Saudi’s dirty game against its pilots

[Lucifer786]

True.
Recognition of sanity is a privilege limited to the intelligent 😉

[bassem777]

On what planet do you live? Do you listen to the news around you? Airlines are shutting down or going bankrupt. Did you expect that SAUDIA will stop paying its own nationals in order to pay the expat? Seriously... Wake up man

[Lucifer786]

Bassem you might want to re-read my last post.
A little slowly this time around
☺️

[fatbus]

Get along children!

[SaulGoodman]

Kicking out a fully operational pilot at the slightest hint of a quarterly loss in company earnings during a global pandemic is pathetic and unscrupulous. Denying him his basic rights and remunerations when he is already reeling at a job loss is simply sick !
And very very Saudi in nature.

Any expat going to work in Saudia and expecting any form of basic rights is deluded. You all went there for the pay check or because you have lost your job elsewhere. A foreigner in the Middle East will always be a second class citizen at best. Sorry you lost your income but as someone who worked elsewhere in the ME I can’t classify it as a surprise in the current climate.

There is enough documentation on how foreigners are treated in the ME and especially in Saudia Arabia. They pay you that means they owe you. Anyone who is contemplating legal action is completely deluded. You have no rights. Just ask all the political activists (oh wait, I mean terrorists) who are in Saudia prisons about the legal system in place.

You chose to work in a place where there are no human rights and where public punishments are still being enforced but somehow you are angry because you are not treated the same as back home in the west....

[sheikhthecamel]

Originally Posted by finestkind

.........Third point. Saudi's worked to provide oil to the world. If that was the case you would not have needed expats to do the work.

A bit unfair. Having done some work at ARAMCO and affiliates, I can tell you that operationally it is a very, very well run company, and that much of the work is done by Saudi's with a very high level of competence and work ethic. Meetings started on time, agenda's were kept, people were on point, and those things that were committed to were done efficiently and with little fuss. May sound strange to some who are more familiar with other areas of the ME, but I generally found the locals there in the O&G sector of very high caliber professionally.

PS - Yes, I am an expat.

[sheikhthecamel]

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.

[SaulGoodman]

Any foreigner who goes to work in the ME and expects to be treated fairly is naive.
When the shit hits the fan guess what happens.
unfair? Certainly
unexpected? No!

[finestkind]

sheikhthecamel

I am not going to disagree with your experience. You also stated " having done some work". My experience was over a number of years and the ability displayed in a professional area was severely lacking from competence to work ethic.. Admittedly that was some years ago and may well have changed. More to the point on the "Saudi's worked hard to supply oil the the world" is irrefutably incorrect with all the "initial work being done by expats. It may well be that the Saudi's involvement now in the corporate area is more and they are very good at holding meetings..

[Joker11]

Originally Posted by Python27

Couldn't be more local...

Middle Eastern attitude.

[Marcus555]

There is no such thing as law in the horrific place ,the country if founded on that fact , culture is no where to civil nor the level of professionalism , I left that place just 3 weeks after my arrival , I will not work in such environment if they pay me millions
stay away

[Fabio70]

Saudi airlines are liars they will tell you what you want to hear good luck guys getting your money and good luck if you going to come back

[Lucifer786]

Fabio, you are absolutely right, the world needs to be told of the appalling treatment of the expat pilots in this barren hellhole. But watch this space, its coming. Some very embarrassing documents to be released to the Ministry Of Interior in the Kingdom and the International Press in the coming weeks. Airlines who treat their pilots, employees and passengers with contempt and utter disregard must be named, shamed and appropriately defamed.
Watch this space … 😡

[azhkman]

Jack330

Saudization, haha. I remember living in Saudia City with my Mom and Dad working for Saudia in late 80's and they were talking about Saudization then. Let's be honest, this is the fault of COVID. And it's awful--but there is not much that can be done and companies will try to save costs anyway they can until they can start earning again.

[Fabio70]

Those people have to be exposed for there slavery for there lies they should be exposed in the media they need to respect contracts

[Fired600]

If this ‘Saudization’ ( insert other Middle East location + ization for other regions) was tried in the US or Europe there would be protests and cries of racism.

[metro301]

Originally Posted by azhkman

Jack330
Let's be honest, this is the fault of COVID. And it's awful--but there is not much that can be done and companies will try to save costs anyway they can until they can start earning again.

Exactly, thank you. Can we please stop the rest of this drivel? No one is being sent away without their end of service money, nothing is being stolen. This is happening all over the world. Anyone thinking that a contract pilot will be taken care of before a national should have researched more before taking the job.

[Fabio70]

The problem is the Saudi you cannot trust before the KOVID 19 too many guys didn’t get there indemnity and there bonuses and if you thing your coming back good luck and do you know if you go to the ministry of labor and complain against SAUDI AIRLINES you cannot leave the country until your case is over that will take years and years SO STOP POSTING WHAT YOU DONT SEE

[metro301]

Fabio, Rubbish.. With your 6 posts. I have seen more leave with exactly their entitlement than people leave thinking they are owed more than they really are. Read the contract, learn the laws. It is not perfect but I personally have not seen anyone robbed as you say.

[Fabio70]

Metro trash what you saying is not based on facts