SAUDIA RECRUITING
 

Saudia is recruiting 320 and 777 pilots.
An interview takes place in London, with 50 ATPL questions (not so difficult), some 20 questions to measure our "stupidity", and an interview . The interviewers are extremely polite, and the questions sometimes tricky....SAUDIA is paying your airticket, plus HOTAC for one or two nights.
If you pass, there is a second "round" in Jeddah, where you have to pass a sim assessment and medical examinations.....Then you must stay there, for at least 4 to 5 months.....Why? In order to do your Saudi school, sim and training as well as line....What else? You must obtain FAA (?) ATPL....!!!! The last was very "nicely" hidden from the interviewers....but noted in the invitation received a few days later. Although salary noted in interview is 3 to 4 thousands us$ MORE than offered.
After all this, I am looking for something else, adding the cost of the "bonding" , which means 1 to 2 thousands us$ less on salary, for some years....
:}

I'm guessing this already happened?if not,would you be so kind as to provide a link where to apply?

Well, there are a few differences between the benefits advertised at flightglobal and the ones on Saudia website. Is the salary also different? :hmm:

Looking at the ad I wonder where is my
Annual productivity bonus??
10 "king days" that due to lack of crew didnt give this year and saudis got paid 6 months ago and expats still waiting for the money
School allowance i believe is around 28000 rials per child and the amount doesnt cover the fees of some international schools
They also fail to mention that to get your ACM tkt you need to run around the office collecting this stupid stamps and signatures and make sure you are listed on the flight as crew otherwise you still dont get on
Very interesting about the free membership on saudia sports club, It is ONLY for men and you still have to pay an anual fee
Free accomodation, well if you dont mind leaking roof when rain ( lucky only3 times a year), electricity plugs not grounded, blowing a/c, cheap furniture and the list can go on....
About the compound facilities I am not going to even mention it, I heard on the 70's was the best, and thats it ,they havent cleaned it or improved it since then so imagine the swimming pool, parks and play area. They also seem to love to leave the water running for the grass areas and flood them so nobody can use them for weeks.
The medical center is a joke, most expats go back to their country for real treatments.
By the way, your contract pay might be change for worst at anytime, despite you having a sign contract, and your promise 6 days off in a row turn out to be 5 or less, just cause they need you.
Also your 30 days holidays have to be taken all in a row cause they cant work out their very expensive system to split them through the year

The money is ok, but you really have to work overtime to be really good, tax free but i believe some of the comuting americans still have to pay some tax back in their countries, money is not enough for the livestyle of this country,
If you planning to bring your familly you wont see them much, jeddah is the base but most of the time you find yourself away for 3-4 days, back for 1 and away again, you can be landing at 11am and reporting for night fly same day at 11pm. If you planning to comute usually the promise days off in a row never happen.
If you dont mind any of this, and you are really desperate for a job, come here, but dont complain after
Most expats are already looking for the way out...

Happy landings

ASFRY thanks! Exactly same comments received today from friends in Jeddah.
If you are "desperado" it is a good place....
I had to chose between Saudia and Qatar....After all this, I am leaving home in a few days for Doha. Will report ppruners accordingly...
Keep it cool!:ok:

1978/1985
 

I worked for Saudia during the above listed years. Sounds like the only thing that has changed are the types of aircraft!

Sort of sticks it to the regional though...

The arse fell out of the pay circa 1996-97 vob. I was lined up
for the 310 when they told me of the then revised conditions
and salary. The old T&Cs would've paid me enough to put up
living in that crapholery.

Slasher in Saudi........... that would have been interesting :):):):)

You're implying I might not've survived living and working in
the Saudi without a supply of booze and buxom nubiles Mutt?


Yer right. I wouldnt've.


But of course I had various plans in the pipeline for my beer
still and as for women..er...well lets just say I would've been
on the A310!

You wouldnt have had a problem with either of these :):)

But access to porn was extremely limited :):):)

SAUDIA EMPTY PROMISE
 

..just went for the interview in first week of Dec in London.. letter said will pay you immediately...not very true..till today nothing in bank account..
very sad for a national carrier. thank you Mr. B :D



" Evidently there is no Saudia direct flight from XXX to LHR. This letter reassures and guarantees your interview travel Y-class round trip ticket cost for ...will be reimbursed instantly in London as advised. No delay and no waiting for ticket cost reimbursement.

:ugh:

Let us not forget about the 36 year old Airbus Capt. (a Saudi, by the way) who died after some sort of cardiac stenosis or other crisis manifested during a flight out of JED last year. He was denied admission to hospital after arrival in Dammam because Saudi Arabian Airlines had failed to pay for medical treatment before...

Or the B747 pilot who fell over some equipment which had been left behind by the cleaning staff onboard his airplane, causing injury to his shoulder, if i remember correctly. He, naturally, went home (= far away from the KSA) for professional medical treatment and got terminated (= fired) after that, because he had to many absent days...

I could go on...

Can anyone tell me, which is better... between Qatar and Saudia as captain. They both offered me a job.
I am really confused....

Jetopa, if you are going to tell stories, please make sure that you have them correct !

Refugee..... Qatar.

MUTT thanks! I know that life in Jeddah is difficult, as well as the difficulty to visit home....especially the first 6 or so, months during training.
But in the other side, Saudia is more "flexible" if you compare with Qatar, in matter of "intra-company life".
Of course life on Qatar is much more easier than Jeddah....

Dear Mutt,

just tell me, that I made this up:

Negligence alleged in Saudia pilot

Newspaper article by RH on the 08th, following the event on the 05th.... The truth about the hospital was revealed in later articles and fully accepted by the family.

Unfortunately this doesn't do anything to bring CM back, so for me this subject ends, but if you are still interested, I would suggest you do more research.

I went last week to Athens for the screening as a consequence of my application to the 777 capt non type rated position.
Well...
50 standard questions about aeronautic knowledge (V speeds, TORA, ASDA, etc.), nothing special to say about, to be completed in one hour.
Then 10 questions about, let's say, intellectual ability to treat small problems in a minimum of time (15 minutes).
If you go through this, then you will have a beautiful seat facing the three SAA guys.
They ask you to explain your aeronautical past, family life, expectations.
After that, of course, you ask questions.
And it becomes different of all the mails you received previously to encourage you to cross Europe for the pleasure of meeting these interesting persons:
- No 777, recruiting in fact for A320 and ERJ 170/190:{
- 9 days off/month means a block of 5 days (1 day to come back to your place, 3 days on the premices ans 1 day to go back to JED), and 4 days off the way they fall = 3 days with your family, unless you want to divorce by bringing your wife there,
- Need to sit for the Saudian ATPL which is based, they say, on the FAA one,
- TR will be stamped on the Saudi license (where can you go with this if everything goes wrong):=
- Need to have entry visas,
- Need to have exit visas :eek:
And so on...

Make up your mind yourself, as I did...:mad:

That was to be expected. But hey - they needed to write something in order to get everybody's attention...

No comment...

That's the easy part!

Unless you go for a type rating on a business jet (= which they don't do in JED), that's they way it is.

Well, that is also mandatory for many other countries, isn't it?

Which sucks, because you can't just leave the KSA whenever you like - you're effectively dependent on their mercy. And - in my (and many other's) case - it may take a while before they issue you this visa.