Job Offer in Riyadh
Dec 12th 2011, 9:23 pm
#1
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Job Offer in Riyadh
Hi all, I've enjoyed reading the posts in this forum as I've been researching life in Saudi whilst going through the interview process for a job.
I'm currently living in London - I've been offered the equivalent wage in Saudi + 72,000 housing allowance, 10% cost of living allowance, 1,000 transport allowance per month and 1 flight home per year.
Does anyone have a view on how usual negotiations are? Is the culture of the companies to make a serious offer first time around and interpret a hard counter offer with distain or even find it disrespectful or am I expected to negotiate.
I've never accepted a company's first monetary offer in the UK.
Any advice would be appreciated.
One question I have is that if I find space in a compound, will there be single western women on the compound?
Many thanks!
Frio
I'm currently living in London - I've been offered the equivalent wage in Saudi + 72,000 housing allowance, 10% cost of living allowance, 1,000 transport allowance per month and 1 flight home per year.
Does anyone have a view on how usual negotiations are? Is the culture of the companies to make a serious offer first time around and interpret a hard counter offer with distain or even find it disrespectful or am I expected to negotiate.
I've never accepted a company's first monetary offer in the UK.
Any advice would be appreciated.
One question I have is that if I find space in a compound, will there be single western women on the compound?
Many thanks!
Frio
Dec 13th 2011, 4:47 am
#2
Some say, he adores KSA
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
Depends on the company and the person you are negotiating with. I managed to get and extra 10% over the original offer.
If you are only getting paid the same rate as the UK, it is not enough to compensate for the fact you have to live/work in Riyadh, which is one of the worst places in the world.
If you are only getting paid the same rate as the UK, it is not enough to compensate for the fact you have to live/work in Riyadh, which is one of the worst places in the world.
Dec 13th 2011, 5:02 am
#3
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
What exactly do you mean by the "equivalent wage"? Hopefully you mean your UK salary without tax. But even that is not enough to compensate for the KSA hardship factor. Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat perhaps, but certainly not KSA and definitely not Riyadh.
Dec 13th 2011, 6:54 am
#4
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
Monthly salaries in Saudi range from SR 5,000 to SR 100,000 per month, plus typically 25% housing allowance, 10% transport allowance and statutory gratuity, insurance etc.
It is pointless asking if a salary is reasonable or whether or not it can be negotiated. If you are a typist it is a good offer and there is lot of competition so there are limits on how much it can be negotiated up. If you are CEO of British Airways and the offer is from Saudi Airways then it is not enough but you should be able to negotiate up by a factor of 500 or so.
Everything in the Middle East is negotiable and often the starting offer can be 50% of what they are willing to pay. But it depends on the nationality of the company and the nationality of the person making the offer.
For the last 35 years my rule has been that I expect to receive the UK equivalent salary, untouched, tax free in UK. I don't think many achieve that these days. But again it depends on the profession. I am an Engineer and engineering salaries in UK are crap.
It is pointless asking if a salary is reasonable or whether or not it can be negotiated. If you are a typist it is a good offer and there is lot of competition so there are limits on how much it can be negotiated up. If you are CEO of British Airways and the offer is from Saudi Airways then it is not enough but you should be able to negotiate up by a factor of 500 or so.
Everything in the Middle East is negotiable and often the starting offer can be 50% of what they are willing to pay. But it depends on the nationality of the company and the nationality of the person making the offer.
For the last 35 years my rule has been that I expect to receive the UK equivalent salary, untouched, tax free in UK. I don't think many achieve that these days. But again it depends on the profession. I am an Engineer and engineering salaries in UK are crap.
Dec 13th 2011, 11:24 am
#5
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
It is pointless asking if a salary is reasonable or whether or not it can be negotiated. If you are a typist it is a good offer and there is lot of competition so there are limits on how much it can be negotiated up. If you are CEO of British Airways and the offer is from Saudi Airways then it is not enough but you should be able to negotiate up by a factor of 500 or so.
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[QUOTE=gottheTshirt;9785366]
Everything in the Middle East is negotiable and often the starting offer can be 50% of what they are willing to pay. But it depends on the nationality of the company and the nationality of the person making the offer.
QUOTE]
Great - thanks for the help.
To answer another question, the opening salary offer was the equivalent to what I earn in the UK before tax, NI etc is deducted. So, I'd be on my UK salary, tax free.
Sound like I should be able to squeeze a little more.
Dec 13th 2011, 1:53 pm
#6
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
I think they will be a bit surprised if you don't negotiate. It works both ways. Last year I interviewed an Indian Engineer who initially asked for SR 45,000 basic. He eventually came back and accepted SR 8000. We might have gone to SR 10,000.
Dec 13th 2011, 9:08 pm
#7
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
Wow, talk about going in big!! So, I assume that's per month?
If you live on a good compound and can leave the country on a regular basis is Saudi really that bad? It's a very attractive prospect to be able to do this for a few years and come back to England with enough money for a solid financial platform for the rest of my life.
If you live on a good compound and can leave the country on a regular basis is Saudi really that bad? It's a very attractive prospect to be able to do this for a few years and come back to England with enough money for a solid financial platform for the rest of my life.
Dec 14th 2011, 3:44 am
#8
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
Wow, talk about going in big!! So, I assume that's per month?
If you live on a good compound and can leave the country on a regular basis is Saudi really that bad? It's a very attractive prospect to be able to do this for a few years and come back to England with enough money for a solid financial platform for the rest of my life.
If you live on a good compound and can leave the country on a regular basis is Saudi really that bad? It's a very attractive prospect to be able to do this for a few years and come back to England with enough money for a solid financial platform for the rest of my life.
Some rarely leave for a break because they can't face the hassle of coming back in through immigration. They live on compounds for year after year and suffer seriously from cabin fever. Most normal people, who wish to stay normal, need a break every 3 months.
It is all relative. if you have previously spent a year living in the desert in Libya or in Benghazi than Saudi is a relatively good posting. If you have spent the previous year in Dubai then it is a crap posting. Hence the lack of consistency in the comments. It is a balance of safety, living standard, money and savings and we all have different priorities.
Dec 14th 2011, 6:08 am
#9
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
Wow, talk about going in big!! So, I assume that's per month?
If you live on a good compound and can leave the country on a regular basis is Saudi really that bad? It's a very attractive prospect to be able to do this for a few years and come back to England with enough money for a solid financial platform for the rest of my life.
If you live on a good compound and can leave the country on a regular basis is Saudi really that bad? It's a very attractive prospect to be able to do this for a few years and come back to England with enough money for a solid financial platform for the rest of my life.
It's somewhere to go, get your head down, save money and get some 'hardship' location experience
Dec 17th 2011, 10:29 pm
#10
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Re: Job Offer in Riyadh
Right, so I've now negotiated an offer I'd be happy with.
Is there anyone on here living in a compound currently? The company has told me that I'll be responsible for finding my own accommodation - from what I've heard it's pretty tough finding somewhere?
Is there anyone on here living in a compound currently? The company has told me that I'll be responsible for finding my own accommodation - from what I've heard it's pretty tough finding somewhere?
