Riyadh, KSA - Salary Neg., Compound, Wife & Car, Dogs
Mar 27th 2012, 3:04 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2
Riyadh, KSA - Salary Neg., Compound, Wife & Car, Dogs
Dear Riyadh Expats,
first of all very impressed by the website and the contributors – I tip my hat to you all.
In a few months the plan is to move to Riyadh for 3-4 years. My wife and 3 dogs will come too. So I have a few quick questions about my package and other general questions.
The salary offered is €170k ($221k or Stg143k) total package. 70% fixed (basic salary) (€119k or Stg100k), 30% variable (bonus) (€51k) – this makes for a monthly salary of 49k SAR. The role is a managerial one at a European multinational company.
1) Is the salary a good offer or on the low side?
2) If I get 3 months basic salary for accommodation then that’s only 150k SAR for the year. Is that reasonable for myself, wife and 3 dogs?
3) Will I get a decent place for 150k SAR? I would like a minimum of an A category compound, preferably an A+. Unfortunately the company offers nothing. The most important thing is that my wife feels comfortable in the compound. Any recommendations vis-a-vis compounds?
4) The company is offering a car, but no driver. If my wife gets a job in one of the schools how can she get to work? Do I have a legitimate reason (i.e. my wife’s job) to negotiate for a car and driver or is that unusual?
5) If we get a car and driver will we be stuck on weekends without a car?
6) Do all Compounds accept dogs or just some?
Hope you guys can help.
All the best and see you soon in Riyadh.
Jonny
first of all very impressed by the website and the contributors – I tip my hat to you all.
In a few months the plan is to move to Riyadh for 3-4 years. My wife and 3 dogs will come too. So I have a few quick questions about my package and other general questions.
The salary offered is €170k ($221k or Stg143k) total package. 70% fixed (basic salary) (€119k or Stg100k), 30% variable (bonus) (€51k) – this makes for a monthly salary of 49k SAR. The role is a managerial one at a European multinational company.
1) Is the salary a good offer or on the low side?
2) If I get 3 months basic salary for accommodation then that’s only 150k SAR for the year. Is that reasonable for myself, wife and 3 dogs?
3) Will I get a decent place for 150k SAR? I would like a minimum of an A category compound, preferably an A+. Unfortunately the company offers nothing. The most important thing is that my wife feels comfortable in the compound. Any recommendations vis-a-vis compounds?
4) The company is offering a car, but no driver. If my wife gets a job in one of the schools how can she get to work? Do I have a legitimate reason (i.e. my wife’s job) to negotiate for a car and driver or is that unusual?
5) If we get a car and driver will we be stuck on weekends without a car?
6) Do all Compounds accept dogs or just some?
Hope you guys can help.
All the best and see you soon in Riyadh.
Jonny
Mar 27th 2012, 3:28 pm
#2
Knee deep and rising
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,007
Re: Riyadh, KSA - Salary Neg., Compound, Wife & Car, Dogs
Dear Riyadh Expats,
first of all very impressed by the website and the contributors – I tip my hat to you all.
In a few months the plan is to move to Riyadh for 3-4 years. My wife and 3 dogs will come too. So I have a few quick questions about my package and other general questions.
The salary offered is €170k ($221k or Stg143k) total package. 70% fixed (basic salary) (€119k or Stg100k), 30% variable (bonus) (€51k) – this makes for a monthly salary of 49k SAR. The role is a managerial one at a European multinational company.
1) Is the salary a good offer or on the low side?
2) If I get 3 months basic salary for accommodation then that’s only 150k SAR for the year. Is that reasonable for myself, wife and 3 dogs?
3) Will I get a decent place for 150k SAR? I would like a minimum of an A category compound, preferably an A+. Unfortunately the company offers nothing. The most important thing is that my wife feels comfortable in the compound. Any recommendations vis-a-vis compounds?
4) The company is offering a car, but no driver. If my wife gets a job in one of the schools how can she get to work? Do I have a legitimate reason (i.e. my wife’s job) to negotiate for a car and driver or is that unusual?
5) If we get a car and driver will we be stuck on weekends without a car?
6) Do all Compounds accept dogs or just some?
Hope you guys can help.
All the best and see you soon in Riyadh.
Jonny
first of all very impressed by the website and the contributors – I tip my hat to you all.
In a few months the plan is to move to Riyadh for 3-4 years. My wife and 3 dogs will come too. So I have a few quick questions about my package and other general questions.
The salary offered is €170k ($221k or Stg143k) total package. 70% fixed (basic salary) (€119k or Stg100k), 30% variable (bonus) (€51k) – this makes for a monthly salary of 49k SAR. The role is a managerial one at a European multinational company.
1) Is the salary a good offer or on the low side?
2) If I get 3 months basic salary for accommodation then that’s only 150k SAR for the year. Is that reasonable for myself, wife and 3 dogs?
3) Will I get a decent place for 150k SAR? I would like a minimum of an A category compound, preferably an A+. Unfortunately the company offers nothing. The most important thing is that my wife feels comfortable in the compound. Any recommendations vis-a-vis compounds?
4) The company is offering a car, but no driver. If my wife gets a job in one of the schools how can she get to work? Do I have a legitimate reason (i.e. my wife’s job) to negotiate for a car and driver or is that unusual?
5) If we get a car and driver will we be stuck on weekends without a car?
6) Do all Compounds accept dogs or just some?
Hope you guys can help.
All the best and see you soon in Riyadh.
Jonny
Salary sounds good, of course you can do well on it, but whether its good for your role who knows.
You will not find a compound villa, you need your company to do it. A villa (3 beds) will start at 200SAR but if you only want an apartment perhaps you'll find at that rate, but also unavailable you need your company to do it.
You can pay for a driver if you like, as the salaries are low for that kind of thing. The hard part is to find someone trustworthy.
The schools do have buses taking pupils to there from the compounds, she could use that. Her job, unless she is a teacher, will be purely a time killing exercise, the pay will be nominal.
Not sure about dogs, I have seen them in some compounds so I assume there is no drama.
Mar 27th 2012, 3:44 pm
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2
Re: Riyadh, KSA - Salary Neg., Compound, Wife & Car, Dogs
Kudos on the ass kissing.
Salary sounds good, of course you can do well on it, but whether its good for your role who knows.
You will not find a compound villa, you need your company to do it. A villa (3 beds) will start at 200SAR but if you only want an apartment perhaps you'll find at that rate, but also unavailable you need your company to do it.
You can pay for a driver if you like, as the salaries are low for that kind of thing. The hard part is to find someone trustworthy.
The schools do have buses taking pupils to there from the compounds, she could use that. Her job, unless she is a teacher, will be purely a time killing exercise, the pay will be nominal.
Not sure about dogs, I have seen them in some compounds so I assume there is no drama.
Salary sounds good, of course you can do well on it, but whether its good for your role who knows.
You will not find a compound villa, you need your company to do it. A villa (3 beds) will start at 200SAR but if you only want an apartment perhaps you'll find at that rate, but also unavailable you need your company to do it.
You can pay for a driver if you like, as the salaries are low for that kind of thing. The hard part is to find someone trustworthy.
The schools do have buses taking pupils to there from the compounds, she could use that. Her job, unless she is a teacher, will be purely a time killing exercise, the pay will be nominal.
Not sure about dogs, I have seen them in some compounds so I assume there is no drama.
you must be Irish or have a good sense of humour ;-P I'm sure most people have no clue about your tag at the bottom ;-)
Anyways, thanks for the rely. My wife's a teacher so I guess the salaries are probably ok and are tax free. Sounds like the bus is the best option, ratehr than a driver.
I'll talk to the company and see what they say about getting me a place in a compound. It's strange that they haven't mentioned it. If they can't and I can't directly rent a villa or apartment in a compound that means we would have to live in an apartment on our own - nightmare!!!! I think the marriage would be over before it began!
Oh mate! This whole thing looks tricky! Thanks for your help though :-)
Mar 28th 2012, 7:46 am
#4
Knee deep and rising
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,007
Re: Riyadh, KSA - Salary Neg., Compound, Wife & Car, Dogs
Search the forum on the compound issue and you will see what I mean about availability. For a private person looking there is virtually no chance.
The only hope you have is to make it your companies responsibility, and they may have a better chance (or already have places that they hold on compounds).
The rent is usually paid 12 months upfront also. Even though your wife is a teacher, it will be difficult to have her officially employed as a teacher. You will be limited to the international schools and the iqama situation is a painful process. But its something you can work on from there anyhow.
Also search about dogs and how to bring them, and be aware the locals hate dogs (not a drama in a compound though).
Yeah I assume most here don't speak gaelic but perhaps I ought to change the signature
The only hope you have is to make it your companies responsibility, and they may have a better chance (or already have places that they hold on compounds).
The rent is usually paid 12 months upfront also. Even though your wife is a teacher, it will be difficult to have her officially employed as a teacher. You will be limited to the international schools and the iqama situation is a painful process. But its something you can work on from there anyhow.
Also search about dogs and how to bring them, and be aware the locals hate dogs (not a drama in a compound though).
Yeah I assume most here don't speak gaelic but perhaps I ought to change the signature
Apr 10th 2012, 2:44 pm
#5
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Doha
Posts: 320
Re: Riyadh, KSA - Salary Neg., Compound, Wife & Car, Dogs
Initially the salary looks good, but if accommodation is not paid for then you are in for a big shock especially if you are looking for A or A+ compounds.
As an example I live in a compound that I would rate as A although the management would like to think of it as an A+ and pay 290,000k SAR for a 3 bed villa, a comparable one on an A+ would be around 340,000k SAR.
As an example I live in a compound that I would rate as A although the management would like to think of it as an A+ and pay 290,000k SAR for a 3 bed villa, a comparable one on an A+ would be around 340,000k SAR.
Apr 12th 2012, 11:00 am
#6
Ethan
Joined: Nov 2010
Location: Riyadh
Posts: 54
Re: Riyadh, KSA - Salary Neg., Compound, Wife & Car, Dogs
Just to put it out there - if your wife is a qualified teacher & doesn't mind teaching Saudi kids @ the intermediate or high school level in a school that absolutely expects you to work, she could take in a good 15k/month plus benefits, 3 months vacation, etc.
