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Is living in Saudi really that bad???
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BretHarte



Joined: 17 Aug 2011
Posts: 94
PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's both business and normal visas. I think the next person with a "family emergency" is going to have an attending physician come over to ask for an exit visa in person.

It's also mostly recruiter based.
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dear BretHarte,

Thanks for the info - I hope you'll be able to disclose the name of the place after the "Christmas" break. Clearly, anyone thinking of going to Saudi should avoid applying there.

Regards,
John
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c_dange
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This may sound like a very odd and obvious question, but do you get a Christmas break in Saudi? Must you request this holiday...or are foreign workers at least offered the option of taking the day off? And would it be two days (Christmas Eve and Christmas) or just the one?

Am I totally dreaming here?
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dear c_dange,

No, which is why I used quotation marks. It's almost certainly the holiday associated with the Hajj. Al-Hijra / Muharram in 2011 will start on Saturday, the 26th of November and will continue for 29 days until Saturday, the 24th of December.

The only "religious holidays" one gets in Saudi are the Eids, the EId al Fatr (the end of Ramadan) in 2011 began at the end of August and the Eid al Adha (end of Hajj).

These are "movable feasts" (on the Western calendar). For next year (dates are approximate since, in Saudi, it depends on the sighting of the moon.)

AUG 2012 19 Sunday Eid-Ul-Fitr, Ramadan Ends
OCT 2012 26 Friday Eid-Ul-Adha

So, most will "miss" the Eid al Fitr holiday next year since, for most, it will fall during the summer break.

Depending on what day they begin, the Eid holidays can give you from five to 9 days of holiday (I THINK that's correct.)

Regards,
John
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posh



Joined: 22 Oct 2010
Posts: 430
PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
[quote="Badar Bin Bada Boom"][quote="posh"]
Badar Bin Bada Boom wrote:
DirtGuy wrote:



The comment by BBBB about working hours is nonsense. If I had to work that many hours I wouldn't be here. I do half that much.


You misunderstood. I said the total work week, not the contact hours. In any case, it depends on whether you work for some tertiary institution or a military-related employer. With the military you can make almost twice as much as at the universities/colleges but you'll most likely have a lot more contact hours.


Doubt that too. Most employers will want the teacher on site from 07.00 until at least 15.00, often until 16.00. That makes an 8 hour day = 40 hour week.
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Badar Bin Bada Boom



Joined: 01 Jun 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man
PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Uhm...you might do well to listen to colleagues who have spent years and years with various employers in the kingdom rather than just dismissing their comments. I do--I don't dismiss them out of hand. As for my present military-related position, we come in at 6:30 and go home at noon...yes, noon. In addition, every fourth Wed. is normally an off day while every other Wed. is truncated to about 9 am.

Last edited by Badar Bin Bada Boom on Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:08 pm; edited 1 time in total
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you feel compelled to convince the locals that your way of life is supertior, go and work as a missionary in Burkina Faso or the Solomoin Islands.
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Badar Bin Bada Boom



Joined: 01 Jun 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man
PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
My parents were missionaries for a long time, but in Europe. I always thought they should have found themselves in an oversized stew pot in the Congo.
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bulgogiboy



Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 803
PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
johnslat wrote:
Dear c_dange,

No, which is why I used quotation marks. It's almost certainly the holiday associated with the Hajj. Al-Hijra / Muharram in 2011 will start on Saturday, the 26th of November and will continue for 29 days until Saturday, the 24th of December.

The only "religious holidays" one gets in Saudi are the Eids, the EId al Fatr (the end of Ramadan) in 2011 began at the end of August and the Eid al Adha (end of Hajj).These are "movable feasts" (on the Western calendar). For next year (dates are approximate since, in Saudi, it depends on the sighting of the moon.)

AUG 2012 19 Sunday Eid-Ul-Fitr, Ramadan Ends
OCT 2012 26 Friday Eid-Ul-Adha

So, most will "miss" the Eid al Fitr holiday next year since, for most, it will fall during the summer break.

Depending on what day they begin, the Eid holidays can give you from five to 9 days of holiday (I THINK that's correct.)

Regards,
John


This is not true in the case of JEC-PT in Jazan, which is the workplace I think BretHarte may be referring to. There is a proper 2-week holiday which covers the full Christmas/new year period, although we were never allowed to actually call it "Christmas", for obvious reasons.

The mass exodus at Christmas sounds about right. Life in Jazan is rough. There might not be anyone left in January!!

The teachers who leave just get a regular exit/re-entry visa, and then simply don't re-enter. As it's a holiday anyway, getting the visa isn't an issue. If you hand in notice, even if it's the required 30 day notice, they penalise you very heavily, financially.
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Madman



Joined: 11 Jun 2007
Posts: 59
Location: Sand juggling in Qatar
PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:03 am    Post subject: That Saudi thing Reply with quote
Personally, I went to Saudi (Jubail) at a bad time - immedi