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gonadicus
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 10:15 am Post subject: Leaving KSA Before Contract Expiration? |
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Having read accounts of miserable lives of some in Saudi Arabia, I am concerned that should I take a position there and find the situation unacceptably bad, I might not be able to leave at a time that I want. Also, if the security situation deteriorated badly, could you leave immediately?
Some questions in this regard
1. Is it possible to leave positions at the initiative of the employee in the KSA before the expiration of the contract period?
2. Do employing organizations keep their employees passports or have control over when they leave?
3. Do you need an exit visa, or some other exiting documentation that is controlled by the employer, to leave the country?
4. Do employing organizations typically or often refuse to allow unhappy employees to leave the country?
5. If someone were desperately unhappy in their job in the KSA or if the security situation were really bad, could they do a runner by leaving through a Saudi airport or perhaps by exiting from the Middle East from Bahrain?
Of course, I wouldn't want to resort to such extremes, but I wouldn't like the idea of living in a dangerous situation or working under conditions that resemble servitude from which there are severely restricted means of escape. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 10:50 am Post subject: |
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It depends on your employer. Good employers will let you have a multiple exit visa and have your passport. The bad ones will treat you like an indentured servant and make it impossible to leave unless they give the say-so.
Go for one of the first group ! |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 11:28 am Post subject: Re: Leaving KSA Before Contract Expiration? |
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| gonadicus wrote: |
| Also, if the security situation deteriorated badly, could you leave immediately? |
It depends on the type of the security situation and on your state of mind!
You know anything seriously can happen anywhere in the world, does not matter if it is in New York, London, or Riyadh!
I think before you come to KSA, you should switch on your expectations to the lower scale (less than 10), so that if anything happen to you in KSA, you will not be surprised.
| Quote: |
| Is it possible to leave positions at the initiative of the employee in the KSA before the expiration of the contract period? |
Yes it is possible, with a condition that you have to pay your employer 02 months of your salary. If you are lucky, and with mutual agreement with your employer, you may be allowed to leave before the expiry date of your contract without paying the penalty.
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| If someone were desperately unhappy in their job in the KSA or if the security situation were really bad, could they do a runner by leaving through a Saudi airport or perhaps by exiting from the Middle East from Bahrain? |
Without an exit visa you cannot escape from KSA using legal exit routes. BUT, in case of a security reasons, you can contact your embassy, they may arrange for your security by asking you not to exit from your house, which means you will be under voluntary �house arrest� until things are secure! 
Gonadicus, I think you are a little bit influenced by the Media about KSA in you home country. I think they are exaggerating about security in KSA, and I think you will be much safer here in KSA than in any street of Manhattan, Boston, London, or Moscow.
Take it from me, Gonadicus, put your expectations �switch� on lower scale and do not worry too much about security issue in the magic kingdom. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Is it possible to leave positions at the initiative of the employee in the KSA before the expiration of the contract period? |
People break contracts here just as they do anywhere else, but the catch is that you need an exit visa in order to, well, exit. See below. Some places have a probationary period (usually three months) after which time either party can terminate the employment, and it is not seen as a breach of contract by either side.
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| Do employing organizations keep their employees passports or have control over when they leave? |
Most do, but some allow employees to retain their passports. In any case, a passport is virtually useless without the all-important exit visa.
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| Do you need an exit visa, or some other exiting documentation that is controlled by the employer, to leave the country? |
Yes you do. Some places allow employees multiple exit-reentry visas and let you keep your passport, which means you can come and go just as you would in any other country. Others only allow you single-entry visas and keep your passport, meaning that you have to have their express permission to leave the country, even if it's only to hop over to Bahrain for the weekend.
| Quote: |
| Do employing organizations typically or often refuse to allow unhappy employees to leave the country? |
I don't know if I can answer the 'typically' question, but I think if an employee is obviously miserable and therefore not doing his-her job well, then most employers will let you leave. But legally they are of course not obliged to.
| Quote: |
If someone were desperately unhappy in their job in the KSA or if the security situation were really bad, could they do a runner by leaving through a Saudi airport or perhaps by exiting from the Middle East from Bahrain?
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So long as you have an exit visa, you can leave without further complications.
Seriously, though, I agree with Abba and think it's odd that you are contemplating coming to live in a country where you think there is a high chance that you will be 'unhappy' and compelled to 'escape'. I think you need to understand that while the chances of political unrest are higher in Saudi Arabia than they are in, say, Sweden or New Zealand, this is not Iraq or Gaza. Yes, there have been occasional incidents where foreigners have been targetted and killed by militants, and I would say it's very likely that such isolated incidents will continue to occur in the foreseeable future. However, Riyadh and Jeddah are not war zones. The biggest 'threats' most people face are boredom and less than scrupulous employers. And I suppose there's the whole issue of the self-fulfilling prophecy: if you come here with a siege mentality, expecting to feel 'miserable', doubtless that is exactly how you will end up feeling. |
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Van Norden
Joined: 23 Oct 2004
Posts: 409
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 5:30 am Post subject: Re: Leaving KSA Before Contract Expiration? |
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| gonadicus wrote: |
| I am concerned that should I take a position there and find the situation unacceptably bad, I might not be able to leave at a time that I want. |
This is a real possibility, but are you thinking in days or months here? Unless you become one of the rare horror stories, the worst you'll be looking at is probably a few months waiting until your next holiday.
| gonadicus wrote: |
| Also, if the security situation deteriorated badly, could you leave immediately? |
Possibly not. But this is an unlikely, worst-case scenario. If you've got a good job offer I wouldn't be dissuaded by this risk.
Back in 2003-2004, when it was dangerous to be here, many people left. I'm not sure how many teflers found themselves trapped here against their will.
The biggest security worry is a potential revolution, rather than sporadic attacks on infidel whiteys like you and me. This was my main worry in 2004, given the almost universal sympathy to Al Qaeda here. Thankfully, this sympathy is mostly sentimental and averse to the more extreme elements (eg, sawing off heads on the internet.)
| gonadicus wrote: |
| 2. Do employing organizations keep their employees passports or have control over when they leave? |
What do you mean?
Going by your profile, I don't see why you can't make a go of it in Saudi Arabia. If you get a good job and good accommodation, and you're able to save money, it's possible that you and the Missus will be quite content here. The ones that suffer the most are the young(er) singles. |
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huntjuliehunt
Joined: 09 May 2007
Posts: 87
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:45 am Post subject: oh |
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oh
Last edited by huntjuliehunt on Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 7:41 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Is it only an employer who can provide you with an exit visa? |
If you are a foreign resident in KSA, only your sponsor can arrange for you to be issued with an exit visa. Unless you are a foreign woman married to a Saudi man, your sponsor will almost certainly be your employer.
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| If a teacher has a multiple entry-exit visa, is that, in itself, an exit visa? |
Um..... yeah. What else could it be?
BTW I have been told that 'the authorities' are no longer issuing multiple exit-reentry visas to mere teachers. Any truth to this wild rumour? |
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gonadicus
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 10:52 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the informative replies. Much appreciated! |
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