Job Discussion Forums

[hocus pocus]

So glad to finally be out of that hell-hole and the administration managed by the hockey coach. Off to greener pastures. The rumor is, the hockey coach's brother was banished from KSA to the UAE. Funny.

[nomad soul]

Nothing new---more gossip about the management of an outfit that has had a bad reputation for years.

As always, those applying to ads in KSA need to do their research on this company and others to determine if they can hack the job and living in KSA.

[bagua8]

Having worked at Shabaka for two years and having heard some real horror stories from people who have worked at other outfits, I think Shabaka is a reasonable employer for KSA. For me, the crappiness of Saudi in general was a much greater burden than anything specifically work related.

[HavCrick]

[nickelgoat]

.....

[AbeCross]

[cyclistlongdistancerunner]

I worked for Shabaka in 2011 - 2012. I have no complaints about the place. I have no complaints about the brothers who run the ship. Nobody asked me to write this post.

The Sadoon Brothers who own Shabika were generous to a fault; all salaries paid on time, holiday pay, etc..

This is a very good entry level job for Saudi. There is a decent enough Villa Complex with a swimming pool, a well equipped gym, and a rec room with large screen TV, etc.. There are plenty of paid breaks to leave the country. I have no hesitation recommending them to new teachers looking for their first gig in Saudi.

Any questions or concerns, people can PM me.

Best
Moonboots (Kangoojumps boy)

[coder]

delete

[hocus pocus]

Yes, they do pay on time. But, the compound is horrid - bad plumbing, alarms going off at all hours, electrical problems. And, it was reported that a female staff member was assaulted on the compound. Not a physical assault, but one where a meeting took place and the female was in a small room with one of the admins who was screaming at her and she couldn't leave because the door was blocked.

PM me for details.

[plumpy nut]

[hocus pocus]

[nickelgoat]

.....

[teacherwhy16?]

Hey Hocus Pocus,

Thanks for reminding me how happy I am to be out of there! I hated that compound. Living there during construction sucked even more than normal. Everything always broke...even after it was "fixed." I've heard there is a termite issue now. Nothing's real wood though, so what do they eat?

I heard about a woman who was yelled at by management, if it is the same incident. I heard nothing about the coach's brother being banished. If it is true, then it was kept well under wraps in certain corners of the compound. I've also heard things on the female side are more chill this year. Management on that side has changed constantly in recent years-lots of turmoil. If what I have heard is true, maybe the Saadouns will be smart enough not to screw it up.

To the poster who said the Saadouns are generous....lol! You must never have agreed to work overtime and gotten screwed. Or had flight money issues after promises were made (for the record, I got all my flight money but know several others who did not). I've heard that certain kinds of OT are being paid out at a lower rate this year. The money isn't great (in KSA terms), but at other institutions, it was all about the contractor. The Saadouns want their cut! I think that can be said for KSA in general.

As nomad soul said, it's about whether you can hack it. As for Bagua8, well, for me, work related issues were equal to living there. However, Shabaka did have several people come from other outfits that told me that some things were worse at the old jobs, and I know of people making better money for sure-but not necessarily in better conditions. I think it's a much of a muchness. One thing that Shabaka has going for it is that there are some ways for the teachers to deal with the students, although they may be a pain to track.

[cyclistlongdistancerunner]

I am writing this post for the benefit of prospective native speaker/teachers looking at Saudi Arabia. This is with specific reference to working for Shabaka/the Sadoon Brothers at King Faisal University, Al Ahsa - Eastern Province, KSA.

I worked for Shabaka in 2011 - 2012. I had no problems whatsoever with either the Management or the Sadoon Brothers with respect to getting overtime pay. The end of contract bonus was quite generous as I recall because it fully covered the month of June, when in fact we only worked for a few days that month.

Unlike many other contractors, the Sadoon brothers, ALWAYS paid on time and in full. I met them on many occasions and they were always gracious and charming. But more than anything the Sadoons took care of a situation in Autumn 2012, when I could not return to Saudi Arabia, and told me not to worry about it. They acted as gentlemen in the truest sense of the word on that occasion.

The Compound was decent. There were some problems with the electricity and construction which are fairly symptiomatic of Saudi Arabia. There was a decent swimming pool open all year (although it seemed I was one of the few using it on a daily basis in winter!).

There were many paid breaks through the academic year. Flights were paid both to and from KSA at the beginning and end of the school year. A very decent weight training gym appeared in the middle of the year. A decent rec room with games and big screen TV. Lots of compound parties, playing soccer, etc.. Trips to Dammam for Megamall shopping every couple weeks, etc..

There are some individuals who have obviously developed some very serious conflicts with the management. They post here a lot with respect to Shabaka.

I can only say that my experience was good and I remain on good terms with most everyone to this day.

This is a very good and decent entry level teaching position for English teachers coming to Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Best
Kangoojumps

[plumpy nut]

You wouldn't happen to be Shabaka management would you? For some reason it kind of seems that you are.