Saudi roles

[SaulGoodman]

Polly Grigora said:

zbc said:

I'm expecting to get a formal offer for a role in Saudi in the next few days and all the thread above has been really useful. The package as outlined so far sounds very interesting but is there anything I should look out for in the contract, things to avoid, tips?

Don't work directly for a Saudi company, they can't be trusted, a contract managed by a European company is the best way

Don't take others along for the ride, go out there on your own and expect it to be the pits

Keep away from the Mutawa, if by chance they do approach you tell them to fk off

Grape juice along with yeast and sugar can be bought in bulk from many supermarkets

When were you last there? Other than the last point things have changed immeasurably in the past few years.

[Polly Grigora]

SaulGoodman said:

Polly Grigora said:

zbc said:

I'm expecting to get a formal offer for a role in Saudi in the next few days and all the thread above has been really useful. The package as outlined so far sounds very interesting but is there anything I should look out for in the contract, things to avoid, tips?

Don't work directly for a Saudi company, they can't be trusted, a contract managed by a European company is the best way

Don't take others along for the ride, go out there on your own and expect it to be the pits

Keep away from the Mutawa, if by chance they do approach you tell them to fk off

Grape juice along with yeast and sugar can be bought in bulk from many supermarkets

When were you last there? Other than the last point things have changed immeasurably in the past few years.

Yes things have changed, several years back you wouldn't dare tell the Mutawa to fk off

[shirt]

With sterling taking a dive (and mooted to slide further) the time for Saudi is now for those looking.

[Matt p]

Most definitely. I’ll be keeping a close eye still for when the infrastructure side starts to get going.

[EBRANDON1]

zbc said:

I'm expecting to get a formal offer for a role in Saudi in the next few days and all the thread above has been really useful. The package as outlined so far sounds very interesting but is there anything I should look out for in the contract, things to avoid, tips?

Did you end up going?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Kermit power said:

I've only been a few times, never for more than 2-3 days, and not for around 20 years, but how anyone could ever bear to live there (or even worse, inflict it on family!) for any money is beyond me.

Utterly hideous, hypocritical, boring sthole!

Much has changed since 2018, when the moderates gained control. (Moderate by their standards, not ours). Women can drive, no religious police, girls play sport etc. I'm not saying it's Las Vegas but it's probably more tolerable than 20 years ago.

[zbc]

EBRANDON1 said:

zbc said:

I'm expecting to get a formal offer for a role in Saudi in the next few days and all the thread above has been really useful. The package as outlined so far sounds very interesting but is there anything I should look out for in the contract, things to avoid, tips?

Did you end up going?

I did. It was very interesting and would happily go back. I spent about 15 months there in the end and only came back because the startup I was working for did a JV with another company that led to 95% of us losing our jobs - me included. I was a little nervous, given past experience in Europe, added to by some of the comments in this thread that I would never see any pay off. However, they left it to the last moment and only paid out the strict minimum, which is actually pretty generous, but they paid out.

[z4RRSchris]

the taps are being turned off on the real estate projects it seems

[SaulGoodman]

I think the focus is on the Riyadh/Jeddah based projects for the near future.

[EBRANDON1]

zbc said:

I did. It was very interesting and would happily go back. I spent about 15 months there in the end and only came back because the startup I was working for did a JV with another company that led to 95% of us losing our jobs - me included. I was a little nervous, given past experience in Europe, added to by some of the comments in this thread that I would never see any pay off. However, they left it to the last moment and only paid out the strict minimum, which is actually pretty generous, but they paid out.

Fair enough. I'm in a similar situation to what you was in in that I'm expecting an offer in the next week or so judging by how conversations have been going with a consultancy over there. I'm just undecided as to ultimately what the offer should be for me to go out there. If it were New Zealand or Aus or North America then I would be looking at the culture/ lifestyle as well as package but in KSA I think it'd basically just be for the package. It sounds as if the country has come on a lot in recent years though.

[zbc]

EBRANDON1 said:

Fair enough. I'm in a similar situation to what you was in in that I'm expecting an offer in the next week or so judging by how conversations have been going with a consultancy over there. I'm just undecided as to ultimately what the offer should be for me to go out there. If it were New Zealand or Aus or North America then I would be looking at the culture/ lifestyle as well as package but in KSA I think it'd basically just be for the package. It sounds as if the country has come on a lot in recent years though.

I hadn't been to Saudi before I went for work so I can't tell you how much it has changed or not. I went by myself and my wife and grown up children just came for visits but living by myself was easy and straightforward. There is a lot of bureaucracy which can be a pain but the only other issue is no alcohol which wasn't a big deal for me and it can be found so I'm told. If you've got any specific questions or want a contact there at the moment just drop me a message and I'll be happy to help.

[Moominho]

Are there any IT or information security roles does anyone know? I have tried adding recruiters from over there but nothing has come up so far.

[zbc]

Moominho said:

Are there any IT or information security roles does anyone know? I have tried adding recruiters from over there but nothing has come up so far.

Most of the people who stayed in region from my startup were IT people. Lots of opportunities in the region

[K50 DEL]

Moominho said:

Are there any IT or information security roles does anyone know? I have tried adding recruiters from over there but nothing has come up so far.

There will be plenty of roles, but good luck finding one paying enough for a Westerner to live on.
I tried for many months, in the end I had to give up. I was already in Region as well, which theoretically makes it easier.

This is likely why recruiters aren't getting back to you, employers simply won't pay Western salaries when a TCN will do the job for 25% of the cost.

[Chamon_Lee]

Kermit power said:

Countdown said:

z4RRSchris said:

you go there to change your life financially,

first year pays off the mortgage, year two sorts the kids school fees, then you leave.

Years 3-10 enable you to buy 5 BTLs cash, you then come back to the UK and semi-retire.....

Once upon a time, maybe, but I'm not sure it's still the case, is it?

i doubt it, I know 3 people out there doing very well and they would have no hope in hell of doing that unless they wanted to live like a slave there.

[Countdown]

Chamon_Lee said:

Kermit power said:

Countdown said:

z4RRSchris said:

you go there to change your life financially,

first year pays off the mortgage, year two sorts the kids school fees, then you leave.

Years 3-10 enable you to buy 5 BTLs cash, you then come back to the UK and semi-retire.....

Once upon a time, maybe, but I'm not sure it's still the case, is it?

i doubt it, I know 3 people out there doing very well and they would have no hope in hell of doing that unless they wanted to live like a slave there.

The person I'm thinking about started out there in 2006, he was on £60k a year tax free plus accommodation and flights to/from the UK. I don't think he lived like a pauper, I got the impression that the cost of living was a lot lower out there (he told me it was £8 to fill the tank on a Landcruiser 4.7L V8. His first BTL was £55k in 2008 and then gradually increasing to £120k for his 4th one a few years ago (pre pandemic). As well as his earnings he would have reinvested the rental profits. Anyway he's done it so its definitely do-able. Whether its still possible to get £60k jobs I dont know. IIRC he was based in Taif.

[zbc]

Countdown said:

Whether its still possible to get £60k jobs I dont know.

Definitely more than possible but even more so than the rest of the world the skillset you need has undoubtedly changed. There are more and more young, well skilled Saudis and plenty of less skilled labour from poorer parts of the world so I think they're harder to find. Other plus side is it's no easy to live outside compounds which halves the cost of accommodation and is quite pleasant although not so easy for those with a family.

[ooid]

z4RRSchris said:

the taps are being turned off on the real estate projects it seems

The line (Neom) madness scaled back, and I would not be suprised if it turns out be a small canyon at the end. I've got some friends who had projects there, they are still going (housing and etc..) but recently their payments were also in delay. A few well known consultancies also made rounds of redundancies, so some serious cut*backs on the mad ideas, whoever got in first though so far, got paid handsomely and come back with a good smile at least.

[z4RRSchris]

ooid said:

z4RRSchris said:

the taps are being turned off on the real estate projects it seems

The line (Neom) madness scaled back, and I would not be suprised if it turns out be a small canyon at the end. I've got some friends who had projects there, they are still going (housing and etc..) but recently their payments were also in delay. A few well known consultancies also made rounds of redundancies, so some serious cut*backs on the mad ideas, whoever got in first though so far, got paid handsomely and come back with a good smile at least.

I think the line, Trojena and oxygen wont get built (finished), Sindalah will, Magnas 12 the easier ones will get finished, the crazy ones wont.

The neom team are being pushed hard to get others outside of saudi to invest into it, but as you can imagine not many bites to go build a hotel in Tthe desert when the basic infrastructure isnt done.

[EBRANDON1]

By way of an update to this thread I have accepted an offer for a position in Riyadh with a global consultancy. Hopefully I'm making the right decision but I don't have much to loose by trying it and if there was a time to do it in my life its probably now, 23y/o no wife/kids etc.

One thing I noticed is that seen as I am paid in SAR I definitely need to keep an eye on the exchange rate, since I accepted the offer a few weeks ago to now the rate change equates to approx £4.5k less per year, by moving from 0.21 to 0.2! Not sure if anyone here had any advice as to whether they held the money and done bulk transfers or done monthly transfers to GBP?