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.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Depends, there are 'rules of thumb' but you're asking on the internet where everyone pretends to be really important and says "I wouldn't even say Saudi Arabia unless I was given 50% more money" and all that shit, when in reality, a lot would go if it meant remaining employed in a tax free environment.

Every situation, industry, position and person provides multiple paths to go down.

Unless I knew a lot more about your situation I wouldn't want to tell you what to expect to go to KSA. I can tell you that I know we'll pay about 10% premium....that's as helpful as anyone can be I think.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

why would there be a rule?

I know people who earn less in KSA vs UAE for the same job... cost of living is much lower and they save more. It's all about the bottom line.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

What's Jubail like as a location? I see on google maps that it's only 2 hours' drive from Bahrain. Asking for a friend...

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

I can see the logic of people who have settled in ksa, especially in eastern province close to bahrain, who wouldnt be ready to have a pay cut to move to Dubai. After all, any such cut would only get worse when living expenses were factored in.

But is there truly someone who would go to ksa JUST for the 10% rise (i.e everything else being equal)? I cant think of anyone...again on the understanding that the sole driver is the pay rise.

Re the OP...irrespective of the location, changing jobs for just 10% makes little sense (again assuming that the next job is perceived to be equally attractive with the current). This is because the current job has a factual value that you know for certain, whereas the new job's value can only be perceived. And you can get it wrong. So for 10%, why risk it?

So 10% doesnt sound as a reasonable incentive to begin with, even for the same location. If one factors in the location basis, then inevitably the premium should be higher (my thinking at least, and others might feel otherwise).

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Terrible location, and the 2h drive that you saw is misleading...it could easily take 3 to 4 hours from Jubail, precisely around the times/days that your friend would want to visit bahrain.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

OK, thanks. What is so terrible about it? I've heard it's quite a polluted place.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

pollution is key...it is also far away from khobar, let alone bahrain, and lacks real diversity in its crowd. Now are there worse places in ksa...? I guess. But it is not a place one goes for a 10% salary increase.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Worth mentioning but IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!!!
I'm fairly sure from time spent here that people in UAE work way harder and for far longer hours.

​​​​​​Personally speaking, I have:
a one minute drive to work
sign in at 7am and leave at 12:45pm....every day
three day weekend every four weeks
three weeks for Ramadan
two for the other Eid
plus my thirty days
normally get another bonus few weeks given extra.
live next door to the airport, ten minute walk to check-in

I'm an extreme example, but personally I'd want more cash to go the other way to compensate me for all the stuff I'd be giving up.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Which is why it was empasized that these uplifts can only apply for a like to like job (which of course is arbitrary as such qualification isnt really possible).

So of course it is not just about the money but the OP was focused on trading off location for an uplift. If you add more criteria then you cant really consult a forum as it becomes more of a personal choice and less of a data-driven decision, and in such case concrete advice cannot be offered through a brief text, bur rather through a friendly chat.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

errr no.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

which kind of makes the whole thing pointless.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

No shame in wheeling a trolley at 30,000 feet mate :)

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

So what is the particular job?

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

I’d rather not give details but in London terms it pays in the hundreds of thousands.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

The job field or the role description, not the actual company name or title. I'm assuming a certain level of intelligence is required for the job? :lol:

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Would you say a level 30% higher if employed in KSA? :)

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

but as others have said, there are so many other factors to compare that you shouldn't just be looking at the money.

And presumably different companies have different practices that may or may not change over time, and with the individual. How much they like that person, or need that person. You could go on forever about variables.

money saved is more important than money offered, and living conditions etc too.

Re: UK to Riyadh salary advice
 

from the airport, no. I live on the military base next to the airport. We're parallel to the flightpath so hardly notice it. The mosques are louder.

it's a very local airport so not too many planes.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Nayef_bin_Abdulaziz_International_Airport?w prov=sfla1

pollution I've no idea about. The air seems to be quite good. Clear blue skies and so on. Get some terrible sandstorms sometimes though, but that's nothing to do with the actual airport.

the worst noise would be the army helicopters which fly right over my house at very low altitude. They make the house shake. That doesn't happen that frequently though.

it's actually a very peaceful place to live on the whole. If anything, it's too quiet.