Hi All,

I'm in the UK and I've just been offered a role in Riyadh with an employer I used to work for a few years ago who are opening an office in Riyadh.

The role, company and country itself (being Muslim and already visited a few times) tick a lot of boxes so we're already sold on all of those - the final thing is will it work for us financially.

The offer is SAR 85k (including all allowances) which seems really good but conscious the cost of living is through the roof.

Out of this we would need to pay for British schooling for 3 kids (extortionate) and accommodation for the 5 of us, ideally a 3/4 bed in a compound (also extortionate). We'd need a car and hoping to live a reasonably comfortable lifestyle, and my kids never stop eating.

After being drained of schooling and compound costs, would you think the salary is worth it or would it still be tight? No room for further negotiation.

Thanks.

85k per month =1020 k per year
schools will get 100 X 3 = -300k per year
housing approx. 150 k per year

This will leave you with 47.5 k per month
car 2k per month
food + others 10 k per month
health insurance ?
Flights ?

Depending how much you like to sit in traffic, look at housing close to the school, or the office. My morning commute is currently 20 minutes..evening commute is over an hour.

A totally average sedan will set you back 2-3k a month. So two cars, easily 4-6k unless you buy.

You can find 3 bed apartments and larger villas outside of compounds for 100-120k.

Hi, can I just ask how many years experience do you have and which field is it in?

Thanks

Hi Mokh45 - I work in Finance and I'm 37.

Thanks for the quick response. That is an amazing job offer I must say. I am moving to Jeddah as a family of 3 in January with a total package of 45k. I am 33 and in finance too. Although Jeddah is slightly cheaper than Riyadh but still I feel my package is not close to your level.

I am going in the hopes to find a better paid job once I am there. Not sure how good this strategy will work!

I guess the fact that I have 3 kids is reflected in my package (3 x school allowances, dependents fees, housing allowance..etc).

Unfortunately I have no idea about comparable costs between Riyadh/Jeddah, or how easy it is to move around for other jobs. Once I become spent with this job I'll most likely return to the UK rather than try and find something else locally.

Did you actively look for a role there and apply from here or was it a transfer/recommendation type arrangement and so came your way?

Yeah makes sense in terms of 3 kids. My friend forwarded my CV somewhere and they contacted for interviews. The salary met my minimun threshold to move so I decided to go for it and hope I find a better opportunity 1-2yrs later. We were anyways looking to move to middle east for tax purposes and muslim country experience for the child.

How about yours? Did you apply or were approached?

A previous employer reached out to ask if I wanted to go to their new KSA subsidiary. Wasn't actively looking to leave the UK but similar to yourself, the tax free income and Islamic environment were a big draw.

Most employers won't let you transfer in the first twelve months/year of employment.

But once you are here, it's much easier to find new jobs with better conditions.

That's really good to know. I don't think I will be looking to change in first 12 months so hopefully out of that danger zone.

My contract says 'Open Ended' in the Term section. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Most contracts are annual, auto renewal. My previous contract was indefinite. Don't think it matters much in the long run. The terms for ending a contract are the same, as far as I gather.

Hi Ilovegregggs

If I;m not mistaken, it is harder to end your contract legally and you get better eos benefits. Again, it's been years since I last worked in HR and the rules changed a lot while I was out of the country.

How are you and your family getting on in Riyadh? Looking to make a similar move, would be great to connect and get some advice if that’s ok?

Thanks

Well, we've actually moved to Dubai (with the same company) whilst we work on setting up the new entity in Riyadh, find an office and then will move over later in the year hopefully. Although Dubai's not a bad place to be in the interim.

Happy to connect, shoot me a DM.