I was sent an English teaching contract with a university in Saudi Arabia, and I accepted and signed it. I have heard that some recruiters for Saudi Arabia are outstanding, but I have also read that I should beware of possible employment scams. I have tried to confirm the veracity of the contract, but I have been unable to get a hold of anyone at the university despite several attempts, and I have contacted the Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission (SACM) at least a dozen times to confirm that everything is as it should be, but I have not been able to get a definitive answer from them. Neither the US Embassy nor the Saudi Embassy would give me any confirmation one way or the other.
The original agreement that I was sent from this recruiter stated that my flight from the US to Saudi Arabia would be covered by the employer, but the latest email I received stated that either I should pay for my tickets and be reimbursed later, or that I should go through a travel agent through SACM. I googled the recruiter and I found varied information on him that makes him look legitimate, but it will be my first time in Saudi Arabia and I want to be careful. I am currently in a different country and I would not want to fly to the US solely for the purposes of processing my visa, then be told that there is a problem.
Are these strange occurrences and should I worry, or is this standard protocol for teaching jobs in Saudi Arabia?
Should the employer pay for my flight to the KSA up front?
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