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Post by justthe4ofus on Sept 3, 2012 0:53:12 GMT
Hi all. I have been reading these boards for the last few days. My husband has been approached by a recruiter recently. He will not speak to him again until Tuesday since its a holiday weekend here (united states). I have tons of questions but those would be for later, if he were offered a job. I just wanted to ask what are the pros and cons of working in Saudi Arabia and living on a camp? I have a 4 year old and one on the way. Are the schools good? How long have you been there? And are length of stay contracts dependent on your job? I know these are random questions but I have so many thoughts racing through my head right now. We are Muslims, so I'm not worried about that aspect. But I've never lived in a Muslim country (a conservative one at that). I know it varies but about how long is the whole application process from start to finish? I saw tha people bring their own electrical items (small appliances and such), so i assume everyone is using lots of converters? I know I will have a million questions again later.
Thanks so much.
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Post by vpainter on Sept 6, 2012 3:22:49 GMT
Advantage - increase in the amount of time Dad can spend with the family. plenty of vacation time for the family to visit family and friends or travel.
Disadvantage - shopping times are limited each day. About 2 1/2 hours in the mornings and 5 hours in evening interrupted by store closures during prayer times. When you are used to shopping throughout the day at any time, this feels very restricted. Women cannot drive outside the compound so need a driver, taxi or take the bus.
The Aramco schools when compared to public and private schools in the U.S. are in the 90 + percentile of all schools (based on the Iowa Standardized test scores). When compared to only private schools in the U.S. Aramco schools come in the 60 + percentiles. So your children will be getting an excellent education. We have been here 12+ years.
You do not have a length of stay, it is mandatory retirement when the employee turns 60.
The whole process lasts from a couple of months to over a year start to finish. Do a search on the forums of timelines and you can read the many posts of people sharing their process and the time it took to arrive in KSA.
The houses inside Aramco are wired for 110/120 with the dryer being 220. Coming from the U.S. you will not need converters. Bring your small appliances.
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Post by Twofeets on Sept 6, 2012 8:49:26 GMT
I think Vpainter pretty much covered it all (as usual lol).
The family camps for Aramco are great places to raise kids. The schools are good, the education is above avee, I know here in RT the kids get to come home for lunch! There are plenty of parks, pools, playgrounds, etc. And best of all, its safe! Its been years since Ive seen the streets busy during Halloween back in the US, but the kids were out here in costume and having fun!
Your length of stay here is entirely up to you, its not a contract situation. The mandatory retirement age is 60, but there are other benchmarks. For US payroll your pension 'vests' at 5 years, and at 10 years and age 50 you get medical benefits with retirement.
Shopping and such here can be difficult with prayer times, closing times, and women unable to drive. There are free buses that run from camp to camp and to the main shopping areas however.
Good idea posting here! I advise all who are interested in coming here to do their homework. Most seem to like it here, but its not a place for everyone. Good luck to you and your family!
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Post by justthe4ofus on Sept 6, 2012 20:07:28 GMT
Thank you SO much y'all!  The non being able to drive will probably aggravate me, but i'm sure i'll get over it. I've never been anywhere where stores close for prayer, so i'm sure that could be frustrating too. I'm so glad to hear that the schools are good! My main concerns have been about my kids. I have one expat friend and her kids seem so savvy and independent. I'm excited for them to have friends from all over the world. Wow vpainter! 12 years!! When my husband first told me about the recruiter, he also told me about this form, so I came straight here. It gave me comfort that people have been there for years and like it there. Now I understand why there is a lot of advice to bring small appliances. I was assuming there were converters galore in everyone's house. lol. vpainter I saw an OLD post in another area of the forum where you sent someone a sample of a home floor plan. Do you still have that available that you could send me? I know it is just a sample and not what I should depend on. Thanks! |
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Post by vpainter on Sept 10, 2012 15:07:44 GMT
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Post by Herewego on Sept 10, 2012 16:49:55 GMT
Housing floor plans and houses - Saudi Scenes
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Post by justthe4ofus on Sept 10, 2012 23:37:04 GMT
Thanks, and I love your blog!! It has made me even more excited at the possibility of my husband being offered a job.I'm praying every day that he will!
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