Good afternoon all,
I am a bloke in his very early 50,s and have been trying to do the ex pat thing for a long time and now it looks like I could be close. I am being interviewed in the Smoke next week for a position in Jubail , MEP, the indications are that the job could start within weeks.
A couple of questions for you guys, If I went out early November and I have to complete 3 months probation, then that would rule out a home visit at xmas, yes or no?
Also the wife would visit in the middle of my trips for a couple of weeks, is this a problem to arrange ie visas etc?
Thanks in advance.
Al

In ME this means that you still be at home with your wife during xmas and even easter.

what the hell is 'juabil'?

or do you actually mean Jebel Ali?

Jubail: major petrochems industrial city in Saudi Arabia.

Other posters are bang on, I would book your Christmas dinner at the local as usual

Jubail is pretty shite, been there all week and detest the place. Its better than Yanbu but thats like saying an in growing toe nail is better than bleeding piles.

Do your homework on the place before you commit. This may not be your Dream Middle East posting, even a significant amount of the Koreans live in Bahrain who work in Jubail and they will put up with all manner of shite

Sorry, should have given its full spell checked title, Al Jubail, Industrial City, KSA

Thanks for the honest appraisal, will give it some thought, if the compound is ok and out of the Industrial areas, it may not be so bad. I am used to working in shite anyway. The package offerred seems to reflect the shiteness of the area!!!!

There is shite then Saudi and then small shitty cities in Saudi. Make sure the money is worth it. If the Mrs is coming out stay with her in the warzone across the causeway.

I thought Jubail was quite nice. But then I had spent a week in Dammam Industrial City 1, so my judgement was most certainly clouded.

I have been told Al Jubail is ok, its Industrial city that is the pits, but I won,t be living in the inustrial bit. Not going there to Party, going for me pension!!

Damman Industrial City 2 is where its at. Nice drive out of town and loverly area all told

As to your initial question: Leave entitlement during your probationary period would normally be dealt with in your contract of employment, and would most likely say no entitlment. I'd raise it now with your (prospective) employer: unless they're thoroughly decent its pretty unlikely that they'd agree to a leave during your probationary period if its not written down somewhere.

Agreed its an absolute hell hole and pretty unfriendly for westerners. You will be in Bahrain every weekend pissing what you earn up the wall to cope with the awfulness of life in Jubail

It's Mogadishu without the AK47's

Are we competing for the same job!!!!trying to put me off. Cannot be worse than Elsmere Port, Port Clarence, Boro in the 80's, Coal fired power stations, Lead works. Only going for the money, I have a target and as soon as thats done I am off.
Thanks for the feedback anyway.