I see a lot of other Saudi companies and companies in the middle east are making significant layoffs. Any sign of this in Saudi Aramco?
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Funny I posted a comment regarding JHAH...erased...A family member got braces in orthodontic clinic...ALL material was removed as soon we arrived home because the Saudi lady "orthodontist" performed a very deficient procedure. The material was to big, the cast taken was wrongly done, measurement recorded wrong, even the file was not documented properly. If you have family going through braces process, TAKE THEM OUT of JHAH dental clinic because process will be delayed due to local Saudi incompetent orthodontist. Additionally never get operated in JHAH...operating rooms systems are not adequate conditions...HEPA filters certifications expired for more than 10 years...ETC. ETC...
"My God you ungrateful expats".. WTF is that about?
Unfortunately this site, like every other single productive or interesting corner of Saudi Arabia, isn't Canadian or Saudi. Don't like it here? Build a Canadian site and show gratitude over there.
Who actually believes that 1400 years of inbreeding and a national IQ of 84 is going to end any better than PDVSA?
The ride's over folks. The keys to the special bus have been turned over to the passengers. It's headed for the brink.
Moral: Praying all day does not cure you from lying to and stealing from others
rumours of the severance tax are really picking up. a big easy win for the Saudis. get out while you can!
Fantastic comment @IF2wAWy-5ccou.
Loosers will be those who think that they are winers now. Not today, not tomorrow, but one-diimensional economy has to follow it's single straight line. Clampett's at their best.
The "loosers" are those pretending to be important only because like children they grabbed something they did not, could not, and can not build and are now waving it in front of a laughing world as if squatting in it means they own the credit for doing it.
Those who come here do so for the schools that saudis did not build, communities saudis did not build, workplaces saudis did not build, medical systems saudis did not build, doing work and building and operating things and enjoying profits from these things that saudis did not build in a language that saudis do not speak.
They return to do exactly the same things and live exactly the same way when they leave to go build or drill or operate somewhere else.
In the meantime unlike those who are leaving, those who ensured that the company stood on its own feet and who brought prosperity to an entire nation, their replacements have a zero chance of continuing this. Instead like beggars they go right back to the people who built it with their hands out needing to sell what they did not build back to those same "loosers" to raise money to sustain it.
So yes, call them "loosers" but remember that they left something for those left behind to stand on and beg from.
Saudi Aramco was a great company. Now it is current management bring shame on the company long known history. Its bad management habits not only effecting expat but also the poor locals. Shame... Shame.....shame .. Have a plan B ready because sooner or later you will need it.
Good to see all loosers go away.
Finally completed departure process and I'm out. Horrible departure process from top to bottom due to the locals that don't want to work, period. Nevertheless, at least I accomplished my plan there to make money and advance life. Not the Aramco that most of the people know or knew, make sure to have a plan B or reduce your life if you still there. There are a few locals, the old generation...the ones that don't want to be bosses due to the way things are now. The new generation thinks that with a western education they know all and also think that experience is gained with information banks. Good luck to all...Vision 2030, LOL...is a blurry dream that will never happen, just think in the way they drive (the locals don't even respect their own people) if they can't manage to respect and follow a line, 2030 is a blurry dream...
The systematic elimination of family friendly benefits and high costs for permission to enter and exit resulting in employees removing their families - then coupled with reduction of benefits for bachelor status employees could have only one goal - drive as many expat employees out as possible.
Aramco is sinking fast which is why the quality of the expats that they cheat into coming over is getting lower and lower.
New employees with bachelor status now only have one interim leave and one re-pat. Things are falling down.
I Understand that being layed off is frustrating. Be patient. There may be good in it that you will discover later on. We shouldn't let our anger get the better of us. There is good and bad in every company, in every person and in every place. Life is full of up and downs so to those who are layed off or will be layed off i say God provide you with something better for you and your families. Salam Allaikum
My God you ungrateful expats. Im from canada born and raised there. If you are not happy just leave. You are making such a stink for the rest of us. The company is not perfect but it is not that bad either. No where else can this money be made in such a short period of time. Work on being positive contributors. Try to make it a better company. Stop complaining yout giving me such a headache
Love to go to BAH..!!
After spending some time in Saudi, you will realize that Aramco's money starts stinking when you see your life going away in such a complex environment and weird company. At that time, you will be useless professionally speaking.
Also easy to spot the types who will do Anything At All for a little Extra Cheese on the Burger.
Sad all these negative replies of expats not being able to rise above an "M" either due to incompetence or striking their supervisors the wrong way. Good luck back home... back in the rat race making mediocre salaries....
Good post.
We all know the type. Western long-termers who have honed the fine skill of weaving the elaborate and endless webs of reasons that OK yes though they are responsible for the job a magical someone else has to do the actual work.
These guys then "add value" by Mentoring and training locals in "1001 Ways To Coordinate Someone Else To Do My Assigned Work" with extra credit for picking up "How To Hold That Magical Someone Else Accountable For My Actions And Decisions".
Easy to spot them. They stick out and smell like dog poo on a walking path.
To the last guy, why don't you just leave? stop mugging yourself off. Saudi is what you make of it.
If I may comment for a second...I am one of the Americans that was "released/ paroled from jail"...I mean KSA/SA, a couple of months ago...now that I am back in the civilized world...life is so much better. maybe the money is not that great...but the drop is much less than what I thought. Actually, we were wasting a lot of money going to Bahrain, etc to compensate for the mental dis-satisfaction. In the end, the extra few $ is not worth having to deal with such deceptive, tribal, backwards liars...(just my opinion and thoughts...not going into validation details).
Sure it took a couple+ of months to find another real job but the entire family smiles now...quality time on the weekends together. This experience has made us take a step back and re-think what is more impt at the end of the day...it's not money...we step out of the house with no fear and trepidation...driving of course is so much more sane...for being accused of something just cause I was the expat and a local is never at fault (inshallah). best of luck to all...
Has anyone heard anything about training? Huge costs. Large number of expats. And little real benefit. Are they next in line?
Not yet but they have a couple of months of quiet right now.
Is MIDRA's cleaning over?
Waiting for weeks to hear what the non-western expats are bringing with them (other than what they picked up from westerners somewhere else and their training in nodding yes at everything).
I heard that if you stay more than three yrs in Aramco, you will become non attractive for other multinationals. I also heard that for non-US and Canadian payroll, mental and spiritual tiredness and desire to leave starts after 7-8 years. Any comment?
Hate to pop the bubble here but the health insurance plan(10 yr benefit) is only a couple hundred bucks a month cheaper than anybody else's plan. (It used to be a good benefit though)
But the magic 5+ year benefits are still nice.......
Westerners aren't needed to make reports and spreadsheets and presentation slides and review work done by other westerners when there are other tasks for them to do like Creating Visions, Managing IPO's, Engaging in Offshore Drilling, and Licensing Technologies.
That must be why every single tangible asset in the company originated in the west - Because those expats keep knowledge and information restrained. WOW That Makes Perfect Sense!
But is very obvious the substantial differences between actual payrolls. Is quite clear thah many US and Canadian payrollers just wanto to reach the famous 10 Years to get those nice benefits. In order to do so, have created inside the company a shadow society of complices that keep the knoledge and information restrained.
Oh there is rhyme and reason. Regardless of who they are or what they have done western expats are being systematically eliminated in favor of cheap knockoffs from other countries. Who can blame them? All they need are bodies to pass reports and memos around. Nobody, top to bottom, is producing any real measurable value-added work product and you do not have to keep really good people on the payroll to perform rote tasks. You just need enough people around raising enough dust to hide more and more saudi employees in the cloud. It's a dying company and these next couple of years are a last gasp effort to hold things together. Aramco hasn't been a good place to work for over a decade and it is just getting worse.
Any "friendly" discharge this week? Is Midra cleanup completed?
Since I landed here...I have a plan b...specially if you worked all your life as consultant/independent professional...it's just a shame but is what it is...even the old locals who build the company feel shame of what is turned...there are just few good people there...the cheap ones that don't have professional ethics neither knowledge (everyone knows who they are) are the ones that will remain...hope all the good guys find their way...and get out well...
Don't want to do? That's rich. How about don't know how?
They give you M & D's just because current Aramco's management had a quota and they want or are being forced to protect their buddies, friends, tribal relatives, etc. Keep in mind that you will never be part of a growing organization and you only are a sort of element to accomplish activities that Saudis do not want to do. So be prepared and have a plan B.
There is no logic on this...is the same that happened in all GCC countries. We are guesses here (expats) due to our expertise, it's just hilarious to see managers giving M and D to people that have more than 25 years of experience to justify they are no competed. Not anymore the Aramco founded by the 4 sisters and that's the reason they quick some decades ago because they foresees the issues that are happening today...
Midra will be 250 people. Then downstream is on the block.
Warning: Flushing Profits has not claimed all of their victims.
11 people were let go from Facilities Planning in the last week or so. Some were on vacation and found out when they got back and tried to login but could find they were locked out. A few were known to be incredibly competent, having saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars across several BIs. Don't know how on earth these decisions are being made. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to this. Yet, you see the new employee orientations in Midra conference rooms while there are still some requisitions open in Divisions where people are being laid off. Absolutely mind boggling!
Numbers and named persons have been agreed, with layoff's (redundancies) being drip fed so as not to draw attention in the marketplace. This management is the worst in our lifetime, underlings prepared to do what is correct for them to the detriment of others - stealing what is not theirs - building upon numerous problems for the future.
Yeah...D's are coming fast for expats