Teacher considering taking a contract in Saudi...questions.... :)

Hi teacher,
welcome you in Saudi, I hope you will like whne you come here.
In my opinion I think 4000 US it is enough to live here and you can also save some. You can rent a room by 550- 750 US, and 1500 for expensive.

Good luck,
Abdullah

If you get a teaching job here in Saudia, housing and utilities are almost always included (in fact, my advice to you is DON'T take a job if they're not).  The only costs for you will be food and personal expenses so trust me, you'll live well and be able to save a lot of money.

For more specific information, there are MANY sites devoted just to teaching overseas, esp. ESL.  I suggest you go to DavesESLCafe.com to the KSA forum.  Before you begin asking questions, though, READ everything first.  They tend to get cantankerous when you ask about things they've already answered (come to think of it, we get cantankerous, too lol).

Best of luck!

Samza - Welcome to the forum. 

You will find alot of info on the site regarding your questions, so I encourage you to do a bit of research!   It will be fun for you too as there are some very dynamic personalities who participate & contribute!   

And, with your education level, special certifications, and SPED background, I wouldn't come here for less than 75K, in addition to allowances for housing, utilities, healthcare, paid vacation/travel (to/from home country) and a driver, etc. 

This is a wonderful place to be, if you want to be here and very difficult place if you don't like the job or have a hard time accepting the culture.   You have no idea what conservatism is until you live here.  KSA is unlike any place on the planet!

Do your research and if you are still interested, come with an open mind and alot of patience!   

We look forward to hearing more from you as you go through the threads...  Enjoy!

CAF,

You can only negotiate if it's a private institution (but private institutions in Saudi, generally, don't pay well).  In the governmental institutions, colleges, etc., there are job categories and what you get in each classification is written in stone.  I tried to negotiate and the answer was, basically, 'it is what it is and you can take it or leave it.'

(and I'm still laughing about thinking that a teacher can negotiate for a driver lol  unfortunately, it ain't never gonna happen, girlfriend!)

*For those of you who are female and living in KSA, are you single? What is the adjustment and living situation like for single women expats? Is it easy to make friends and go where you  need to?

You'll find lots of info from females here, but for a young, single female life can be tough, socially. 

*Are compounds (KSA) of all the same relative quality? They seem to be really, really nice but I may be mistaken...maybe only expat oil company execs get that sort of treatment smile

No, they vary widely in quality and amenities.  For instance I am now in a lovely compound, three pools, nice recreation/library/gym area and very nice landscaping. My company is downsizing (read slashing costs) so I'm being moved to a compound whose villas are essentially large mobile homes.  Huge difference.

*In your opinion is 3,000-4,000 USD a month a decent salary considering the cost of living?

It is for a normal teacher.  You, however, are a specialist and should be receiving quite a bit more. 

In KSA there are some new awarenesses about special needs children and programs.  Why you have chosen the KSA I have no idea, but by and large, the Arabic cultures have long ignored these members of their population and it has been left to the families to cope.

There are signs that a new awareness is dawning and with some careful research you might very well find a job that is rewarding and rewards you. 

I disagree with Allie on the private institution versus public in your field, though.  Chances are there are better salaries in private schools with Special Needs programs than in government institutions.

There are other countries you might think of, as well.  A school in Kuwait just recently posted an ad for a teacher with your quals...and there are some job search sites that you can make use of.  PM me for details.

*From application to interview how long did the process of actually moving and starting your job take you?

Paperwork here is a killer.  Not that there's a lot, but the process can really take some time.  You can help yourself there by doing some basic things before you need to submit paperwork:
1) Have your degree verified (you can do this online)and notarized/certified copies of your diploma stamped by the US Dept of State. (This is going to take you longer because you are getting an Aussie degree...do what needs to be done there, as well...doubling won't hurt you.)

2) Get sealed transcripts from both undergraduate and graduate universities (order several, you'll need them in the coming years).

3) Get a criminal background check (US and Aussie, as you lived there) just as you begin the interview process as they are only good for 6 months.

4) Wait on the medical...it needs to be within 3 months of visa paperwork submission.

5) Have a crapload of "passport" sized (not US passport) photos with a white background for submission.

All told, if you have your ducks in a row, it can take from 1-6 months for an instructor to go from interview to boots on the ground here.  I know of even longer waits, but those are very rare.

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice thus far.

I am really happy to read that most teaching contracts in KSA have allowances for housing and as  I start to do my preliminarily research it seems that most are fairly generous, is it standard to ask more information about housing before one makes the move?  I am not overly particular but high security and exercise facilities (because apparently gyms for women are difficult to come across in Saudi?)  Are necessary.
If I decided to stay on the long term I'd also like to get a pet.

Alliecat why is it impossible to work a driver allowance into a contract? Is it a social or financial concern?  I asked one of my Saudi friends about and she said that paying a driver should cost around 150.00 a month.

Thanks Misterstretch all the information. Ugh, the process of stamping paperwork, visas and the like sound like all the stuff I had to do come to Australia. Who knows maybe I'll have to return to the same scary clinic in Chicago I had to go to for my medical checks for my Australian student visa! It's ok though, everything has hoops to jump through.  The reason why I am looking at coming to KSA specifically is because I have a lot of Saudi friends here in Australia and therefore a lot of “connections.” On thing that has really surprised me is how enthusiastic my Saudi friends are about the idea of my coming to KSA. They want to help in any way they can,  I am overwhelmed by it.

I also agree with you. Here in Australia there is a large Lebanese population and I've worked with some students from Lebanese families---it seems that they are having a particularly difficult time coming to terms with their child's differences. Though I do see a Bright side, in my MA program there are at least four Saudi men who are training specifically in Special Education so attitudes must slowly be changing. It wasn't long ago that special needs people were routinely put into institutions in the US or Australia.

As a teacher here I am actually a bit upset by the ‘work only' focus so many educators seem to have here about special education students and their post secondary school options...
One big question for everyone: what are some key ways to tell a legitimate job advertisement from something that might be a bit sketch?

Should I bother with officially registering as  a teacher in South Australia, even if I do not plan to teach  here?

Also are there key hiring times? I doubt my schedule fits them anyway. Here's how things might go:
October-fly back to the US, December-Officially graduate----work / get paperwork in order until April or May....

Thank You

Should I bother with officially registering as  a teacher in South Australia, even if I do not plan to teach  here?

A very wise move..."home country teaching certification" is a must in positions like yours.  You have to have the certs, not only the education.

Pay careful attention to all of the allowances they give you in your contract. Also, as with any contract, if it is not in writing, it will never happen (and sometimes here, even if it is in writing, it will never happen.)

What I mean by this is, if you are trying to get, for example, a transportation allowance, and they say "Sure no problem, we can talk about getting you a transportation allowance when you get here." It will very rarely happen.

As others have mentioned, the salary is somewhat low especially for a specialist. I would say that if you want to come here for the experience, then go ahead and bite if the contract seems on the level. If you are really coming for the money, look around a bit more, as there are more lucrative deals available. My situation for instance...I could make this money back home, but it would be taxed, I would have living expenses, and I would have to work some overtime. In addition to that, the Middle East was a place I wanted to visit.

So decide carefully what your motivation is...money, or travel. This is a great area of the world to travel from. You are a fairly close airplane flight from some of the better travel destinations in the world. Also, airfare is fairly inexpensive...

Socially, for a single female, it is hard to meet folks. You will have to have a compound or meet and greet at the embassies if you want assurance that you won't be hassled by the Mutawa. This is why, in my opinion, housing for females should be a much bigger consideration than it is for males...males enjoy a bit more ease of movement around here.

Mix of Catholicism and Islam, very interesting. I am a Roman Catholic myself...

TE