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maniac
Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 15
Location: Global
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 Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:49 pm Post subject: Al AHSA |
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| Are there any Saffers in al ahsa? I want to know more about the place. |
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Arabian Hawk
Joined: 12 Jul 2009
Posts: 79
Location: Mystical Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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Al Ahsa is full of dates, sand, camels and sun. The people are genuinely friendly, hospitable and welcoming. A great place to visit on any weekend escape from Dammam, Riyadh or Jubail.  |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:41 am Post subject: |
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Al Ahsa or Hassa is a manily agricultural district. Hofuf is the man town and was the centre of adminstration in Ottoman times.
The HQ of King Faisal Uni is there - with a branch (for Medicine ?) in Dammam. |
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Travels
Joined: 03 Feb 2008
Posts: 19
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 4:33 am Post subject: |
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I'm thinking about a job in Al Ahsa - am I crazy? I just had a student from Saudi here in New Zealand tell me not to go there because there's nothing to do. That doesn't worry me so much (from the comfort of my life here in Auckland) but..... am I being realistic?
How hard is life in a smaller city in Saudi (Hofuf, maybe?) for a western woman alone? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 5:28 am Post subject: |
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| Travels wrote: |
I'm thinking about a job in Al Ahsa - am I crazy? I just had a student from Saudi here in New Zealand tell me not to go there because there's nothing to do. That doesn't worry me so much (from the comfort of my life here in Auckland) but..... am I being realistic?
How hard is life in a smaller city in Saudi (Hofuf, maybe?) for a western woman alone? |
Not only that, there's been sectarian violence in Al Ahsa. But frankly, if you have to ask, then you really should stick with the major cities like Jeddah, Dammam, and Riyadh. Check out Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), Prince Sultan University (PSU), and Community College - Dammam to see if your qualifications match what they're looking for. Their recruitment season may have already wrapped up, so don't get discouraged if you don't see current ads for English foundation year teachers on their websites --- just check back over the next few months to see if they need teachers for the start of the 2017. |
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Travels
Joined: 03 Feb 2008
Posts: 19
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 7:51 am Post subject: |
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As always, thanks Nomad Soul. Where have you heard about the violence?
Would you, personally, have ever considered going to a region like that to teach in Saudi? (I know you're not teaching over there at the moment.)
The position is with a college of excellence - the salary is okay and they provide accommodation, which seems is a bit hard to find at the direct-hire university positions. |
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RustyShackleford
Joined: 13 May 2013
Posts: 449
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 8:07 am Post subject: |
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I've heard nothing good about Al-Ahsa's students.
I once talked to a woman living in Hofuf though and she seemed to be managing okay. Realistically, sectarian violence is unlikely to involve you unless you go to mosques often.
However, if by "okay" salary you mean 12,000 or so, I'd rather be in Dammam or Jubail. |
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Travels
Joined: 03 Feb 2008
Posts: 19
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 8:17 am Post subject: |
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Thanks.
The salary is more like 15,000 which is more than I was offered direct-hire at a uni in Jeddah. |
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RustyShackleford
Joined: 13 May 2013
Posts: 449
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 8:28 am Post subject: |
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| 15,000 isn't a bad chunk of change although still not sure I would do it in Hofuf proper. Allows you to go to Bahrain every now and again while still socking some cash away AND having some to live off of in the Kingdom proper. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 11:06 am Post subject: |
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| Travels wrote: |
As always, thanks Nomad Soul. Where have you heard about the violence?
Would you, personally, have ever considered going to a region like that to teach in Saudi? (I know you're not teaching over there at the moment.) |
See http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/saudi-arabia-egyptian-al-ahsa-mosque-bombers-160202043147325.html. Don't expect violence to remain in isolated areas given the current state of dissention in that governorate and in the region. (Maybe that's why that 15,000 SR you were offered is above average.) So if you choose to live/work in a city where there have been incidents, be very cognizant/realistic that the situation could spread so that you can adjust your life accordingly. That said, regardless of where you teach in KSA, expect to be one of X number of single, western teachers in your teaching community. You won't be alone.
As for me... My experiences and background greatly differ from yours. Case in point, KSA was the third ME country I've lived in and I speak functional Arabic. I also experienced the Arab Spring first hand in 2011 in the MENA and have worked on a US State Dept. project in a war zone country (with danger pay) elsewhere in the ME. However, my personal and professional reasons for working in X country/area weren't money focused. Plus, my qualifications opened more opportunities.
| and Travels wrote: |
| The position is with a college of excellence - the salary is okay and they provide accommodation, which seems is a bit hard to find at the direct-hire university positions. |
Your main problem is your timing; you missed the 2016-2017 recruitment season for direct-hire opportunities. You're just now applying for positions when most universities are presently in the process of booking flights to bring new visa-holding teachers in country over the next few weeks. If you can hold off until March/April of next year, then do so. Otherwise, you're limited to a few direct-hire openings and lots of ads for contracting companies. Also be realistic about your qualifications; direct-hire employers tend to be very specific about which degree levels and majors they will accept. |
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lizzydizzy
Joined: 21 Jul 2016
Posts: 46
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| Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 3:05 am Post subject: |
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| 15,000 riyals is a good salary for Saudi Arabia? |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
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| Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 8:50 am Post subject: |
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| lizzydizzy wrote: |
| 15,000 riyals is a good salary for Saudi Arabia? |
It's US$4000/month. That's at least double what you'd get in the US for a similar job. I know teachers accepting around SAR9000/month coming over.
The hardest thing for people to accept is the new reality. But it is what it is anymore. And there have been plenty (for at least a year) of warnings.
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 7:48 am Post subject: |
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Factor in that you are not paying in for accommodation and that you have no payroll deductions. It is okay. Saudi Arabia is different though - especially for females. Will you be able to handle the way things are ?
I did it on and off for many years. I accepted my lot |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:00 am Post subject: |
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| 15,000 SAR plus accommodation is a good offer. Many of the CoE providers are paying around this number for qualified people and I would go. If you don't like Saudi then leave after a year with a wad of cash in your pocket. |
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