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Anyone have any pointers as to a married man working and residing in Saudi Arabia? What are the laws on yearly contracts i.e If he was to sign a yearly contract and found another job in the UAE and wanted to leave, how would he do this?

Any information at all on anything about living and working there would be greatly appreciated.

I know one thing about Saudi... Which is to say, keep the hell away from it!!!!

Why????

give me specifics............

NO, and I mean NO booze! he will suffer big time, although those in the "know" brew their own! hahahahahahahha

Thanks Yorky.............

Have you ever been there? Is there anything else you care to comment on....He was going to go there and we were going to go to Dubai....I'm certainly not going there that's for sure.

He is trying to get something at least in the ME then he can apply in the UAE once he's physically there.....I wonder about leaving his job before the year is up

I've been to Suadi Arabia a few times.

Living there and enjoying the same lifestyle you enjoyed back home -or in Dubai- is unrealistic.

BUT

It really depends on where you're working/living, Americans and Westerners in the oil business have their own little country called Aramco in Eastern Saudi Arabia, it has it's own police/cinemas/bars/nightclubs/sports complexes/schools/malls/Beaches ...etc. So if you happen to work/live there, you're in luck. (That is, if you want to do the same things you're used to doing).

If you don't work for the oil business, do not despair, if you have good qualifications, I'm almost certain they'd provide you with housing in a complex filled with westerners, with it's own amenities, you'll only have to get out for grocery shopping (unless they happen to have a mall/supermarket in the complex)....

No westerner is left to live in the desert near tribes and oil pipelines It is our colonial past and present military/economic might that ensures such privileges. If you were an Arab, it would be a different story though.

Being married solves half the problem, because as I understand , getting "laid" seems to be the major issue a lot of people complain about.

A little more detail on the nature of your job and the salary/bonuses promised would be useful.

Living in Saudi is hard.

Nothing to do.
Harsher weather.
Rude people.
Crazy police.
Security issues.
Being in Saudi makes it no more easier to come to the UAE.

Don't bother....

Liban wrote:Living in Saudi is hard.

Nothing to do.
Harsher weather.
Rude people.
Crazy police.
Security issues.
Being in Saudi makes it no more easier to come to the UAE.

Don't bother....

Yeah u forgot to add oen more thing to the list. Getting and convincing ppl of same gender to......

It's been years since I lived in Saudi with my family, but hearing from other people that still live there it's changed alot. We used to live in Saudia City and one of the compounds. At the time it was great for growing up as a kid, but now security is a big issue. Friends sent pictures of the compounds with armed guards at all the entrances, razor wire etc. I don't think it's particularly safe anymore.

I met a guy who lived there for 12 years. He told us it really changed a lot for the worse concerning security and that is why he finally left. One of his football friends (Westerner) was shot while sitting in his car.

Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone...........I definitely won't be going there.....I think my daughter and I will settle in Dubai until his year contract is up...or maybe he can find something in the UAE before his year is up...btw, he works in the food and beverage field.......he has been offered a position at a private hospital in Al Khobar....family status (but we're not going), accommodation, transportation, medical, yearly air ticket to Canada, 30 days vacation.....

Does anyone know if he can apply for another position say in the UAE before his year is up? He will be on a 6 month probation period as well.
How will he be able to cancel his sponsorship etc?

Probably, not sure but you can do some digging, maybe contact a few places here.

A couple of friends who live in Dubai often had to go to Saudi to work with the oil rigs, they had their own flack jackets and were escorted by armed guards and drivers everywhere. They could never take the same route from their hotel to work. One time their driver was late as he got caught up up in a shooting at a check point. Needless to say my friends went straight to the airport got the first flight back to Dubai and said they'd never go back.

He would be working in Al Khobar at a VIP hospital............

kelly1966 wrote:He would be working in Al Khobar at a VIP hospital............

Khobar... Thats where they had the bombings a few years ago.

Avoid Saudi... I wouldn't want something bad to happen to him.