NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
Jan 10th 2022, 6:18 pm
#61
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
Well now you know who you're working for.
Treat this as a good guide as to how things will be in the future.
A couple of years ago I posted about the myriad of possible problems to expect working in Neom, accommodation, visas, family life, schooling, transport being some of the issues I raised.
I seem to remember being criticized by some posters because the company has said this, has said that blah blah blah
It's a start-up in the middle of nowhere. Why on earth would people expect this to be well run and organized, with people knowing what they're doing. They can't manage that in Riyadh or Jeddah so why would Neom be any different.
Never underestimate the SAF!
I think people new to the region need to be more realistic in their expectations.
Treat this as a good guide as to how things will be in the future.
A couple of years ago I posted about the myriad of possible problems to expect working in Neom, accommodation, visas, family life, schooling, transport being some of the issues I raised.
I seem to remember being criticized by some posters because the company has said this, has said that blah blah blah
It's a start-up in the middle of nowhere. Why on earth would people expect this to be well run and organized, with people knowing what they're doing. They can't manage that in Riyadh or Jeddah so why would Neom be any different.
Never underestimate the SAF!
I think people new to the region need to be more realistic in their expectations.
Jan 10th 2022, 6:21 pm
#62
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
And here we are a couple of years later with about 1500 people on the ground, 170+ kids in school, ongoing camp expansion and an airport just down the road. It’s not for everyone, but there are far worse places to be.
From what I heard they never started charging for the family cabins.
From what I heard they never started charging for the family cabins.
The school kids were at the 200 mark at the end of term in Dec 2021.
True on the family cabins. I’m living in one but I think they have only just begun charging recently OR will begin charging very soon.
Jan 10th 2022, 6:22 pm
#63
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
Jan 12th 2022, 6:51 pm
#67
Just Joined
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 10
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
I wonder if anyone has heard or know of 1bed units in NC2. Have some questions
- do these actually exist?
- Is NC2 okay for families? Read on a different forum that the female population has had challenges. Didn’t give away too much so makes me wonder
- Has anyone been able to relocate to NC1 from NC2 yet?
Jan 12th 2022, 10:03 pm
#68
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 137
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
I wonder if anyone has heard or know of 1bed units in NC2. Have some questions
- do these actually exist?
- Is NC2 okay for families? Read on a different forum that the female population has had challenges. Didn’t give away too much so makes me wonder
- Has anyone been able to relocate to NC1 from NC2 yet?
Jan 13th 2022, 6:33 am
#69
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
I could be mistaken but I think you've added me on Instagram because you saw my username on another Neom account. Happy to answer your school questions on there.
In summary, the school opened in Sept 2021 so of course has teething problems like any start up. Some work needs to be done to improve the schooling for older kids over the age of 8 or so, from what I've heard, but as I've said it is a work in progress and the beginnings are promising. The premises is lovely and is undergoing expansion.
I personally like the staff a lot. They are all professionals who have moved over from teaching jobs in Dubai or elsewhere so they are not just randomers. My children are only very young and I love their teachers. The teachers are working really hard and have a very challenging job on their hands what with it being a start up.
In summary, the school opened in Sept 2021 so of course has teething problems like any start up. Some work needs to be done to improve the schooling for older kids over the age of 8 or so, from what I've heard, but as I've said it is a work in progress and the beginnings are promising. The premises is lovely and is undergoing expansion.
I personally like the staff a lot. They are all professionals who have moved over from teaching jobs in Dubai or elsewhere so they are not just randomers. My children are only very young and I love their teachers. The teachers are working really hard and have a very challenging job on their hands what with it being a start up.
Jan 13th 2022, 6:39 am
#70
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
The majority do not have their own cars.
I have seen cars been offered for sale in the second-hand WhatsApp groups. I don't know how to go about purchasing new.
Each department has its own car or two and employees can borrow them on weekends or other times. This needs to be worked out with fellow employees in the department and I think some people rotate the cars over the weekends.
There is also a car lease company on site and you can hire a car yourself any time OR you can hire a car + driver which I have done myself. More expensive with a driver obviously but if you have toddlers that you need to entertain through a journey, having a driver is helpful.
Jan 13th 2022, 8:32 am
#71
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 137
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
Some people have their own cars here. Usually the Saudis or the expats who have been living in Saudi a while beforehand (Riyadh, Jeddah etc.) and had cars that they brought with them.
The majority do not have their own cars.
I have seen cars been offered for sale in the second-hand WhatsApp groups. I don't know how to go about purchasing new.
Each department has its own car or two and employees can borrow them on weekends or other times. This needs to be worked out with fellow employees in the department and I think some people rotate the cars over the weekends.
There is also a car lease company on site and you can hire a car yourself any time OR you can hire a car + driver which I have done myself. More expensive with a driver obviously but if you have toddlers that you need to entertain through a journey, having a driver is helpful.
The majority do not have their own cars.
I have seen cars been offered for sale in the second-hand WhatsApp groups. I don't know how to go about purchasing new.
Each department has its own car or two and employees can borrow them on weekends or other times. This needs to be worked out with fellow employees in the department and I think some people rotate the cars over the weekends.
There is also a car lease company on site and you can hire a car yourself any time OR you can hire a car + driver which I have done myself. More expensive with a driver obviously but if you have toddlers that you need to entertain through a journey, having a driver is helpful.
Jan 13th 2022, 2:31 pm
#73
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 329
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
1) Arranged a work visa (different to a business visa) prior to travel to Saudi. Takes a few weeks. Involves a visa agency and doing a medical. You need your degrees attested.
2) Enter KSA with your work visa.
3) Neom will then get to work on changing your work visa to an iqama. Depending on the situation it can take as little as 6 weeks to several months. By situation I mean their workload and also.. how important you are. Lol.
Jan 13th 2022, 3:11 pm
#74
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 20
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
That's better for you. I don't know if there is a better or quicker route to residency visa (aka Iqama) but this is how it happened for my husband:
1) Arranged a work visa (different to a business visa) prior to travel to Saudi. Takes a few weeks. Involves a visa agency and doing a medical. You need your degrees attested.
2) Enter KSA with your work visa.
3) Neom will then get to work on changing your work visa to an iqama. Depending on the situation it can take as little as 6 weeks to several months. By situation I mean their workload and also.. how important you are. Lol.
1) Arranged a work visa (different to a business visa) prior to travel to Saudi. Takes a few weeks. Involves a visa agency and doing a medical. You need your degrees attested.
2) Enter KSA with your work visa.
3) Neom will then get to work on changing your work visa to an iqama. Depending on the situation it can take as little as 6 weeks to several months. By situation I mean their workload and also.. how important you are. Lol.
Just to give you an update, the visa situation varies from your residing country. I'm from the UK and my process is as mentioned above by Saff.
If you haven't then contact your on boarder who will give you details of the visa agency. You contact the agency and they do your forms for you. Degree attestation takes the longest so they'll start this off first and after 3-5 weeks of this being completed you will then get your work visa issued to travel. Upon entry to Saudi you will then be able to get an iqama, which takes a couple months.
I am sourcing my information based on information I have been told by onboarding team and visa agency in UK in Jan 2022. So I would say its pretty up to date.
Thanks
Jan 14th 2022, 1:49 pm
#75
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 5
Re: NEOM COMMUNITY UPDATE
I could be mistaken but I think you've added me on Instagram because you saw my username on another Neom account. Happy to answer your school questions on there.
In summary, the school opened in Sept 2021 so of course has teething problems like any start up. Some work needs to be done to improve the schooling for older kids over the age of 8 or so, from what I've heard, but as I've said it is a work in progress and the beginnings are promising. The premises is lovely and is undergoing expansion.
I personally like the staff a lot. They are all professionals who have moved over from teaching jobs in Dubai or elsewhere so they are not just randomers. My children are only very young and I love their teachers. The teachers are working really hard and have a very challenging job on their hands what with it being a start up.
In summary, the school opened in Sept 2021 so of course has teething problems like any start up. Some work needs to be done to improve the schooling for older kids over the age of 8 or so, from what I've heard, but as I've said it is a work in progress and the beginnings are promising. The premises is lovely and is undergoing expansion.
I personally like the staff a lot. They are all professionals who have moved over from teaching jobs in Dubai or elsewhere so they are not just randomers. My children are only very young and I love their teachers. The teachers are working really hard and have a very challenging job on their hands what with it being a start up.