Job Discussion Forums

dragonpiwo · Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin

The recurring theme from people I know at BAe is high turnover. In conversations I've had with pals there, it seems to depend on where you are posted too. Long hours and sid are the 2 givens oh and some ex-military types who are not for everyone.

But let's be brutally honest. We come to the Middle East to make money. Take the money, eat the shyte and when the bucket of shyte outweighs the bucket of lolly, leave.

My gig pays 20,000 GBP more than BAe and can be stressful but mainly because of job insecurity and 1 or 2 colleagues. I must say, the locals are fine.

bamb00zle · Joined: 13 Apr 2011 Posts: 11

I applied there recently with Lang Sols. Nothing confirmed yet.

How are things there now? Anybody know what kind of holiday entitlement they give?

Northern Sol · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 24

There is no holiday entitlement. You get paid when you work and you don't when you don't.

I did a couple of shifts there for LangSol. The guy who interviewed was honest about the job. Basically he said there was nothing good about it except the money and he was right! Everybody has their limits and mine was two shifts so I got out.

There are a small number of people who can handle it or at least appear to do so in the short to medium term but I think it damages everybody in the long term and not just mentally.

Since I have left things seem to have gone even further downhill. It may have been possible for some teachers to teach lessons in the past but apparently it isn't any more.

The trick is ballancing not upsetting the cadets which generally means letting them sleep and not disciplining them and not letting the management catch you doing so. If the students are upset with you, you will have your class taken away and do it enough times and you'll be fired. The management will not be on your side when you need them.

I liked the compound, it's much better than living in Saudi proper but it starts to feel like prison after a while as without a car you can't really go anywhere and there isn't anywhere to go anyway unless you have the right connections.

As I said, a couple of shifts were good for me and the money outweighed the nonsense but if I had spent much longer there then that might not have been the case.

R_totale · Joined: 14 Feb 2018 Posts: 7

I've worked there for awhile now. It isn't true that there is no holiday entitlement; Langsols get the same as permnent staff (6 weeks at Ramadan, 2 weeks at Hajj and two one week holidays) but you only get 75% pay.

'Teaching' is as everyone says. It's ok for a year or two if money is your priority. Nothing much is expected of you in the classroom - in some ways it is the easiest job I've ever had. Getting up in the morning is pretty much 80% of the job. What's hard is the sheer nothingness of the job and of compound life although it seems to suit some people.

If you've got a financial reason to come (house deposit, pay off debts) it's doable. But definitely not a place you want to stay at long term.

Northern Sol · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 24

Update on the feral nature of the students.

One of them who was sent to Pensacola in Florida legally got hold of a glock and went on a shooting spree killing three people and injuring five others. You can google it easily enough if you think I'm making it up.

The thing is I'm neither shocked nor surprised. I didn't teach that cadet but I understand that he was not thought to be particularly difficult.

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

But you also have to keep in mind that hundred and hundreds of Saudi military men have studied in the US... for many many years.

One bought a gun (which is super simple for all in the US) and killed some people.

It is mostly surprising that it hasn't happened before.

VS

voyagerksa · Joined: 29 Apr 2015 Posts: 140

They teased him about looking at porn. That is what set him off. It shows you have to make your way carefully through teaching Saudi students. Tread carefully and push all the right buttons.

Northern Sol · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 24

Northern Sol · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 24

Henry IX · Joined: 15 May 2016 Posts: 19

Is there anything recent that anyone can add about this set-up?

In particular anyone know anything about the Dharan airbase assignment that's due to start in April?

Henry IX · Joined: 15 May 2016 Posts: 19

[quote="
That doesn't mean you shouldn't go, just be aware of your limitations and don't get involved in personal conflicts with the students because you won't win.[/quote]

Is there a typical teacher profile? Do you need to be very assertive/tough in your demeanour?

Obviously someone who has been in the services in the own country would be well-suited but there must be many who haven't really done anything like this at first?

dragonpiwo · Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin

I have a good mate there. Long, long hours and rowdy students. Baby sitting and running the gauntlet of pretending to impose the regulations but that not actually being achievable. Other than crowd control, not demanding.

Fortunately, the flash/siddiqui is abundant on the compound, so you can drink to forget.

Bahrain's just over the causeway for a leg over. It's Thursday, let's get to Diggers me hearties!

desertdawg · Joined: 14 Jun 2010 Posts: 206

I was a regular visitor to the BAE compound many years ago. The beer was excellent. Draught homebrew lager pulled the same as in any pub. Agree with dragonpiwo, the easy availablity of booze makes the difficult job a bit more bearable.

dragonpiwo · Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin

In Libya, it was all homemade stuff and I have to say some people made all sorts of drinks that were shop quality. I used to brew myself and with the right malt and hop juice, you can make a really decent pint. Some people made great wine and several people had stills. My Serbian housemate made a fantastic Grappa.

I used to by Muntons spray malt because it was easy to get hold of.