Working in Saudi Arabia

If you are looking to work in Saudi Arabia, you would obviously want to know more about the region, its work culture, its lifestyle, climate, laws and regulations etc. This write up is an attempt to attend to these aspects in brief. There are jobs a plenty in Saudi Arabia for expatriates. Mainly, foreigners work in the fields of defense, healthcare, the oil industry, IT, telecommunications and banking in Saudi Arabia. The country is fast developing in infrastructure and hence there are jobs in construction too.

Saudi Arabia relies heavily on the foreign workforce. There are Americans, Europeans and Asians working in the country on various posts in various fields. Although there are a large number of expatriates working in the region, it almost never allows foreigners to become part of the permanent population. There is stress being laid at training the local population and making them self-sufficient in terms of required workforce. However, there are still a lot of jobs that require the skills and abilities that the local population does not have. So, there would always be enough jobs for the foreign population in Saudi Arabia.

The main attraction that pulls the foreign workforce to Saudi Arabia despite its conservative culture is money. Saudis are willing to pay large salaries to employ people to do work for them. The salaries offered in Saudi Arabia are easily comparable to or sometimes even more than those offered in the western countries. The biggest benefit of earning in Saudi Arabia is that there are no personal taxes levied on the population and thus all the money that one earns is disposable. This lets the people who come here to work to save a lot.

Saudi Arabia offers a luxurious lifestyle. It is a very rich nation owing to its oil reserves. This gives the nation enough wealth to enjoy. However, the society is very conservative and the lifestyle is centered on strict Islamic laws. For instance, women do not enjoy much freedom. They need to wear a full length, sleeved garment when in public. They also have to wear a headscarf. The women are also not allowed to drive. Although these rules do not apply to foreign women, yet the society is so conservative that it does not allow free mixing of men and women. Homosexuality and live-in relationships are considered crimes. So, one has to keep these things in mind while applying for a job in Saudi Arabia. It can be a great cultural shock initially but if one learns to live around these strict regulations, working in Saudi Arabia could be a pleasant experience.

Saudis are very particular about their prayer regime. The prayer is offered five times a day and all work comes to a halt when it is the prayer time. Even if you are dining in a restaurant, all lights will be put off and you would be required to not disturb in any way while the prayer is being offered. Since this is a strict way of living, one has no choice but to try and fit in. Alcohol is also banned in the region. As far as the climate is concerned, it is very hot in summers, sometimes even reaching above 50 degrees Celsius in temperature. All properties are air conditioned from inside otherwise it would be difficult to survive in such ruthless heat.

The laws are very strict and there is zero tolerance approach towards crime. It is not uncommon to cut hands for stealing and behead someone for more heinous crimes. Although the nature of such punishment is highly debatable, it has helped in keeping the crime rate very low.

One must have a sponsor in Saudi Arabia to be able to work there. The sponsor would generally be the employer who will then take care of your visa and work permit. The sponsor is wholly responsible for your stay while you work in Saudi Arabia. If you try to change jobs without the consent of the employer, you might be thrown out of the country. So, carefully check the credentials of the employer and the company before signing any contract. A contract would be signed when you accept the job and you would be required to abide by that law at all times.

Thus, it is important to weigh your options before accepting any job offer to work in Saudi Arabia. If you approach the country with an open mind and are willing to make adjustments both on the personal and the professional fronts, you would have positive take-away from the country. Saudis treat you well if you remain on the right side of the law. So, just focus on your job and the good money that comes with it. Once you have earned enough money, you can leave the country with an exit visa. Your employer would have to release you. In case, you want to stay for more time, you can ask the employer to extend you contract. In both the scenarios, you are dependent on the employer.

Geetika Jain writes on behalf of NaukriGulf.com, a leading job portal for jobs in Gulf Region, Jobs in Dubai, Middle East jobs. Naukri.com's foray into the Middle East is an Endeavour to provide established client base with services that best meet their international requirements as well as expand our operations on to a global arena.