Saudi Arabia Guide: Jobs

Finding a job abroad is not easy, and foreign working conditions are often quite different from those at home. Our job guide explains where to look for a job and how to apply for it. You will also find information on salaries, working conditions and social security issues.

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  Introduction

  Employment prospects

  Saudi Arabia allows plenty of foreign workers into its territory, but almost exclusively on a temporary basis.

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  Sponsorship

  What is a sponsor?

  All foreigners require a local sponsor in order to visit Saudi Arabia (whether on holiday or business) or live and work there.

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  Recruitment Agencies

  How they operate

  Recruitment consultants or agents play a major role in the placement of workers in a host of occupations in Saudi Arabia.

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  Freelancing and Temping

  What you should expect

  There are plenty of contract and freelance jobs in Saudi Arabia, many in the construction industry, shipbuilding and ship repairs, and the oil industry, including offshore installations.

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  Teaching English in Saudi Arabia

  Where can you teach English?

  The majority of general teaching staff in Saudi Arabia come from Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

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  Working conditions

  Salary & Working hours

  Salaries in Saudi Arabia are usually similar to or greater than those paid in western countries.

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  Employment Contracts

  What you need to know

  On being offered a job, which in the vast majority of cases happens in the expatriate’s own country, you will almost certainly sign a contract or at least a letter of agreement.

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  Changing Jobs

  The difficulties of changing jobs

  The average expatriate is in the region because he has been given a job by a particular employer, who has had to meet the expenses of recruitment and relocation, perhaps for a family.

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  Dismissal & Redundancy

  What you need to know

  The general rule is that you’re given three written warnings detailing your failings or shortcomings before dismissal.

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  Social Security

  Saudi Arabia's social security system

  Saudi Arabia does not have obligatory state or employer-contribution insurance schemes.

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