Saudi Experience Anyone ?

[Bertie]

Have an interview coming up for a 6 month role in Saudi.

For those of you in the know...

In the current climate, whats the chances of a a decent (double UK) rate, paid for compound accommodation and flights (return trip every two weeks has been stated due to visa arrangements) ?

Having read descriptions in this forum and others about living and working in SA, I think the above would be a minimum to get me interested.

Any info / thoughts appreciated.

[DaveB]

Have an interview coming up for a 6 month role in Saudi.

For those of you in the know...

In the current climate, whats the chances of a a decent (double UK) rate, paid for compound accommodation and flights (return trip every two weeks has been stated due to visa arrangements) ?

Having read descriptions in this forum and others about living and working in SA, I think the above would be a minimum to get me interested.

Any info / thoughts appreciated.

Double UK rate - Doubtfull. Usually paid in dollars, tax free. Rates at or slightly over UK.
Paid accommodation - Possible, but don't count on it.
Flights - Outbound on start and return on completion are normal. Possibly one every 6 months in between. Every two weeks, no chance.

If thats what it takes for you to go for it, then go ahead and ask for them. I;d be surprised if you got all of it up front.

[Bertie]

Cheers DaveB

[DodgyAgent]

Have an interview coming up for a 6 month role in Saudi.

For those of you in the know...

In the current climate, whats the chances of a a decent (double UK) rate, paid for compound accommodation and flights (return trip every two weeks has been stated due to visa arrangements) ?

Having read descriptions in this forum and others about living and working in SA, I think the above would be a minimum to get me interested.

Any info / thoughts appreciated.

It is quite interesting how much aggravation was stirred up about apartheid, by the likes of Peter Hain et al. The discrimination against women in this country goes largely unchallenged. I wonder why.

[Fred Bloggs]

In engineering at least, most jobs seem to be in the £400 to £450 a day range. Simply not worth the hassle IMO. YMMV considerably, of course.

[Bertie]

In engineering at least, most jobs seem to be in the £400 to £450 a day range. Simply not worth the hassle IMO. YMMV considerably, of course.

If that's the range offered, I agree, no way would it be worth the hassle.

[Olly]

Usually paid in dollars, tax free.

What does that mean and is it accurate? The "tax free" bit...

As an individual it usually requires you to be in Saudi more than 183 days during the April to April tax year as far as I can make out. Since this is only a 6 monther he's be unlikely to qualify.

Interestingly....if you do end up in a tax free place...why can't you pay yourself all the profit in your ltd...maybe even take it as a dividend...although I seem to remember my accountant saying you'd still have to pay capital gains when you come back to blighty.

[Fred Bloggs]

If that's the range offered, I agree, no way would it be worth the hassle.

I've been looking for 9 months and I've virtually given up hope. There are some great deals to be had but I think they increasingly go to folks who are known. It also seems that many of the engineering roles traditionally done by westerners over the last 30 years are now being done by Asian nationals. As a result of this, I now think the only chance of me getting a plum job out there is if someone I know can fix it for me. Even jobs in Algeria and Yemen seem to be offering around the £400 to £450 a day mark and I'd certainly not go there for that kind of money either.

[Menelaus]

If you've got the offer of a role there and they're prepared to give you your passport to retain (many sponsors hold on to the passports of their sponsees - preventing them from leaving the country) and you've got a get-out clause with specific conditions associated (e.g., death of foreigner by terrorist activity = I'm outta here) then there seems little reason why not.

That having been said, this reminds me of the last UK general election in which people were voting for Blair holding their noses; the human rights regime is appalling, womens rights are non-existent and - even though King Abdullah was meant to be this great new hope - he's showing himself to be nothing more than a chip off the old block.

[Bertie]

Thanks for everyone's comments / advice

If the interview goes well I'll post an update on the terms being offered