Saudi Arabia: life in saudi arabia

Showing posts with label life in saudi arabia. Show all posts

Woman in Saudi Arabia

Thursday, July 30, 2009 6:40 AM Posted by Saudi Arabia

Working Women in Saudi Arabia
Expatriate Grievance Celll
Vehicle ownership by expats in Saudi
Bringing pets into Saudi Arabia
touts-for-family-visa-in-saudi-arabia
Moving & Relocating to Saudi Arabia
Driving Liccnse In KSA
Vacation entitlements
Child birth in ksa 1
Child birth in Saudi Arabia-2
Some Important Links
Family visit visa

Working in Saudi Arabia is a challenge, particularly when it comes to working women. Very few professions are open for expatriate women to work legally in this country Doctors, (particularly gynecologists and pediatricians ), nurses and teachers are in great demand. There is always a dearth of qualified and experienced women to cover these professions.

Do remember that Saudi Arabia is a very restricted society and it is quite rare to find women working, except probably as teachers, doctors and nurses. Life could be quite taxing for working women, particularly in the medical and teaching professions. However, it all depends on the individual requirement, how far one is willing to go. All said and done, woman expatriates do get paid reasonably well, depending on their skill set.

Some of the wives of expatriates working in Saudi Arabia do keep themselves occupied though. You can find excellent private tutors for children, translators, etc. However, all these occupations are strictly on one to one basis and purely private arrangements between individuals.

Usually, it is quite rare or rather even impossible to find working women among expatriates who are without their families. The only exception to this is nursing profession. Generally, the husband would also be working in the same city as the wife. Very rarely does the wife get separate sponsorship by her company and most of the time it is the husband who is her sponsor. In all such cases, the working wife must ensure that she bargains well with her employer citing that the processing charges for her visa are borne by her husband. She must also not forget that if her husband is the sponsor, then all expenses like annual tickets to the home country, renewal of work permit (called iqama) etc., are usually borne by the husband only. So, she must keep all this in mind while negotiating her salary with her employer. Make sure everything in the contract is written in black and white and do not sign any document on verbal assurances.

Nurses are usually housed in either the hospital quarters or in private houses. Usually, the hospitals arrange for regular shopping trips to downtown, to enable them to buy their essentials, as women aren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.

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Security for expatriates

Sunday, July 26, 2009 10:56 PM Posted by Saudi Arabia

Probably one of the first thoughts which come to the mind of a potential job-seeker is the security situation in Saudi Arabia. This is one of the common concerns of western expatriates who would like to know the real situation before planning to work in Saudi Arabia .
Rest assured that the ground situation is really not that bad, as one would imagine, though one cannot say that it is 100% safe either. True, there was a period, roughly 3 years ago, when all expatriates and westerners in particular were targetted systematically. The situation then was so bad that there was quite an exodus of sorts by expatriates. However, over a period of time, a large number of terrorists have been either killed or arrested by the security personnel.
Most of the western expats prefer to stay in "camps" or "compounds", as they are known here.

Compounds are a colony of villas occupied only by expatriates. After the last attack on western interests in 2003, these compounds have been provided with very heavy security and it is quite difficult for any outsider to enter these highly fortified areas. Cars entering these compounds are thoroughly checked including the boot and the underside and closed circuit cameras keep a watch on every single person entering or leaving. These compounds, which are usually quite away from the downtown, have very tight security including armed policemen guarding the entrances.

In addition to the security, these compounds have the added advantage of limited "freedom", particularly for the women, in that they need not wear the abaya or the black robe as long as they are inside the four walls of the compound. Western expatriates staying in these compounds enjoy quite a good lifestyle (rather
luxurious as compared to staying in downtown), though some would say that it is quite like a golden cage.

Of course, western expatriates have to be alert when going out. Some of the Do's and Don'ts are:

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Avoid going out alone. You attract attention.
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Avoid displaying wealth in public places, particularly supermarkets. This need not necessarily be cash, it could also mean traveling in a flashy, brand-new Lexus. Remember, people keep watching you, whether you realize it or not.
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Avoid going out for jogging / walks outside your compound. If you stay in downtown, try shifting to one of these compounds.
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Try taking different routes to work every day.

It is not the intention of this blog to scare the would-be expatriate about the security condition in Saudi Arabia, but these tips are just to make him cautious. These tips would probably be applicable anywhere else in the world too. The bottom-line is that the probability of being attacked in Saudi Arabia is more or less the same as that of being mugged late night in a New York subway ;) One need not be unduly worried, though use of common sense and alertness is called for.
Finally, do remember that there are western expatriates in Saudi Arabia, some of them working for over a decade.

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Changing Job in SaudiArabia

Friday, July 24, 2009 6:37 PM Posted by Saudi Arabia

There are some peculiar features of working in Saudi Arabia which the would-be expat must know. One cannot change jobs just like that. It's hire-and-fire policy, but only one-way. In other words, if your sponsor decides to fire you, then there is nothing you can do about it. But if you want to resign and if your sponsor isn't too happy about it, then you had it!.

There is something called NOC, an acronym for No Objection Certificate. If you would like to work for another employer in Saudi Arabia, unless your present sponsor gives you an NOC, it is impossible to switch jobs. Of course, officially the law says that NOC is no longer required if it has not been specifically agreed in your original contract, but in reality the law has not been implemented. Surprised? , How can there be a law but which is not implemented?

What this means is that there is a law which says that you don't need an NOC any more to change your job (unless you have waived this right in your contract), but this law has not been put into effect in practice.
whenever any person ask to change job, he will be replied as kahlli-valli, ( mean forget about it) , it means that whatever the law says, if it is not implemented, you simply have no chance for re-employment in the kingdom if your current sponsor would not agree for the same. The grapevine is that the law was implemented on paper only to satisfy WTO requirements, but obviously this cannot be verified.
So, if you are a first-timer who is looking forward to working in Saudi Arabia, then you better know about this important rule and choose your employer carefully. As they say, it is better to be safe than sorry.

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Salary Structure

Saturday, July 18, 2009 2:08 AM Posted by Saudi Arabia

A fundamental thing which a potential expatriate who wants a job in Saudi Arabia should know is the salary structure here. Please note that there are three different salary scales in almost all companies, depending on your nationality. The highest salaries are invariably for Saudi nationals. Next come citizens of the US, UK, South Africa, Australia and EU. The least salaries are for people from the Indian subcontinent and the Philippines, collectively known here as "Eastern expatriates".

You may be quite surprised to learn that the job may be the same, but will find a guy from another nationality earning far less or far more than you. Also, you must be prepared, particularly if you are going to work in a government organization, that all higher level positions are invariably occupied by Saudi nationals. The only exception may be for the private sector, but here too the top boss will definitely be a Saudi national.

It is also quite common here that people with far lesser qualifications and experience may be your boss, but you should be mentally prepared for this too. Remember, as mentioned in my earlier post, if you are already in a senior position in your home country, you must definitely bargain your salary / position well and make things amply clear with your potential employer. Make sure to have all your emoluments / benefits in black and white in your contract, so that there is no heart-burn once you arrive in the kingdom.

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Lifestyle Saudi Arabia

Saturday, July 11, 2009 12:53 AM Posted by Saudi Arabia

As first time traveler to Saudi, many will feel highly fascinating and quite surprised the way people live, business come to grind halt 5 times a day during and for prayer. First starts early in morning around 4 AM and next around 11AM, 3PM, 6:30PM & 8 PM, each prayer time and duration varies although minutely. One must keep prayer timings note particularly people who are on business trip. According to Law it’s mandatory for all Muslims whether traveler or resident or expat to pray during the timings, during prayer timings all shops will be shut down and non-Muslims can wait outside for shops to reopen

In Saudi there are 2 types of police, one normal and one religious police. Religious police are to make sure that things are in accordance to religious laws. They have authority to check work permit, papers, passport etc. And also to make sure the couples travelling together are related!!!

In Saudi men and woman cannot mingle easily and even talk in public. If we man goes along with a lady, she must be either his mother or wife or sister. Women are prohibited to work except in certain categories like Nurse, Doctor, and Teacher. And woman cannot drive either!!!In Saudi Alcohol is strictly banned and smuggling/carrying Drugs carries capital punishment.

Entertainment is strictly restricted to in-house with DVD, VCD as there are no theatres; apart from this shopping is one major time pass for people living in Saudi.

Now comes to point, then why people go and live in Saudi, the one main and simple reason is MONEY, this is the place where one can save maximum amount, as there are no entertainment in the kingdom, the maximum you spend is on Rental & Monthly provision, Expenses towards Fuel & Electricity is practical joke in the region as it comes very cheap.

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Saudi Arabia Language

Thursday, July 9, 2009 1:22 PM Posted by Saudi Arabia

Language of Saudi Arabia refers to the language spoken by natives of country. Widely spoken and most popular language is Arabic. It is an official language of county while Saudi Arabian also speaks English mostly among the business groups. English is second compulsory language in the Saudi Arabian schools. Most popular among non-Saudi people is Urdu and less popular are Turkish and Farsi. Not for only Saudi Arabia , but Arabic is a basic language of all Arabian countries and is spoken by 200 million people in many Islamic nations. It is the language is which holy Quran is written. Most Arabian poetry and literature is also written in Arabic.

There is also a difference in spoken and written form of Arabic. Each Islamic county has unique and different pattered of Arabic speaking. There is strong difference even in Saudi Arabia . Some other less familiar languages are also there such as Chinese, Somalia , Korea , Bengali, Kabardian and Italian. These are the languages that are less spoken by shifted peoples from across the border or tourist to Saudi Arabia .

Before traveling to any country, it is most important to know that what languages are spoken are used to communicate in that land. Peoples are believer in Saudi Arabia in Motto (La illha illalah Mohammad urrasoolu llah) means there is not God except Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger.

It is not compulsory for the tourists to speak in Arabic because English is also accepted in Saudi Arabia . Use of English can give benefit of Saudi Arabia tourism; most transactions (related to business) are also carried out in the English language. It is a bilingual use and can be profitable to the Saudi economy as well as politics globally. To make travel free, tourist is advised to have a look Saudi Arabia through travel guide and make their travel free from constraints. One should keep himself in touch with Saudi Arabian currency and skills for communication in Saudi Arabia

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Some Question Related to Saudi arabia - FAQ

Question Related to Family

1 i am working in KSA and i have a valid IQAMA, can i bring my grand father on visit visa ?

It depends on the type of your visa. If you have your family with you in the kingdom, it becomes easier. If you are on a labor visa or any other non-supervisory profession mentioned in your iqama, you will not be able to sponsor anyone on visit visa. .
2 If a person is on a technician visa, does he have to produce his diploma at the time of applying for permanent family visa. ?What if the diploma/degree does not match the profession (assuming supervisory)mentioned on the Iqama. Does it matter?

You MUST get your qualification certificate attested by the Saudi Embassy in your country for processing permanent family visa. It DOES matter if the qualification does not match with the iqama profession and for sure it will get rejected at the embassy.
3 Is my wife eligible for bringing me to KSA, under family visa ?" If not, What will be the ideal visa for me to proceed ?

In case your wife's employer is offering her a family status, then you can join her as a dependent (permanent family visa). Note, however, that you cannot work in the kingdom and would have to stay at home. If this is okay with you, then ask your wife to accept the offer. The only other way is for you to get a job in the same city as which your wife is working. Of course, there would be separate sponsors for each of you. Think of all the consequences and possibilities before accepting any offer.
4 I have a family visa.My wife is now in India with an exit and re-entry visa. We are expecting a new born baby in India soon. If I want to bring the baby within 2-3 months of birth,is there any requirement of separate visa or we can bring without the visa and after reaching hear we can add him to the existing Ikama?
The baby will be given a visa on arrival at the airport. However, make sure that the baby has a separate passport, not attached with the mother.
5 I am working in Jeddah, when i want to renew my driving licence there is problem with the name of Iqama, before was no any problem. How i know that my name is not same in Jawazat office ? May i check through Internet ?

Please involve your company's Government Relations Officer. He should fill in a form (available in Passport office) and make corrections to the name in your iqama / system if there is any error. Do not try to do it yourself as they will not even entertain you..
6 How can I bring a servant from India?

You can only sponsor your family members, i.e., either your spouse or children. The definition of "family" does not even include one's parents or siblings. Hence, it is not possible to legally bring someone, even on a visit visa, as a domestic help. The housemaids you see may be doing part-time work or may be runaways from their original sponsors. .
7 What Saudi labour is doing if they found any unauthorised degree,I mean, what is action is to be taken according to labour law of Saudia Arabia, If person found a false attestation or the documents. ?

It is precisely for this reason that the Saudi Embassies all over the world require an attestation from the respective Human Resources Ministries or their equivalents to prove the genuineness of the documents. It becomes almost impossible to prove or disprove a certificate's authenticity .

otherwise. At a later date, if it is proved that a certificate is not genuine (which is going to be a herculean task), it becomes a criminal case. This is not covered under Labor Law, but will be handled by the police separately as a criminal offence. .

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Question Related To Visa

1 if i leave my job. is there any change that i was chaged for my visa fee and other expenxcess?

yes its quite possible .
2 My trade in visa is "kaarbaayi aam" actually i dont know what is this kaarbaayi aam ?can i bring my wife and childeran to here either permanently or on visit visa,is it possible??

"Khaarabaayi Aam" means a general electrician. You cannot bring your family in this profession. Please get it changed to some other supervisory title. If you are a diploma holder, try to get it changed as an electrical technician, which is eligible for family status.
3 I would like to initiate for my wife visa. I am working as an IT Manager and my profession mentioned is Computer Programmer. I want to know the cost for my wife's visa and who would pay that amount ?

if your contract offers family status, all the expenses in bringing your family into the kingdom has to be borne by your sponsor. .
4 My profession in iqama is programmer, and have family visa. My wife delivered in India, and the kid is 5 months now. Is it possible to bring him without visa? Read More

Yes, what you heard is right. Only make sure that your child has a separate passport..

Out Of line Questions

1 I heard about a "free visa" concept. What does it really mean? My wife works in saudi, some of her co-workers told her that they brought their spouses on "Free visa?What is the difference between the so called "Free visa" and other visas like, "visit visa".

As you may be aware, you need a Saudi citizen or company to be your sponsor for you to legally work in the kingdom. In the earlier days, this rule used to be a gold mine for Saudis to make a quick buck. Some Saudis used to apply to the Government for certain visas on letterhead companies. Once they obtained such visas, they used to illegally sell those visas at a very high premium to desparate expats wanting to enter the kingdom. Those expats, after arriving in the kingdom, used to change their professions after finding some otber job. Not any more. The government has put a halt to such a racket and has now made it mandatory not to transfer visas within a year after arrival. Indulging in such so-called "free" visas is illegal and is fraught with risks.:
2 I am offered a job working for an American Company but will be based on client sites, would that pose any problems?

Be vigilant about the contract you sign, because that is what is binding ultimately on both sides. Do not ever compromise on anything. There are a lot of western expats working here, but almost all of them invariably stay in secluded compounds. Working for an American company on a client site is not a problem and this type of arrangement is quite common here. .
3 I've have the choice of choosing between an AC Technician visa or a Decor Technician visa, however I'm a Pakistani with a Mechanical Engineering degree from the US. My degree is attested. Can my degree be utilized for this type of technical visa when I want to get the permanent residency visa issued for my family?

If you have an engineering degree, you might as well come here on an engineer visa, which has its own benefits. I would strongly advise you not to come on either of the visas you have mentioned, because you have a qualification which is better than these. .

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Professional Questions's

1 I am a General practitioner working in Nejran region since 3 years.I want to know about the possibility of transfer to a another city where schools are there & if possible, how can I proceed.?

There are several options. If you are working under MOH directly, you should look out for a mutual swapping from someone who wants to work in Nejran. The second option is to obtain permission from your sponsor to get a transfer to another city. Of course, the last way out is to get an NOC from your current sponsor (if he is willing to give one) and re-enter on a fresh visa. Otherwise, you have to wait for 1 year for re-entry.
2 My Iqama professional is General Electician so can i bring my family by Family resident visa?

No, you cannot bring your family as your job category is non-supervisory.
3 My profession in iqama is "TRANSLATOR" and I am holding a bachelor of arts in English Literature attested by saudi consulate. Can I bring my family?

Yes, by all means. You are a degree holder and should not have any problem in bringing your family..
4 The issue is that the profession on degree does not match to that of iqama (degree is engineering and iqama is technician). My question is only regarding when I go to SA and apply for family visa. Would there be a problem ? ?

No, you should not have a problem as technicians are allowed to bring their families. .
5 My profession on my Iqama is FANNI KAHARBAI is I am elegible to bring my family here either permanently or on visit visa ?

Unfortunately you cannot bring your family in this category. If you have a degree or a diploma, try to get your profession changed into some other supervisory category.
6 What i do for change my profession. in iqama

First get all your certificates attested by the Saudi Embassy in your home country and translated in Arabic. Next, through your sponsor, fill in the relevant form and submit all the documents for profession change, along with your original iqama. That's all
7 Mason or malaeyas can bring famly in Ksa ?

No.
8 My employer and agent told me that they will change my profession later and "mechanical drughtman" can bring family or by my degree certificate am I eligible to bring my family as per commitment by my employer?

Don't get fooled by verbal assurances. If your company can change the profession after landing in the kingdom, why cant they do it right now? The fact is that changing the profession is quite a lengthy and complicated procedure. You should not join this company unless they give you a visa which is eligible to bring your family. A draughtsman cannot sponsor his family. .
9 At present my profession is plumber and now I would like to change my profession to computer engineer, since the attestation get so old will the Jawazat office will accept these documents or should I need to re-attest these documents.Can I sponsor my mother after If I change my profession …?

There is no time limit. Once your papers are attested, it is done for life. So go ahead and get your profession changed right away.
10 I have a three years of diploma in computer science which is attested by the Saudi sansulate of my home country and re-attested by the forign affair of KSA Dammam.Will it enough to change my profession to computer technician.? Read More.....

Yes, this is adequate .

Some More Questions

1 I AM WORKING IN SAUDI AS A MECH-ENGINEER. BUT VISA Profession IS "WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR" IS IT POSSIBLE TO BRING MY FAMILY TO HERE? ?

You cannot bring your family as long as the profession in your iqama is an "Operator". Since you are a diploma holder, try changing your iqama profession to any supervisory category. This should be done after getting your diploma attested by the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi and the Saudi Embassy.
2 My friends want to bring his family on this profession "AMIL MAYMARI"...can you please let me know about that can he or not?

No, this profession is not eligible to bring his family.
3 My Visa is auto Electrician Am i allow to bring family in KSA?
You cannot bring your family in this category.
4 Manzil karbai , which i found out to be building electrician . is transferable =?
Your category is a building electrician. This is a transferable visa. Once you are transferred to another sponsor, it depends on him and the effort he puts on to change your profession into an engineer visa, to enable you to bring your family. Read my post on changing profession
5 "kaharbe mabanee" and on iqama it is "kaharbae" can bring family ?

Kaharbe mabanee" means literally "Electrical Civil". Rather, it would mean as a house electrician when roughly translated. Unfortunately, this title is not eligible to sponsor a family. .
6 Can i bring family with "operator " job title?
If the profession in your iqama is an "operator", you will not be entitled to bring your family, whatever be your salary. So, what matters is the visa profession, not your job title. Check with your prospective employer whether he is giving you a supervisory category visa, otherwise you can neither bring your family nor can change your profession after reaching here.
7 I was given a laborer visa. I have completed a 3 year Automotive Technician diploma. Will i be eligible to bring my family on a permanent residence visa here in KSA should i change my profession based on my qualification? ?
irrespective of your actual profession, if your iqama profession is a labour, you will be able to neither change your profession nor sponsor your family. In the earlier days, you could atleast change your profession, but for the past few months, the passport office is not encouraging such cases.
8 I want to know the minimun period of time after which I can come to KSA on another visa after getting NOC from the earlier sponsor(MOH)?

If you have an NOC from your earlier sponsor, you can re-enter immediately. If you do not have an NOC, you have to wait atleast one year.

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Exit Reentry Questions

1 I am on direct sponsorship of the school as you mentioned. I hope to sign a new contract with another school soon, so I don't mind paying for my ticket home but I just want to leave this school without any trouble. Contractually I can leave, but I can't guarantee they will give me the NOC. If they refuse, I've heard the old trick of leaving the passport in the washing machine and getting a new one, clean of any previous visa.
What you are going to do is illegal as per Saudi law. I hope you have not given your finger prints already (it is being made compulsory for all expatriates). Assuming that you have not given your finger prints and assuming that you do come back on a new passport, you will have to live a life like a fugitive. If ever your present employer comes to know that you are back and working with another employer, rest assured that you will be deported back by the next available flight (if you are lucky) or worse, you may simply be put in jail indefinitely. Do not even try this! .
2 My question is about NOC. Is there a validity period for NOC from the date of issue? I am planning to go on exit and come back on another visa in about 6 months. Since the new visa will take some time, should I take my NOC now or only when the visa is avalable?
There is no validity for an NOC. It is just a letter which says that your current employer has no objection to your working with someone else in the kingdom. For that matter, after one year, the NOC has no value because automatically you become eligible to work with anyone else. The one year period starts from the date of expiry of your iqama or the date of final departure, whichever is later of the two
3 Is it possible to reenter on a "visit visa" and work with a new company within the first year? I know some people who work here on a visit visa since their company doesn't sponsor people. Would it be illegal for me to work on a visit visa if i don't obtain a NOC?
Don't even think of trying it. If you are caught, you would be straightaway thrown into prison and should consider yourself lucky if you are deported!
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