Diplo

Yes, that seems to be the case now.

Jabzy14

The visa is only applicable for 90 days, so make sure when you apply for your VISA you leave enough time to start in Saudi and it is within the 3 months period from date of issue,.

Baghdadeya

are too going on a single status or with family?

Jabzy14

I will eventually take my family, but as it stands I will be going alone due to the accommodation shortages. You?

Baghdadeya

Sounds good.. all the very best!!

nb750883

Due to the well-documented shortage of family housing in NC1, has anyone done the “leave the spouse and kids in Jeddah” route? I understand the housing costs in Jeddah will be the employee’s responsibility and flying that frequently can be tiresome. But being able to see them either every weekend or twice a month (using the In-Kingdom Monthly Ticket Allowance) is well worth it for me. Are there any other pros and cons?

aussieaggie

I've thought about this and we have talked about it.
The pros and cons depend on where you're coming from, of course having family close-ish is a pro.

If you're from a taxation country not as simple as the UK but also not the US, there could be taxation benefits since everyone would be in KSA. You'd just have to make sure your KSA expenses don't outstrip your tax savings if you want that benefit.

If you're a US citizen or green card holder, the only pro is having family close. There is zero taxation benefit. In fact, depending on your home state your taxes could go up, but you should seek an accountant to be sure. The US has no tax treaty with KSA.

The con of course is having to cover not just housing costs, but all living costs that you wouldn't at the camp--food, all transport, etc. Plus even though you'd be reimbursed for school costs, you'd still have to outlay that first. If you're US, there may be some things to investigate taxwise to see if any of this is claimable.

Another potential con is that your KSA family experience won't be the same (if that's important to you). Then again, if you've lived a FIFO life already it won't be as much of a difference.

Sam1980

Hi Everyone,

It's been exactly 2 weeks since my second interview with NEOM where the head of division confirmed that they are willing to send me an offer and that HR will be in touch. Haven't been contacted by any HR yet. Do you know when does the HR usually get in touch and when will I actually get to know whats is the offer? Is the HR always a native or can be of any nationality? Thanks.

Pkingston

A 'native'???
Are you serious?

Sam1980

Yes mate, why surprised? Sorry if I said something inappropriate. I heard from a friend that people in HR are mostly Saudis. Don't tell me you don't see Saudization in NEOM?

May be I should've said local if native is considered an offensive word, I just meant a local Saudi which I also believe is very common in the country. Apologies for my ignorance.

Baghdadeya

I don’t think there’s anything to apologise for. I’ve been dealing mostly with non-saudis on the HR side of it but I think it depends on your role. I got an offer within a week of my interview but now has stalled because of the issue with family accommodation and places in the nursery/lack of.

Sam1980

Alright thanks mate. 1 week is pretty quick, lucky you. I hope the family accommodation issues you're facing get resolved quickly too.

nb750883

Those who initially came out to Neom alone with the intention of bringing their family at a later time (once family accommodation opens up)… is there some sort of proper waitlist for family accommodation that you join when you initially arrive?

Also, I have been reading some conflicting posts with regards to schoolings effect on accommodation. Is it still true that getting your child enrolled in the Neom Community School will get you closer to the front of the line for family accommodation? Or has that gone out the window recently?

nb750883

I think the surprised reaction you got from the other person is due to the fact that native(s) is sort of outdated or a term not commonly used anymore. Kind of like calling someone from east Asia an Oriental. While it’s technically a correct use of the word (Oriental = from East Asia), it’s outdated and can be viewed by some as slightly offensive.

Bottom line: It doesn’t sound like you intended to be offensive as you later mentioned local Saudis, so don’t sweat it too much.

To answer your question, I didn’t receive a verbal offer from HR until about 3-4 weeks after my final interview. I think the timing can vary based on sector, position, manager decision, etc. Keep in mind we are currently in the middle of Ramadan, so keep your expectations low in terms of the onboarding timeline.

nb750883

Aussieaggie, appreciate your reply and insight.

Yes, I agree and completely understand that from a financial standpoint it is clear that leaving the family back in the home country (US in my case) would make the most sense in terms of saving money. And I understand clearly the IRS Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, physical presence test, etc as I have been working overseas for many years. And fortunately, I come from a US state that has no state income tax… so no worries there.

Being close to my kids is very important to me as they are young and very impressionable at their current ages. I am hoping the NC1 family accommodation shortage will only last one year max… I think we can wing it for a year away from each other, but not too far away (Jeddah).

Aside from the obvious financial cons of them living in Jeddah, I guess I was more interested if there are any other non-financial cons of them living there. Is Jeddah a pretty easy place for expats to live? Relatively safe, easy to get around, parks and recreational areas for the kids to enjoy?