I operated in and out of JED for 17 years and never had any huge issues. Any pilot that comes to the ME comes for money not lifestyle . If as a byproduct of the situation you have a good lifestyle then great . I had a great time and left when the money bucket was full , handicap 9.(pun included)

To be fair: Flying a turn-around to JED and then back to a chauffeured driven car in Dubai is a far cry from actually operating out of Jeddah. I’m sure your 1 hour transit in the Kingdom had its issues of uncertainty, but that is a far cry from actually hanging your hat on the artificial gold hook on the wall of a home in Saudi City.

There is good and bad to both but having done both... they are far different.

It is unfortunate that I will likely never see it again, but for me Saudi City will always be my home. If the circumstances were different I’d be joyfully shopping at the Star Mart tomorrow.

For those fortunate few still there.... enjoy every moment. You’ll miss it when you leave.

Thank you MissChief for that astute observation … 🙏
And Sai. You are right. SAUDIA is not everyone’s cup of tea.
‘Everyone’ being 99% of the pilots populous world over 🙄

Any truth in the rumour that expats are being called back to JED asap?

Yes. Some have already been scheduled for recurrent GS.

Look at the bright side. Eventually things will turn around. It may be some time before it is at the levels pre COVID but it will get there and when it does what will happen? Many have left, been sacked etc and taken on other careers or will significantly be out of currency combined with a down turn of those that once desired an aviation career. So when things crank up how do you attract people back into those seats. I would suggest if you are sub 30 even 40 (without family commitments) that when this time arrives it will be rewarding, particularly in the ME when once again the requirement for expats will be high.I sympathies with those unable to remain in their desired career and are suffering a financial burden and wish you the best.

I agree and some will not even remember how badly those in the ME have been treated recently. T and Cs , well, never as good as it once was . They have been heading south at least since I got there .

Maybs Saudia’s game was not so dirty after all?

According to the Chai wala
"Called back, sign new contract and go back on NPL until further notice. Only TRE/TRIs being reactivated for the moment."

Wrong. Dirty AF

The Rage

This info is already outdated. Expats are being called back from NPL one month before its end.

All out of jealousy written against Saudia, I’ve given an option for six months unpaid leave or two months notice. In this pandemic situation all airline did corrective action so did Saudia.
Saudia paid all my dues and it’s one of the best Airline to fly with great professional pilots , super professional instructors Captains and very well disciplined First Officers.
enjoyed every moment working for Saudia.

Served them for 9 years as Captain. Last 2 years forced to live in the hell hole called Riyadh. Not ever called to office, never called in sick, not ever had any incident or accident. Flawless training record.
Mother ( who is out of kingdom )falls terminally sick in Feb. I come to visit her on my legal off days in March first week. Can’t get back due global cancellation of flights. In the mean time mom passes away due a combination of factors. I advise Saudia Operations of my moms demise and my inability to return immediately due moms situation and the flight cancellations too. Will be back ASAP with the commencement of flights.
Week later I get a termination letter by email while I’m still at moms home giving me 2 months notice …!!! 👿
But wait. Thats still not the end of it.
I complete my settlement with Saudia and guess what …???!! They did not pay me my basic salary from the day I was out of the kingdom (on my official days off) to my last day of work ie about 3.5 months of basic @ 40K SAR PM …!! 😳

THAT MY friends is the apathy and level of corruption and inhumanity that exists with this Stone Age airline. The airplanes are flying by the will of Allah. As are the operations. MEL’s average 12-13 per airplane. And then they are illegally cancelled out when they expire ! I can go on but I’d rather not.
It has always been a taxi operator for a corrupt camel hearder who if fact couldn’t even afford a taxi.
And it will always be that.
My house help has better working conditions than the ones I did when I was in Riyadh.
And she doesnt have to deal with a hypocritical, patronizing and cheating boss who would need her to get a death certificate for her mom if god forbid she lost her mom while at work …!!! 🤬
Stay away I warn you. Stay very very far away.
I’ve been burnt and burnt bad ! So have a lot of expats out there who won’t complain due to the hope of getting back inshallah.
But from me, you have been warned …

Looks like you are not telling the whole story. Most probably only the part that suits you or may be even misrepresenting facts. The clear indication of this is your statement about “MEL’s average 12-13 per airplane”. It’s an outright lie.

Lucifer,

Sorry for your loss.

You do raise a lot of confusion with your post. My Father passed 5 years ago. I had to provide around 10-15 original certificates for banks, mortgage, credit cards, pensions and his past employer. SVA asked me to provide a pic of the certificate, not even the original. Once provided, I was readily given all the time I required. What is the offence with having to provide a death certificate?

Flts into KSA shutdown March 14/15. The termination letters for those that refused UPL went out last half of April, a full 30+ days later. That is a lot of time to reach out to the base office / fleet office / GM and clarify your situation. Sounds like they treated you more like an absconder rather than a termination.

Why would they owe you for the time between you not returning and the termination notice (1 month)? You weren't available to work. For those of us that did stay, we were assigned on RSV for the first half of April as no one had a clue if we were going to be flying again or not.

Which fleet is running these MEL's numbers on average? Never seen that on a single AC much less an entire fleet.

I needn't clarify this but just a courtesy here.
All my days out of kingdom due inability to return due to covid were treated as absent without leave. Don’t ask me why. And this DESPITE me losing my mom a week after landing home. HR and Ops was emailed all relevant copies of my moms medical condition but I never got a reply. And my salary was still cut !
NPL was never ‘offered’. Calls were made telling you to write in to request NPL. I didn’t write in asking for an email to reply to. I suppose that justifies the termination !! 🙄
My very last flight on the T7 had 14 open items !! I can give you the tail number if you like.
If anyone here says that the maintenance in SV is as good as in the western ( or eastern) world then I know where your flying hours come from. I couldn’t even get my log book certified by the Flt ops. Is that normal. Not really. And I don’t need an endorsement to make my point.
All this is merely the tip of the iceberg that I care to mention. The real danger being in what I’ve not written so far. Simply to keep the negativity from affecting me adversely.
Times are bad. And we need all the hope we can muster. SAUDIA was the worst nightmare of my aviation career. And I wish not to discuss it in such length. It’s a disgrace.
Moving on now … no malice intended. Just facts.

Sorry again for your loss, rough year for everyone. Mine passed this June in isolation.

Very sorry to hear that metro. Although in some contorted thought process I think I derive consolation in knowing others have felt similar loss during this very bad period. Condolences

Fully agree; one or two open items in MEL and those also not critical to the flight or even the sector being flown, that was my Experience with Saudia for the twenty years I flew with Saudia, Most on Long Haul 747 runs.

Interesting news …

Saudia airline faces claim over 50 leased Airbus planes: documents