Aramco

Great benefit package, good quality of living from a social perspective.  All in all  pretty good life.

Thanks, jknow, but I already knew that! 

Any specifics?? (and yes, I am asking the same vague questions that I ask others to be more specific about!)

The best company her in Saudi.

As far as I remember, way back in the 80s it was THE best place to work for in all of KSA with a lifestyle unparalelled and remuneartion way above anyone else.

We had friends who worked for Aramco then and used to visit them on weekends and holidays and enjpyed the many wonderful perks the company provided for its employees and friends.

Work ethics, professionalism, good management and corporate governance was the norm. Safety was foremost, unthinkable in every other corner of the Kingdom, even today.

I really do not know wjhether things have changed after the move to becoming Saudi-Aramco and the exodus of all the wonderful American management who used to run the place?

Its been 25 long years since we moved to Riyadh after having lived in the EP for 6.

There is a great website aramcoexpats.com, will give you lot's of information.  That site helped us to decide to take the plunge.

I've been on that site. 

So YOU work for Aramco?

No, I'm a 'trailing spouse'.  Hate that term.  Gave up my career in the states to follow engineer husband, for one of those 'can't refuse' offers.  I can't say that we have no regrets or that we don't miss home but we came with eyes wide open and still feel that we made the right choice for us, for now.  I do think that Aramco is a good employer and our lives are pretty comfortable.  Of course, a quick two hour car ride to Bahrain eases any discomfort we occasionally feel.  The expat site does give a lot of details about the good, the bad and the ugly.

Hi jknow,

Good news is I already know the good/bad/ugly in KSA and find it all pretty tolerable   If you're 2 hours from Bahrain, you're not at the main Damman/Al Khobar site.

Would it be okay if I contact you privately?

Thanks!

We are in Ras Tanura.  I would be happy to privately chat.  How do we do this, I'd rather not publish my private email here.  Let me know how we can communicate.  I'm off to the gym now and bridge later but will be back later this evening.

Ras Tanura...just up the road.

I've visited folks on the Aramco compound, and it feels very much like '50s Americana (though in a desert). 

I know other folks that work for subcontractors (English teachers) and they get treated pretty crappily, but that's because they don't work for Aramco directly, but for the subcontractor.

If someone offered me a solid job with Aramco, I'd give it a go, especially if there were family benefits attached.

Trying to decide if I ought take the pluge and head off to Aramco - had an offer to join Facilities Planning. Scared about my wife getting bored during the day.

Is Aramco worth the upheaval ?

I would say coming here depends on the salary offered and your current job situation at home (mine was on shaky grounds because I worked for a nonprofit).

If you're housed on the Aramco compound, I think your wife will be fine.  I've heard it's like a small town there!

Aramco is just a mini extension of any state in USA

Salary in Australia is fine - standard engineer salary for person of my experience, and as our $A appreciates daily, and the economy continues to roll on, I suspect its probably at the upper end of the global average

I guess the attraction is the eye-opening experience of living OS and having access to travel in the middle east.

You hear good and bad about Aramco. When you go to the expat site, most appear to sing its praises.... but they would, wouldn't they to justify their own personal situation.

But as I dont have huge debts here, I wonder whether I take the easy option and stay here

If you want a relative view on living and working in KSA theres no better place than Aramco, which I can tell you fist hand having lived and spent lots of time with Aramcans in Dhahran for almost 6 years

Prestonite wrote:

Trying to decide if I ought take the pluge and head off to Aramco - had an offer to join Facilities Planning. Scared about my wife getting bored during the day.

Is Aramco worth the upheaval ?

Yes, it is.

Your wife will have plenty to do, and depending on her education and experience may find work, as well.

Go for it.

I'm Australian, a bored wife in Aramco. Why else would I be sitting about on a chat board? But being bored or not depends a lot on the individual. There are lots of sports, groups, hobbies, and your wife might be able to get casual work, although it depends a bit on what her own training is. If she is also a professional she might not like being paid at a much lower rate. The lifestyle is very easy, comfortable, the surroundings within Aramco like a very quiet newer suburb with very good facilities. If you have kids they have good schools and the kids can go everywhere on their bikes etc which is good.

Financially, it's a good deal especially if you stay a while and become non-resident for tax in Australia. That makes a huge difference. We save up a lot of money each year.