Job offer in Riyadh

Old May 9th 2018, 1:48 pm
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Default Job offer in Riyadh

Hello peeps

After a long time and many turns and twists I have been offered a job in Riyadh. This is what I have been offered:

SAR 68000 per month
Family return tickets once a year
Medical Insurance
School fees for one child

Me and my wife earn 100k every year in UK. Is this a good offer? I have two kids but have been offered education allowance for only one. I was personally hoping for a bit more too ( not being greedy, uprooting myself and kids from London won't be an easy task). Please help me with your valuable suggestions.
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Old May 10th 2018, 12:15 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Sounds like a very good offer. Are you saving both you and wife were making 100K each? 68K would be tax free, correct? I would take it for experience.
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Old May 10th 2018, 12:38 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

If you go do you have an exit strategy ? What will you do after KSA ? In some fields working in that region is the kiss of death. Re-entering the labour market in Britain after a spell in Arabia may not be possible.
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Old May 10th 2018, 1:10 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by pupdawg82
Sounds like a very good offer. Are you saving both you and wife were making 100K each? 68K would be tax free, correct? I would take it for experience.
Not 100 k each but both together.
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Old May 10th 2018, 1:11 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by scot47
If you go do you have an exit strategy ? What will you do after KSA ? In some fields working in that region is the kiss of death. Re-entering the labour market in Britain after a spell in Arabia may not be possible.
My work would be linked to the metro ( railway sector)
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Old May 10th 2018, 2:43 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Does that figure include you having to pay for accommodation? Or will that be provided? 68K a month is around 150k GBP a year so 50% more than your combined incomes at the moment. Is the 100k a year before or after tax?
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Old May 10th 2018, 3:17 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by nonthaburi
Does that figure include you having to pay for accommodation? Or will that be provided? 68K a month is around 150k GBP a year so 50% more than your combined incomes at the moment. Is the 100k a year before or after tax?
That's 100k before tax. I will have to pay for my own accommodation. 68K comes up to 163 K GBP, doesn't it?
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Old May 10th 2018, 9:30 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by Nathan14
Hello peeps

After a long time and many turns and twists I have been offered a job in Riyadh. This is what I have been offered:

SAR 68000 per month
Family return tickets once a year
Medical Insurance
School fees for one child

Me and my wife earn 100k every year in UK. Is this a good offer? I have two kids but have been offered education allowance for only one. I was personally hoping for a bit more too ( not being greedy, uprooting myself and kids from London won't be an easy task). Please help me with your valuable suggestions.
It's certainly not a bad offer. Having said that do expect at least that up to a quarter of your salary would be spent on housing/schooling. So all in all its less than twice your current net income, but with the bonus that the wife wont have to work. For me personally that wouldnt be an attractive enough reason to move, unless the job was super exciting (and there are some of them in Riyadh at the moment). What's the sector?
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Old May 10th 2018, 9:42 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by omega7
It's certainly not a bad offer. Having said that do expect at least that up to a quarter of your salary would be spent on housing/schooling. So all in all its less than twice your current net income, but with the bonus that the wife wont have to work. For me personally that wouldnt be an attractive enough reason to move, unless the job was super exciting (and there are some of them in Riyadh at the moment). What's the sector?
Railway sector. I reckon £40 k for the housing and £30k for schooling. That's more like 40 percent.
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Old May 11th 2018, 7:57 am
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

In such a case, you will get ~100k net p.a. compared to 100k at home (albeit gross). You save the taxes, and you may be renting now so you also save that cost....but still...all in all i wouldnt go to Saudi for anything that is not a solid multiple of my current net earnings.
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Old May 12th 2018, 6:31 am
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

I wouldn't do it for that package, there are too many risks involved for my liking, such as...

Job insecurity
Exchange rate volatility
Hidden costs around schooling, transport, utilities, housing, entertainment, flights home
Potential UK income tax, NI and capital gains tax liability
Quality of kids education
Regional stability and safety
Non-earning time when you mobilise/ demobilise
Pension savings x2

It's not a bad package, but there is a risk that either you or the family don't settle in KSA and you all end up back in the UK inside a year, out of work and facing a large tax bill.
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Old May 12th 2018, 6:57 am
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by Johnnyboy11
I wouldn't do it for that package, there are too many risks involved for my liking, such as...

Job insecurity
Exchange rate volatility
Hidden costs around schooling, transport, utilities, housing, entertainment, flights home
Potential UK income tax, NI and capital gains tax liability
Quality of kids education
Regional stability and safety
Non-earning time when you mobilise/ demobilise
Pension savings x2

It's not a bad package, but there is a risk that either you or the family don't settle in KSA and you all end up back in the UK inside a year, out of work and facing a large tax bill.
Hi Johnnyboy

Thanks for the reply. A few questions if you don't mind. 1. I have asked for te package to be revised. If it goes up, would that make it any lucrative?
2. Why would I have to pay tax if I have left the country with the family?

Regards
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Old May 12th 2018, 2:08 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

For the offer to become lucrative, it has to go up substantially (e.g. a mere 10% wont be of much help as a differentiating factor, although if you are ready to take the job anyway, then it will at least sweeten the deal). Your best bet is to insist on housing and schooling. Depending on how much they want you (and their overall policies) they might give you either or both (or nothing of course).

Except the risks that Johnny mentioned, Saudi is not the place where you come and spend (read waste) your years for just ~30-40,000 per annum in extra savings.
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Old May 12th 2018, 3:54 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by omega7
For the offer to become lucrative, it has to go up substantially (e.g. a mere 10% wont be of much help as a differentiating factor, although if you are ready to take the job anyway, then it will at least sweeten the deal). Your best bet is to insist on housing and schooling. Depending on how much they want you (and their overall policies) they might give you either or both (or nothing of course).

Except the risks that Johnny mentioned, Saudi is not the place where you come and spend (read waste) your years for just ~30-40,000 per annum in extra savings.
Hi Omega

Many thanks. I was thinking of more like 15 percent raise plus schooling for both. So a figure of around 80 plus schooling . Does that sounds lucrative? I am far away from making my mind up yet. Honestly, you reckon my 4 years as a project manager in railways will not add anything to my cv?
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Old May 12th 2018, 10:29 pm
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Default Re: Job offer in Riyadh

Originally Posted by Nathan14
Hi Omega

Many thanks. I was thinking of more like 15 percent raise plus schooling for both. So a figure of around 80 plus schooling . Does that sounds lucrative? I am far away from making my mind up yet. Honestly, you reckon my 4 years as a project manager in railways will not add anything to my cv?
The definition of lucrative is a bit subjective. But 80k, and schooling is a solid offer. To be clear, for a role in Saudi the one and only driver should be the money. I cant believe that a role in railways in a country that has zero experience in the industry will really add that much on your CV. Had it been in Oil and Gas it would have been a different story though.
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