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masee
Joined: 04 Feb 2011
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 5:56 pm Post subject: Good idea or bad... |
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Flying to KSA without a job in place? Anyone here done it in Saudi or anywhere else in the Middle East? I've been looking at Dammam. How difficult is it to get hired on the ground and what are the prospects as far as salary. I'm hoping for $3000 and accommodation. If this seems like a bad idea, I'll probably just head to Korea. Thanks and please, please weigh in.
Oh, about me: BA, CELTA, 8 months experience in South America. |
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Bebsi
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 958
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Flying to KSA without a job in place? Anyone here done it in Saudi or anywhere else in the Middle East? |
I don't know about other places in the Gulf, but no-one's ever done it in Saudi simply because it cannot be done. You enter Saudi on a work visa, which is applied for by your employer to get you there, on a foreign-hire contract.
Some people are brought in by employers on business visas, but this is (technically) illegal, and you still need to have a job already sorted out. It is not generally advisable, but it might suit some, especially those on very short contracts.
The only people who find work on local-hire contracts are those who enter the kingdom on family visas, e.g. with spouses, but salaries are normally a lot less, and you don't sound like you're in that category anyway.
Basically, you must find a job before you go to Saudi. With your combination of qualifications and insubstantial level of experience, you are only likely to find the most basic entry-level jobs, and these are usually with the not-so-reputable employers - to put it mildly! Do an MA or a diploma in TEFL, plus get three or four years' experience elsewhere, and then you're talking business. Even so, for the best jobs, prior Saudi experience is a near-necessity.
From your questions, you have clearly not done any research whatsoever. Why don't you go through the Saudi threads in this forum, and read the ones that appear relevant. Anyone who goes to Saudi without being well-prepared is courting trouble. With what you seem to know about the place so far, you'd be a gazelle entering the cheetah enclosure! I don't mean this is a disrespectful way, but simply as a word of advice. |
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Montanaland
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 60
Location: Bakken Oil Field
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:55 pm Post subject: $3,200 a month |
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| With your combination of qualifications and insubstantial level of experience, you are only likely to find the most basic entry-level jobs, and these are usually with the not-so-reputable employers - to put it mildly! |
Bebsi- Their are quite a few entry-level jobs advertised in Saudi Arabia requiring a Celta/1-2 years experience. I'm under the assumption that S.A. is about the only middle east country with reputable entry-level opportunities. I'm sure their are not-so-reputable employers out their ..but what other country could you save 2k a month at an entry level gig? Thanks for your input though! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:58 pm Post subject: Re: Good idea or bad... |
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| masee wrote: |
| Anyone here done it in Saudi or anywhere else in the Middle East? |
Not possible in Saudi or any of the Gulf countries. It is possible, for very low pay - local survival pay, to do so in North Africa or the Levant. But, if you are following the news the last few weeks and days, this might not be the time.
VS |
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masee
Joined: 04 Feb 2011
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Bebsi--perfect! Thanks. That's all I was looking for. And btw, the reason I asked was that I saw reference to people going into KSA on a tourist visa and being able to find a job on another thread, but it know appears that person didn't know what they were talking about. I hadn't seen that mentioned anywhere else so I thought I'd ask. Thanks for the recommendation as well, it's what I've been thinking, I'll probably bite the bullet and go back to school or Korea. Really appreciate it. |
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Sheikh N Bake
Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 1307
Location: Dis ting of ours
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:15 am Post subject: |
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[quote="masee"]I saw reference to people going into KSA on a tourist visa and being able to find a job on another thread
...there aren't any tourist visas to KSA, so far. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Sheik,
"Saudi Arabia Tourist Visa
All visitors require a visa to enter Saudi Arabia, and visas are only granted to those with sponsorship in the country. Tourist visas are granted only to selected groups on a limited basis, and all visitors to Saudi Arabia are required to have a valid passport with at least six months validity, in addition to the appropriate visa and a return ticket, with all necessary documents.
Due to the strict requirements of Saudi Arabia, women entering the Kingdom alone must be met by a sponsor or male relative and have confirmed accommodation for the duration of their stay. Additionally, entry may be refused to any visitor judged as behaving indecently, according to Saudi Arabia law and tradition."
And I can recall press coverage of some of the first "tourist groups" (I recall one was from Germany) who were allowed into the Kingdom back in 2002.
http://www.visabureau.com/worldwide/saudi-arabia-visa.aspx
Ah, but I guess they've stopped doing so:
"Saudi Arabia has stopped granting of visas to those who wish to visit the kingdom only for tourism, Gulf News learnt on Monday.
The kingdom issued 6,000 tourist visas in 2008, which rose to 20,000 in 2009. Many people mainly come for Haj, Umrah or to visit Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) mosque in Madinah, issued
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) declined to comment on the decision but chairman of the consultative committee for organisers of tourist trips Prince Abdullah Bin Saud said this issue would be discussed with the president of the SCTA after Eid to find solutions to the hurdles impeding investment in the field of tourism.
He said the people working in the tourism sector had been angered by the SCTA's decision to stop issuing tourist visas.
"This decision will not help develop domestic tourism," he said.
Prince Abdullah noted a great leap in the number of people visiting Saudi Arabia as normal tourists during the past few years.
He said the number of tourist visas grew from 6,000 to 20,000 in just a year. "Officials in the SCTA should encourage this trend instead of halting the issuance of tourist visas," he said." (September, 2010)
Regards,
John |
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Bebsi
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 958
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| Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:32 am Post subject: |
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Glad to have been of assistance, Masee.
| Quote: |
| Bebsi- Their are quite a few entry-level jobs advertised in Saudi Arabia requiring a Celta/1-2 years experience. I'm under the assumption that S.A. is about the only middle east country with reputable entry-level opportunities. I'm sure their are not-so-reputable employers out their ..but what other country could you save 2k a month at an entry level gig? Thanks for your input though! |
Montanaland, are 'their' usually mistakes like this when you write English? If you make a mistake once we can ascribe it to a typo; when one sees a repetition of the same error, one can only assume you don't know the correct usage. This is an error that elementary students usually make and should have quickly brought to their attention.
Your syntax isn't great either!
Someone with this poor ability at writing would deserve only the most basic entry-level job, if even that. |
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sheikh yer money-maker
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 79
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:41 am Post subject: |
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| They're, they're!!! |
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Montanaland
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 60
Location: Bakken Oil Field
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| Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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Hey lady-
That is the most common "usage callout" on this forum... congrats on that! Honestly...I along with most of my friends haven't taken an english course since maybe freshman yr in college? You will find that most young professionals sometimes make a usage mistake while quickly putting together a post to help the uninformed on some non-work related website like this one.
My interest in teaching esl starts and ends at this point with obtaining a Celta and then seeing if I even like it. Money is important...therefore all of those entry-level positions advertised in S.A. do get peoples attention.
I'm certainly not going to grow old and end up with NO money in the bank because I wanted to "tefl" for a decade..... while my peers in the insurance and banking industries retire in comfort.
I need to get back to watching my stock charts.
Advice to Beb's ...Pi## off! |
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