Job Discussion Forums

ttxor1 · Joined: 04 Jan 2014 Posts: 119

Thank you all for the suggestions, the story was told to illustrate how employers can still ask for letters of non objection even though the law might be otherwise. I am now directly employed with a government ministry in the Gulf (not Saudi) on my old passport banking 4k a month after accomodation. TEFL can still be a financially rewarding career.

ttxor1 · Joined: 04 Jan 2014 Posts: 119

(MOD edit)

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

4k what ? Zlotniks ? Pounds ? Indian Rupees ?

hash · Joined: 17 Dec 2014 Posts: 456 Location: Wadi Jinn

siologen · Joined: 25 Oct 2016 Posts: 336

Not you (to the OP), maybe I am just getting old, but I do not understand younger people using terms like "make bank" (I actually admonished a younger, cocky, english poster in the China forum for using those words!) or "banking" like the example below from the OP:

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

ttxor1 · Joined: 04 Jan 2014 Posts: 119

ttxor1 · Joined: 04 Jan 2014 Posts: 119

siologen · Joined: 25 Oct 2016 Posts: 336

In USD, is that near Kuwait then?

waltgomez · Joined: 03 Jul 2014 Posts: 105

Found a solution:

Take cash and go to Bahrain. Send it thru BFC - their exchange company. They are pretty much on every corner.

You will need your passport. Also sometimes they ask for proof of source. Take your salary slip with you just in case.

The also sometimes ask for the passport with Bahraini visa in it. So, take it with you.

You may want to request a card from them. In case they have run out of plastic, just bring your old receipt next time. They can also located you by your passport number apparently.

Thomasmc89 · Joined: 26 Sep 2017 Posts: 22

BFC are the best option.

You can check as to what exchange rate you will get before you travel to Bahrain: https://www.bfcsmartmoney.com/

The Saudi riyal seems to be more or less pegged to the Bahraini dinar at 10 to 1, so if you bring over 30,000 SAR for example, that will become 3,000 BD. Bear in mind that BFC charge a 5 BD (50 SAR) fee to send the money as euros to your home bank, or 8 BD (80 SAR) as dollars, so this will be minused from your hypothetical 3,000 BD.

Then when the money reaches your bank at home, they will charge an extra fee to receive it. This fee varies from bank to bank of course but in general you'd be looking at these amounts per transaction (based off teachers I just asked):

$27 (Bank of America)
£20 (NatWest)
€34.50 (Bank of Ireland)

You don't need an iqama or Bahrain residency to send money, but they do take a photocopy of your Saudi work visit visa. They don't even generally ask where you got the money from, but it would be better to bring some payslips if you have them just in case

sicklyman · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 930

Have you actually done this yourself at BFC Thomasmc89?

The Cooperative Bank charge nothing to receive money this way so that’s interesting that other banks do.

If you want to send your SAR to the UK/US, BFC will first change it into BHD. To do this, they will use their SAR buying rate which is always just shy of 10 to 1. Today, for example, it’s 9.9315. So, you will take a slight hit there.

Each branch of BFC has slightly different rates BTW. The best rates are always from the large BFC by Bab Al Bahrain in Manama. I’ve never found any other service that matches BFC rates for repatriating BHD so if anyone else has, please do share.

Thomasmc89 · Joined: 26 Sep 2017 Posts: 22

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Thomasmc89 · Joined: 26 Sep 2017 Posts: 22

Hi veiledsentiments,

Yeah it could be a modern thing. I had a problem even deciding how to spell 'minused' as it looked strange and had the telltale red squiggly line underneath, but I'm sure I've heard it before used like that.

"Deducted" would have been better, you're right.