Job Discussion Forums

[arabesque]

I've spoken to a direct hire who said he was not paid for the first four months. I've spoken to other direct hires who also described both visa problems and paycheck problems. Getting paid for overtime is a real issue, and direct hires are the ones who are most frequently offered the overtime. One person told me they hadn't been paid in almost a year, and didn't want to do overtime anymore. Others have not been reimbursed for business expenses--usually, in the U.S., you get this money back quickly. But in Saudi, there are sometimes delays.

Nobody really knows for sure why, as far as I can tell. And those who do know for sure won't tell you. But they all said that, at some point, the money is paid, and the paycheck catches up.

But these direct hires had no complaints that they voiced to me, not even about the money issues! They are happy to be here with their families, and they all brought enough money to buy a TV right away, and get by.

If you come to Saudi, be prepared. It is not like where you have come from.

It is also good to come with a hobby in mind, or some kind of project to do that is healthy and won't harm you, like learning a new foreign language, working on your abs, or getting your Master's online. Television also seems to help most people make a good adjustment. Things aren't perfect here--the internet can go in and out, your housing may not be ideal....

But for me, the housing was really the best part of the contract. I got a very nice house, with great furnishings.

There is very little crime, people are quite nice, you can find very good food, and the landscapes are incredible. The nights are quiet and filled with stars.

Very occasionally, you will have to do something like kill a baby tarantula in your kitchen.

I've noticed that the biggest complainers by far are usually single people--childless, unmarried women and confirmed bachelor men. If you have a family with you, it is definitely easier--you've brought your home along, and you will become busy with the same things you were busy with before, like helping with homework, finding sports teams for your kids, etc. Some women come, saying they hope to find husbands here. That seems pretty complicated, though, because dating is technically not allowed.

Unmarried men and women cannot even be in the same car together here, without some kind of provision. You can be arrested. You do have to be careful, especially outside your compound.

Other frustrations can build when two spouses come together, and one is employed, but the other has to stay put on the compound all day with no job. In this case, television and a good internet backup seems to help people make better adjustments.

Saudi is a real learning process, but if you like a challenge, you should definitely come here. M Trading helped me get my job, and I would use them again. I recommend them highly. My university is has a great spirit, and I like my students very much. If you are a positive person and understand that you are living in a society that is run by different rules, you will do well wherever you go in Saudi.

Good luck!

[Cleopatra]

[bje]

[veiledsentiments]

I have heard tales of some Western converts who went to Saudi with the idea of snagging a rich Saudi husband. At least one of this bunch found one, but he wasn't Saudi.

We had a poster awhile back who openly posted here about her quest for the rich Mr Muslim Right. Last I heard she had been deported. How did you miss that one bje?

VS

[Sheikh N Bake]

He was looking for Miss Right Wing. She was merely Miss Right. No good.

[trapezius]

There are dozens of American (and some Brits also) women here married to rich Saudi husbands from big families. However, in the vast majority of those cases, the men picked the women up while studying in the US.