Job Discussion Forums

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

It's in Riyadh???

NCTBA

[emma5128]

Hello,

I had a telephone interview to join this project a while ago and then I received an email from Bell nearly 2 weeks ago saying they couldn�t offer me a post yet as they are waiting for recruitment information from the university.

Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else?

Thanks!

[Citizenkane]

As I've heard, KSU have given offers of contact renewal to their current staff and are waiting for their responses. Once they get these, they will know their requirements for next year and will be able to make firm offers.

[bollidarling]

Actually that isn't quite true. Bell have confirmed who is to be offered a cotract for next year however THEY haven't finished drawing up the contract as there are still undecided issues. Once these have been confirmed and put in writing we will be given a contract. Housing allowance for single women, the standard and situation of the accommodation for single women, July holidya pay (pro rata or a full month), end of contract bonus (pro rata or not) and more importantly rates of pay as the Bell website states an automatic 500 increase for returning teachers but this is under consideration. Once all that has been decided then we will be given a contract. At this stage they are aiming for the end of June but please don't hold your breath!

[emma5128]

Thanks a lot for the feedback.. very informative!!
I thought maybe they had just forgotten to get back to me!!

[bollidarling]

Also.. just in case you are familiar with Ramadan. Officially the new academic year (contract start date at this stage) is September 5 however due to Ramadan etc students will not return until around 6 October so there is little to do until then. Current teachers are working on various issues (resources, administration etc etc) which will be continued in September.. however no teaching will begin until early October.

If you are not a Muslim and dont observe Ramadan it would be better if you weren't in the Muslim world during that period of time as eating and drinking (even water) during the hours of daylight is forbidden in public (including the University). I am not sure how we will get on but according to my colleagues it isn't that bad.... time will tell

[emma5128]

Thanks Bollidarling.

I am teaching in Egypt at the moment and I am all too familiar with Ramadan.. here work days are cut short during Ramadan but there are still lessons.. just less of them!

I assumed the same would apply to Riyadh.. I didnt realise there would be no lessons at all during ramadan!!

[roy_101]

Bolli, about the Ramadan period, do you mean only non muslims attend work? Slightly confused as to what actually happens during this time. Also, this year Ramadan starts August 22nd, ending 30 days' later. I assume there is a 10day break after this.

What i want to know is what the teachers do and if they are asked to simply just hang around all day

[johnslat]

Dear roy_101,
Given the dates of Ramadan (for this years and for a fair number of year into the future), I'd say most educational facilities won't be too affected since many/most places usually begin classes in mid-September.
So, I imagine the class schedule in most will be pushed back a couple of weeks this years, likely to around Sept. 26th or so. And next year, little if any rescheduling will be required.
You're moving into "summer Ramadans" now - back when the Fasting Month was in October, November, etc. it was much more disruptive. Many places change their schedules, having classes in the evenings instead.
However, even though classes are probably starting late, most places will want staff to be in their offices/at work during much or all of Ramadan, though the hours may be different.
Once you run out of prep work, unless the place gives you "busywork" to do, you'll probably, as you put it, be just hanging around. Make sure you have some good reading material or perhaps you'll be surfing the Net all day.
Regards,
John
P.S. The Ramadan break is, at least in all educational facilities, not 10 days necessarily. If it incorporates two weekends, it'll be nine days, and if it begins on a Saturday, it can be even less.

[bollidarling]

As far as I know everyone has to be at work although it has been suggested that non Muslims won't have to be at work although in all reality I can't see that happening (but who knows in this place!) as they will have to be paid.

As there is a legal requirement for expat contracts to be a minimum of 11 months and school finishes at the end of June with one months paid holiday in July they have no choice but to start our contracts in the first week of September.

There in the Eid holiday in September and then Hajd in the last week of November / first week of December as well as the month long Ramadan celebration. As I havent been in Saudi at this time of the year I am unsure as to how it will work but there will definitely be long periods with nothing to do!

[roy_101]

Is there anyone who has worked at KSU under the Bell initiative who has acquired private accommodation and successfully received housing allowance?

I hear (and read) stories about females being lumbered into accommodation and denied the housing allowance option, but is this policy being applied to males too?

I would like to hear from anyone who has evaded the accommodation, managed to rent out a flat and received the allowance.

Kind regards
Roy.

[bollidarling]

I do know that none of the single men who applied for housing allowance were given it, they were forced to stay in the male accom. provided. However we have been told they will have less provided accom. for the men and it is 'likely' that some will be given housing allowance. In saying that it will go first to those who are here and already know the score rather than new ones. Nothing is fixed at this stage so worth a try.

[AYMAT38]

If Bell is such a marvelous project, and such a large one, then why do they only pay 11 out of the 12 months? Such a prestigious project must be earning a lot of money, but to only pay for 11 out of 12 suggests that they are trying to save money. The question is: for whom? If the project earns so much money, what is happening with the 12th month of salary (that would be paid in other institutions)? Approximately 13,000 SR x over 200 teachers is a lot of money...

It is standard in Saudi tertiary-level jobs to pay for the 12 months. Usually, you get June and July salaries before leaving for the summer, and August's when you return. Apart from all the other ORDinary problems, that alone will hurt you, right in the wallet. Avoid Bell. ORD, however, does have a nice bookshop.

[Asda]

Not only that (i.e. the comment above), but is it not a tad strange that a large, fairly prestigious government university such as KSU, which is the oldest university in the country, actually has to outsource its English teaching?! Not just to anyone mind you, but a bookstore chain at that...hmmm...quite weird.

Methinks that Bell jumped in for the megabucks, but even a couple of years ago there was talk of Bell being OK but the bookstore chain, not so. Kind of like a good cop, bad cop thing going on there. Bell might get the chop either from the bookstore chain OR KSU might give the bookstore chain the chop..leaving many poor souls high and dry.

At the start of this year, everyone was talking about the Bell contract - now it has rather fallen on its proverbial, or so it seems. A friend of a friend was involved in the hiring there, another friend (of the same friend) is owed around 70K SAR in housing allowance...which I doubt he will ever see.

The rumour on the date palm is that westerners are more willing to take the safety risk and come back into to KSA to ride out the recession in their countries - which I can defintely believe.

En generale, the best advice that I have read on this forum is to go as a direct hire. So much so that if the institution where you want a job goes through a middle party, look elsewhere.

[tefl2010]

A warning to all my TEFL colleagues!!!
I was offered a job at KSU by Bell recruiters and now with all changes there�they have just told me that they offer is not valid anymore. Take care!! I have left a good job in order to join this project and finally was treated with this lack of consideration.