Does anyone have any examples of how they moved on/ coped with the move home/how plans went?
I’m approaching “D Day” soon and want to leave with a plan, free from hiccups and stresses that I’m sure Aramco management will bring to bear.
What are the strategies that work best to get out of here cleanly? Did anyone jump straight into another role is a period of therapy/contemplation/counselling required?
Was a surprise to me that my manager reported a runner as a "personal reasons resigning" after they wait for him two months. He went AWOL with both bank loans (more than his severance).
I did. Nothing happened to me.
Now travel to other countries in the region with my other passport. No plans to set foot in the pit again.
Perhaps doing a runner is the smartest option after all!!!
You are working for the Mafia in a third world country run by a dictatorship. Plenty of nasty things can happen to you if the wrong person decides it should.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1klU1Rm6DTM
Nasty in what way?
And are you seriously saying Aramco can and has hurt employees and their families during the exit process?
@5lnz+1nUzqi5E Please do. But meantime tread carefully.
If you part of The Crew and The Boss thinks you might Rat, don't count on a smooth exit. One guy told me he was interrogated for seven hours straight by ex CIA agents hired by Aramco because the VP tried to frame him. This guy ended up making it out of KSA OK, but things got pretty nasty. Hopefully, you have a blue passport, because that can make Aramco think twice about doing something really terrible to you and your family.
Very helpful answers. I didn’t know about the traffic ticket issues!
To respond to one of the posts, I was at a point part of the “crew” and I know of several extremely corrupt deals done by a now SVP.
Hopefully I won’t get any blowback when i drop the letter next month, I’ve been warming people up. I feel well prepared now.
Once I’m safely home will name names, it’s quite unbelievable the things that go on here.
Most fellow expats will be happy for you and will wish you well. The "others" will feel that you turned your back on them. You may have done wonders for your unit, but at an instant this will be all washed out and suddenly some animosities. I'm generalizing of course, just consider this and put it at the back of your mind so you know how to approach certain people. So thread lightly, don't take risks, work on your clearance and complete the earliest possible so you can settle final payment while IK, spend less time as possible at work and most importantly do not go off camp if you can help it. You are literally almost there, probably after so many years, don't do anything which might make you stay longer than you should.
If there are not many new hires coming in, sell your vehicles as early as possible. They can be hard to sell for a decent price if there isn’t much expat market or you have to go outside the fence. I sold my car and motorcycle a couple of months before I left and bought a SAR 2,500 motorcycle 125CC in Khobar which didn’t have to be registered to use inside the fence. I gave it to a friend the day I left. One risk of keeping your registered vehicle until the very last is getting an erroneous traffic ticket. The traffic camera system isn’t perfect and you can get a ticket on your iqama that isn’t really yours so you might not be aware of it. That will complicate leaving on time.
It is imperative to sell your shares first. After the money goes into your bank account make sure to ask for an upto date printout of your bank account just before you close it.
You will need to provide that for your tax returns and they will not provide that information if those accounts are closed. It will be up to you to provide that information.
A few other tips. Get a police clearance cert in case you ever need it in the future for background checks or whatever. It’s easy to arrange via government affairs. Also be very selective in packing. Just send home what you really need and sell or giveaway the rest. (Lots of poor street cleaners are very happy to get stuff.) I know many departees who still have many boxes with the East West logo sitting in their garages years after leaving! Overall I found the process real easy. One more thing, if you have Aramco shares, sell before you leave. Good luck with your move.
Sell your vehicles ASAP. Get every medical record you think you might ever want from JHAH and then get the ones you hadn’t thought about. Get rid of your cellphone and buy a prepaid one. Close your bank account. Pay off any traffic tickets or government fees due. The checkout process is pretty much automatic. I remember when guys carried around a huge folder everywhere they went and were lucky to get it all done in 30 days. Get your house inspection scheduled and get that signed off as well as your packing. I was able to get all that done within 24 hours (I had already sold my vehicles). I did go to Housing personally rather than wait for them. I had to remove my garage door opener to pass inspection as well as a window AC unit. I sold almost everything so I was well below my allowed shipping weight. Your access will be canceled before you turn your badge in. That took me by surprise so I was fortunate to have a friend who drove me around my last day. I stayed in my house until the end so I still had a bed, linens, etc. and I just walked away. Aramco never complained about that. That last couple of weeks your boss will treat you like you have leprosy. That was probably the hardest part for me so once I left the main gate, I never looked back.
If you haven't already figured it out, you are dealing with "The Mob". Unless you were part of "The Crew" (had regular meetings with the VP) and "Know Things" (seen the back door deals the VP has made), leaving is straight forward. Tell the managers secretary that you are resigning. She is the one that initiates the process in SAP. Then, you will have a "Sit Down" with your Division Head. Your reason for leaving is always "Family Reasons". SAP requires sign offs from everybody in your reporting structure including the VP. Some of these people may want to have their own "Sit Down" with you. Everybody below VP will ask you to stay. They all want to be the one to bring "A Deal" to the VP. Just stick to your "Family Reasons" story and move on. If the VP really wants to keep you, he will have his own "Sit Down" with you, otherwise he will just sign off on SAP.
Once you have all the management sign offs, the rest is just check lists. The key to getting out unscratched is to act like an Extra in a low budget Mob Film. Keep a low profile.
One option going sick to JHAH and fading away, or ‘doing a runner’ and seeing how long it takes them to notice... Only attempt if you’ve sold-up and have another job lined up to go to. Do not try if family in Kingdom.
Quit working at your office 3 months out and focus on your exit. Use the yellow post-it notes and always be gone working on your exit issues, even if you are on top of it.
You will eventually recover and your time in KSA will fade into what feels like a bad dream.
Now is a good time in the US, not like 2020.