Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Could someone please advise if the salary I have been offered is reasonable for a westerner to work in the KSA?

The position is a senior structural engineer (min. 10 years experience).

Salary is 35,000 SAR per month (approx. $110,000 USD per year), no additional allowances.

I am from Canada and work in Oz. The salary for a similar position in Canada/Australia is about $91-95,000 per year., before taxes.

(Single, no wife, kids or pets)

Is this reasonable?

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Salary is about right or perhaps a little higher for that position than normal for KSA. However you say no allowances?
You need to ask the about accommodation, transport and flights. Accommodation is the main one, if you search here you'll see all the threads about the difficulty of accommodation in Saudi. In Riyadh especially its hard to find and when you do its expensive (one bed on a compound is a minimum $20k per year).

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

No. The lack of allowances mean that it is a piss-poor offer. Don't do it!

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

My company said they don't have any accomodation on any compounds, and my understanding is that compounds have 1+ year waiting lists.

So should I take this as my base salary, and negotiate a housing allowance on top of this? Transportation allowance? and flights back home?

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

No accomodation is a serious no-no. The only way to consider it is if it is on the East coast, and you can commute from Bahrain, and that, at the moment is not without its own set of complications.

Any company that can't, or won't provide accomodation is likely to muck you around in other ways, too, so be careful.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Hi thanks everyone for their comments, it's great advice.

My company is the kind of place where if you don't ask, you don't receive. They are desperate to get me over there, I believe they have struggled to find people, since I don't have the actual number of years experience that is required. They won a big engineering contract, and now have to find people to do the work.

So I believe it's pretty much up to me to come to them with an offer.
So I'm trying to do my research to come back to them with a reasonable offer. And I have had a hard time finding information on expats in structural engineering jobs.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

So far from what I know, the few people they have there right now, none of them live on a compound either.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

The reason they might be struggling to get people appears to be staring you right in the face....
As to finding information about structural engineers as expats, well, from what you've said about Australia, you have some idea of your worth, and to go to Saudi, anything from 40% or more than your current salary is normally a rough starting place.

And maybe your prospective company does have expats living off-compound, but if you speak to them, I dare say that they are not going to be overjoyed by the hand they've been dealt.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Hi OleJanx,
Thanks very much for your advice.
Are you working in Saudi Arabia?

When you are saying 40% above current salary, do you mean 40% above gross salary, and then add on housing/transportation allowances? Or 40% above gross salary would be the total worth of the package?

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

I mean 40% above current and then add on flights, housing, transport and anything else you can get hold of. And GET IT IN WRITING! Don't take verbal promises: The whole middle east is full of Eastern promises that disappear the minute you hit the ground!

( and no, thankfully, I'm not in Saudi at the moment, and I'm perfectly happy for things to stay that way, thank you!:))

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Structural engineer here, though now I work in more management (for a contractor).
Anyhow what I would look for in your position would be:

Company housing (be it compound or not, but preferably compound )
Company car or at least an allowance, somewhere about $1000-$1500 per month for a decent jeep.
3 return flights per year
45 days holidays (especially if you work a 6 day week)
salary minimum $80k if you get all of the above.

Thats based on having less than 10 years experience and working for a consultant.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Haha thanks OleJanx,
Did you work in Saudi Arabia?

Based on your advice, I will assume that the salary they have offered is the base, and they are expecting me to tell them what I expect for the additional stuff.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

You won't get 40% above gross, not a chance right now.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Ok new information...
Thanks for that, that's much more specific and very informative. Thanks.

Re: Structural Engineer Salary for Expat in Saudi Arabia
 

Weasel deCentral
Yes, the role is more of a structural consultant, we will be doing QA on construction project.