Author
Denis PopovSaudi Arabia is a rich country in the Middle East, with at least one-sixth of the world's oil reserves. Its neighbors are UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. However, climatic conditions are not the most pleasant. Primarily hot and dry weather prevails throughout the territory. The population of Saudi Arabia in 2022 will be about 35.7 million people.
Moreover, among the other world countries, Saudi Arabia is one of the richest. Here a high standard of living and respectable salaries. But the state is one of the most closed in the world, and therefore getting a job in Saudi Arabia can be quite a challenge.
Up to 90% of the locals are Arabs, and the rest are primarily natives of India and Africa. The official religion is Islam. Migrant workers should consider that Saudi Arabia is a country of specific traditions and strict laws.
As all of us know, Saudi Arabia has incredibly changed in social and economic ways. The opportunities for professional employment have been greatly expanded. There are chances of jobs in health care or education.
The indisputable advantages of employment in Saudi Arabia include the absence of income tax, reasonable prices, medical coverage, and other social benefits. Also, salaries in this country are the highest in the region. Saudi Arabia's growing economy needs new people to build a solid base of financial stability. Residents fit well into this system. They are comfortable living in the kingdom. The salaries in Saudi Arabia are decent, so people return home with money to buy real estate, have the opportunity to educate their children, and gain international experience in cutting-edge equipment.
Of course, much depends on the profession. The average wage in Saudi Arabia in 2022 will reach $2,000 to $3,000 a month. Residency, a degree, Ph.D. increase the salary by two or even three times. However, foreigners often get a lower amount.
For example, the minimum wage for Saudis is set at 4,000 local riyals (about $1,065), but only for the public sector. In the private sector, there is currently no minimum wage. The same applies to foreigners.
Working as a doctor in Saudi Arabia involves a salary of $3,000 to $5,000 per month. The employee is given an annual leave of 30 days. In addition, the doctor must pay medical malpractice insurance of $800 once every three years. Junior medical staff earns about $1,000 a month. Among doctors, the highest salaries are paid to employees of private clinics: surgeons, ophthalmologists, gynecologists, dentists, and intensive care specialists. Specialists in this field are provided with jobs with salaries ranging from $3,000 per month to $9,000.
Requirements for foreign doctors:
No criminal record in the home country.
No pregnancy for women.
High level of English proficiency.
An employer must legalize all documents confirming specialization and education in the Embassy of KSA.
Work experience of at least two years.
Looking at specific professions in Saudi Arabia, on average, a waitress gets about $600, an au pair up to $800, a guide up to $1,200, a construction worker up to $3,000, an IT specialist up to $4,000, and oil workers up to $5,500.
A welder, mason, and foreman in Saudi Arabia can expect to earn $2,000 or more. However, the service industry is not particularly highly valued. For a nanny, the income will be $1,500. For a nurse, a little higher - $1,700. A maid at home will earn $1,000, including free room and board. Students in the Middle East most often care for the sick and elderly, part-time salespeople in supermarkets. Residents primarily work on services such as livestock and dairy farms in Saudi Arabia.
Jobs in Saudi Arabia in 2022 for men are primarily in the oil sector. About 87% of the country's income and 90% of all exports come from oil products. 1/4 of the total number of employees in the oil industry are migrants. On the other hand, local authorities are trying to modernize the economy and diversify their sources of income.
Jobs for women in Saudi Arabia are only available in education or health care. For example, in the medical field, women and girls have opportunities to be employed as gynecologists and dermatologists. In the oil industry, women can only work as engineers. But only one company in Saudi Arabia employs women. It is Saudi Aramco ltd. Other companies don't have this kind of right to hire women.
In addition to the oil industry, jobs in Saudi Arabia are available for construction workers, doctors, programmers, teachers of English in private schools, sometimes required for financiers and bankers. In principle, the list of options for work in Saudi Arabia is quite diverse. The main thing is persistence and, to some extent, luck to find opportunities.
In unskilled labor, the main competition is from Southeast Asia, many of whom come to the country illegally, which is strongly discouraged. Also, according to some estimates, more than 125 thousand specialists from Western countries work in Saudi Arabia.
The medical industry is really in demand. Qualified medics, nurses, nannies, and caregivers are in the market, chambermaids: construction occupations, engineering. In addition, there is a demand for construction jobs, engineering, IT administrators, programmers, and financial analysts in the Middle East.
Skilled foreign specialists have opportunities to find jobs in Saudi Arabia in tourism, construction, information technology, telecommunications, and some other industries.
"How can I get a job in Saudi Arabia?" Of course, it has its specifics. First of all, you need to find an employer. This company will take care of your application. It should pay for and arrange all necessary documents, including work permits and visas. This process usually takes a long time, so it is essential to have patience.
Recruiters of special recruitment agencies are the easiest way for a person from another country to find jobs in Saudi Arabia through specialized recruiting agencies that operate in many countries worldwide. Such specialists help Saudi companies to hire the people they need. However, often the worker is charged a mediation fee of 10-20% of his annual salary. As a result, it takes longer to find a job on your own in Saudi Arabia.
It is better to look for work in cities in Saudi Arabia such as:
Riyadh.
Yanbu.
Jeddah.
You should use social media actively, search for information in forums, check all existing services, contact employers directly or look for recruitment agencies.
Working in Saudi Arabia has several disadvantages:
It is not easy to find reliable information about vacancies at information services online;
A preliminary interview with the candidate is conducted by recruiting agencies even before departure, which eliminates the possibility of seeing working conditions at the workplace;
It is necessary to follow the host country's customs: to wear national clothes and get used to the heat.
The advantages of working in Saudi Arabia are much more:
Specialists with a confirmed diploma after completing an internship are assigned a decent salary, social package, and support;
Arabic is not a must, only English;
You won't have to get used to the role of an Asian citizen in your daily life, as all the residents and their families live in specially segregated areas;
The possibility of educating children in a European school;
There is practically no crime;
Flights home for vacation and back, business trips to the U.S. and Europe for advanced training are financially provided by the employer.
The labor laws of Saudi Arabia are designed to provide as many jobs as possible, especially for young people. If you are planning to work here, you should know that it is complicated for foreigners to break into the labor market of this Arab state. However, every year the authorities set special quotas on the number of foreign workers.
According to the law, if an employer in Saudi Arabia employs a foreign national, he must pay for a work visa, a work permit, and all additional documentation required for employment. Employers and companies face heavy penalties if they do not comply with these conditions.
To be employed as a medical doctor in any specialty, applicants must take an exam to prove their job qualifications when they arrive in Saudi Arabia. The exam is taken electronically using the Prometric program. A score of over 65% of correct answers is required to prove your qualifications and qualify you to work.
To obtain a work visa to Saudi Arabia (Iqama), you must have an employment contract, appropriate education to perform professional activities, and a comprehensive medical examination. As a rule, a visа to Saudi Arabia is issued for an extended period, which the employer requests in advance.
Attention. Overseas workers should be aware that it is allowed to leave Saudi Arabia only with the consent of the company and local authorities. Even the passport of a foreigner is often kept with the employer.
To obtain a work visa to Saudi Arabia, a foreign national must go to the embassy of that state.
At the diplomatic mission, it is worth submitting a package of papers consisting of:
A valid foreign passport.
Photocopies of all pages of the internal passport.
A pre-filled application form.
Two photographs.
Receipt confirming payment of the consular fee.
Employment contract with an employer in Saudi Arabia.
Letter of invitation from an organization. The invitation letter must be stamped by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chamber of Commerce.
Criminal Record Certificate.
Diploma confirming appropriate education.
Medical clearance confirmed completion of a comprehensive medical examination. In addition, the certificate must show that the person who applies for the job does not have the following diseases:
HIV infection.
Type A Hepatitis.
Hepatitis type B.
Hepatitis type C.
Tick-borne encephalitis.
Meningitis.
Syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections.
Tuberculosis.
If all documents are in order, the visa to Saudi Arabia is issued for exactly as long as requested by the employer.
When the employer arrives in Saudi Arabia, he must arrange for his work permit. According to the law, it is essential to remember that an employee can leave Saudi Arabia only with written permission from the employer.
Very often, jobs in Saudi Arabia are filled by foreign employees of international companies operating in the country (Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, and Siemens). Riyadh, Jeddah, and Yanbu are considered popular destinations for employment. Pay special attention to large companies in Saudi Arabia, which often open jobs for foreign specialists. For example, it's Saudi Aramco and Saudi Telecom Company.
When you send your CV to an employer in Saudi Arabia, you must also submit a full-length photograph.
An invitation to an interview is a worthy conclusion to the first stage of the long and arduous job search process. In the interview process, the employer sets the direction of the conversation, so give precise answers to the questions posed. You should be prepared for it. A cursory "yes," "no" isn't likely to serve you well, but you shouldn't go into lengthy explanations. Your comments should be brief but meaningful.
Resist the temptation to exaggerate your accomplishments or embellish your professional experience excessively. Only provide accurate information. Otherwise, you can only harm yourself. First of all, the employer can easily verify the truthfulness of your answers during the interview. Also, the employer may contact your former superiors directly; then, you may be taken at your word but put to a little practical test.
Give a constructive analysis of your previous performance. Don't be afraid to talk about your weaknesses. Naturally, focusing attention on them is unnecessary, but you should not avoid the topic. Acknowledging and analyzing your mistakes, you only earn yourself extra points - only a person who does nothing makes mistakes.
An essential thing in the interview is to show that you are responsible and you have a strong desire to start or develop your career to improve in your chosen field. In addition, convince the potential employer that you are the candidate they are looking for.
Usually, a response from the employer comes within 2-3 days after the interview or a Skype interview. The next step is the work contract, which usually comes 7-10 days after the employer's decision to select you for the interview. Finally, opening a work visa to Saudi Arabia is handled by your employer when you are already in the workplace. A work visa usually takes 7 to 30 days to open.
It is not necessary to know Arabic to work in Saudi Arabia. However, candidates must learn English at a certain level (elementary to intermediate), depending on the specialty. It is vital for employers that you can communicate.
All documentation, reporting, textbooks, and instructions are in English. Its level must be to a basic international standard. It isn't straightforward to pass the interview without language knowledge. However, some employers pay a surcharge for language skills.
Finding a job in Saudi Arabia for foreigners is very difficult. Therefore, competitive advantages must be very significant. For example, proficiency in English, and preferably also in Arabic, are necessary conditions.
Essential requirements for employers may include your work experience, proof of qualifications, knowledge of a foreign language - English, French, or Arabic - and good communication skills. In addition, the future employer must be highly interested in attracting a foreign applicant, for whom he will bear a considerable share of responsibility, including the foreigner's compliance with local laws.
Saudi Arabia is a country of Islam power. Therefore, all foreign residents are obliged to respect the Arabic traditions of the state. This is one of the main requirements.
To conclude, Saudi Arabia is attractive to foreigners not only for its exceptionally high salaries but also for the lack of income tax and the presence of medical care.
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