Changing jobs in Saudi
 

Hello - Does anyone know if it's possible for an iqama holder to change employers without doing the Final Exit, returning home, and going through the delay, expense and general rigmarole of medical, degree attestation, etc, all over again? My current contract is up in a few months and I'm not planning to renew but hoping to take up an alternate position in the kingdom. I expect to leave on good terms with my current employer and they won't seek to prevent me from moving on and working elsewhere in the country. I've been resident here with an iqama for several years and it would be great to be able to transfer over to my new employer straight away upon completion of my current contract. Has anyone done this, and got a story to tell?
Many thanks for any and all help,
Elgin

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

It is possible, even without your employer's consent in some cases. I have not had personal experience of the process, but there are a few websites that seem to give credible information e.g. http://lifeinsaudiarabia.net/blog/20...-saudi-arabia/

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

It can be done but is quite difficult. Unless you have the agreement and ACTIVE cooperation of your current sponsor, forget it.

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

As long as your current employer has no objection is fairly easy

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

and there lies the rub. Even if you're in good terms with your current employer, they still may not want to do it because they'll lose a visa slot for your nationality. Plus, they may have the attitude that another company is getting you for free with no start-up costs like visa, flight, medical etc.

but you never know. If you don't ask you'll never find out.

on the other hand, in all my time here I can count the people I've known who've done it on one hand.

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

I did it but moved between a contracting company who already had an arrangement with the company I moved to. They took care of it all and it was seamless.

If I were you, I'd find out what the relationship between your current HR department and the HR dept of the new company is like. If your current HR dept says, "which company?" I'd say it was probably impossible.

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

Thanks for the info. I'll ask HR (but not till I hand in my notice!)

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

Hi again - does anyone know if it's worth getting a Saudi police check certificate for the years I've been living here? After final exit, if I want to come back with a different job would I have to show this? Or if I want to go to another country. I've looked up the process and seems a pain (embassy, then foreign ministry, then police, and back again): have people here done it and needed the check certificate afterwards?

many thanks once again for any info

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

Do it anyway, you might need it. It depends on the new company really.

in my case they said they'd accept it if I'd been living in Saudi for 7 years. Otherwise they wanted a UK one.

it's fairly straightforward to do though. The embassy is a rip off, but quick and easy.

at the police station, which is located close to Deera market by chop chop square, you will need photos as well, it's best to take an Arabic speaker as it can be a bit confusing as to what to do.

basically you hand in your docs, get your fingerprints taken, pay your 35 SAR(i think), and collect three days later.

be prepared to get in line with a lot of smelly people.

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

Take one when you go on final exit. Quite difficult tro get one when, at a later date you are "Out Of Kingdom" and you need to prove that those ten years were spent in Saudi Arabia and not in the State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.,


By the way, Nontha, everyone smells. Some of us hide our natural odours with the pong of aftershave and deodorant.

Re: Changing jobs in Saudi
 

Everyone smells, but some people smell more than others.

Some people shower more than others too.