Job Discussion Forums

[stoth1972]

Hi there:

It's been a while since I solicited advice on eslcafe! A female friend of mine (from Canada) recently married an Egyptian man. They're moving to Jeddah in September as he's taken a job working for the royal family. She is an experienced ESL teacher and plans to seek out work.

1) Any ideas of where she should apply?

2) I need a no holds barred female perspective of life there. She's a free spirit, and has spent 2 years in the Middle East already. What's her daily life going to be like?

3) Since she's married to a Muslim man, what sort of exectations are there for her?

4) What's a good teaching salary there? Or at least, what range can she expect since she'll be applying for the job within the country?

5) Spouse working for the royal family? Double edged sword or win-win?

Thanks for your feedback!

[Cleopatra]

1) Any ideas of where she should apply?

There are two "Ladies" colleges in Jeddah which employ female ESL teachers. They are Effat College and Dar Al Hekma. Both have reasonably good reputations. In theory at least, both require teachers to have MAs in a related subject, but they may waive the rules if they need someone badly enough.

One option your friend could look into is that of giving private lessons, either from her home or (more likely) those of the students. There is a big demand for native-speaking English teachers - especially women - and if she got some reliable students, it could be a handy source of income, without the hassles of getting a full-time job.

2) I need a no holds barred female perspective of life there. She's a free spirit, and has spent 2 years in the Middle East already. What's her daily life going to be like?

That depends. The more obvious restrictions on women in KSA are well-known - the driving ban, dress code etc. However, when you talk to female expats, almost invariably they'll tell you that it's not any of these things, but the "little things" (which in fact aren't so little) that get them down over time. That said, most women do adapt to life here, and Jeddah is certainly a much nicer place to live than Riyadh, for example. Much will also depend - as in any country - on your friend's personal circumstances, her job (if any), place of residence, social network etc. There's no way for any of us to say what this will be like, in the absense of a crystal ball.

3) Since she's married to a Muslim man, what sort of exectations are there for her?

Assuming her husband is not a Saudi, the "expectations" of her will be no different than those for any other non Saudi woman.

4) What's a good teaching salary there? Or at least, what range can she expect since she'll be applying for the job within the country?

Since you haven't given us any details of your friend's qualifications and experience - other than to say she is "experienced" - it is impossible to answer this question with any degree of certainty. If she gets a full-time post at either of the colleges mentioned above, she can expect at least 8,000 SAR a month. Other colleges may pay less. Since your friend will be on a "local" contract, she may not be eligible for many of the benefits which go with teaching jobs, such as housing and kids' education allowances.


5) Spouse working for the royal family? Double edged sword or win-win?

Again, impossible to say. There are many thousands of members of the Saudi royal family, so there is no way of knowing if the people your friend's husband will be working for will be good employers. The only thing I would say is that, despite the images that the name "royal" might conjure up, working for these families isn't neccessarily remotely "glamorous". In fact, it could be very lonely and isolating, as you won't have the peer network which work in a college or other organisation can provide.

[stoth1972]

To address a few things I left out: She has 5 years ESL experience. 2 of those years have been at the university level in Oman and the UAE. She had a Masters in a non-related subject.

Are there any public beaches where she can swim and sunbathe? What about clubs for women (she likes to swim)?

They are not going to be living on a compound. What are the advantages and disadvantages to this? How do compounds operate? I've heard stories of compounds that contain grocery stores, cinemas, restaurants, etc. I would expect security around compounds to be quite tight these days. People who enter must be residents or guests of residents?

Having lived in the Middle East for 5 years myself, I know there are subtle social rules that are never really explained. When living in Egypt, it rarely paid to be friendly and chatty (by North American definition) to a vendor you had never met. That behaviour from a foreigner was often miscontrued. Does a woman have to be any more guarded in Saudi than she is in Egypt, Oman or the UAE?

Thanks very much for your input. It's very helpful, and I think will aide in putting her family's fears to rest.

[Cleopatra]

"She has 5 years ESL experience. 2 of those years have been at the university level in Oman and the UAE. She had a Masters in a non-related subject."

In that case, your friend will be seen as an excellent candidate in "Ladies" universities. The only problem that might arise is that many of these places are "Saudiising" and may be under pressure to employ Saudi women as teachers. Because there is a bias towards "native speaking" ESL teachers, our "profession" is one of the least affected by the Saudiisation drive, but it can still be an issue.

[stoth1972]

I asked about the beaches as a current Jeddah resident advised me there is a beach where all the foreigners go. Of course it sounds odd, that's what I'm asking it here. Thanks for you comments otherwise.

[Jim Bigelow]

Hi Stoth1972,

How are you? Hope all's well!

Just to throw my pennies worth into the hat; according to conversations with some expats there are private beaches where just about everything takes place. They are open to the public (non-Saudis etc) and this is well known amongst the expats community. I wouldn't say that 'all' the expats go there by any means but many do.

Take it easy!

[High Plains Drifter]

[Jim Bigelow]

Howdy High Plains Drifter!

Well I'd guess probably everything Haram is going down at that beach but each to their own right? Just don't cry when you get picked up that's all! After all, we don't listen to the cries of those people breaking our laws back home do we?

Cheers!