I've been there for several years and am very, very happy. True there are problems as you will note in other threads, things that will make you frustrated but as far as the important stuff goes Aramco has it all in Spades. Allow me to elaborate.
Terms and Endearment: Pay is based on Nationality. If you're an American or Canadian you are on the money train, no one else in the region comes remotely close, bar none. In this category money is very good, school is free, heath beni's are comprehensive, tickets home, and vacation time are industry leading. However, Aramco's pay scheme really shows it's legs if you stick around for a while. For example, an American can get retirement benifits after 10 years of service(and age 50). If you're UK, Ozzie, or Kiwi, it's o.k. to pretty good, the moneys fair but as I understand the benefits are not as generous as US/Canadian/Saudi. If you're Asian or "other arab" you can probably do better elsewhere in the region.
Accomodations: Aramco's Dhahran compound is about 10 square miles in area, very green, and is composed of 2,200 homes in 65 different configurations(about 15 major types and variations thereof). It's definitely not the most luxurious in Saudi but it's like a good suburb in Arizona, the big bonus is it's huge (several thousand families and bachelors together) and the facilities are second to none, pick an activity and you can most likely do it.10 soccer fields, 40 tennis courts, several pools, full gyms, wood shop, car shop (both industrial grade and virtually free to use), bowling alley, library, cafeteria and snack bars, dozens of playgrounds, skateboard park, green 18 hole golf course ,bmx track, Horse stables, Yacht club, art complex, and on and on, really too much to list. The houses are in great shape and mx is free and overall pretty good. Most parents agree that the compound is a fantastic place to raise a young family. As a bachelor it's got great facilities but lacks the more vibrant social life of a place like Manama or Dubai.
The job: With the exception of VIP flights in the G-IV( soon to be G-550) you will be home virtually every night. You will fly 3-6 times a week and usually the duty day is 5-8 hours, though there are a couple of longer flights. Earliest flight starts around 5:30 am and last flight arrives around midnight. The Dash 8 and B 737 are basically busses that commute between the cities and the remote oil sites. 3-6 legs a day with 40 minute legs are the average. We also do "special operations" which is basically photo survey in a ce-550 and oil spill dispersal lin an AT-802 (cropduster), we also conduct medi vac and the very occasional SAR flights in the Dash 8. The VIP stuff is called "Special Flights" and is typical VIP stuff; on call alot and when you go lots of sitting around and waiting, having said that Special Flights also fly the least of all the aircrews (100-200 hours per year as opposed to 500 for everyone else). The equipment in every fleet is absolutely top notch (HUD, EGPWS, FMC, Big engines, etc.) and MX is overall very good. Suffice to say that while you're mostly stuck in Saudi it will be the most diverse flying you'll find under one company.
As with most places, if you want to find stuff to get upset about, Saudi Aramco won't disappoint you. Even if you are a positive person with a good sense of humor you will sometimes be faced with some really dumb and frustrating situations. Having said that, I find that most of the frustrating stuff is no worse and actually pales in comparison to stuff our colleagues face at other companies worldwide. For example, while I am annoyed at some policies or situations I have never worried about my paycheck coming at the end of the month.
In summary, Aramco is a pretty good deal, depending on your nationality. I find that most family people like it and most singles do not. Bahrain is close by and that helps but again, it's not what I would consider a really happening place in terms of night life. Having said that, some of the craziest parties I've been to were in Saudi.
Two caveats, though;
Caveat #1: Pilots in Aramco are split into two groups; employees and contractors. This thread is about employees. These days any new pilot will start as a contractor and if the company likes them, there is a vacancy, and the moons are in alignment, they will be offered a full time job. In the past 6 months there have been 6 offers of full time employment that were accepted. I would say that everyone that accepted the offer is appears very happy about it.
Caveat #2: Everyone is concerned about security in Saudi Arabia. While nothing is gauranteed I think Aramco is a safe place to work, and Saudi Arabia (at least in the eastern province) is a safe place to be. Unfortunately Saudi Arabia suffers from "plane crash" syndrome. That is to say, everyone makes a huge fuss when there is a disaster but statistically speaking you are more likely to die crossing a busy road. Anyway, my two cents (actually more like a buck fifty!
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