, Qatar or Oman may be possible to pick up local work. Saudi no chance, and I’d be surprised if it were possible in Kuwait. Expat jobs tend to require degrees unless you’re specialised in a particular role they can’t get anywhere else.
If your wife’s getting free accommodation with the job then I’d think it quite do-able to be a house husband, possibly a bit boring. However if not and she’s getting an allowance, you’ll need to evaluate wether that allowance will get you big enough accommodation for you both to live in....
If your wife’s getting free accommodation with the job then I’d think it quite do-able to be a house husband, possibly a bit boring. However if not and she’s getting an allowance, you’ll need to evaluate wether that allowance will get you big enough accommodation for you both to live in....
Not too sure, but she fancies Dubai or Bahrain.
One of her friends has recently been in Saudi teaching the lecturers children at a new uni. Her husband was like me and lots of practical experiance, but no qualifications. Unfortunately, they've put a stop to that.
So age is another limiting factor (I'm 42).
In terms of job wise, I'm guessing they'd be Financial/Oil based roles. Which tbh, going from running a small workshop of 10 guys, I'd be massively out of my depth.
One of her friends has recently been in Saudi teaching the lecturers children at a new uni. Her husband was like me and lots of practical experiance, but no qualifications. Unfortunately, they've put a stop to that.
So age is another limiting factor (I'm 42).
In terms of job wise, I'm guessing they'd be Financial/Oil based roles. Which tbh, going from running a small workshop of 10 guys, I'd be massively out of my depth.
Recently i also have been looking for jobs in the ME and as previously said Saudi and Kuwait no chance without a degree. I have a good friend who works for big company. He said the same, mainly because of the Saudi thinking that a degree is the be all and end all coupled with "employee Saudi first" which they are struggling with lack of experience and work ethic in certain places. The other issue is those that have a "degree" and from those countries that tend to support call centers and can be employed on the Manager type roles and get paid pennies.
In the end i sacked it and got a lot better offer in the UK, paid for accom next to the work place, good salary+bonus with working abroad for periods which suits me.
In the end i sacked it and got a lot better offer in the UK, paid for accom next to the work place, good salary+bonus with working abroad for periods which suits me.
Edited by petop on Monday 24th June 12:42
Tony Starks said:
Now, how does someone with only a couple of GCSEs get a degree (it definitely wouldn't be a degree in English 
).
Studying hard is the usual way. What the entry qualifications to a degree course are will depend on the subject and the institution. Might be worth looking at some Open University courses to see what takes your fancy.).Just a thought, my wife has expanded the areas to Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.
Are there any companies the help arrange overseas apprenticeships? Being a hands on person more than academic I would be keen to do an electrical apprenticeship. And the Teaching wages would more than cover the loss in earnings being an apprentice.
Are there any companies the help arrange overseas apprenticeships? Being a hands on person more than academic I would be keen to do an electrical apprenticeship. And the Teaching wages would more than cover the loss in earnings being an apprentice.
DoubleTime said:
Aren't there some form of fast track degrees that you can do online nowadays?
Move there, you study full time when she works and in a year or so you get your degree. It would hard slog but it could be of great benefit to you for the future.
Be very careful of this.Move there, you study full time when she works and in a year or so you get your degree. It would hard slog but it could be of great benefit to you for the future.
Degrees need to be at least attested out here (which means the degree is recognised by both the UAE ministry of education and also the country in which its given)
At worst needs to be normalised (which means certain duration spent onsite at campus and duration).
I know some people who had a really hard time with normalisation after a doing an open uni degree.
There are ways round it though. most government companies use Long Term Contingency workers which means off the headcount and traditional Expat benefits but without the stringent education requirements etc...
Its definitely possible tho. I worked in UAE for 8 years before getting my degree. but only after getting it could I become an FTE and a manager.
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