Waha oil company !!!! National Oil Company - URGENT

Mark,

Waha is one of the biggest oil producers in Libya, they are in that term a very stable company when it comes to stability, however, all management members are and as per low are locals nationals, expat are the mainly there as technical support, they are also either working as direct hire, i.e. Waha employees, or mainly as a contractor hired through one of the man power supply companies in Libya.

As for transfer, this is possible, it mainly depends on how well connected your second employer is, should he e able to get your residence permit transfered to the new company

Mark,

I will 2nd Castle on this one. Waha is a stable company but not really a multicultural one. When compared to other oil producing companies its down in the end in terms of stability and environment. Switching is easy and mainly depends on what your getting offered.

Good Luck!

Cheers...

Mark,

I have heard that Waha is good company in terms of payment and schedual. but you will be based in Tripoli unlike those who are based in the desert. Waha is huge. It is a joint venture between the following
NOC-ConocoPhilips-Marathon-AmeradaHess. so you xcan imagine that you are having those big companies joined in Waha. I have also heard that Waha is managed by Locals but they also have some Americans with them from Marathon or Conoco.

You will be given where to stay somewhere in Regata or Janzour and Waha will be looking after maintaining your place. I dont know about schooling for children. Waha employees get treated in the oil Clinic which is owned by NOC.

Switching from one company to another might be easy and it depends on how good you are at your job and making right contacts.


Waha can be a life time employer until retirement and can be just a bridge to move to other companies if you wish.. come here and discover some yourself.

Mark,
     I work for another of the NOC's, as far as culture is concerned I will back what has been said before, ex-pats who are town based are generally their for tech support. As far as stability goes, it is very much like my company in that you can have a (low) paid job for life if you keep your nose clean.

Chances of promotion in my company are none existent as it seems that their are very few areas where an ex pat can be in charge of a local (unless you come in as management in the 1st place).

I haven't heard one way or another if it is easy to switch companies whilst here in Tripoli.

Good luck if you choose to come out here.

mark_smith wrote:

Hi all


3 - there are lot of oil companies , is it easy to switch from one company to other company ????

(how are the chances , do people from waha join private oil companies or else there is some sort of rule that people cant switch from waha to private oil company)

It depends ... if your present employer does not want you to switch, they can put a final exit visa on your passport and you will have to leave. If they don't have a problem and your new employer is also well connected I think a switch is possible. I know of someone who switched from Woodside to BP last year without any problem... however, am not aware of the legalities involved ... we just learn from our experiences here

Hi all,
        I am instrumentation technologist from canada, got job offer from waha oil company (field based). wondering if some one can give me some info. regarding company working and living envoirnment.

cheers!
Imran

Not to point to fine a point on it; I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Waha.

There is zero chance of a promotion as they will not have any Libyan reporting to an expat under any circumstances.  Indeed they mnay try to lure you with an inflated looking job description but you will be demoted on arrival to ensure your are at the bottom of the pile.

You will be allowed only to talk to your immediate supervisor and anything that must o further up the line will only be done via memos to your supervisor (you can't bypass anyone) any if they do not like what you have to say, they will simply ignore you.  You will not even get a reply saying they have received it and you cannot even ask due to the stupid heirarchy.

Hiring and firing is done at a whim.  There is actually a perverse system in place whereby those who do the hiring go on extended jollies for which they get an enormous daily allowance and they get a bonus for each expat they bring in so it pays them to get rid of staff contiuously.

You will be messed about over you leave which you will not be able to tske until you have worked 11 months and the 30 days they tell you about includes the weekends you don't work.  They will make life very difficult and ask all kinds of unreasonable questions when you want an exit/re-entry visa.

The accomodation will be in Regatta (called Reghetto by the residents) where it will be like an open prison with totally unreasonable rules like no visitors after 10pm.  The gatehouse staff behave like Hitlers and take great delight in stopping any visitors you may like to come in just because they can.  You will be told about the marvellous sport facilities on the camp but what they don't tell you is that you cannot use them because Waha didn't pay for their construction.  Despite outsiders being able to pay a subscription to use them, you will not be permitted a subscription as a Waha employee.  The nice sea front should be viewed with some caution; I have found 2 syringes complete with needles on the sand.

Apart from that, it is a great company to work for.!!!!!

ExTripolitan wrote:

Not to point to fine a point on it; I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Waha.

There is zero chance of a promotion as they will not have any Libyan reporting to an expat under any circumstances.  Indeed they mnay try to lure you with an inflated looking job description but you will be demoted on arrival to ensure your are at the bottom of the pile.

You will be allowed only to talk to your immediate supervisor and anything that must o further up the line will only be done via memos to your supervisor (you can't bypass anyone) any if they do not like what you have to say, they will simply ignore you.  You will not even get a reply saying they have received it and you cannot even ask due to the stupid heirarchy.

Hiring and firing is done at a whim.  There is actually a perverse system in place whereby those who do the hiring go on extended jollies for which they get an enormous daily allowance and they get a bonus for each expat they bring in so it pays them to get rid of staff contiuously.

You will be messed about over you leave which you will not be able to tske until you have worked 11 months and the 30 days they tell you about includes the weekends you don't work.  They will make life very difficult and ask all kinds of unreasonable questions when you want an exit/re-entry visa.

The accomodation will be in Regatta (called Reghetto by the residents) where it will be like an open prison with totally unreasonable rules like no visitors after 10pm.  The gatehouse staff behave like Hitlers and take great delight in stopping any visitors you may like to come in just because they can.  You will be told about the marvellous sport facilities on the camp but what they don't tell you is that you cannot use them because Waha didn't pay for their construction.  Despite outsiders being able to pay a subscription to use them, you will not be permitted a subscription as a Waha employee.  The nice sea front should be viewed with some caution; I have found 2 syringes complete with needles on the sand.

Apart from that, it is a great company to work for.!!!!!

You make a few fair points but call me cynical but is there any chance you were binned by Waha.

Flasher wrote:

ExTripolitan wrote:

Not to point to fine a point on it; I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Waha.

There is zero chance of a promotion as they will not have any Libyan reporting to an expat under any circumstances.  Indeed they mnay try to lure you with an inflated looking job description but you will be demoted on arrival to ensure your are at the bottom of the pile.

You will be allowed only to talk to your immediate supervisor and anything that must o further up the line will only be done via memos to your supervisor (you can't bypass anyone) any if they do not like what you have to say, they will simply ignore you.  You will not even get a reply saying they have received it and you cannot even ask due to the stupid heirarchy.

Hiring and firing is done at a whim.  There is actually a perverse system in place whereby those who do the hiring go on extended jollies for which they get an enormous daily allowance and they get a bonus for each expat they bring in so it pays them to get rid of staff contiuously.

You will be messed about over you leave which you will not be able to tske until you have worked 11 months and the 30 days they tell you about includes the weekends you don't work.  They will make life very difficult and ask all kinds of unreasonable questions when you want an exit/re-entry visa.

The accomodation will be in Regatta (called Reghetto by the residents) where it will be like an open prison with totally unreasonable rules like no visitors after 10pm.  The gatehouse staff behave like Hitlers and take great delight in stopping any visitors you may like to come in just because they can.  You will be told about the marvellous sport facilities on the camp but what they don't tell you is that you cannot use them because Waha didn't pay for their construction.  Despite outsiders being able to pay a subscription to use them, you will not be permitted a subscription as a Waha employee.  The nice sea front should be viewed with some caution; I have found 2 syringes complete with needles on the sand.

Apart from that, it is a great company to work for.!!!!!

You make a few fair points but call me cynical but is there any chance you were binned by Waha.

He is correct about the gate guards and the 'leisure facilities. My company promised all the same things to our employees, same result. Only difference is (so far) they don't seem to take direct enjoyment from getting rid of ex-pats, now where is that praying smiley ?

Yes, I was binned by Waha.  However, just consider they got rid of 30 expats this year of which most had been there less than 2 years.  Is that normal behaviour for a company when that was most of the expats working there? Those that remained were "offered" new contracts on significantly lower rates of pay.  They don't really want expats working there because there is too much vested interest in the status quo so the expat quota is for show only and to point the finger when things go wrong.

To be honest I'm glad; I'd been looking for some time but the lack of reliable communications made it very difficultn and being released made the job of finding a new one much easier.

Trust me, I understand people thinking I'm cynical, but I doubt you would find any expat working for Waha who does not feel the same.

ExTripolitan wrote:

Yes, I was binned by Waha.  However, just consider they got rid of 30 expats this year of which most had been there less than 2 years.  Is that normal behaviour for a company when that was most of the expats working there? Those that remained were "offered" new contracts on significantly lower rates of pay.  They don't really want expats working there because there is too much vested interest in the status quo so the expat quota is for show only and to point the finger when things go wrong.

To be honest I'm glad; I'd been looking for some time but the lack of reliable communications made it very difficultn and being released made the job of finding a new one much easier.

Trust me, I understand people thinking I'm cynical, but I doubt you would find any expat working for Waha who does not feel the same.

Can I ask if they were all contractors or were they full time staff ?. We have just had a list of contractors that we have paid off in the last year published.

Sounds like the new NOC ruling rather than Waha themselves

Horizontal Harry wrote:

Sounds like the new NOC ruling rather than Waha themselves

All Oil companies either nationals or joint ventures like Waha are ruled by NOC. Marathon, Hess and AonocoPhilips have nothing to do with Waha although they are the partners,

Hi Folks,

I am En-route to Tripoli Just Finished 16 Years in Baku Can Somebody en-lighten me On the NOC Ruling

scots Lad wrote:

Hi Folks,

I am En-route to Tripoli Just Finished 16 Years in Baku Can Somebody en-lighten me On the NOC Ruling

Well mate, the NOC have pretty much full control over all oil related activities in Libya. How each company interprets the NOC's policies varies greatly from company to company. Who will you be working for ?

Waha is together with Zuetina at the bottom end of Libyan Oil Companies. I was there few years ago and was fired as collateral by one stupid midget. It is a police company as ExTripolitan said and avoid it if you can.

vozdovac wrote:

I was there few years ago and was fired as collateral by one stupid midget.

Waha is a bit of a joke.  Incredibly bureaucratic, a worrisome lack of safety culture, poorly trained field personnel, and expats are not treated well. 
I would suggest any other oil company before Waha.
I have not worked directly for them as an employee, only as a contractor.  Our company has now started refusing to do work for them due to safety concerns and slow payment issues.

Hi, please find the following:
WAHA Tripoli based:
- Accommodation Regatta - single status or small family (one or two bed. aprt) or Janzoor village - single or family (one or 3 bed aprt)
- Transportation - company bus
- You will get 250 for every first 3 month as transportation allowance and 2k for relocation
- Waha will pay for kid's education
Inside the company, no expats on the senior roles, all communication within the office and outside by memos and fax's, email system is not working. Document management system - hard copies only. Company network system is very poor.
People - as most of the Libyans very friendly

darkz wrote:

Hi, please find the following:
WAHA Tripoli based:
- You will get 250 for every first 3 month as transportation allowance and 2k for relocation

I feel the need to point out that not everyone gets either a) the transportation allowance or b) the relocation loan..

I hate to keep carping on, but I didn't find all Libyan's friendly.  They often appear to be to your face but that is because they absolutely hate any confrontation.  Indeed, I was talking to my supervisor's boss (a very unusual experience because most staff apart from secretaries are not even allowed up the stairs to talk to the more senior staff without an invitation!) minutes before he told my ex-supervisor (not even my current suervisor) to give me my termination letter that had been written 2 days earlier.  He even shook my hand during the conversation.  That example sums up just how is how pathetic the management is and I cannot think of anyone in any power who would behave any differently.

There are some genuinely decent people there but most tolerate you and see no problem lying, backstabbing and deliberately making life needlessly difficult both within and outside work. 

The only thing you need to ask is whether you think the salary they pay is worth it because living costs are very low so you bank virtually everything, particulaly if you are in Tripoli because you never got out of the country to spend it.  From my experience, most people don't think it is worth it but the difficulty with telecoms and internet access etc make it difficult to search for another job and so most are pushed before they jump.

ExTripolitan wrote:

I hate to keep carping on, but I didn't find all Libyan's friendly.  They often appear to be to your face but that is because they absolutely hate any confrontation.  Indeed, I was talking to my supervisor's boss (a very unusual experience because most staff apart from secretaries are not even allowed up the stairs to talk to the more senior staff without an invitation!) minutes before he told my ex-supervisor (not even my current suervisor) to give me my termination letter that had been written 2 days earlier.  He even shook my hand during the conversation.  That example sums up just how is how pathetic the management is and I cannot think of anyone in any power who would behave any differently.

Is your ex supervisor's boss a stupid midget by any chance?

Hi Mark,

Whats the salary package and leave schedule Waha Oil co. is offering you?

I'm doing research for a friend who would like to work in Libya as a US expat. What are the best oil or engineering companies for expats to work for in Tripoli? He would most likely be looking for a management position and has previous oil industry experience. Thanks!

Cardy wrote:

I'm doing research for a friend who would like to work in Libya as a US expat. What are the best oil or engineering companies for expats to work for in Tripoli? He would most likely be looking for a management position and has previous oil industry experience. Thanks!

The one's that are hiring ?

Yes – the main interest is in the companies that are hiring now or might be hiring in the next three months.

Irony heheh!

hi
any one can guide me about waha
how is pay structure, leaves  rota or annual(for field staff) etc

No management positions are offered to expats in any of the local oil companies.

Expats are hired to do the technical work.

Hi Siddiqui,
Nice to hear from you.

I recently got an offer from Libya Waha Oil Co., and i have also recieved the Entry Visa, my only concern is to know current status of Libya and would it be a right decesion to come to Libya in this situation.

I would appriciate if you could let me know the current status of Libya as well let me know about the Waha Oil Co.


Thanks & Regards,
Liyakhat.

Siddiqui wrote:

No management positions are offered to expats in any of the local oil companies.

Expats are hired to do the technical work.

I believe that will change soon.

douglas1969 wrote:

Siddiqui wrote:

No management positions are offered to expats in any of the local oil companies.

Expats are hired to do the technical work.

I believe that will change soon.

What makes you believe that?

Masterr wrote:

douglas1969 wrote:

Siddiqui wrote:

No management positions are offered to expats in any of the local oil companies.

Expats are hired to do the technical work.

I believe that will change soon.

What makes you believe that?

Just a guess -- no one can predict the future, but I am comfortably certain that the way things were under the old dictatorship are gone. 

I keep harping, Libya is a North African country. Its nor UAE or Saudi and will never be one. If you look at another North African country which has oil and gas resources which does play nice (i.e. accepts foreign aid from foreign countries in exchange for giving foreign countries more control internally ) -- its probably a model indicator of where Libya will be when all is settled down.

FROMUAE wrote:

Let me share my experince or rather my friends experiences

So did you go there with your family and work there or not?! Its one thing to expeirnece it yourself and its another thing to re-tell stories from other people.

FROMUAE wrote:

Hello Friends

I read all the things discussed in this thread.
People have different opinions. Let me share my experince or rather my friends experiences , who went to work with waha oil in libya in january 2012.

.............

I have nothing positive to say about this place and company.Sorry guys . You may also consult other people for their opinions . Since i had a first hand experince from listening to two of my friends, I am really sorry for people who fall in their trap.

This is a bit extreme and I don't agree with most of it. I have known many people who were working happily for Waha. Their kids were going to the International Schools of their choice and they were all given decent accomodation in Regatta which was the best available gated compound in Tripoli with mostly expat population.

The issue with kids and wife suffering harrassment has got nothing to do with Waha. You can be harrassed anywhere and everywhere. Libya is no exception.

The work culture in Waha is the way it is. Expats are supposed to be the work horses of the department they are assigned to. The locals are there mostly for window dressing. I haven't heard any expat complain about this though as they get paid good money and the concentrate on the work and ignore the rest.

If you can't handle this sort of environment than a job in any of the national companies is probably not for you....

Siddiqui

Could someone be so kind and give me geopraphic coordinates of current main Waha office in Tripoli or some hints where to find it? The best one would be just to paste to google maps:) Thanks.

Looks like WAHA's PR department got "FROMUAE" even on this forum. Where are his messages???

ANYONE WHO IS WORKING IN A RELATIVELY STABLE ( EVEN A 2-3 YEARS CONTRACT JOB)AND RECOGNIZABLE ATMOSPHERE , RESPECTABLE AND FREE ENVIRONMENT FOR YOU AND FAMILY  THOUGH WITH A SMALL SALARY SHOULD CONTINUE IN PRESENT JOB AND NOT TO UNNECESSARILLY MAKE THINGS WORST FOR HIM BY BEING IN THIS COMPANY AND MAKE HIS WHOLE LIFE TAKE A TURN FOR WORST AND PUT FAMILY IN AN UNCERTAIN SITUATION.


REST OF YOU CAN STILL TRY AND MAKE THINGS WORK FOR YOU.