Job Discussion Forums

[BillCowher]

Someone asked for information about Education Experts (I think) and the "discussion" has degenerated into name calling, spelling and syntax policing and nothing is said about the original post. WTF???

[davt]

stay away from them. they are a sham. you will get screwed. BIG TIME. you have been duly warned

[davt]

one more thing, they have teachers there who have no degrees. they have no contract with any major university. you will not get a work visa. you will find it all out when u get there. they are a sham. you will get the short end of the stick unless like other hack ESL teachers you just want a "VACATION". again, you have been duly warned.

[With Malice Toward None]

Never heard a good word about these guys. Seems they are extraction experts.

[svatopluk]

EDEX give you HEDEX. It's an absolute farce - Monty Python couldn't do better.

You wouldn't even send your mother-in-law to Qassim. That 'university' is another story altogether. Aside from the academic comedy, the toilets have been blocked for weeks and the whole place reeks of sewage, but rather than go the logical route and get in some plumbers they've spent a month getting the elevator to work... to go up ONE floor. The lights are now on, but it still ain't moving!

If I didn't laugh, I'd cry.

[BillCowher]

I wish I had never heard of EdEx. They are late with my first pay, late the second month in a row for other western teachers and the Arab teachers have not been paid in 5 months. Sketchy might be a polite description of them and all of us were hired with Global Skyline Solutions as the initial recruiter.

[scot47]

I cannot resist saying I TOLD YOU SO

Resist any temptation to come to KSA through recruiter or subcontractor.

Either come direct hire - with a visa that gives you an "Igama" or stay wherever you are now.

KSA is difficult enough without getting all these extra problems.

[tacomaboywa]

[dnaleslie]

We've clarified that one should only go to KSA on a work/business visa. Still, for those on visit visas, how do you wire money home? Also, are you able to direct deposit your wages into foreign accounts?

[gibon]

[Cleopatra]

[gibon]

@ Cleopatra, thanks for answering my question.

I had a telephone interview with a recruiter (not the one this thread is about); they are taking up references, so hopefully they will be making an offer. They mentioned the possibility of starting in the autumn or starting in May. I had been applying for posts starting after Ramadan, however the chance to start in May could be very convenient for me.

The interviewer (who came across as honest and trustworthy) said their company have an annual quota of Iqamas which they've run out of, and can't arrange one until the summer, so if I come in May it will have to be on a business visa for the first few months. He explained that without an Iqama I won't be able to open a bank account or buy a car, and was clear that it isn't an ideal situation.

I have two questions:
firstly, there seems to be conflicting information on this site about the drawbacks of not having an Iqama; what's the real situation? Would it be such a huge handicap, and would it be possible to send money back to Europe to cover some expenses I may have there, buy a pre-paid sim card, etc? Are there any other drawbacks that might be a problem between May and the summer?
Secondly, if the worst came to worst, and I spent a year in Saudi without an Iqama, would it cause a problem in the future, should I wish to work there for another organisation?

Any advice much appreciated.

[gibon]

Any advice would really help - I need to give an answer by the end of this week at the latest!

Thanks

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Go fer it. All advice on this board is irrelevant.

NCTBA

[BillCowher]