Job Discussion Forums

baa_baa · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 265

Hey All,

I just got my visa letter. Everything looks ok except for accommodation. I will be receiving a housing allowance. Can anyone get me a number of a real-estate close to that university. I hear that its far out of the city so hopefully 17000 saudi riyals will be enough to find a clean decent apartment... right? Confused

They will give it to me upon arrival am I right? Anyone?

Thanks for your help... Smile

baaaaa

edit:Im going through dubbizzle.com I found a suitable house for 15000 at alfaysaliah.

is that close? can u give me street names at least? please any help would be great..

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

It's impossible to secure housing while outside the country. Wait until you arrive in Saudi Arabia before focusing on where you'll live. Besides, what might appear "suitable" on the Internet could turn out to be funky in person. As for your questions about when you'll get your housing allowance, check with the uni's recruiter.

For a map of Jeddah's districts, do a google search on jeddah saudi arabia and click on maps.

lcanupp1964 · Joined: 12 Dec 2009 Posts: 381

You should get a 10,000sr (around $2,600) advance on your second or third day in country. It will be paid back when you get your first paycheck. The housing allowance will be given to all teachers sometime around Nov/Dec. The thought is that one can use the 10k advance to get set up as the housing allowance is being processed. BTW, you will also get an 8,500sr furniture allowance around the same time as you receive the housing money.

You can find many places near the campus for around 20,000sr a year for a nice enough one/two bedroom Apt. You will get phone numbers to housing agents that can help you find a place, but I would recommend that you meet as many of the 250 plus teachers at the ELI and get their feedback on apartment buildings that have apartments for rent. The housing agents will charge around 500sr for their services and may only show you a few places.

I would advise you to come with at least 1000.00 USD. Very Happy

Nomad Soul is 100% right... Don't try to do anything about housing until you get here.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I also say DON'T EVEN TRY TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU GET TO JEDDAH.

baa_baa · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 265

Nomad Soul lcancupp1964 thanks for the advice and details. Ill stop searching. I felt better when you guys mentioned that they would give me contacts of housing agents.

Scott Shocked

I won't. Im like worried now.. I thought I was doing the right thing. But Ill take your advice.

Im so happy excited super worried scared all at once.. I have read so many posts on saudi experience and just feel horrified...I do not know what to expect. I just wish they had arranged an accommodation.

They say I need to be there on the 6th of August. I have a feeling I am coming in early... So it will be me myself in the desert...

I think Ill start blowing in to a bag... Anyways thank you all for your posts... ILL wait till I get to Jeddah...I hope everything goes smooth....

Richard62 · Joined: 08 Aug 2011 Posts: 38

Is your offer for the main campus, or for the KAU Rabigh or Asfan campus?

baa_baa · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 265

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

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

desert_traveller · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 335

freesoul · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:06 pm Post subject:

Once you are settled down in that furnished apartment where the uni initially takes you till you find your own, and on your first visit to your campus, ask around and you will get a lot of views on how to go about finding a suitable place to live. I would suggest Safa, Naseem and Hamra, since it has become within a smooth driving distance to uni and it is near Hamra corniche and Balad. Good luck.

lcanupp1964 · Joined: 12 Dec 2009 Posts: 381

I have a nice 3 bedroom place in a five-story apt. building in Sulaimaniya - a district that is very close to KAU. In fact, I can see the wall to the campus from my building. Sulaimaniya also has a good supermarket in a mall that is called - wait for it - "Sulaimaniya Mall". It takes me about 3 minutes to drive to the university and about 2 minutes to get to the mall. I also like Naseem District, but it is about a mile further and one has to cross a very busy road to get to the campus and the mall.

mkeenan1955 · Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Posts: 2 Location: United States

dear baa_baa, how long was it after you got your preliminary job offer at KAU's ELI did you get the visa letter? In short, was it weeks, months, between the prelim. job offer and the visa letter?
I have only received from the Recruitment Unit of KAU a preliminary job offer signed by the VP of Academic Affairs, which offer Recruitment says IS a contract. However, I have not signed it, and one visa service website states that I must have signed the contract BEFORE the service can carry on the process for a work or employment visa.
Recruitment, in an email message, sent me a "visa request number," dated such-in-such, according to the Islamic calendar, and a "job number."
Recruitment told me that I must contact the Saudi Cultural Attache in the US. I have contacted the Saudi Cultural Mission in Fairfax and DC and both persons I talked to said they needed to know where "the letter" was sent from KAU.
What is this letter? Is it the letter of invitation?

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

egyptfan · Joined: 29 Nov 2004 Posts: 105 Location: Middle East

Off topic but does anyone know if recruitment for KAAU has finished? I sent and application a few weeks ago and heard nothing back so far. I know how slowly things move in these areas but, with Ramadhan starting next month, I would have expected them to have completed most of their offers by now and started processing visas / paperwork.