Job Discussion Forums

shfranke · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 11:09 pm Post subject: KAUST

Greetings.

Have any ads appeared for ESL teachers / course developers at the new (and huge) King Abdulaziz University of Science and Technology (KAUST)?

KAUST was about to hire away some of the ESL teachers employees of Vinnell Arabia (they were teaching at the SA National Guard's EL School on the Khashem al-An Military Complex near Riyadh) when I was there the end of 2007. While many of those ESL teachers had been there for several years, KAUST reportedly was dangling some very attractive contract packages.

Life in Riyadh is what you make of it. Having friends in the Saudi population and in expat communities **outside your company's own compound** helps avoid terminal boredom and occasional bouts of "expat housing compound fever" [aka cabin fever].

Plenty of glitzy and ornate super-malls -- most of them European/French franchisees -- abound along the several ring roads and in the "new downtown" section of Riyadh. Most super-malls also have abundant fast food outlets (US, UK, Asian, European, etc.).

Foreigners are safe when walking in Riyadh, including in evening time. That said, driving in the midst of (ahem) unpredictable traffic is an adventure (especially beware the "Saudi swoop" when a driver suddenly moves across all lanes, without any warning of turn signals).

Regards,

Stephen H. Franke
San Pedro, California

"Life's OK in KSA when you know what to expect."

shfranke · Last edited by shfranke on Mon May 18, 2009 11:21 pm; edited 1 time in total

Greetings again.

My "whoops" is in order for posting my query. My apologies.

I just found the thread further down inside here about KAUST.

Still glad to advise about living, working and thriving in Riyadh and Eastern Province (spent some time there on short-term military training projects with hosting SANG units).

Regards,

Stephen H. Franke
San Pedro, California
(Saudi Arabia x 3, UAE, Egypt, Sudan,
Jordan x 3, Turkey, Oman, and Iraqi Kurdistan)

freesoul · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:23 am Post subject: Re: KAUST

007 · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:49 am Post subject:

Don't worry freesoul, I am sure King Abdullah will not object to that! He is the son of late King AbdulAziz. Laughing

isabel · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth

From the people I know in admin at KAUST, there will not be any undergraduate program at all, let alone an ESL program.

They will be having their own international schools after a while (primary and secondary) and maybe then there will be jobs for English instruction.

trapezius · Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 11:58 pm Post subject:

^ "ESL Instructor" and "ESL Manager" jobs are currently advertised on their own website, for the university itself, not for the schools for children of employees.

isabel · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth

Oops! My Bad. Must have been old info.

Good luck- the place sounds good by Saudi standards.