Originally Posted by
polax52
This is a very unfortunate thread with foolish rhetoric from both sides of the argument. There is no doubt in my view that the Saudi's are fully capable of efficiently running their own airline. On the other side of the discussion, there is no doubt that the expat First Officer's have been treated unfairly.
Obviously its a sad day when anyone gets laid-off; Saudi or Expat - with the added complication that expats must leave the country, possibly with implications for their families. The difficulties and stress are exacerbated by the uncertainty in the industry and gloomy prospects for re-employment any time soon. I feel for anyone in that situation.
That said, expats working in the ME in general, know that they are mercenaries, and that when the s**t hits the fan, they are on their own. It is part of the unwritten Faustian pact we make in such "ventures" - I use the word advisedly because it should be self evident that you are accepting some level of risk by working in region - and are rewarded accordingly. If you do not understand this, and the implications, the respectfully I submit that you're better off staying at home.
PS - Anyone doing their diligence prior to signing a contract in the ME will see that there are few legal protections for employees, let alone expats. Employees can be terminated quickly with few consequences, and companies are rarely required to ringfence benefits. I know many that were fired and did not receive their severence payments because the company were using these as working capital. In this respect, the regional airlines are probably better than the most employers.