Any experience of Saudi Arabia????

[sooty99]

Does anyone have any experience of working in Saudi Arabia? What sort of salay / rate would be necessary, taking into account having to provide own accommodation?

[thelace]

I spent a week with my ex companys plant in Saudi.

They always put people in hotels in Bahrain and get them taxis into Saudi because of the security situation there. Even though the expats live in security enclaves, there's still kidnapping and shooting of foreign workers over there.

I wouldn't want to go back, but that's only my 2cents

[JoJoGabor]

I used to work for BAE and a colleague went over to Saudi to work for a hefty overseas allowance. He said he felt like a prisoner, locked in a secure compound all the time, never felt safe to leave the compound, sweltering heat. He didnt like it

If you like sand its great!

[mr_woo]

I worked in Saudi (Dharan) for 4 years in the 90's. I was paying approx £6k pa for a 1 bed flat in a compound in Al -Khobar.
Bahrain would be good if you can get a multi exit/re-entry visa, however most jobs won't let you have one and you will have to surrender your passport to your sponsor.
Income is tax free providing you are away for at least a year.
Security isn't a major issue, although I was in Khobar when Khobar towers was blown up in 96.
The Riyal is linked to the dollar, so the weaker the pound the better. I went out at $1.6 to £ and returned at $1.9 so effctivly took a pay cut.
Avoid Riyad, it's a lot stricter than Dharan and Jeddah.

[rootsnall]

I did a few months in Riyadh in 2002. I suppose it was quite interesting to see it first hand but I wouldn't go back for any amount of money. The compounds are OK in themselves but very claustrophobic. There is ( or was ? ) a limited home brew based social scene across the various compounds and a bit of sport going on such as five a side but otherwise there is stuff all to do. I think the security situation has got worse since I was there but on a day to day basis things were OK in 2002. The treatment of women and non western foreign workers ranges from bad to very very bad.

[chef]

it's quite sandy so i hear

[Olly]

I was there for 18 months in 2001/2
Lived in a small BAE walled compound in Taif inland from Jeddah.
Job was awful, (Saudi airforce), bunch of muppets.
Social life crap.
Would I go back, yes --- for 200K a year tax free, and even then I'd only stay more than a year if it was in one of the bigger more liberal cities with more expat life.

Compound did get shot at and driving is dangerous unless you're always defensive and even then crashes are common.

It would depend on how old you are, whether you're taking a wife with you and where you'd be based. On the whole though I'd say yes go for the experience but don't put your eggs in one basket and when it starts to do your head in LEAVE! Do not, I repeat do not, end up an expat head case drinking homebrew and eventually getting seriously ill or dying in the place they detest saving for a future they'll never have.

[Moscow Mule]

it's quite sandy so i hear

Don't let it get you "Down"...

I've never worked in Saudi myself, but my cousin has. Not much fun, need to go across to UAE or Bahrain for tulips and giggles. Not so easy if your sponsor has your passport.

[lightng]

My friend worked in Saudi for three years. He hired a saudi driver while he was there; he never drove himself. The reason was that if you are involved with a crash and you're a non-saudi, it is automatically assumed to be your fault. The logic is that the crash wouldnt have happened if you werent in the country.

[wurzel]

I was there for 18 months in 2001/2
Lived in a small BAE walled compound in Taif inland from Jeddah.

Did you ever see the baboons?