Fooled

Let's begin.

Arch. Assistant Part 2 in England (₤26k a year; that makes around 1.750 net a month... yes architects are payed shitty, that was a "high" salary for Arch. Ass.). 1.5 years experience. Made redundant in May (Financial Global Crisis, credit crunch, whatever). Chances of getting a job there: 0.

Got a job in Riyadh in June. Been here for a couple of months. Package is:

- SAR20k a month (or USD 60k a year) salary.

Then the allowances/benefits:
- Housing in a Western Compound (shared villa with company inmates)
- Personal small car (Chevy Optra).
- Medical
- 2 flights home per year
- 30 days holiday

Am I being fooled? My package seems pretty bad for Saudi standards, for what I have read here and people I have met in RUH. Though chances of getting and job in the rest of the world were 0 plus less than 2 years experience do not help either. Seems to me that Westerns here have at least +5/+10 years experience and Mid Management or Senior positions.

I try to think positively: having ME experience is a plus (whilst many many colleagues are queuing at Job Centers) and I can save ₤2k a month, though I'm not here for the money - debt-clear, no mortgages or cars there, and 2,000 pounds a month in savings it's not enough money to be here just for the sake of saving -).

So, being fooled or not? Any advice from Graduates in Saudi?

monkieie

To be honest I don't think that your offer is that bad. I am working for a German telecommunications company as a senior engineer and am not getting an awful lot more - with 10 years experience under my belt. The benefits are about the same (but I'm here on a married package with my wife) and my wages are only 4k SAR more a month. From what I've seen and heard until now, the money here in Saudi is not really that, what people back in Europe seem to think it is. When I told my ex-colleagues that I was coming over here to work they all thought that I would be living like a pig in the proverbial but they are most certainly wrong.

Alfi

I'm a teacher and am on the same salary and package as you are more or less (although no car - no driving for me here). The big difference is, of course, that I get about 4 months holiday a year - but that's a teacher life for you!
Compared to your UK salary your getting a lot more money here (whereas I was earning about the same in the UK as I am here - though being taxed on that obviously), so it seems pretty good to me. Ultimately you need to decide whether you are happy with the amount you're being paid and the lifestyle you have here. Whether it's 'worth' it is a different figure for each individual and only you can decide.

The Dean

Hello Fooled (crazy name, crazy guy!),

Welcome to The Bored.

By my reckoning, you were taking home GBP 21k p.a. after tax in the UK, and you are taking home more than GBP 38k here. Also, I assume you had other outgoings in the UK that you won't have here.

That's a fairly healthy 'pay rise', irrespective of having to relocate to a foreign (and rather inhospitable) country.

I think you're doing fine. The only thing to beware of is the way the GBP has strengthened since you arrived, so any surplus salary you have each month is now worth a good deal less when converted to GBP. Keep an eye on that one, although there isn't much you can do about it.

Danajj

Hi Fooled - agree with Alfi and The Dean - you're on a good wage if you only have less than 2 years experience - plus you have housing - a major drain of finance for the likes of myself who need to pay for it. I'll be forking out at least 10k SAR/month on housing - so that might put a few things into perspective for you. Once you get some more years experience under your belt - you'll be able to command higher wages if you want to stay out in this part of the world.

Danajj

This might help...

http://www.charterhouseme.ae/pdf/Cha...nstruction.pdf

Desert Shaikh

All paid for I bet?

Alfi

Of course

spart

I wouldn't pay a Western Graduate that much at the moment. Its a good deal, stop your moaning.

Fooled

Thanks a lot for your replies... I don't feel that fooled now

Wow... I thought engineers were in really good packages here, six-figures club. But I agree. People back in Europe think of the old days when, at least as I have been told, salaries could easily be x3, x4 times of those there. I guess life was also harder (no Internet, expensive airplane tickets, no Costa Cafe or Debenhams in every corner).

For what I have seen, I feel that with the global and local (Dubai) recession, as more people are ready to move to KSA, companies are lowering wages.

Thanks. Yep, USD exchange rate is terrible now.

The good point is... it was not technically a pay-rise. I wouldn't have come in normal conditions. Just made redundant... and anyone in the construction industry knows how BAD things are in the UK (or almost anywhere)... specially for graduates. Hopefully for what some colleagues say (and I see the job postings), things are recovering.

Thanks for the link. I guess anyway wages in Dubai are extremely volatile due to the crisis there.

It is not my intention to stay in the Middle East, at least not in KSA, for a long time. I have lived abroad before (in the Western world though) but obviously Saudi Arabia is something of its own. Wouldn't mind anyway to work in Europe for the ME and being here from time to time, or move to the Far East.

The Dean

Enough already........... Fooled appears to have disappeared, so to speak.

Let's wait for some feedback from him now.......... we may be talking to the Invisible Man.