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fladude
Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 432
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:25 pm Post subject: What's life like on a compound in Saudi? |
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Was offered a teaching position in Jeddah which includes a compound apartment. Anyone like living on these things? It seems a bit "fish bowlish" to me.
I'm a bit leery of it all. It is not an ESL job but a job at a school.
14.800 SAR a month + an apartment, healthcare and airline ticket. Liveable? Can I save money?
School pays for Igama. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:08 pm Post subject: Re: What's life like on a compound in Saudi? |
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That's about $4000 US per month tax-free. Plus, the cost of living in the Kingdom isn't high. You should be able to figure out if that salary would allow you to build savings depending on your spending habits and if you're expecting to pay off current debts. As for compound life, it depends on where the housing is and what amenities it includes, so it's hard to say. For some, living in conservative Saudi Arabia itself can be "fish bowlish." Anyway, were you given the option of a housing allowance?
Why are you leery about the job? Is it a direct-hire position with the school or is it through a contracting company? Either way, you could certainly turn down the offer if something seems off about it. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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Single ? On that salary you can save a lot - unless you are into hyperconsumerism or have a travel addiction.
Married with dependants ??? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm |
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fladude
Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 432
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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I'm single yes. The school offered me the contract direct. Housing is furnished or so they claim. I think the place has a pool and maybe a gym... not sure about the gym. Three bedroom. I don't need 3 but apparently you get no choice in the matter.
I was curious though about the cost of food and such.
And NO I was not offered a housing allowance. As I understand it, we have to live on the compound. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:46 am Post subject: |
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I'd guess that you could quite easily save 80-90% of it if you wanted to... and that is being only a little frugal. Vacations are when you will spend money.
VS |
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abercrombie
Joined: 17 Oct 2012 Posts: 11
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:38 am Post subject: |
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You could try saving $$. But the lure of Dubai and spending time in a country with numerous malls, tourist traps, and expensive alcohol proves too great to resist....I did it 4 times in one year and I had enough to spend time in Paris and save for a CELTA cert...
Sadly, those days are gone and I'm gettin' squeezed by Uncle Sam 4 taxes... I'm gettin' ready to tell him to naff off.. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:53 am Post subject: |
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fladude wrote: |
I'm single yes. The school offered me the contract direct. Housing is furnished or so they claim.
Three bedroom. I don't need 3 but apparently you get no choice in the matter.
And NO I was not offered a housing allowance. As I understand it, we have to live on the compound. |
Hmm... A 3-bedroom apartment for someone who's single? You might want to confirm from them that it isn't a shared-housing/roommate situation. |
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fladude
Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 432
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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nomad soul wrote: |
fladude wrote: |
I'm single yes. The school offered me the contract direct. Housing is furnished or so they claim.
Three bedroom. I don't need 3 but apparently you get no choice in the matter.
And NO I was not offered a housing allowance. As I understand it, we have to live on the compound. |
Hmm... A 3-bedroom apartment for someone who's single? You might want to confirm from them that it isn't a shared-housing/roommate situation. |
Yeah I already checked that. Housing is standard for everyone. I spoke to people at the school. Its actually not that unusual in international teaching. I have a 3 bedroom apartment in central america as well. I have two rooms I've never been in except for the first time that I inspected the apartment. I think sometimes they just acquire a bunch of apartments and then its easier if they are all the same. It could be bad if you had a spouse and 3 ids... or it could be too much for someone like me. Anyway the apartments look old. I suspect the compound was built in the 70s back when money was less of an issue.
Last edited by fladude on Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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Not so unusual with better employers in KSA. |
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trapezius
Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 1670 Location: Land of Culture of Death & Destruction
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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What's the name of the compound? I am familiar with most compounds in Jeddah. Perhaps I could let you know how it is (if I know about it).
You can PM me if you don't want everyone to know. You can also tell me what school, as I am familiar with quite a few of the international/western schools in Jeddah.
You are going to get $4,000 per month, with free furnished housing, medical insurance, and tickets, and you are asking if you can SAVE money? What do you do, buy Italian designer clothes and shoes every week?!
You can spend SR. 100 on food daily and would still save SR. 12,000 a month. And SR. 100 means a 2-3 course meal at Applebees, Chili's, TGIF, etc. So heck yeah you can save a lot. (unless you have that addiction to Italian designer clothes and shoes
As for living on a compound, I currently live on one, and couldn't live in Jeddah if not on a compound. I don't like pollution, noise from cars, garbage on streets, construction debris everywhere, sewage on streets from overflowing septic tanks, terrible roads, etc. All those things stay far away when you are on a compound. Of course, if those things don't bother you, you could live in an apartment. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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When I had a contract with the Airline, we stayed in the compound in Khaledeya reserved (at that time) for airline staff, The American School at that time was run as a department ("cost center") of the airline. Teaching and foreign admin staff were accommodated on the compound.
It was nice and my older daughter (now aged 19) has never forgiven me for leaving !
Last edited by scot47 on Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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fladude
Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 432
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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Well I am excited about it. I guess I will find out next year if that excitement is well placed. I have heard many different things about it.... from comfort to yellow water to parties with moonshine.......... Next year will tell. |
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isabel
Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:23 am Post subject: |
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fladude wrote: |
Well I am excited about it. I guess I will find out next year if that excitement is well placed. I have heard many different things about it.... from comfort to yellow water to parties with moonshine.......... Next year will tell. |
I experienced all of the above- in the same compound. |
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Captain Willard
Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 251
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 5:47 am Post subject: |
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A Freudian would strongly disagree with the premise of having three ids. Even a person with a multiple personality disorder would only have one id according to Freud. I don't see any evidence that the OP suffers from that, but he/she should understand that the id is severely suppressed in the Magic Kingdom by the holy ones.
fladude wrote: |
It could be bad if you had a spouse and 3 ids... |
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vashdown2
Joined: 14 Feb 2007 Posts: 124 Location: Paris, France
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:07 am Post subject: |
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Life in a Fish Bowl...... Yes, of course it is.
It does depend however on just how many people live in your fishbowl?
I just left a job in a small town in KSA called Hofof
There were just 70 of us living on the compund, and I can tell you that rumours got started quickly- Gossip was all around. And if you got into an arguement with someone at work, you lived with AND commuted with them on the bus... so you can see how quickly life can turn into a hell.
Of course you can save money. |
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