Job Discussion Forums

Captain Willard · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 251

One very basic requirement for surviving in the Magic Kingdom is to have one's own private living accommodation. Yet, so many recruiters are pushing offers with shared accommodation with a total stranger, unstated living conditions, or an insufficient monthly living and transportation allowance.

Why does anyone accept these living arrangements?

It is one thing to agree to share space with a friend, but a total stranger? Considering how many accepted Western things are illegal in the Magic Kingdom, why does anyone agree to this?

These people must be truly desperate.

battleshipb_b · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 189

Do not under any circumstances agree to share accomodation. Insist on your own apartment, even it if is only a studio. There are a lot of weirdies, weirdos and wackos working in the Magic Kingdom and if you end up with one of these characters as a housemate or apartment mate you can be in for big time trouble. One of my friends was obliged to share a house with a booze maker. My friend was a born-again who never drank but he got thrown out of the kingdom along with the brewer.

posh · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 430

Agree with this. But you really have to put your foot down and don't accept "It will only be for a short time."

That old favourite Edex was putting strangers together in hotel rooms!

Just another example of how contractors 'make' their money from you.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Living in KSA is difficult - do NOT agree to share accommodation UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

That goes for BAe too !

7168Riyadh · Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Posts: 149

I did share accommodation in KSA, and it was sort of okay for me. ( I picked my roomates.) Many people, however, can't accept it because they're selfish, individualistic westerners. Fair enough. The general advice is good: don't accept shared accommodation.

johnslat · Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:01 pm Post subject:

I did both in Saudi: shared with the IPA in Jeddah, single accommodations in Riyadh.
I was very lucky - had a good apartment mate, which actually was better in some respects than living alone often could often be.
But the odds of that happening are way too high. And having a nutter or even someone you just can't get along with as an apartment mate are so much more likely.
Saudi can be hard enough without that.

Regards,
John

lapd08 · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 82 Location: New York

I know this situation well, having worked for EdEx. I did not have to share and would have left if they tried to make me. Most of the women just accepted it, probably thinking they had no choice. One woman did put her foot down and they did not make her share.

I think the women who agreed to it again either thought they had no choice or were desperate for a job or didn't have the money to just fly back on their own steam-or were very young and inexperienced.

In other countries they tell you upfront if you will have to share (in which case I decline the offer), but in KSA they wait until you have flown 13 hours or more before springing it on you. EdEx is not the only guilty party. Another agency, Adwaa housed their teachers in a 5 star hotel suites for months while their compound was under construction, then announced that the women would have to share 4 to a house (2 bathrooms, one kitchen,one washing machine).

CamTam · Joined: 05 Jan 2012 Posts: 32

The other problem with shared accommodation is the parade of roommates you get as they move on and move out. You have to get use to a new person each time the company decides to move somebody new into the apartment. It always happens with no advance notice.

And yes, the chances of getty a crazy for a roomie is more than getting an okay person. The chances of getting a great room mate are infinitesimal.

2buckets · Joined: 14 Dec 2010 Posts: 515 Location: Middle East

Don't share.

I had to share a toilet with someone who came from a place that didn't have indoor plumbing. Every morning I was greeted by an un-flushed toilet. That set the tone of the day.

Another one would never rinse off the shower stall and clean out hair from the drain.

In another situation, I shared a house with 2 others. Myself and one them agreed to peruse a campaign of bizarre behavior until they third moved out. The company replaced him a couple of times, but finally gave up and left us in peace.

Life is tough enough in SA without having privacy.

If you want companionship, go to the "local" (pub) on your compound.

sharter · Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place

Shared accommodation is guaranteed to cause bad rows that spill over into the work place, usually when one tries to shaft the other. Sometimes I think people just want the flat to themselves so behave very inconsiderately, others are just selfish. I've shared with several people, who frankly speaking, need professional help.

lapd08 · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 82 Location: New York

People just have different living styles and even the nicest people will drive each other nuts after a while in those small spaces that EdEx put people in. If married couples drive each other nuts at times, how can they expect total strangers to get along with absolutely no house rules? It was like Lord of the Flies. "Let's just toss a bunch of strangers in together and see who cuts each others head off first. It's not our problem." Unfortunately, I checked the contract and it did say only "suitable housing". A very vague term, so my advise, wherever you go is make sure "single accommodations" is in the contract.

Before I took the job in Riyadh with EdEx I was offered and accepted a job in Luoyang, China that I'd been told had very nice apartments. After I signed the contract, the school told me I would have to share with a woman and her 10 year old daughter for a few months, then if a single came up I would have to pay extra. I cancelled the contract.

No one over the age of 21 should have to share and most of the people I worked with in Riyadh were WAY past that!

I saw the constant turnover in staff=constant turnover in roommates also.
I really felt for those middle aged women and men stuck with a roommate. When I left, I made sure my single apartment went to a woman who desperately needed to get out of her shared accommodation.

JerkyBoy · Joined: 12 Jan 2012 Posts: 485

Hey. That really sucks!

By constant turnover, do you mean that the money isn't enough to keep people in the magic kingdom? I'm only coming for the money.

lapd08 · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 82 Location: New York

Yeah, why else would anyone go there? Turned out no amount of money was enough in some situations. People living the good life in a "compound bubble" are exempted.

JerkyBoy · Joined: 12 Jan 2012 Posts: 485

Can compounds be had by anyone?

So long as you have an iquama and are willing to foot the bill ... any issues I should be aware of?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Compounds vary from the truly squaklid for "TCNs" to the luxurious. All depends on what you are going to pay !

TCN is ARAMCOSPEAK for slaves !