Job Discussion Forums

[Skyblue2]

You folks working at unis in the ME get long holidays (what would you say the average is, 45 days, 60 days, in addition to public holidays?)

My question is: Do you have to take them all in one big chunk (summer vacation), or are there a few of them spread out over the year?

Were you to work in, say, KSA, how long would your longest stretches in the country be (excluding trips to Bahrain, etc.)?

[johnslat]

Dear Skyblue2,

Not an easy question to answer since the two other (besides the summer) holidays, the Eids, are "movable feasts" since Saudi used the lunar calendar.

Here's a site that'll give you the dates:

http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/dates.htm

In 2011, for example

Eid-al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) August 30, 2011

this means that you likely won't be getting any Eid al Fitr (nor will you for quite a few years afterwards) since the Eids will fall during what's summer holiday for most.

But Eid-al-Adha (10th Zul-Hijjah) falls on November 06, 2011 (and it'll move about two weeks "backward" every year), so you'll be getting that holiday (inshallah.)

How many days you get can vary, depending on what day the Eid starts - and sometimes depending on where you work.

See what I mean about "a difficult question?"

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

Summer leave is all in one chunk and it is usually 45-60 days. There are a very few employers in the Middle East who allow you to leave when finals end and come back by first day of classes with no one counting. This can add up to about 3 months off in the summer. Many are going the other way and requiring everyone to teach summer school and they are the ones that only give 45 days.

Many university level jobs have a couple weeks between semester where you may be able to travel.

As John said, Eid al Fitr is moving into summer, so that break is disappearing for a few years. Eid al Adha will provide a break during first semester of 3-10 days depending on its timing and where you are working. Saudi gives the longest Eid breaks... small private colleges in the other countries give the shortest.

Second semester is going to be turning into a marathon with no breaks to speak of for the next few years. You could have a 5-6 month run in country. It all depends on your employer.

VS

[Skyblue2]

[scot47]

Contractually 60 days is what it says Also Eid at Hajj and end of Ramadan

[veiledsentiments]