Roadking

I was there last year albeit for a business trip that lasted a few days. It is different, not the cleanest place and a bit crowded...but I didn't feel threatened in any way.

..apart from the guys trying to sell me a suit at the entrance to the market!

weasel central

yeah you are right , i feel so much safer here than Riyadh and the people are very friendly. Up until the moment I get shot I think I am going to enjoy it here

sassypilotswife

Weasel.. i read the thread today and was just wondering how the new chapter in your life is going. Especially after the recent sc"air" mails that originated from there. Glad your networking paid off though. I'm about to start it myself and decide what I want to do here while I refuse to grow up

weasel central

its all been good really, I have no negative feelings about the place. Now you have to bear in mind I left Riyadh so my frame of reference is very different to coming from a 'freer' society.

The people are friendly, mind you the look of the traditional knives is a bit off putting at first, but really I dont feel any intimidation here. I have an apartment in a regular building, not a compound style place. And a good social circle now already in 2-3 weeks. Being a european foreigner gives you a sort of novelty here now that makes people want to chat to you.

the work I am doing I find very easy but due to the general lack of qualified people, they overvalue it a lot. but hey thats fine by me! money is good too
the big downside for me is that professionally i am going backwards a little, my titles/roles etc may be moving upward but i am losing touch with european design, standards etc.

growing up is a little overrated i think, and doesnt have to be totally mutally exclusive to having a decent career or job

Norsk-also

Good to hear you're enjoying it. Good friend of mine is holidaying in Yemen later in the year.

This is an interesting thread however, thanks for reviving it or I might have missed it entirely, especially as I'm actively seeking work in the region. Due to my lack of contacts/network, I'm curious...did you manage to make contact via the internet or via established networks already? Or is it all about Nepotism? Heard people getting hired because of a beard or they had bigger breasts and smelled nicer than myself.

weasel central

Mostly I had to revive contacts with former colleagues, work mates etc..

Due to the nature of how the recession hit Ireland, I soon discovered most of them were also in the Middle East so I went from there.

Really there is a lot of luck and opportunism required, you mention something in passing to someone and the odd time you get a tip or told who is looking. Except for agencies that you have a good personal relationship with a recruiter, I find them hit and miss. (mostly miss)
The big job sites I had zero results with as I kind of expected, one thing that surprised me was LinkedIn which seems to have good, updated and genuine jobs on offer if you join one of the recruitment groups specific to your field.

Hopefully that helps somewhat.