Job offer in Riyadh
 

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.

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.

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

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?

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

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?

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

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.

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.

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

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.

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

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?

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

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.

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

I didnt want to discourage you. Just for KSA, it is always (and only) about money. Career prospects are practically nonexistent, chances to learn and grow professionally are very limited, and your family's social life would suffer. Having said that, before going back to them with a counteroffer, ask yourself what is that you really want (monetarily) to make this worth it. Add something on top as bargaining chip and go for it. If they match what you want, then great! If not, you would know why you said no. I am sure you have an excel built up with the offer's financials and KSA expenses - let it work for you :)

p.s: i narrowed down the criteria for KSA to basically just one: money. I am sure there are many others which obviously is why it is hard to decide. Just fundamentally if money is the primary driver for anyone to move to GCC, it is even more so for a move to Saudi.

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

When you leave the UK to live or work overseas you are given provisional Non-Residence status for UK income tax and NI purposes. To be confirmed Non-Resident you need to pass one of various tests set out by HMRC. There is a good flowchart here. The quickest way for you to achieve this is to pass the Automatic Overseas Test by working full-time overseas for at least a full tax-year and limiting your days visiting and/or working in the UK. The current tax-year began on 6th April 2018, so the first full tax-year that is available to you runs from 6th April 2019 to 5th April 2020. That's nearly 2 full years that you'd need to keep working full-time in KSA before being confirmed Non-Resident, which as I said earlier is a big risk if you run into work or family problems and have to repatriate to the UK on or before 5th April 2020. For the avoidance of doubt, you remain fully liable for UK tax and NI on your worldwide earnings until you are confirmed UK Non-Resident, however this status applies retrospectively to the date you started working full-time overseas, so all your earnings could be tax-free. There's a Split-Year Concession available for the tax-year you leave the UK and the tax-year that you return, both subject to conditions.

Re: Job offer in Riyadh
 

Hello Nathan


what school do they cover? A good school aka an american one costs like 15k$ to 20k$ a year and trust me , you want them in a Tier 1 school

schooling 2000$ a month
food for four ~ 1000 or 1500 a month
Housing in a compund ~ 1500 to 2000$

that totals up to approx. 5000$ which leaves you with 13000$ or ~ 10k pounds a month

Re: Job offer in Riyadh