Please be subjective but I am waiting for an offer for a senior role at Aramco based in Dhahran.
What is good about the company and the surroundings and what should I watch out for.
23 replies (most recent on top)
There are quite a few recent threads answering similar questions to yours.
How much is the $$ for experienced US expats these days? Is it worth it? Do US expats get small annual raises similar to what a US company gives?
It will be foolish not to consider the negatives in the discussions. I can speak to the veracity of the statements. Some are of course a bit exaggerated or just resentful but the gist of it is there. So ask yourself, do you have the type of personality to do whatever it takes to survive? Are you goal driven, meaning can you shun all the BS just to reach your target $$$? Are you the type who makes lemonade out of lemons? It was all "yes" to me and I lasted 13 years. It set me up for early retirement because I didn't care about anything else and all I did was save as much as I can. Fortunately, mental and physical health unscathed (I think lol). Of course, nowadays, the money is no longer the same and length of service is no longer predictable. So you have the added uncertainties to factor in. If you end up taking the job, then go there with a plan, right mindset and contingencies. May the force be with you!
There is a lot more good than bad. Hope it works out for you like it has for so many others.
Yes, you have to expect the unexpected and roll with it the best you can. But like the other poster, I had lots of anxiety especially when a trip was on the horizon. Many many ways for disaster to ruin your trip; Visas, passports, Arab spring uprising, taxis, causeways,
airlines, weather and volcanoes just to name a few.
I wouldn't understand why one is "very happy" in Saudi Arabia. I lasted as long because of the $$$ but I wouldn't say I was "very happy". All the BS of working with Aramco aside, just being away from the comforts of home, constantly away from family, constant fear of upsetting the government, traffic accidents or getting stuck at the airport or border, was enough to give me the anxieties. I understand that this were all part of the package and I made it all work out, but again, not "very happy". On the other hand, I've got friends who are truly happy. Mostly they are "Aramco Brats", from 3rd world countries, "plastic" citizens or muslims. If you are not in these categories and you are very happy to be there, then I applaud you.
I’d suggest you talk to people from your potential department who are working there right now. Ideally from same background/country as you. See what they have to say. You should be able to do this by asking your recruiter. I did this a while back and got very honest and good info. The good and yea some of the not so good. Overall I was convinced. Very happy here now I have to say.
Don’t waste your time with glassdoor. Legions of local shills are paid to give positive reviews. Never forget, lies, deception and double standards are entrenched in the business culture.
Critical thought is a career ending activity at Aramco. period.
Air quality from time to time. No. It’s unhealthy most of the time, actually all the time if you go by WHO.
Good summation Anon92! I too left after 2 years mainly due to toxic and boring work environment. Also agree that camp life is easy (think a retirement village vibe) but very boring.
Good - very short and easy commute if living and working in camp. Intelligent people mostly. Money. What now seemed a very easy life. Sunshine boosts positivity (yet I was depressed whilst there)
Bad - toxic work environment. 6 months of endless heat. Dust storms and challenging air quality. Raw water in camp. There is an element of stupid. New money changes people. Saudization caused a (negative) behavioural shift in the locals towards other nationalities. Camp became very boring. Some people may struggle with the dystopian sight of large numbers of blue uniformed workers waiting on their old style yellow bus that has no air conditioning.
I lasted 2 years (resignation). Main reason: toxic work environment and very unhappy spouse. Don’t take your wife if she is career minded. Still - no regrets. Life is short and experiences shape us.
If you have a genuine offer, go and give it a try. Leave your family at home until you are sure you can make it work.
This question generated a lot of comment. For new hires coming to this site looking for advice, I would advise treat with caution. I was hired a while back. I did not know about this site at the time. Would it have put me off? Maybe, to be honest. But glad I did not know about it at the time. To help me make a decision, I reviewed all ratings on Glassdoor.com and also indeed.com. Overall it was positive, so I made the decision to come to Aramco and was very glad I did. I’m enjoying my job and my life. So are my family. Is it perfect here for a western expat? Yea there are some downsides like the brutal hot and humid weather, and air quality from time to time. But overall the positives really outweigh the negatives. I hope to stay a good few years.
Gone are the days when Saudi Aramco used to be sought- after employer for young Saudis. It is even worst for the expats.. if you don’t believe it, read this article in Saudi Post.. why young saudis don’t want to join Saudi Aramco.. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1992826/amp
I see Aramco Public Relations has entered the chat below. This site must be having an impact 😂
Aramcoexpats are run and funded by ARAMCO. if you add any comments critical to the company they get removed by their henchmen. Read with caution. Aramco spends millions trying to greenwash its image.
People come here to get the truth as Aramco hides and obfuscates - it’s the culture.
Secrecy, Lies and deception are a national sport.
Some facts from the ground:
- Attrition rates are terrible, nobody in my dept. has been here more than 2 years and the last hire lasted 6 WEEKS!!!
- pay and benefits for new joiners are on par or less than western salaries. Aramco say this as a ‘tax saving’. DO NOT BE FOOLED. You will save far less than you thought and it will P155 you off after a few weeks. Aramco don’t care, they just want people short term to fill a gap, you will get squeezed until you give up.
- The camp is nothing more than a regular Saudi ghetto. It’s dead and bereft of the life it had when it was a true enclave. Yes you can be playing tennis at 4:30 but it gets boring when you can’t find anyone to play with.
- Pollution is an issue. For example, The last 14 days have been at dangerous levels. It gets tiring only being able to exercise indoors.
- Housing is poor and riddled with asbestos. The water coming out of the taps is contaminated with oils… HEALTH WARNING.
- The expat schools are 80% full of Muslim kids these-days. If that floats your boat then fine.
- Saudiziation is alive and well, your job will be gone soon to some consultant. In any case, you won’t be doing any actual proper work, prepare for being your bosses henchman, lackey and secretary.
- IMO only join if you are unemployed and desperate for coin, from a 3rd world jurisdiction where KSA is a step up, or unemployable anywhere else. This will give you an edge, your extremely low skills/expectations will be met.
This site is called thelayoffs. Do you expect an objective answer? In your opinion.
Ask your question on aramcoexpats instead. Night and day.
Aramco Expat site would help once you are ready to move to Dhahran. It is heavily moderated so it is not a realistic resource on your decision making at this point. Attrition rate WAS low. Poster may have had memories about 5 years ago or so. Before I retired last year, all expats are either quitting or being laid off. Those like me, who had their fill of $$$ and had enough of the BS, retired early. Poster may have forgotten about Saudization. They started with the dead logs and then moved on to "expensive to keep" expats. Recently, even some highly skilled and reliable expats were let go as they have to comply with the target percentage. Expats who remained just take it year by year. It is no longer like the old days when you can assume you will retire at 60 or even get extensions. It is not all bad, camp is self sufficient. There are tons of clubs and activities. However, it has started to mirror the outside and slowly losing its identity. What can you expect if most North American and Western European expats are gone? Not being racist here but they are the ones giving the camp that different flavour you don't see outside. Camp is now free for all, used to restricted to certain payrolls. If you are from NA or WE, then this is not conducive. Otherwise, you might welcome it. Yes we travelled a lot, every chance we get, because the pay was generous. How can you do this now if you need to save every penny because you don't know when it is your time to go? Some people just take their repat in Bahrain or some risk it by not exiting at all. I'm not being biased here and not bitter at all, just being realistic. Aramco was great for me but things have changed big time. When reading forums, you need to have that demarcation between Aramco THEN and NOW. It can still work out for you, depending on your personality and stage you are in. Just don't make long term plans and lower your expectations. Good luck.
Bet you can guess who runs the Aramco Expats site. Hint, the password requirements are the same as for Aramco. The person who suggested the site is probably from Aramco HR.
Perhaps this same person would like to give us hard data about employee turnover rather than some fluff about how most employees are happy. The only thing good about the place is the money. You need to be making twice what you could get in your home country, adjusted for tax, or it's not worth all the negatives. New people are not getting anything close to that, so turnover is very high. In my area, in the past five years, six new people were hired. Two were downsized, three quit, and only one is left.
Good
Savings potential. You really can save a lot. Aramco has a very low attrition rate and a main reason is that people realise after a while just how much they can save year on year.
Great vacation and travel opportunities. You have both the time and money (don’t get too tight saving it all) to travel to a lot of great places. You are also in a good location for that with Europe and Asia fairly close by.
New things to try in terms of leisure opportunities. Lots of clubs and groups to do things - sailing, tennis, golf, natural history, cycling, running, etc. Plus you should have the time. Usually in Aramco, when ‘the factory whistle blows’ at 16:00, everyone downs tools (assuming regular office based job) and heads home. You can be on the tennis court at 16:30 as example.
International set up. You get to mix and socialise with people from all over the world. Make new friends for life.
These are just a few observations from my time there.
To look out for
As others mention, air quality in the region is not brilliant. Especially when dusty. To mitigate against this, you can buy good quality air filters for your home. And avoid going out in really bad weather. Look at the IQ Air Visual app, or other similar apps for info.
Culture shock. Some people do suffer from this and find it hard to adjust to living in a new place.
Others have mentioned additional items.
I just wanted to mention a few positive things. As I say the attrition rate with Aramco is really low which indicates lots of people love it there. Of course on sites like this it is natural for negative comments to be to the fo-e. I’m not saying people with negative comments are saying untrue things. They may be stating the situation as it happened to them in a fair way. But for every unhappy employee (or laid off employee) there are dozens of very happy employees. Aramcoexpats website is another place to find info by the way.
Wishing you the best whatever decision you make.
Well you will prioritise money over health of you come. There is no escaping the toxicity in the air and water.
Although not as lucrative as before, the only good is the money. It can work out if you can use this as prime motivation to go on while you are being f*&cked over. Mostly quit or laid off because they let their ego and emotions take the best of them. I survived many years keeping my head down but then I retired 'coz I don't have the skills to dodge the toxic air, drones and reckless drivers.
It's all about the money. Just take it as it comes.
Try not to argue in spite of how stupid your boss' ideas may sound.
Good luck and may you reach your target.
Beware of the toxic culture and backstabbing.
Senior role? If you take the job, don't get your feelings hurt when you write emails for your boss, take meeting minutes or work your behind just to have somebody take the glory. Good luck!
Which senior role? There are no real senior roles for expats at Aramco, don’t be fooled.