Sam1980

Mate I find it very insulting and humiliating. Is this some kind of a joke?

DeepSix

I'd go for "mistake" 1st and if its not - then you can act accordingly and tell them - "no thanks"

FelixC

Out of curiosity, why fly before everything nailed down? Is it because the flights were booked well in advance?

Wanderer001

Thanks !

Joanw

Hi
I’m new to the forum and want to thank all for the info here - it’s been much appreciated.
So I have a question re bus schedules from NC2 to NC1.
Arriving from LHR to NUM at 0100 on Monday 14th August. Will be picked up and assigned unit in NC2. Would like to attend induction at 9.00 in NC1.
So can anyone advise on bus timetables pls?

FelixC

Could anyone advise how the initial flight to NEOM is arranged? Is it provided by the onboarder or does the employee arrange their own flights?

BMH77

Hello,
The onbarder will go over all of the ins and outs in your first call, once you've signed your offer letter.
But, once the you have your visa, NEOM travel will set up your trip. You can ask for certain routes/flights, but they don't guarantee you will get what you want.

BMH77

Hello and (almost) welcome!
If the flight arrives on time, it will still take some time to clear customs, grab your bags, get to camp and then get checked in -- plan to not be in your cabin until 0300/0330.
Buses from NC2 to NC1 take about 45 minutes and leave at 0700, 0705, 0710, 0715, 0720, 0725, 0805, 0815, and 0820. There are others, but you'd be late.
Unless you are required to be at that particular induction, my best advice would be to take your arrival week to acclimate, meet your team, etc, then go to the induction the next week. You will get a lot more out of the session and you will be much better rested.
Good luck!

expatalex

Is there an option to rest for a week? Onboarders seem pretty on it to progress things.

BMH77

Chat it out with your manager and see what they need. A full week might be a bit much, There isn't a lot going on during the day over the work week.

I was fired up to make the induction the day after arriving but my manager -- quite correctly -- encouraged me to take the first day off, settle in, learn my way around camp, and then get to work a day or two later. I just took the one day and it made a lot of difference. Having a week of being in the office and talking to people helped me get a lot more out of induction, as well.

expatalex

I kind of agree with you a full week seems a bit much, especially with the remote nature of the work. I think the onboarder mentioned there's a lot of benefit to just hitting the ground running your first week (STC Sim Card, Medical, IT, etc...) which will ultimately help get the Iqama quicker.

HelpfulExpat

I think the response meant wait a week, not rest the whole week. I agree it is too much to expect new joiners to arrive at 3-4am and then be on a bus to NC1 3 hours later.

Talk to your hiring manager and get support for attending the following week induction, they run every Monday so I don't understand the pressure from onboarding. It is sometimes offered remote via Teams, but I recommend attending in person. You will meet other new joiners and its a good opportunity to network with people in similar situation. You will know those people for years going forward.

Iqama process is quick now if you can get your sim card and medical done.

FelixC

Thanks for that info - very helpful. The process is slow and I need to do some long distance personal travel out of country between now and when I arrive at NEOM. Does anyone know whether the KSA Embassy ties up one's passport during their protracted Visa process, or is the passport only needed at the end? Or maybe it's an e-visa and the passport isn't needed at all? Grateful to anyone who can clarify how the KSA visa get's physically processed. I may have to wait weeks before any onboarder appears.

Jake91

Hi All,

I’ve just moved to Jeddah and looking for some fellow brits to get the lay of the land.
Any and all help is appreciated, please do reach out.

Cheers,
Jake

kgb1980

Does anyone know what the rough salary range is for an Executive Director at Neom? Also how long does it take to be allocated accommodation at Neom for a family of 5? Ideally I’d prefer for my family to be based at NC1.