Job Discussion Forums

[mujaahidt]

I have been in contact with a recruitement company with regard to a vacancy at NITI in Dammam. However, I have been trying to find information on the school and the area, but as yet I have not been able to find any information on the conditions at NITI. The package that they offer seems great as it includes everything and the money is great, but they are offering a business visa and not an Iqama which is concerning. The recruiter explained that they doing this as it is easier to apply for a business visa and that the school pays all cost relating to renewing your visa in Bahrain.

My questions are:

1. Does anyone know anything about the school and what the conditions are at the school?
2. Is it common or rather worth moving to Saudi and livng there on a Business visa and not a resident visa?
3. Is it correct to believe that if you work on a business visa theb you technically have legal leg to stand on and cannot apply for bank accounts and contracts?

Thank you for you response.

Mujahied

[sicklyman]

a quick search for "NITI" reveals:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=109419
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=110813

etc etc... ad nauseam

Saudi is not for those who lack the ability to be resourceful

Actually, one has "NTIT" in the subject line... that may be more appropriate. I'm not sure.

To answer your questions specifically
1. Yes. Lots of people know a lot and have filled several threads on this forum with info. See above...
2. The jury is out on this one. Many of those who have lots of experience in Saudi would say, "No, it's not worth it." Those with less experience and usually those who have to take jobs with rubbish employers who don't do things legally, say it's fine. This is mostly because they want to justify to themselves that they did the right thing taking a job with a company who does not treat them as worth keeping the law to employ.
3. Legally you don't have much to stand on even if you do have an iqama. That's not to say you can't take your employer to court. You might even win. But you are stranded here for the entire time you face legal action and you will probably never be paid what you're owed. No, you cannot open a bank account, buy a car, get a mobile phone contract or eat at McDonald's without an iqama. Actually, the last one isn't true... unfortunately.

There are shady employers who will tell you anything at all to get you over here because they are making money recruiting you and hiring you out to the people you work for. They don't care less about you.

Kaplan, if the posts here are anything to go by, seems to be one of them.

BTW, you might want to clarify that NITI actually has anything going on in Dammam at all. AFAIK, it's actually out at Al Hasa in the middle of absolutely nowhere. It looks like a forsaken wilderness by the highway. Why they built it there is beyond me. They might well be telling you Dammam so that you think you might be working and housed in something resembling civilisation.

[nomad soul]

A clarification... Omit the term "employer"; those on business/work visit visas are not legal employees of the Saudi companies that hired them (hence, the word "visit" for this visa type). Therefore, a biz visit visa doesn't offer any protection under Saudi labor law if the sponsor decides to jack around with pay, benefits, whatever.

[currentaffairs]

I have a friend working there and it seems average. Typical messing around with your visa and waiting a long time to get out there.. I don't know exactly what type of visa he has. He said that the students were better than at the Colleges of Excellence for what that is worth!

[yep]

If your employer does mess you around, you are free to leave at any time, with the business visa.

I would argue that is a much better option than going in for legal action which could end up costing you no end of time and money.

[johnslat]

Just make sure you can pay for your ticket out of there.

Regards,
John

[scot47]

No need for that, John. Just report to the Deportation Centre and take your turn with all the other illegals. The one in Jeddah is under the Motorway at Sharafiah. Every city and major town has one.

[sicklyman]

[akoo]

Mujahid,

NITI is probably in Al-hasa, which is a quiet oasis city. It's not in the middle of nowhere. The building is near the airport and is not a forsaken wilderness by the highway. That just isn't a fair description. They built NITI to train thousands of Aramco employees. Al-hasa is definitely a part of civilization.

For the business visa, it's just easier for the company to bring you with this type of visa (and also cheaper for the company). There are also some benefits for the employee. Also, some disadvantages. A lot of people talk about Saudi labour laws, etc.. but these are extreme warnings. Most people on business visas live and work just fine without needing to go to Saudi court over the visa status. Don't worry about business vs iqama. The exception is however if you insist you must have a car, if you insist you must have a phone contract (why not just get pay as you go sim card), also do you really need a bank account? If you say no to most of these questions, business visa is probably fine. The business visa is better in my opinion because you can leave when you want to and never ask for permission from your employer (like many iqama holders).

Normally NITI doesn't intentionally mess around with visas, slaries or try to screw anyone, typical processing time is about 2 months. Just remember, you will be teaching trainees and not students. Also, they never keep your passport.

[scot47]

Teaching in KSA is a bit like C&W ! -

You gotta walk that lonesome valley
And you gotta walk, walk it by yourself
Nobody else can walk it for you
You gotta walk, walk it by yourself

Jesus walked this lonesome valley
And He had to walk it by Himself
Nobody else could walk it for Him
He had to walk, walk it by Himself

Oh, you gotta walk that lonesome valley
Oh, you gotta go there by yourself
Nobody else can walk it for you
You gotta walk, walk it by yourself

You must go and stand your trials
You have to stand it by yourself
Nobody else can stand it for you
You have to stand it by yourself

Oh, you gotta walk that lonesome valley
Oh, you gotta walk it by yourself
Nobody else is gonna walk it for you
You gotta walk, walk it by yourself

Some folks say that old John was a baptist
Some folks say he was a Jew
But the Bible claim, it plainly tells us
That old Johnny was a preacher, too

Oh, you gotta walk that lonesome valley
Yeah, you gotta walk it by yourself
Nobody here is gonna walk it for you
You gotta walk, walk it by yourself

You gotta walk that lonesome valley
You gotta walk it by yourself
Nobody here is gonna walk it for you
You gotta walk, walk it by yourself

[Makkah]

NITI or most teaching jobs in KSA it depends on how much you need the money. Where I'm based one guy said he felt "truely blessed" because of the work. That's dedication or stupidness for you, who knows the difference here?

Anyway bumped into a few guys (who worked in NITI) across the causeway a few months back. They were getting paid on time. One of them commented that the visa run gets tiresome.

[scot47]

"Truly blessed". Over the years I met many "reverts" in KSA who were very positive about being in the Kingdom of the Two Holy Mosques.

One in Jeddah - with a very large family - was in the habit of visiting the Grand Mosque in Jeddah on an almost weekly basis.

It is not my place to judge people who choose to live that way. My reasons for being in Saudi were not the same as theirs.

[sicklyman]

[sicklyman]