Job Discussion Forums

olivertwisted · Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 17

Hello there,
Can anyone out there give me some insights on ELI at King Abdulziz University in Jeddah, please? I would like to know some info on salaries and the workplace.

Hatcher · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602

I had offers from a couple of places and KAU was the best. I didnt get an offer from Aramco and I was told they are easily the top paying institute.

Base salary is roughly 4000USD a month plus all the benefits. Ops for OT as well.

DirtGuy · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 529

I have accepted an offer from them and I'm looking forward to working there. My visa is currently being processed. The only drawback seems to be the low housing allowance. All sorts of people on this site have said I'll be living in a closet or worse based on the amount but I don't believe them. I've had PMs from teachers there now saying it's not too hard to find a decent place close to school.

The interview was one of the toughest I have ever been through. I was interviewed by 2 Saudis and 1 Brit and it was like a tag-team interview done at a machine gun pace. They saw my on Skype but didn't show themselves. One person asked me a question and the moment I answered it another jumped in. It lasted about 40 minutes and I was shaking and sweating when done. Obviously I survived and they made me an offer.

Good luck to you and maybe I'll see you there.

DirtGuy

ramiceman78 · Joined: 26 Nov 2011 Posts: 5

Hello DirGuy and All,

17,000 for housing in Jeddah is a JOKE (with all due respect) I lived in the Kingdom and I know how expensive it is to get a decent place to live. The ELO at KAU is a huge place (6 of my friends are working there) and there is no trust whatsoever in the teachers (you are being observed over and over again) and that's why all 6 of my friends are leaving them. If you have kids, you do not recieve education allowance, and let me say that I heared a lot of NEGATIVE thing about the director and his men in that place.
I cannot confirm this, buut one friend of mine said that they demoted a number of teachers in respect of payment. If you have the heart to go with those people..KUDOS and God bless.. buut I would look for a better place, especially that the Kingdom is booming and ESL teachers are highly in demand.

Good luck

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

Obviously, poster, you are posting negative facts to preserve your job at this gem of an employer... Rolling Eyes

It's as transparent as a solid wall! Laughing

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

ramiceman78 · Joined: 26 Nov 2011 Posts: 5

Haaaave fun at the ELI...and by the way the guys who left are Ph.D holders who....wait for it....wait for it...landed jobs with Zayed Univ.

Best of luck Cool

DirtGuy · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 529

OK. Thank you r78. I don't doubt the validity of what you say but I have learned to take everything with a major grain of salt. This job is way better than the others I've been offered and I'm happy to be going over. If it didn't work for your friends, I take what you say at face value and have absolutely no comment on it.

As for being observed, I welcome the opportunity to have someone watching me. They're paying me to do what they want and whatever it is, I intend to do it. Their name is on the paycheck so I have to give them what they want. What better way to find out what they want than by having a direct observation of my class and telling what I did right or wrong?

DirtGuy

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

DirtGuy · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 529

OK. Were I required to do something illegal then orders from above be damned and I'd refuse. Teaching methods required by my employer are hardly illegal so why should I balk at using them if I choose to work there? Ineffective perhaps but who am I to say that when I'm going into a totally new country/culture/employer, etc? I'm no super-teacher that writes books and does TESOL presentations. Even if my employer uses what I consider to be lousy methods, there is always something to be learned and added to the tool kit.

DirtGuy

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

This place is only for those without kids and are OK with the housing allowance. I was also offered a position there after interviewing with the brit and some Saudi gents. It seemed like an exciting place to work if you don't mind doing some extra work. They appeared to be expanding and setting-up new programs & systems.

I wouldn't have minded being part of that if it hadn't been for the lack of school allowance and no family housing offered by the KAU. I've never had to deal with finding my own housing.

Also, has anyone heard of a univ in KSA NOT offering an education allowance? It seems like a recipe for hiring temps.

Im

desert_traveller · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 335

to those in the know

(1) what is the salary range at eli at kau? approximately, i know it depends etc

(2) what are the regular working hours? ie teaching load and 'office' hours, basically how much time one has to spend on site a day

(3) any scheduled leave holidays apart from the summer vacation and the eid(s)? eg between semester holidays

(4) hows commuting to the uni? i know it is by the highway, how is it during peak hours? gridlocked or doable?

thanks

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

Hi,

They offered my friend SR18000 with a small housing allowance and no education allowance.

Im

travelling teacher · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 9

IM, I'm curious. What qualifications and experience did your friend, who was offered SR18000, have? If you want to reply with just a general outline, or PM me, that's fine.

Imdramayu · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 394 Location: South Korea

My friend had a in-class MA (not distance) from the US AND a decade of teaching EFL in universities in the Gulf.