jobs in middle east

[pilotdawg]

hey guys?does anyone know of ab-initio requirements for expats in Gulf Air,Emirates,Oman Air or Etihad Airways?

[skyflyer737]

Have a look on their individual websites, but for ab intio training with them you will almost certainly have to be a native of the airline's country or a GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) national - ie UAE/Bahrain/Oman/Saudi/Qatar etc.

Only other way in as a foreigner probably is to do ab initio training elsewhere, get around 2000 hours and apply. Etihad require 2000 or 2500, as do Qatar. Emirates want 4000ish.

The only exceptions to this (I imagine) would be if you happen to know someone in the right place. As ever, contacts are everything in aviation, especially in this part of the world.

[RPeagram]

This is very true. My plans for flying were almost a distant memory. I had set up my new career in teaching. I used to post on here a few years ago. Today I am a Head of Geography at Amman Baccalaureate School. On the way back from the Harvard Model Congress in Athens I sat next to a decent chap. We got chatting about flying. It turned out that he is one of 4 Aviation Inspecters from Greece. He urged me to go to OAT so that he could place me in a Greek airline.
I don't think I will ever meet such a solid contact again. I'm 24, I have a year left on my contract. For me I think it's now or never to visit OAT. He said why do you want to fly. I responded, that my mum once read the stories of Jimbo the jet set and after this I always wanted to fly. I also said that I'm scared of reaching old age and looking back and saying "what if".
So, hopefully, in 2 years time I'll be posting technical posts to help me through Ground School.
Regards,
Russell.