Brosniski Have you heard anything from them?

Seeing threads/forums like these makes you wonder if you're making the right move..: https://www.thelayoff.com/saudi-aramco. Please note there are some racist comments or derogatory terms in some of these posts.

Hi all,

Not exactly a post on Aramco but on KJO, which is a joint venture between Aramco Gulf Operations and Kuwait National Oil Company in Khafji (near Kuwait border).

My question relates to timelines from offer to relocating. In brief, I have an interview in August but I can't (due to personal reasons) relocate before early April...maybe mid March at the absolute earliest. I've been told that they offer straight after the interview and so want to ask members if in their experience Aramco are quite flexible and understanding of personal circumstances and whether April is too far off. I suppose KJO won't be too different from Aramco in their approach in post offer checks and relocation process and so keen to get views on whether it is workable.

Thanks in advance

I received an offer from Aramco right after my final interview in May. They want me to relocate before the end of the year, but they’ve been slow with the process. Now, they’re asking for a guarantee that I’ll join by then, which I can’t commit to due to my long notice period. If they had handled the paperwork more efficiently, we might not be in this situation but as it stands, the earliest I can start is January 2026.

They’ve been inflexible, and their communication has become increasingly passive-aggressive. At this point, I’m half-expecting them to withdraw the offer. In the meantime, I’ve started applying for roles in the UK.

Thanks for this. Seems like they give 6-7 months to relocate but quite surprised by their rigidity and for asking you to provide a guarantee that you will move by year end. Is that because they have issued a visa for you which has a deadline by which you must enter or because they have an arbitrary date by which new hires must enter the kingdom?

I wouldn't read too much into the passive-aggressive tone. English is a second language for the vast majority of workers at Aramco (especially after the Saudization drive) and so perhaps the choice of words come across as aggressive when instead they are trying to come across firm. I think we, in the UK, are generally used to gentle communication (I..e. 'please can you', 'would you mind', 'if possible' etc) and reading between the lines when we feel the tone is serious.

Have you been given the all clear from Aramco in terms of pre-employment checks and arrangement of accommodation etc? Also, are you relocating with family? If so, you could mention schooling as a reason for needing a bit more time..

Cheers

Hi. No, they haven’t issued any visas yet, as I’m still going through their onboarding process, which is slow, really slow, but they want me to guarantee that I’ll be there before the year is out. I’ve told them I won’t jeopardise my current role for a position that hasn’t even been confirmed. I’ve also said they need to speed up their process or cut it short, because that’s the real obstacle to relocation. They want me there as I’ve been assigned to a project, but they’d rather restart the entire process with another candidate than wait another month—which might not even be necessary, as I could negotiate an early notice period. The visa is only valid for 90 days, which was concerning given my notice period is longer, but they said they’d reissue it if needed. However, they’d prefer I reduce my notice period, which I’m happy to do—but only once I have the finalised contract and paperwork in hand.

It’s not just me saying this. I shared a link in a previous message to a forum where others have reported similar issues and concerns about their practices. I’ve also spoken to a few people who worked there, and they said that before 2016, Aramco was brilliant, but since then, it’s gone downhill, with many leaving due to the negative and toxic environment. Of course, I'm still going to try as my experience may differ but at this point in time, I'm reaching a similar conclusion to others.

No, I haven’t been given the all-clear yet, as I’m still stuck in their lengthy onboarding process.

I am relocating with my family, and yes, the schooling aspect does add time to the process. Schooling is becoming a real concern because they requested my children’s health report to assess suitability, then said they couldn’t support my kids and suggested we enrol them elsewhere. That was fine and we were proceeding under the assumption that Aramco covered schooling. However, we’ve since been told we’d have to pay the full cost, plus additional fees. I’ve asked for a breakdown, as I’ve read online that schooling is extremely expensive, but they still haven’t arranged a call with the suggested school, who want to assess my children before confirming a place. Only then will we get an idea of the cost. This might be the deciding factor on whether we go or not. Because of this, I’ve started applying for roles in the UK and have accepted that this likely isn’t happening anymore. We’ve been waiting two weeks just for them to arrange a call to discuss my children's schooling and we've still not heard anything, yet they still expect me to guarantee I’ll be in Saudi before the year ends.

I'm begining to think that these roles are better pursued when you're single. When you have a family, it adds more complexity and time which Aramco don't seem to appreciate and still expect everything to be completed in the same time frame. Let's see how it goes but if I'm honest, I've just given up on this and have started to look for roles in the UK now as I'm expecting them to withdraw my application.

If you have any specific questions, I'm happy to answer those.

I did my first interview in February 2025. After one week, my status changed to "Thank you for participating in our interview process". Only in August, the status has been updated to "Thank you for your efforts so far. Your recruiter will connect with you when we can continue the process."
Does that mean there is a chance I would have a second interview?
Your input is highly appreciated.

So aramco have decided to withdraw my application without giving a reason.

My suspicion is due to my long notice period since they wanted me sooner but I couldn't guarantee them that as they hadn't finished their onboarding process.

They were very pushy about it asking me to reduce my notice period but I told them it doesn't work like that. I can only negotiate my notice period once I hand my notice in.

I hope it goes well for those applying.

Hey, I’ve also applied for the KJO project and was told about interviews in August - there seems to be a delay in this and I haven’t received a concrete date - was wondering if you had? Many thanks in advance!

Long time lurker and been at Aramco 5 years now...things have changed for the worse and I would not be joining on today's terms, that for sure.

Been reading this thread and it's indicative of the whole recruitment/on-boarding/offer process at Aramco, which is at best frustrating and worst a waste of time....

Happy to answer any questions, I will give you a fully unvarnished view.

The 101 is this: if you're not at least doubling your take home then do not bother.

Hi! Really helpful to read your perspective. I recently went through the full process and even reached the offer recommendation stage on May. However, the recruiter informed me recently that the requisition was canceled. They said if next year’s hiring plan is announced (likely around year-end), they would contact me again. From your experience, have you seen cases where candidates at the offer recommendation stage actually received an offer once a new hiring plan was released? Your answer would be appreciated.

Hi. Which position are u applying for? Have u completed the background screening process?

Highly unlikely. It will be a new job requisition and you’ll have to go through the entire process again. May have entirely different people involved in the process.

Hi there, I am also in the similar situation. Fingers crossed!

Please let me know when you have an update. Best of luck!