Job Discussion Forums

Deeman15 · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 50

I have some friends working for EdEx right now in Riyadh and they really like it. They've been treated pretty good apart from working double shifts for the first couple of weeks because of staff shortages. Apparently EdEx has a boatload of $$$ this year because of the KSU contract, so they're paying everything on time for once.

Its only been a month though so we'll see.

fledex · Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 342

Heard from a friend still working with them that they have held everybody up in Riyadh because of their teacher shortage for KSU. So people who were given contracts to go to other universities in Najran and other places have been stuck in Riyadh at considerably more expense, but not increased salary. When they do move them, you can expect that it will be on short notice, maybe less than 24 hour notice.

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

"Stuck" in Riyadh vs. the green, green fields of lilacs in and around Najran! Are you daft?

Najran is nowhere, man!

It's amazing that someone feels that Riyadh is worse than the middle of nowhere!

johnslat · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 10:19 pm Post subject:

Dear It's Scary,

Najran: nice place to visit, but . . . . . . . . Same with Khamis.

Regards,
John

gelynch52ph · Joined: 15 Feb 2011 Posts: 132

The only good things about Riyadh are the presence of lots of religious police and expensive shopping, along with the fact that the international airport is handy when you decide to run away.

Middle East Beast · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 836 Location: Up a tree

fledex · Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 342

Yeah, you have to like small, cooler, greener, mountainous, friendlier, and inexpensive to enjoy Najran or some of the other places outside Riyadh. They aren't the big city.

johnslat · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 7:23 pm Post subject:

Dear fledex,

Actually, I did like Najran and Khamis - but I was there only as a tourist. I'm unsure how it would be to live there for, say, a year.

Regards,
John

posh · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 430

Riyadh must rate as the world's worst city. At least Baghdad, Sanaa and Mogadishu have a bit of life.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Riyadh is much nicer than Dacca, or Sanaa.

johnslat · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 12:27 pm Post subject:

Dear posh,

"At least Baghdad, Sanaa and Mogadishu have a bit of life."

And death.

Regards,
John

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Sanaa was up until the last year or so, not an unpleasant place to live. Many expats loved their experience there, but few of them stayed beyond 2 to 3 years because the pay was so low.

As to Baghdad, prior to 1990, it was a great place to live for expats (fun, interesting, safe) and the vast majority of Iraqis (as long as they stayed out of politics). Rather similar to Damascus, there weren't that many EFL jobs because they actually use Arabic in their universities rather than the counter-productive use of English in the Gulf countries.

VS

Mike E · Joined: 06 Oct 2011 Posts: 132

fledex · Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 342

Word is that it is just as bad this year as any of the previous years.

fledex · Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 342

Just had a chat with four teachers still with Edex, 3 men and one woman. Work on the women's side at KSU doesn't seem so bad. The male side seems pretty grim still. The women, however, have been moved into the regular housing from hotels they were staying in. It is much further from their work and substandard. They don't seem very please with the move. Nothing seems to be changing. Oh, and they were given less than 24 hours notice before the move, once again.