Job Discussion Forums

[cary.s.martin]

Hello!

My husband and I are currently teaching in China and planning on staying one more year but then we were thinking of moving the Middle East (specifically Saudi Arabia) and I was wondering what it is like for a woman to teach of there.

I have heard mixed reactions and I was wondering what the best way to go about finding a good job for both my husband and myself. We will have two years experience and also our TEFL.

I was also curious about being a woman and over there. Some people are saying that I should steer clear but I would just like some ideas of teachers who are there and their experiences.

Any feedback would be amazing!

Thanks!

Cary

[Mia Xanthi]

I am a woman, and I've been over here for quite some time. It is not a particularly difficult place for a woman to live. The two biggest difficulties are easy to overcome. One is wearing the abaya, which actually most people find eventually to be less of a problem than a convenience. The other is the fact that you cannot drive...but your husband can drive you or you can take a taxi. You will only be allowed to teach women, and they are usually pleasant and fun to be around. If you behave modestly and do not call attention to yourself, you will probably have no more problems here than you would any other place.

If you have a husband to run interference for you, you're way ahead of the game here. However, you should only consider coming if you both have jobs. The biggest problem that married stay-at-home wives face is boredom...and that can be a killer in the Kingdom. There is nothing to do here but work, so make sure you have work.

[veiledsentiments]

Since it sounds from your post as if you know little about living or working in the Gulf, the first question that I would ask myself is "why Saudi?" Why not Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, or Oman? Saudi Arabia is the only country that makes women comply with local dress codes and restrictions. In all the other Gulf countries, it is more relaxed and you can within common sense wear your usual clothing and drive a car.

The next question is whether with your qualifications and experience if you really want to come to the Gulf. Are you only going for a perceived high salary or are you interested in experiencing "the culture?" In the Gulf, the high paying jobs with good benefits and working conditions normally require an MA and experience. There are a few employers who will hire with a BA +CELTA, but they also normally like to see more years of experience. Also, experience in Asia tends to be more focused on conversation classes. In the Gulf, the students will talk to excess and the majority of the teaching is focused on Academic reading and writing.

Most people who tell you to steer clear of the Middle East are those that know little or nothing about it and have never been there. Outside of Saudi Arabia, there are many single female teachers who teach there for years as I did and enjoyed it (and there are a few in Saudi). There are also many teaching couples.

I would spend some teach using the search on the different branches and reading around.

VS

[Cleopatra]

[Sheikh N Bake]

[cary.s.martin]

Thank you for all the advice! My husband and I are looking to make some money over there and then hopefully save up enough to go back to the states and get our Masters. I will for sure research around the area.

How are the students over there? I have heard that they can be difficult, is that true?

[Sheikh N Bake]

You can make the same money in the UAE and be free to dress as you like, drink, dance, drive and work. My wife and I simply avoided blowing our money on amusements and new SUVs like the other knuckleheads there. But we still went out and had a good time, lived a normal life, and saved as much as anyone could in Saudi.

[Mia Xanthi]

[scot47]

KSA is okay. I have grown rather attached to the place over the years. As for Dubai and the UAE - words fail me ! (Although Al Ain is rather nice !

[balqis]

Good that somebody left his/her words of warning, Shake and Bake, to the thread at stake, which otherwise would be a seriously fake image [ of propaganda??];

balqis, the bitterly in love with Arabia...

[sheikh radlinrol]

[adorabilly]

[Sheikh N Bake]

Mia, I understand. I mentioned filthy streets only in passing. If you re-examine the original post, you will see that the poster wants to know whether to steer clear of Saudi altogether or if the place is worth it. The sentence of yours that I quoted sums up Saudi fairly well, I think.

Sheikh R....sure, "other people" as long as you don't get arrested because you're not supposed to be with them. Those hobbies and activites you mention are fine in and of themselves, but for many, not enough. I wrote a chapter or two of a book while I was there, but that was not enough. Internet and so on is available in most other countries, which in addition offer BASIC things like...dressing as you please...having a cup of coffee with a member of the opposite sex who is not a close relative...going shopping without worrying about when the next prayer-time closure is...going to the movies... enjoying driving if you're a woman (I enjoy driving; why shouldn't a woman?)... 'nuff said?

[Gulezar]

You will be lucky if you are in a compound that has one. If not, good luck at finding a public pool that has hours that work with your schedule. Many of the public pools have hours for the stay at home Saudi moms. The expensive hotels may also have hours for Saudis.

If you like to run, jog or even power walk, you may have to forget it. It has been said many times before, Saudi depends on your employer and compound. You will have fewer avenues to change a bad scene in Saudi. You have more options to find friends, do outdoor activities and explore in other countries in the Gulf.

If you don't mind being cloistered, then Saudi will not be a hardship.

[sheikh radlinrol]