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Hatcher
Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 602
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 Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:27 am Post subject: |
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If you are in the KSA, you are either M or 3 M.... money or Mecca, Medina and money...
To survive in the KSA, you need to find ways to keep busy... reading, studying... the OP said meeting women is tough there... where in the KSA is it easy? Better to go to Jordan or Egypt or Bahrain...
I met the prettiest lady in the KSA... Filipino nurse... I didnt approach her because if she got caught, she would lose her job...
The KSA is 500 years behind the west and the gap is getting bigger.
I am in China now and make 50% than in the KSA |
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Grendal
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Posts: 861
Location: Lurking in the depths of the Faisaliah Tower underground parking.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| Hatcher wrote: |
If you are in the KSA, you are either M or 3 M.... money or Mecca, Medina and money...
To survive in the KSA, you need to find ways to keep busy... reading, studying... the OP said meeting women is tough there... where in the KSA is it easy? Better to go to Jordan or Egypt or Bahrain...
I met the prettiest lady in the KSA... Filipino nurse... I didnt approach her because if she got caught, she would lose her job...
The KSA is 500 years behind the west and the gap is getting bigger.
I am in China now and make 50% than in the KSA |
Turkey is catching up in the falling behind the times syndrome.
enjoy
Grendal |
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psychedelicacy
Joined: 05 Oct 2013
Posts: 180
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
| This has come to the attention of Hafr Al Batin Uni. The higher echelons are not pleased. They have visited their wrath on those responsible. |
As the OP of this thread notes, "like many institutions in the Middle East, it's almost impossible to be sacked for incompetence". Hence how people who are otherwise absolutely inept are able to earn a living in Saudi Arabia for years and years. |
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revilo
Joined: 05 Oct 2013
Posts: 181
Location: Mos Eisley
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| Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:46 am Post subject: Hey! |
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I resemble that remark!  |
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siologen
Joined: 25 Oct 2016
Posts: 336
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| Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:08 pm Post subject: re: the ksa? |
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| Quote: |
| I am in China now and make 50% than in the KSA |
In an international school or something, or am I off the mark? |
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laughingalltheway
Joined: 29 May 2015
Posts: 18
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 9:47 am Post subject: Hafir Al Batin Hell Revisited |
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I see some of these posts are old.
Actually I have been to Hafir Al Batin. It is a typical Saudi frontier town. Hot and dusty and boring.
The road to Al Khafji is a different road. Khafji is by Kuwait.
Jizan is now a nice place. There is a nice Corniche and Farasan Islands are near.
The Fayfa Mountains are also a 2-3 hour drive. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| i taught there for two years. Good place to save money - or to lose your marbles. |
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thomas_pynchon
Joined: 01 Jul 2014
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 1:52 pm Post subject: What is the current package they offer? |
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| psychedelicacy wrote: |
I got a direct hire job at this university in January. Contract start date was to be September 1st. I did everything I was supposed to do to get a working visa, but my application was rejected by the Embassy, because the Saudi Ministry of Labour Affairs assigned the same visa authorisation number to two different people (the other person was also a Hafr Al Batin male direct hire from the UK). He had already used the number, so I was rejected. Had I used the number first, he would have been rejected. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before?
This happened in early August. I of course contacted the University about it, but they haven't replied and presumably don't intend to as this is now 6 weeks later.
Medical report: £475
Other costs (police cert., apostille, etc.): approx £100
Travel to and from the Embassy (you have to go in person): approx £100
That's money gone, forever. While I assume it's not the university's fault that two people were assigned the same working visa block number, Hafr Al Batin's Faculty & Personnel Affairs Department person (who is American and has terrible written English - emails full of typos) didn't presumably think it was strange that two applicants had the same working visa number. And failing to even discuss the matter with me after I'd had my visa rejected (and produced an official document in Arabic explaining the rejection) is just unprofessional. I can only assume they are difficult and unpleasant to work for and totally lacking in social skills at a basic, human level. I guess living in a small city in Saudi Arabia for a long time does that to a person.
It was a blessing in disguise because I've since found a much more suitable position. And besides, I really shouldn't have even applied, because I absolutely hate teaching Arab males. But I went for the money, as we all do.
Anyone applying there as a direct hire should be aware that they are risking losing money, possibly wasting time and opportunity, and risking getting a piece of paper saying REJECTED on it by the Embassy through no fault of their own. |
There is a new job ad on Daves, not many details, what is the current package they offer? Accom, holidays, hours, salary, 2 year contract. http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=45060 |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Hafr Al-Batin can be challenging but the package seems good. A lot better than some of those contractors who make money by driving down salaries for the teachers. |
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desertdawg
Joined: 14 Jun 2010
Posts: 206
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| What is the package? |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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thomas_pynchon
Joined: 01 Jul 2014
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
| Hafr Al-Batin can be challenging but the package seems good. A lot better than some of those contractors who make money by driving down salaries for the teachers. |
Thanks |
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psychedelicacy
Joined: 05 Oct 2013
Posts: 180
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2017 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: What is the current package they offer? |
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| thomas_pynchon wrote: |
| psychedelicacy wrote: |
I got a direct hire job at this university in January. Contract start date was to be September 1st. I did everything I was supposed to do to get a working visa, but my application was rejected by the Embassy, because the Saudi Ministry of Labour Affairs assigned the same visa authorisation number to two different people (the other person was also a Hafr Al Batin male direct hire from the UK). He had already used the number, so I was rejected. Had I used the number first, he would have been rejected. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before?
This happened in early August. I of course contacted the University about it, but they haven't replied and presumably don't intend to as this is now 6 weeks later.
Medical report: £475
Other costs (police cert., apostille, etc.): approx £100
Travel to and from the Embassy (you have to go in person): approx £100
That's money gone, forever. While I assume it's not the university's fault that two people were assigned the same working visa block number, Hafr Al Batin's Faculty & Personnel Affairs Department person (who is American and has terrible written English - emails full of typos) didn't presumably think it was strange that two applicants had the same working visa number. And failing to even discuss the matter with me after I'd had my visa rejected (and produced an official document in Arabic explaining the rejection) is just unprofessional. I can only assume they are difficult and unpleasant to work for and totally lacking in social skills at a basic, human level. I guess living in a small city in Saudi Arabia for a long time does that to a person.
It was a blessing in disguise because I've since found a much more suitable position. And besides, I really shouldn't have even applied, because I absolutely hate teaching Arab males. But I went for the money, as we all do.
Anyone applying there as a direct hire should be aware that they are risking losing money, possibly wasting time and opportunity, and risking getting a piece of paper saying REJECTED on it by the Embassy through no fault of their own. |
There is a new job ad on Daves, not many details, what is the current package they offer? Accom, holidays, hours, salary, 2 year contract. http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=45060 |
With respect, I would discourage you from applying. Look at what I wrote. That actually happened. If you've read that and still want to risk losing a lot of money and wasting time and opportunity, then the package I was offered was: 189,116 riyals per annum + 60 days vacation at the end of the academic year + 500 riyals per month transport allowance (not paid during 60 days vacation) + free accommodation.
Yes, it's direct hire at a government university. But having worked at two similar institutions in the past, the reality of teaching at a Saudi university is totally different to what you, I or any normal person thinks of as a university. The most obvious difference is that, at a Saudi university, many students are of very low cognitive ability, in extreme cases illiterate in Arabic and innumerate (it's a preparatory year programme). All they know is Wahhabi Islam. A lot of them come from cousin marriage. Moreover, at Hafr Al Batin, you will be teaching Headway (General English). You won't have technology in class - the interviewer told me. An interview with any reputable employer would always contain questions about technology - your experience, your opinions on its utility in EFL, examples of good lessons/activities where you used technology. If you aren't exploiting multimedia technology, you are a teacher from 1980. Hafr Al Batin's interview questions are mostly about how you handle bad behaviour. In other words, it's good pay, but it's probably the worst EFL job on Earth. And it's a university in name only. Really, it's more like teaching children. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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"the worst EFL job on earth"
have you had many ?
I have taught in several places that were MUCH worse than Hafr Al Batin ! |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2017 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| psychedelicacy wrote: |
| With respect, I would discourage you from applying. Look at what I wrote. |
In which you stated: "I really shouldn't have even applied, because I absolutely hate teaching Arab males."
Perhaps others with a less biased perspective will offer their input. |
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