Hi
I am currently looking at a potential job offer for a big 4 accounting firm in Jeddah. I am from the UK. I have a wife and a 1 year old child.
I am being asked my salary expectations. The position is for a Senior Manager.
I am thinking of asking for a total package around 40-45k SAR a month.
Currently my wife and I both work and the daughter goes to nursery so the benefit of the move will be more money and the wife not needing to work. Of course one big trade off is being away from our parents and siblings. We are Muslims so culture shock is not a problem.
Using some online calculators I have estimated the following for my monthly costs:
Dependent tax 200
Food and leisure 3,000
Rent for 3 bedroom apartment 5,000 (I don't need to stay in a compound but the more luxurious the better)
2 cars on lease + fuel 2,000
Utilities, cleaning and internet 1,200
Other unexpected costs 4,000
That totals up to around 16k SAR in monthly costs.
I also have a UK mortgage around GBP 1,800. Hopefully mostly covered by rent while I am away. Any vacant costs plus bills will be around GBP2k (10k SAR) so I have to factor that in. In that case I should
Does this sound reasonable?
Are there any costs that I've missed a look wrong?
Should I spend more on the accommodation?
My child doesn't go to school yet but should I factor in any other costs like nursery/school fees (or a future child!)?
Are there any other benefits I should think of including in my package?
Job offer - Jeddah - what salary and what are living costs?
Dependent tax 200 - WILL INCREASE TO 300 AND 400 YOY, it is per dependent
Food and leisure 3,000 - TAKE AS 5000 PM
Rent for 3 bedroom apartment 5,000 (I don't need to stay in a compound but the more luxurious the better) - SHOULD GET FOR 3000-4000 RANGE IF NOT COMPOUND
2 cars on lease + fuel 2,000
Utilities, cleaning and internet 1,200
Other unexpected costs 4,000
Factor in School costs after 3 years and also ask for insurance and yearly tickets!
Hope this helps
Thank you.
Having spoken to my 3rd party recruitment contact he has advised that my salary demand is in the right range.
He did suggest however that I should go for the compound option to make it easy on the family to settle in, at least initially if not forever.
That would raise the cost to 12,000-20,000 depending on where I end up. I guess I have to allocate the 4k of unexpected costs I had budgeted to accommodation and maybe settle for one car rather than 2 if the wife and child will be busy in the compound most of the time.
Dear gentleheating
I suggest you to live in a flat instead of living in a compound because there are reasonable rent in flats with 3 to 4 bedrooms and it will help you for saving and almost you have to 1500 to 2500 SAR per month.
I guess the challenge for me is to think about what the wife and child will do whilst I am at work. Although we are practising Muslims we have grown up in the UK and the free Western environment.
In the compound I would not be worried as there will be plenty of things to keep them occupied in terms of facilities and organised social activities without them having needing to go anywhere else. I know my wife really likes the sound of life inside the compound.
I know I could get a very good apartment for a lot cheaper outside a compound. We have visited Saudi Arabia before for short 2 week visits for religious purposes but living full time in the country is a new challenge.
My wife who is a social character and likes to meet people, go to the gym and do activities etc. Yes I'm sure she can eventually find these things outside of a compound. But living in a good compound means she will not have to worry about any of that as it will all be available on our door step.
Is there a good area to stay in Jeddah where I can find a nice 3 bed apartment and also lots of good family and social activities outside of a compound?
Articles to help you in your expat project in Saudi Arabia
Finding a job in Saudi Arabia is mostly done before entering the country. Employment visas are still the most ...
Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest business climate improvers, according to the annual World Bank's group ...
Performing an internship in Saudi Arabia can be an interesting and enriching experience for young professionals ...
When reading about looking for work in Saudi Arabia, you will probably come across the term ...
Many thanks to Jiggs500 for asking these questions and to HRGuru for his answers.
Jeddah is the most diverse city in Saudi Arabia. It is home to 3,4 million people and to the largest multicultural ...
