Job Discussion Forums

[mateacher]

Are there any universities with real compounds i.e. not like KFUPM.
Or other jobs with compounds, I guess BAE or Aramco direct hire, but what are the vacations like with non-uni positions?

[scot47]

As far as I know, there are no universities in KSA with "compounds"., You want that then try Aramco. Or British Aerospace. What is you objection to a campus like KFUPM ?

Not sure about the new womeen's uni in Riyadh - PNU.

[Sheik Yerbuti]

I get 3 months a year. Non-uni jobs vary quite a bit.

[jaffa]

Mateacher - Re. thread title, you should delete the adjective.

[mateacher]

haha one can only hope

Yes, KFUPM sounds great but my wife said no to wearing an Abaya plus may be boring for her.

Whats the non-uni job with 3 months? I wouldn't mind that.

[lcanupp1964]

No official compounds at KAU in Jeddah for teachers. KAU does have housing, on campus, but only for Saudi nationals. There are many places outside the campus. They cost a lot, but some are very nice.

[sicklyman]

your nationality in Aramco will determine which compounds you can live on. Currently, no non-US teachers are allowed to move onto the Dhahran Aramco compound. If you're direct hire with Aramco, you are not going to be offered Dhahran housing unless you're from the US. You may be offered Ras Tanura compound and expected to commute each day. Not fun. you can take a sizeable allowance towards living off compound as compensation.

As for holidays, contracted to Aramco you get 2 weeks mandatory leave roughly every four months i.e. 6 weeks a year. You can often extend this to 3 or more (depending on the workload) if you are willing to take unpaid leave which many of us do. This is on top of the two Eids and the few other national holidays.

Something else to consider, contracted teachers to Aramco get flights for each of those three leave periods. Aramcons get one flight a year albeit business class. Not sure how much leave they are entitled to though.

[veiledsentiments]

If your wife doesn't want and/or refuses to wear an abaya, I suggest that you choose another country. Get a job elsewhere in the Gulf where this isn't an issue.

VS

[nomad soul]

[teachr11]

I'm wondering if he means she doesn't want to wear an abaya while ON the compound. To be honest, I wouldn't want to, either. What's the point of living in a compound if you have to stay covered up?

[scot47]

KSA is not for you.

[veiledsentiments]

[salamiandbacon]

FYI your wife doesn't have to wear an abaya in the accommodation part of the campus. She will, of course, have to have one when going off campus and as others have said, if she can't bear the thought, try another country. Having said that, most women do (grudgingly) get used to it.

It is one of the main reasons pay is higher in KSA than most other countries. So think of an wearing an abaya as earning 20% of your salary.

[mateacher]

I was told that even in the accommodation part of the campus women get shouted at for not wearing them.
I can look at it that way but if I tell her that she will start asking for the 20% as her stipend.

[JustinC]

I find often the people who get unstuck are those who travel to a foreign country with fixed assumptions and demands. Unless your skills are astronomically unique it's unlikely a company, regardless of nationality, will take kindly to you or your other half making unreasonable demands. And I wouldn't want to be in your shoes, mateacher, living with someone who really doesn't want to be there. She already knows two of the disadvantages so must have done some research.