What's it like now in Saudi?

[rayman3774]

I've been out of touch for a while, living in the deep south. Bored with a desk and short of cash I'd like to know what it's like now working for the company and living in Saudi. Happy to do it via PM if necessary.

[Pontius Navigator]

Hot and sandy?

Dry?

Leopard and spots?

[Roadster280]

Agree with PN re leopard and spots.

'kin dreadful place. Only redeeming features - the fried chicken chain in Jeddah (name escapes me), and BA262 to LHR.

[Chris Kebab]

These are great these threads.

Someone out in the Magic Kingdom posts some generally fairly honest opinions, an AY stooge posts the Warton party line along with some inferred threats and then the thread disappears. Has happened at least three times.

Seen enough to know it's not for me.

[bowly]

If you've been flying your desk for more than 12 months, you're unlikely to get past the 'please can I have a job' stage.

[kwachon]

Live in Riyadh, no compound just a nice villa close to Ministry of Interior so have good security. Work month on month off for a bucketfull of money, fly approx 40 hours a month always to nice locations and stay at the best hotels. Sure beats $45k working for a regional in the states. The weather, well normally good, bit odd at the moment, coldest in some 20 years. Come on over, good restaurants and reasonable prices.

[Rough Driver]

Quick it's going.............. "waste of space" PR machine is gearing up, the company lawyers are rising from their stupor.

The Kingdom is a feudal,,,,well desert kingdom where the locals always take president over an infidel Westerner. You may laugh, try having a RTA with a local see what happens!!!!

Have fun

:}

[insty66]

try having a RTA with a local see what happens!!!!

As I recall

If a Saudi hit a non Saudi Arab, It's the non Saudis Fault!
If a non-Saudi hit a European, It's the Europeans (white eyes) Fault!
If a European hit a Pakistani/Bangledeshi, It's the Pakistani/Bangledeshis Fault!
If a Pakistani/Bangledeshi hit a dog it's the dog's fault.
If a Yemini hit a dog it's the Yeminis fault!

I might have missed a line or two but you get the drift.

[johnny99]

Best thing about Saudi is watching the place get smaller as you fly out. If you have a choice don't go, you get better quality of life sitting through Diversity Training /CCS/RAFET or any other manner of mind numbing dross. That's what I think anyway!

[wessex19]

insty66 said
"As I recall

If a Saudi hit a non Saudi Arab, It's the non Saudis Fault!
If a non-Saudi hit a European, It's the Europeans (white eyes) Fault!
If a European hit a Pakistani/Bangledeshi, It's the Pakistani/Bangledeshis Fault!
If a Pakistani/Bangledeshi hit a dog it's the dog's fault.
If a Yemini hit a dog it's the Yeminis fault!

I might have missed a line or two but you get the drift"


What happens if an Aussie runs over a Kiwi, who's to blame??:rolleyes:

[x10ge]

Captain Cook apparently.....

[moggiee]

What happens if an Aussie runs over a Kiwi, who's to blame??:rolleyes:
I don't know the answer to that, but I'm fairly sure that:

If a Kiwi runs over an Aussie, no-one cares!

[Flight Detent]

Hey moggiee,

Nice one....you may want to rethink your response to save yourself from exposing your not-so-complete upbringing!

That comment was entirely uncalled for...pity about your (now) defunct credibility!!!

:=

[pjvr99]

Don't know which 'company' is being mentioned, but I've been in ClubJed for 5 years now working for 'another company'. Al-Baik is the chicken chain mentioned. Driving is a variation of the reality TV game 'fear factor'. You will not go to jail if you are caught speeding - just don't argue with the gentleman :) .....

[Lingo Dan]

"Well anywhere has got to be nicer than Saudi Arabia!"

Right now, Mr AIDU, in Jeddah, it's 26°, the sun is shining, the petrol cost about 8p a litre to get me to work and, slightly unusually, I made here without a near-death experience on the road!

There's no tax, the money is good - and most aviation expats get to "escape" fairly frequently. It is also possible to work mostly with expats, rather than locals - which makes life easier.

To the original poster, I would say "Go for it!" :ok:Lots of opportunities here and look beyond those offered by "The Company".

I can remember Bessbrook at 0200 in the p....ing rain - and I know which I prefer!!

[moggiee]

Hey moggiee,

Nice one....you may want to rethink your response to save yourself from exposing your not-so-complete upbringing!

That comment was entirely uncalled for...pity about your (now) defunct credibility!!!

:=
Wow! Perhaps the most complete sense of humour failure I've ever seen on PPRUNE - get a life and have a laugh! It looks like you're one of those who's happy to dish it out (calling us whingeing poms) but less willing or able to take banter in return.

Thank heavens that all the other Aussies I know can take a joke about themselves and will often lead the self-mockery, as anyone with a sense of humour should be able to. Prozac [Click here] (http://www.prozac.com/index.jsp) may help you to deal with the trauma of being subjected to an Aussie-bashing joke - or maybe a sixpack of Fosters if you can't get hold of the pills.

[lgw]

Hey Moggiee,

I laughed. So much for my upbringing I guess.

Cheers.

[moggiee]

Hey Moggiee,

I laughed. So much for my upbringing I guess.

Cheers.
We're obviously both bad people then.

[saudipc-9]

Well I flew there for close to 5 years (hence my handle). It was not all that bad. It was not the UK or Canada and some people are more than happy to point out that fact and bitch about it. Duhh...that's why we get paid what we did!!!!!!!
PM me if you want some info and I'll leave out all the whinging.

[c130jbloke]

Just to keep the debate ( and occasional Ozzy bashing ) alive, what are the opportunities like for ground jobs in Saudi and ME as a whole ? And how "often" could you escape if the family did not make the move with you ?

Thanks in advance :ok:

C130JB

PS: I think Aus is great - got pi$$ed there once !

[Monty77]

You take time off when they say you can. If you have a wife and kids, then if the school holidays don't coincide with school hols - tough. That's what the big dosh is for.

This year ramadan (the big 4 week-er) will fall mid-Sep to mid-Oct. It comes forward about 2 weeks every year.

You can't just poke off home if Mum or Dad are ill, it's got to be close relative death.

The big enquiry is how it will affect your family. If you have toddlers, great. We all like paddling pools. Mid-school, see above ref holidays. Senior school? Actually, there isn't one, or if it has started this year, it is unproven, risk your kids' A-levels to that? Which leaves boarding school allowance. Not competitive with RAF version and will cost you about 2000 per kid per term on top of the allowance (and I'm not talking Eton here), which I am told by the BAE recruiter is 'under review'.

Do not expect to have your experience or opinion valued, but you will get a lot of dosh. If you are Australian with a goatee beard and a Harley, you will go down famously with other goatee-sporting RWC losers of that ilk, if that's what floats your boat.

Do not expect support from other expats professionally. They've all got mortgages back home and will not 'put out' for you. If you're sacked, you're sacked alone. Sacking offences vary from taxying with your pitot cover on to offending a Saudi staff mate/your own student for reasons you never discover.

The money's outstanding, but it's for a reason. You have been warned. If this post survives 24 hours, I'll be quite surprised.

[Echo 5]

c130jbloke,

Please check your PMs

[c130jbloke]

As you read, thanks in advance.

:ok:

[Monty77]

OK, I'm surprised.

[finestkind]

So is anyone still there?

How is life on the sooper compound?

Who is the SBFI or should that ne SAFI, SNZFI.