This is everywhere in Aramco with management. Is it some kind of national personality disorder or consciously adopted as a mechanism for personal advancement?
I’m curious as I’ve seen some badly run company’s in my time, but the calibre of people here is beyond the pale. Is there something in the water, the tell me the water table is contaminated with oils so maybe that’s it!
Is the management really playing with their phones or playing with themselves?
When leadership invite you to a meeting and play with their phones while you answer their questions, that's a sigh. When your not invited to meetings that were previously fixed in your calendar, thats a sign. When your leadership rotates after days in the job, thats a sign. When things are going on you know nothing about, thats a sign. When you work on projects and are not invited to the completion meeting/inauguration, thats a sign and when you cant get time off when needed, training approved, OOK courses etc., when saudis can, thats a sign. MUST I GO ON. Lets face it, prices are high and supply is working so arrogance leads bad management to think they don't need expats, especially when they treat expats so badly, lets see how quickly they rehire when the challenges of the industry return. They are not bad so much as young in the matters of harmonisation and community, tribal history has fixed their habits.
Arrogance combined with stupidity. Definitely not insecurity because that would require enough knowledge to realize they don't know what they're doing.
I agree completely. The place turned into a snake pit, with departments constantly at war with each other. The pay wasn't worth it.
You can cut the fear and the distrust with a kn--e. Beneath all of the PR and bluster it’s a war zone. The company is a facade.
Just keep below the radar and don’t try to change a thing. You’re only reason for being in KSA is cash. Do not forget.
Yep, that's it. I've seen this advice written and expressed many ways, on this forum,
over the years. I have even expressed it myself. It's their game and if you were Saudi
you would be playing it the same way. Do your time, bank your cash, while you can.
The rules will be changing soon, for the worse for expats, always for the worse.
Expats need to understand the tremendous amount of pressure being a Saudi in the corporate world. Doesn't necessarily reflect their true personality. There exists the incessant and overwhelming stress to go up the ranks or plainly do well, to keep the wives happy, avoid embarrassment from their tribe and community. Most of all, they feel indebted to their bosses, who themselves got into their position by playing the same game. It is the culture and will never change. Many good hearted Saudis play the game to survive. Can't fault them for that. Expats need to learn to be tolerant and understanding of this. I don't get it why it is so important for Expats to be concerned how Saudis run the company. It is their company and their future. My advise: do your tasks and don't worry about anything else, keep your head down and bank as much $$$.
Indeed, there are plenty of humane, decent Saudis. But when The Big Boss says to do something, they will comply, even if it is down right vile. Also, if the Big Boss wants information about you, He will get it out of them. Your Saudi cube mate might genuinely like you, but he will never ever say no to Power.
There used to be expats that could speak up for you to the Big Boss, but all of guys like that are gone now. The few new high GC expat that are coming in don't have the relationships to help anyone, even themselves. It's like a shark tank where the little fish try to hide behind each other so they don't get eaten first. You can smell the fear.
National personality disorder in my view, although the company has been hijacked by those in pursuit of personal advancement regardless of the costs to the company, or nation. When you are sitting in the meetings thinking WTF, just remember someone from RT Management Training Center wrote glowing reviews of their "talented" students in order for them to "progress" through the ranks ....the mind boggles...just when you think it cannot get any worse than this...it does...
There is no water table per se, shallow sweet water come from finite and ancient glaciar reservoirs. Most of potable water is produced by desalination plants (electricity + water) burning oil in the process. Quality is wide changing from town to town. Some Aramco camps and facilities have their water from industrial plants, in my experience, the worst quality control. If you care, you must install a filtration system in your house and monitor it constantly.
Saudi is a completely different experience, its a tribal country, that is their way.