About to sign a contract for Jeddah job - need help

Richmond0107 wrote:

Hi to All.
I am a Filipino Engineer with 20yrs Experience in Civil & infrastructure projects, offered a job as Senior Electrical Engineer in Jeddah. basic they offered = SR9000/mo; Housing = 2500/mo; Transportation = SR900/mo. Inclusive of Medical insurance and yearly bonus same amount as basic. Family status (wife + 2kids) complete with visas and plane tickets. 30days paid vacation leave / yr. 
May I know from those with experience / currently in Jeddah if the offer is good enough to survive and stay comfortably with family in Jeddah?

I've a week from this they (18Dec2013) to sign a contract. Please need your feedback. Highly appreciate your advice and suggestions.

Truly,
Richmond

I think it is a good offer, Good luck!

Thank you for your input.

It is quite a decent offer, considering all the benefits.  What about children's education, any allowance for that?  If not, that's where the bulk of your salary will go, depending on what type of school you put them in.  Fees can range from SR. 500 to 2,000 per month depending on age and school.

Thanks Trapezius. May I ask if my housing allowance of SAR25,500 could afford to rent a decent place inside a exclusive compound in the city center with complete facilities; gym, swimming pool, recreation.etc?  Again, thank you!

Your housing allowance is 30,000 per year.  Anyway, no, it is not even close to being enough for a compound.  A typical 2-bedroom unit inside a compound costs at least 70,000 per year, with 3-bedroom units typically around 100,000.

Compounds are every expensive unfortunately.  They used to be somewhat affordable, but the prices have shot up in the past few years.  The demand has increased several fold in the past decade (there is a 6-12 month waiting list in every compound), but the number of compounds is the same for the past 20 or so years.

Do you think I could decently live (my wife & 1 yr old son) inside the city (jeddah) for 30,000/yr housing allowance? How about living expenses, how much would it cost me and family / month? Please advice how much minimum basic salary package I need to ask/negotiate to live decently in Jeddah? Thanks a lot for your feedback.

Depending on the part of town, 30,000 could give you anything from a studio apartment to a 5-room apartment.  So yes, you can easily get a 2-3 room apartment in a decent part of town with that allowance.  Or you can decide to live in a cheaper (still safe) part of town and even save some of that allowance.  However, one thing you can certainly ask for is a one-time furnishing allowance of say, 10,000, so you can get basic furniture.

Note: All costs below are for the family, not per person.

As for living expenses, depends on what kind of lifestyle you want to live or are used to.  Groceries for a family of that size can range from 500 to 2,000 per month.  The smaller amount if you really tighten your belt, and the higher amount if you live luxuriously.  For an average middle-class Asian family, I would say 1,000 to 1,200.  Budget an extra 100-150 each time you eat outside at a proper sit-down restaurant, or 20-40 for a meal from a local side-of-the-street Arabic place, fast food restaurant, or a restaurant in a mall food court.

For utilities, phone, and Internet, it can range from 500 to 1,000 per month, depending on what phone/Internet plans you decide to get.

For your son, about 200-500 per month for nappies, formula milk (if on it), and educational toys and books.

Car, depends on what you decide to get.  You can get a decent used Japanese car for 30k to 50k, Korean even less.  Some of the user car showrooms give you a year to pay.  If going for a new car, expect to pay about 1,000-1,500 per month for 5 years, plus about 10k-15k as down payment for a small Asian car such as Yaris, Elantra, Corolla, maybe Sonata.  Petrol is very cheap, and you wouldn't need to spend more than 150 per month.

So your total expenses (aside from rent) will come to around 3k to 4.5k per month, depending on your lifestyle, how many times you eat outside, your phone and Internet plans, and what car you decide to get.

Still doesnt hurt to negotiate.  Worst thing is they will say no.  Ask for the one-time furnishing allowance, and ask for a salary of 10k.  Good luck!

I highly appreciate your efforts in illustrating expenses; Really helpful.
Best regards