Job Discussion Forums

[se_bocere]

I have a quick question. How much should I get paid in Saudi? I have never worked there before I have received many mixed signals about what I should be paid by an employer. I have the following qualifications:

1) MA English; however, I am about to finish my PhD
2) 2 years teaching exp. from internationally recognized university

I have been offered two jobs: 1) for 7,250 and 2) 9,120. The first job just includes a basic salary, 7,250, plus a housing allowance of 17,000. The second job includes housing, childrens edu. with the basic salary of 9,120.

I have heard that these salaries are low, but I wanted to know from those of you with more experience than me. Also, does anyone know about the ESL center at King Abdul-Aziz Uni.?

[007]

It seems you have been offered the contract based on your Master not the PhD.
Why not tell them that you will get you PhD soon, and sign your contract based on your PhD not the Master?
With PhD you get higher basic salary, and you get SR600 for transportation, plus SR25000 for accommodation.

[trapezius]

Your contract is always based on what qualifications you already have, not what you might have in so and so length of time.

Once he finishes his PhD, he should see a bump in his salary.

And about the offers, obviously the second one is better.

Would you mind telling us where these are?

And if you have ESL certificates/diplomas as well, you could work with Berlitz teaching English to adults. I believe the pay is SR. 10,000, but I don't know about other benefits, and I don't know how different the pay is depending on degrees one has.

[se_bocere]

The first one is at KAAU and the second is UCJ; however, the first one has a one year contract and the second has a 2 year contract. I am thinking about just taking the KAAU one just in case I don't like it there, and so I can start to look for a better job within my field at a western university.

[Stephen Jones]

You're near the bottom of the scale for UCJ. It starts, I believe, at a Bachelors + two years full time experience and then goes up by SR600 for every year. The Masters would count as two years.

[trapezius]

[se_bocere]

Good point! However, the UCJ position is two years and I am not really enthusiastic about staying there for two years. I am really thinking about this as a transition job, since I am trying to get a job in 'proper' academia. The problem with academia now is that there are ver few jobs and I don't want to sit on my arse for a year - or whenever I get a job - without some kind of income.

KAAU does not offer faculty housing. I would be nice if they did. As far as the 'compound' goes, well what exactly is a 'compound'? Besides, I can speak Arabic and would not mind living with the locals - as long as I am not a target of anything terrible.

[trapezius]

If you are caucasian, I wouldn't advise at all, living in an apartment building--a compound is where its at.

There are many compounds in the big cities of this country. The are basically walled-off mini-communities, with barbed wire and concrete blocks taking up half the road outside the wall. There is dedicated security, usually with a Saudi guard/military unity about 100 meteres from the gate of the compound. At the gate there is a guardhouse with CCTV monitors, and usually Philipinos inside it, sometimes Indians.

So, you are completely secure, with a double layer of security.

Inside the compound, there are apartments/villas of all sizes, from bachelor pads, to individual villas for big families. There are swimming pools, lots of greenery, tennis/squash/badminton courts, usually a recreation room with snooker and ping pong, and most of them have gyms as well. The bigger ones have mini-stores inside which sell most basic neccesities, maybe a restaurant, and maybe even a hair salon for ladies.

And oh, a taxi service for the residents, which is quite useful, even if overpriced compares to street taxis.

They are well-maintained, clean, safe, quiet, the roads are perfect, and everything is organized. You get lots of sunshine in, because the windows are bigger and lower than what you would have in an apartment building out in the open in the city. Saudis are not allowed to live in compounds, and depending on what compounds, what area, and what city, your typical residents will be caucasians (US, UK, AU, NZ, SA), a lot of Lebanese and some other Arabs, and maybe a few [obviously well-to-do] Indians/Pakistanis.

A lot of universities have their own housing compounds, and I thought all did, until you told me KAAU doesn't, which is quite surprising for me.

[Stephen Jones]

[trapezius]

^ I said exactly as much, in my post before the previous one.

Quoting myself:

[Cleopatra]

[cmp45]

[Stephen Jones]

As Cleo has pointed out the 'security', provided by a compound may well prove to be chimeric. And I am unconvinced of the security advantages of armored cars with policemen asleep at the wheel or playing cards outside.

Muggings are becoming a problem in Jeddah, but only in some areas.

KAUU is color-blind and passport blind as far as expats go, which explains the low salaries and housing allowance.

Another problem with compounds is the immense hassle if anybody wants to visit you (particularly if they are Saudi). I fail to share trapezius's obsession with living in sub-standard accommodation in a POW camp.

[se_bocere]

I am caucasian, and I have a family.

One thing that I didn't mention is that they are giving me a furnishing allowance of 8,500. I am not sure how far this would get me, but from experience living in Dubai, I know that this isn't much.

As far as the compounds go, well I would much rather live outside. I know some people that have lived in these secluded neighborhoods, aka 'compunds', and they tell me that it is not all that and a bag of chips.

[Stephen Jones]

If you have young children I would think of UCJ. What accomodation are they offering you? The Industrial City of Jubail is great for young kids with beach parks, football fields, tennis courts, a harbour, fishing, even horse riding.