Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

Not sure if anyone here has experience with QP job offers for Expats (British). Currently am reviewing two offers, one from Aramco and another one from QP. Would definitely prefer Qatar to move to, if had a choice. However, the QP offer is 30-40% less for total cash in hand monthly. Is that normal? Or is QP low balling me? Same position, same seniority. It is for a Senior Accountant with 18 years experience in the West (also Western educated). Any ideas what should be the level of compensation I can expect from QP?

Re: Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

Why do you prefer QP to Aramco? Just wondering.

Re: Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

Not so much the company, but preference is more for the country of Qatar vs Saudi Arabia.

Re: Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

you'll be in for a surprise...KSA>Qatar for me

Re: Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

The Aramco offer will be higher to attract more expats to KSA, since working in KSA isn't exactly an exciting prospect for most westerners. A bit like why QP salaries are higher than ADNOC salaries. Or why Shell pay their expats a 40-50% uplift to work as commuters to Iraq versus their Dubai based staff (SIPD HQ is in Dubai).

As you say, living in Qatar is preferable to KSA though Qatar is still quite conservative.

If it helps I was working at QP earlier in the year, had no issues at all. Working hours were great (0630-1430hrs Sun to Thu) and you get shed loads of paid holidays during major public holiday periods - i think at the last Eid, QP staff were given the whole 2 weeks off. However, QP are/were in the process of pushing many of their direct hire staff to agencies in order to save cash.

Re: Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

I'll second that.

Re: Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

Interesting. I've heard KSA has changed a lot last few years, but then also horror stories on how not to move with wife and kids there ever, and only go there to make money by yourself and leave kids and wife back home in the West. But I guess things may have been changing for the good?

Re: Aramco vs Qatar Petroleum
 

Notwithstanding the changes over the past few years but I would go as far to say that KSA can be a great place to raise a family, depending on your location and living conditions. I think the problem comes when the kids get to secondary school age though.

I've met countless families who've made a go of it over the years.

I think the thing with Qatar is that people look at the laws and say it's more liberal etc(marginally), which it is, but at the end of the day you're still going to be doing the same old stuff, and in KSA you've got a lot more options. Qatar has the same population as greater Manchester. It's going to shrink and shrink.

It can be a pretty good social circuit in Saudi.