Allocation of housing - likely to change?

o, I'm pretty you'll get most of the answers you need from vpainter, moderation in this site is amazing and pretty much every new aramcon has been able to get info needed to make the final decision.

However, I would like to give you my imput, from the point of view a recent arrival, in a totally different situation compared to those who are living in Dhahran.

1. Yes, you can do that, buuuut, if you do all the proccess to get your kids accepted in Aramco school everything will go to waste, once you move out they won't be able to attend Aramco schools if you live in the local community, instead of Aramco leased or owned compounds.
2. Nop, Aramco won't help you in any part of the proccess of living out-camp, except for the money to pay for it.
3. Yes, you can use medical and recreational as far as I know, but you have to manage your way to the compound because there is not Aramco transportation from any local compound to Aramco.
4. As I said before, this is a big and fat no, they have to attend international schools in the local community and you have to arrange their transportation.
5. Aramco has already leased a compound near DT, is called Radium, and is here were all new non-US passport holder employees and families are being allocated, and is 30-40 minutes away (in Aramco buses, in your own car can be 20 minutes) to Dhahran. Yes, maybe you could get an apartment here, buuuut (a big one), your family is huge, that is maybe the reason why they said Abqaiq, apartments (most 2 bedrooms) here are not suitable at all for the size of your family, actually are not suitable for a lot of the families already living here, and the waiting list for 3 bedroom accomodations is pretty long.
6. I don't think anybody can tell you what to do, but we can give you an opinion. Coming here you have to be clear that the current housing situation is pretty critical. Rakkah is another leased compound, 40-50 min to Dh, where houses are larger and could suit you, but is only for US-passport holders and GC-15+ employees. Ras Tanura and Abqaiq could have houses that fit your needs, but both compounds are far away from Dhahran, also Ras Tanura is full, and there is people here in Radium who work in RT waiting for a house there, commuting 2.5-3 hrs every day. If you decide to come aware of the situation, is your choice, Aramco will try to do its best to help you, but you might end up in a very small accomodation close to work, in a larger one farther away or in the local community with all the limitations and situations related to it; Dhahran is not a possibility until you are able to bid for a house there (2 years, but you'll probably have to wait longer to actually get a house there). If you accept Abqaiq you will have to live the commute, and I have to say, a lot of husbands do that in order to be in an Aramco camp. Life for children and wives is waaay easier in the Aramco compounds. Is something you have to discuss hard and long with your wife, what are you willing to sacrifice? what is she willing to sacrifice?
The schools here are very good, high standards, kids are very happy. Work, at least from my husband's point of view is very good, challenging without being impossible, his supervisors are great people, also his coworkers. There are a lot of pros, but you will find cons, specially if you look for them. The housing situation is the big one, there is little to nothing you can do before you get here, actually you might not know where you will end up until the day before you actually arrive, so, sum up (I tend to go round and round): read as much as you can here, use the search tool to learn about the housing situation, ask questions, people will help, and then with the info make your decision. Good luck.