Job Discussion Forums

Captain Willard · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 251

Very bad reports coming out about American Academy in Arar. This is a vo-tech college, but not a start-up. It is well established. Reports are that they have hired a few Westerners on a staff full on non-Westerners. The housing is substandard, i.e., dirty, with non functional appliances, and teachers expected to live in very primitive conditions while living next to the non-Westerners. Management stated a list of staff members to the group who are expected but have not yet arrived. One staff member didn't arrive in KSA after management refused to pay for his visa. Very arrogant management demands 150% from its staff but is at best indifferent to their problems. Classrooms are described as primitive with very poor computers, IT equipment and services. Also remember that Arar is about 11 hours from anything.

EXTREME CAUTION IS ADVISED.

Edit to note that the company makes empty promises to pay all visa expenses upfront:
"Please note, we cover all expenses up front for your visa, visa agency fees, air ticket, hotels, etc. These costs are borne by us 100%."
However, this was not the case for at least one person who had his passport stuck with the visa processor after AA refused to pay as agreed, even after the visa was issued.

REPEAT: EXTREME CAUTION IS ADVISED.

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

Captain Willard · Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Posts: 251

In this case the obstinacy starts before arrival. The management's M.O. appears to be to send the "Western Face" of the company out to make the empty promise that AA will pay for the visa processing up front. Once the processor gets the visa in the passport, then the local in admin claims some problem and that the teacher needs to pay for the visa himself. Pure bait and switch, and now the visa processor holds the visa hostage until the bill gets paid. Having the visa is no guarantee that this company will then provide the airfare to start the job.

murray1978 · Joined: 02 Dec 2008 Posts: 84

Hi,

I would like to give you guys my two cents. I don't think it matters or means much though.

I interviewed with them in early December while I was in discussions with a few other places of employment in KSA and elsewhere. I had to speak to two people: one was a head teacher at the academy and the other was a Canadian who was the recruiter.

Both of them were nice to me but I thought the Canadian had some strange questions and would ask me if I knew ---- insert ESL/ Education theorist I honestly didn't know and mentioned we should talk about teaching philosophies and I could give him a demo lesson

From what I recall, the salary was 12,000 and I thought it was low. I mentioned to him that I made more at my TVTC and thanks but no thanks. He re upped it to 14,000 which I thought was strange because the ad said up to 12,000.

Obviously, there must be money to negotiate with.

The reason I turned it down was that I took a job at the University of Dammam and it adds to my university experience abroad. I hope things workout for everyone involved. It sounded like a start up style college in a small town.

There will be growing pains but they have to treat their teachers well because you don't want a carousel of teachers coming and going.

General Incompetence · Joined: 20 Jan 2015 Posts: 15

[quote="murray1978"] There will be growing pains but they have to treat their teachers well because you don't want a carousel of teachers coming and going. [/quote]

Western management doesn't want that because it is expensive and disruptive to progress. However, the local management will simply blame the Westerners for any failure caused by their own incompetence. Having a carousel of teachers coming and going can actually be a way of spreading business to a cousin who is a travel agent. The locals think differently than we do.

In this case, management spoke of being in a hurry to hire teachers, when in fact it was unable or unwilling to get the job done. Being short staffed means added burdens on present teachers on site. In this case the local admin in HR is controlling the company and refused to pay for a visa. He failed to pay the visa processor, while demanding that he work over the Christmas holidays. On New Year's Eve, this Bedouin genius demanded that the teacher go to the processor's office to resolve the problem that he caused. Since this it was now impossible to meet his schedule, he cancelled the visa and work offer, blaming the teacher and the visa processor for his own failure to pay the bill as promised. As the old saying goes, money talks and BS walks. There is a lot of BS here.

[quote="murray1978"] I interviewed with them in early December while I was in discussions with a few other places of employment in KSA and elsewhere. I had to speak to two people: one was a head teacher at the academy and the other was a Canadian who was the recruiter.
Both of them were nice to me but I thought the Canadian had some strange questions and would ask me if I knew ---- insert ESL/ Education theorist I honestly didn't know and mentioned we should talk about teaching philosophies and I could give him a demo lesson. [/quote]

It is normal for employers in the region to hire people with impressive paper qualifications. However, the teacher is burdened with students who only show up for the stipend, can be disruptive, and spend the class trading illicit photos and videos on their mobile phones. Sometimes questions about teaching philosophy in an interview are a covert way of judging how well a teacher can cope with students in the Gulf.

[quote="murray1978"] From what I recall, the salary was 12,000 and I thought it was low. I mentioned to him that I made more at my TVTC and thanks but no thanks. He re upped it to 14,000 which I thought was strange because the ad said up to 12,000.
Obviously, there must be money to negotiate with. [/quote]

The offer should be higher to go to a city so far from any major city in KSA and near the Iraqi border with ISIS and all of the instability in the region. Considering that the management is already behaving badly and bringing people over on business visas and breaking promises, anyone weighing this offer should consider if anything promised about bonuses and holiday pay will ever be paid.

Allahtellya1 · Joined: 11 Jan 2016 Posts: 43

Sadly, saudi management can be a real pisser at times. some just cant accept criticism and others are so lazy they just pass the buck and blame the teachers

Lord T · Joined: 07 Jul 2015 Posts: 285

I feel that you're being rather negative and judgmental towards your Saudi hosts Allahtellya1.

I always found the Saudis to be extremely nice people.

Allahtellya1 · Joined: 11 Jan 2016 Posts: 43

re-read my post. there are critical words you have missed.

Allahtellya1 · Joined: 11 Jan 2016 Posts: 43

just because they are lazy doesnt mean they are bad people either or not nice.

MOD edit

General Incompetence · Joined: 20 Jan 2015 Posts: 15

[quote="Allahtellya1"] just because they are lazy doesnt mean they are bad people either or not nice.
MOD edit [/quote]

It is one thing for someone to be lazy. It is something quite different to blame others for failing to meet a deadline due to laziness or incompetence. Laziness means all is "Inshallah" and that with patience all things get done. Scapegoating and blaming others for one's own faults is something different and certainly not nice. Refusing to pay for services which were rendered can also be a criminal matter called theft of services.

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

Seems to me that can be said against some managements AND some teachers...

VS

bigdurianthesecond · Joined: 16 Jan 2016 Posts: 62 Location: The Base

[quote="Allahtellya1"]just because they are lazy doesnt mean they are bad people either or not nice.

MOD edit[/quote)

Outside the classroom I always find Saudi students to be very friendly and sociable. They're very relaxed and like to have a laugh.

Unfortunately this doesn't work too well in the classroom.