UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Lot of variability but I have seen people from UK getting UK salary + 25% uplift + accommodation allowance (between £30k - £50k for Riyadh compounds) + schooling + some extras (like additional flights, medical insurance, family visa costs taken care of) but no car. I heard rumours that some companies do "tax equalisation" so they reduce your salary to account for the fact that it's tax free, but I've never seen that myself. Also make sure you + family will get continuous entry/exit visas paid for by the employer, and an iqama (residence permit), not a business visit visa in a category that will allow you to bring out your family. If you're on solid ground maybe ask what their nitaqat (percentage of Saudi employees) rating is (if too low they cannot issue any more expat visas, which is a problem). They should also cover your family's visa medical test costs and initial transport out, plus maybe a relocation allowance at start and end (maybe cash + a crate shipped to KSA plus initial hotel + rental car for a few weeks while you find somewhere to stay) plus cost of annual UK tax return filing and initial tax advice from a decent firm. Beware that it'll take (at best) a few weeks after you arrive before your family can come. If you get a UK bonus discuss how that will be assessed - on same basis as at present? Also, there is now a monthly charge on expat family members, which might be paid by you or perhaps by the employer (relatively negligible at present e.g. something like £700/year per family member, but due to increase significantly over the next few years and may eventually become a full on expat tax).

As for negotiating, try to get them to make the first offer (they might surprise you - unless you are pretty sure they'll low-ball you, in which case get in first) and then pick one item to negotiate on. Also check how much vacation you get - 30 days a year is normal plus 2 week long holidays each year to account for Eid and Ramadan - and that the working week is 5 days a week.

This is assuming your skill is in demand in KSA. If you work in an area where other nationalities can be easily hired more cheaply (e.g. potentially some back office financial service functions) you may have significantly less leverage and thus not able to ask for quite so much.

Note also that this is (I believe) better than equivalent positions pay in e.g. the UAE as it's much harder to get people to move to KSA and the market here is doing (relatively) well unlike most of the rest of the GCC.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Not exactly related I know but worth mentioning.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the strain or problems that you MAY encounter with your wife as a result of living in KSA. There will be moments over the course of your stay that could possibly be testing.

You can find out an awful lot about someone in KSA.

The last thing you want is to be in a bad working environment, going home to an even worse home environment.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

IOW, do not reduce your salary beyond the point where it does not compensate you for this even if the resulting figure seems extravagant. Coming here for less than you are (all) happy with is not to be contemplated.

And he's right BTW.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

If your total package for doing job X in Dubai is, say, $100, is there a rule of thumb that tells you what you’d get for the same job in Riyadh?

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

It'll vary as people have different preferences. Some would never go to KSA (or at least that's what they say) for any amount. A minimum increase could be 30% (arbitrary, true, but want to try to help). If it was Eastern Province (e.g. Khobar) it could drop to 20%, because of Bahrain.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

It's not an easy place....but it gets better. But I agree 100% with what was said here. The financial compensation is what draw us all here, unless of course you are Muslim, then the tipping point is purely religion, but for us other infidels it is all about the money.

Don't hesitate to ask more, if the company feels you are worth it, they will be willing to negotiate. Sadly the Saudi market is down a bit so many companies cannot negotiate that much anymore (unlike the past), without killing their bottom line

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Not across the board, no.

10% is probably realistic.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

I think there are two kinds of uplifts in our discussion.

1. What one should choose if two offers are extended, one in Dubai and one in KSA. In such case the 30% differential is a reasonable uplift. But it is up to one's preference.

2. The second is about what an employer would pay for the same job in dubai and in KSA. I cant talk for many sectors or functions, but in senior planning, strategy jobs in oil and gas or consumer goods, KSA would certainly pay the 30% uplift vs. Dubai. But for example this may not hold true in teaching positions in schools or academia.

The OP was about what uplift to expect vs. Dubai. I dont see how/why one would move from dxb to ksa for 10%, hence the employer would not extend an offer at such low level. Now of course if you get a ridiculous high salary in dxb, an employer in ksa will not be able beat it, but in such case why would anyone want to move to ksa to begin with. He can happily stay with his generous salary in dxb.

Generally it is a common practice in ksa for employers to beat salaries by a factor so as to attract individuals, as they are aware that ksa is not anyone's first choice.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Every sector and business is different but we're not paying much more than 10%. More often it's a case of, do you want to continue to be employed?

When Dubai is flooded with opportunities the number will increase. When things are slow like they are now, the uplift plummets.

I see lots of people move for the same money.

I also see lots of people coming from KSA to Dubai and not wanting to accept a pay cut of 10%+.....the very same people who demand shit loads more to go to KSA in the first place. :rofl:

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

It's hard to tell without knowing the specifics of any role. But if you are not too bothered about waiting or can continue in your current role, then why not apply 30% uplift as your minimum requirement eventually someone in KSA might take a bite.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

What he said.