Just logged onto to this and see the multiple negative comments, a few requests from people looking for jobs and wondering about all the negativity, and to be fair a few comments from employees giving balanced views. Here are my thoughts from a 30 year career there (fairly recently retired European).
First- this is a layoff website. So many of the people commenting have been laid off. Naturally, given the great lifestyle they had, they are bitter. So no surprise to see negative comments in the majority. If you are prospective employee, don’t be put off by this.
Second- The packages are very good. The savings potential is great. It takes a bit of time to properly appreciate how your current account bank balance increases. In the meantime, your longer term benefits continue to tick up.
Third- in my opinion, the school system for on camp resident kids is great. Likewise the payments to send children to boarding school are excellent. I know Covid related issues now of course.
Fourth- it’s a great location to travel to other destinations once Covid is done.
Fifth- the opportunity for a great lifestyle on the camp (if u are resident in one of the 4 family communities) is really great. Aramco has one of the lowest attrition rates of any company in the world. There are good reasons for this.
Sixth- yea, there are some downsides. The weather can be brutal in summer. As is common for the entire Middle East, the air quality can be bad enough at times. Management in my experience was good but of course like in any company there will always be bad managers.
In summary, I enjoyed my many years there. I am so glad I joined the company. I know of (literally) hundreds of others who feel the same. I can understand the (sometimes extreme) bitterness of some posts. This is normal for a site like this.
All the best.
14 replies (most recent on top)
@hmyd+1c04uiOx
Well said, when government starts to tinker with the goose that lays the golden eggs and starts expecting more eggs than said goose can lay without taking care of it, it will eventually die.
Aramco was great. Is OK department dependent. And heading towards PDVSA.
Aramco is Great...said no one.
In answer to some questions, I retired in mid 2020. This was after Covid started so yea some restrictions made life less easy but frankly similar (more even) restrictions here in the European Union, though thankfully things are much better now.
I’m not saying Aramco is Nirvana, but equally it is worth saying to people considering a job there not to be put off by the negativity on the site and to remember most people laid off are understandable upset and sometimes bitter. So the guys/girls thinking of taking a role, ask for other opinions maybe from future potential work colleagues, or sites like GlassDoor, or similar. My colleagues and friends who remain employed are all very content. Maybe I just have lots of content friends, I don’t know. But there is an awful lot of good things about Aramco is what I want to get across. With best wishes to all past, present and future Aramcons.
In answer to some questions, I retired in mid 2020. This was after Covid started so yea some restrictions made life less easy but frankly similar (more even) restrictions here in the European Union, though thankfully things are much better now.
I’m not saying Aramco is Nirvana, but equally it is worth saying to people considering a job there not to be put off by the negativity on the site and to remember most people laid off are understandable upset and sometimes bitter. So the guys/girls thinking of taking a role, ask for other opinions maybe from future potential work colleagues, or sites like GlassDoor, or similar. My colleagues and friends who remain employed are all very content. Maybe I just have lots of content friends, I don’t know. But there is an awful lot of good things about Aramco is what I want to get across. With best wishes to all past, present and future Aramcons.
Pretty sure this guy retired pre-2018 which is when things really started going downhill
I don't understand that last comment. Translation?...Anyone?
No worries, Billy boy will get'em as well.
Yeah, I spent 17 years there. Got in on the tail end of the 'era of the golden expat'.
In fact, many things had changed by the time I left. You are now just a hired g-n and so much of your total experience there will depend entirely on lady luck. Don't expect the same level of care and attention that expats of days gone by got.
My suggestion is, if you choose to go this route, keep your life extremely simple; no spouse, no kids, no pets, no boats, no fancy cars (better if no car), no motorcycles , no expensive bicycles, no house boys, no stills, no accommodation remodels. Just go to work then home to the internet and your TV, living for your repat and trips. Travel light and make it (time spent) count financially . Just one man's opinion.
WOW!
Three years ago I would have probably written something similar. When I resigned last year, the department where I worked had become a basket case along with many of the departments I had dealings with. The company has changed BIG TIME, and not for the better.
Some departments might still be OK, but the job postings are mostly for the bad groups. As far as the comp is concerned, my friend at Aramco who still works in my old department said the company has gotten so cheap that even unemployed people are turning down offers cold.
I spent just short of eight years in the company, ending in Layoff in 2020. Frankly, I did have opportunity in Aramco that I would not have had anywhere else and I loved my job and team. At one point, I was very loyal to my team, and company. In saying this however, I joined a company in 2012 that was home and very respectful of most workers and indeed expats, and left a company who no longer respected expats and promoted the wrong individuals and without any doubt abused their workers.
I hop this situation changes as Aramco is in a declining industry sector over the coming decades and will need skills from professionals the world over to survive the transition, or the country will undergo severe pain.
Certainly I did not see the glory days but was grateful for my job, however most likely would not return.
LTD
While there is truth in your statements a lot has changed management wise. I joined in 2014 and got laid off in 2020. After 2016 I clearly saw the way things were going and realized the possibility of being laid off at any moment and as such prepared my contingency plan. There were massive cuts first in Dhahran taking away people who were involved in key projects and initiatives. A good friend of mine who was in one such initiative got laid off after returning from his repat. The worst part is that the people left in charge of such initiatives were locals with no idea of what to do and somentimes "hotshot" PDPs fresh out of college.
In my case I saw the writing on the wall once I got transferred in 2019 from my section to another one then immediately was offered a transfer to another department which never came to fruition so I bided my time until came COVID and cuts were reuired in opeational areas as well.
The "shock" if you can call it that lasted me a full 15 minutes until I did an assessment of mi financial situation. The only real silver lining in this story.
The first 2 years were very frustrating for me work wise realizing the inefficiency and ineptitude of the whole department. Endless paper chases and enduring lengthy presentations. After year 2 I just stopped caring and went with the flow.
Out of curiosity, what year did you retire?