Thread regarding Saudi Aramco layoffs

Any current or former Aramcon can easily differentiate the fact from fiction amidst these posts. Regarding the facts, our host leaders (irrespective of prowess), respond to cyclical, institutionalized challenges which are anything but static in deliverable design(s), as well as whims of their leaders. From SI-6 to ATP to tomorrow's new and improved target plan(s), again and again, the same lessons are learned.., the same general outcomes reached. There are good, decent, hard-working nationals and ExPats, and there is human"dead-weight" thriving under "pinball" leader strategies pursuing moving target business line objectives (often competing or redundant). I'm told Managers have been advised to eliminate non-essential, unfilled jobs and make "optimum use" of the 90-day new employee dismissal policy. My take is that perhaps to some, both of those messages have the appearance of RIF or layoff action(s). In fact, number crunching ahead of any IPO involves costing in manpower terms so the optic may be perception generated by the house-cleaning...

Any news on extra layoffs, if yes which business line. Thx

"Once you cut too many benefits, impose taxes, lower job security, expats will stop coming to KSA."

True. Or the good expats will stop coming, but the bad expats ("rejects") will continue coming.

Once you cut too many benefits, impose taxes, lower job security, expats will stop coming to KSA.

@22ksv No doubt you're right, but not sure it's relevant to the topic of Saudi Aramco and expat layoffs?

2017, the year Saudi Arabia imposes a 10% income tax on all foreign nationals.

When you have new recruits training expats then you know something is wrong, reinforced by comments such as 'tell management what they want to hear', 'don't rock the boat', along with incompetent expats being rewarded, while commercial concerns are waived away. Savings of 10% can be easily achieved but then existing expats would have to admit their wrongs which they will not do - so all others have to suffer.

Over heads are well secured than those who are qualified and competent but yet they are being laid off. This does not help in sustaining financial stability of the company. In fact this will only contribute to deepen the present financial crisis.

@1Zqae I agree. Further to your comment regarding the influx of expats in recent years; it seems the majority of those people were hired on the basis of the passport they held and not work history or quality of education. This means the company did not actually get the quality of expat that would be suggested by the passport.

I do agree with the previous post. After Abdullah S. Jum'ah, everything changed. Saudi Aramco became tribalistic operated.

What has been written about Aramco is a portion of reality. Up to 1988 it was a company. After 1988 it became tribalistic operated by people who put there own interest before the interest of the company. How many top executives were forced to resign? Those executives operate with carelessness to Saudization while the Gov is eager to employ Saudis. The list is very long

It is no secret that Aramco was a better and more professional environment when expats (the competent ones) were holding management positions at all levels. I believe the mistrust between Saudis and expacts, for the most part, surfaced after too many expats were hired in 2008 and the years after including a lot who are by any standard below average. Some of those below average expats are posting offensive comments here.

It is probably true that the compay is sinking for two main reasons:

1. Not allowing highly qualified expats to hold managent positions. Those can "make Aramco great again"

2. A good number of expats with poor performance receiving 3 or 4 times the salaries competent Saudis receive while both have the same job title and responsibilities.

Bottom line is, if you are just selling your time here, pack your stuff and start looking for a job in another company before you receive your 60-day notice.

Yes. It looked like it might slow down but there seems to be a steady stream of them, a few per day.

Was there any more layoff last week?

It makes me sick when in meeting Locals, middle & high management, some VP's star speaking in Arabic ignoring the presence of the expatriate. I've seen this bad behavior with contractors also. In a few words, even if you are in principle part of the company, they will not trust you.

Amazing and so true post @1Yooa

I love the country, I love the peers but there is a ton of waste and mismanagement, that's not cool

But, when I add everything up, it's a great experience

I am at the point where I'll have to leave as I cannot take it any more

I wish you all the best

Many expats became disappointed or demoralized because of unfulfilled promises by the company. Especially promises that were given BEFORE we actually moved to KSA. For examples:

• You will live in Dhahran (in reality, many have to live outside the camp which also means their kids cannot go to the Aramco school)

• You will have an interesting job and be able to add value (in reality, many expats are misplaced, misused, or underused)

• You will continue to advance your career (in reality, it's almost impossible for expats to get a management position)

• You will be joining a world class organization (in reality, the company is quite dysfunctional in many ways, and led by very poor management. Many expats have never seen anything like this in their professional life. Almost all expats that I know have the skills to make a difference, and actually WANT to make a difference, but cannot do so due to poor management and utterly dysfunctional corporate culture. This hurts morale. Over time, many expats became apathetic.

• You will have Job security (in reality, the company is laying off people who have moved around the globe to come here. After one has worked here for 5-10 years, you really don't have any career prospect outside the company. This is another oft-overlooked disadvantage).

• No promise, but just a basic human expectation that we will be treated fairly (at least by western standards). In reality, expats are discriminated against in the performance ranking process. Expats rarely get any credits for success, and usually get the blame for failure. At the end of the day, we are human being.

Yet expats do need to count their blessings. Compensation is good, the environment is conducive to family life (that is if you live inside the camp), most of the Saudis are friendly and welcoming, and at work you do have many opportunities to add value to the company (although you will not be given credits for your contribution).

You just have to set your expectations right and know your place.

And if you can't take it anymore than don't complain -- it's probably time to leave.

the place is completely unprofessional in my experience. I lasted a little over a year, and decided to leave. It was by far the worst employment experience of my life. I think the expats are part of the problem (especially the ones who have been there for ten years or more)....they are, on average, petty people with mediocre credentials who would never make it up the corporate ladder here in the u.s. The Saudis generally are incapable of differentiating between the decent people and the bums. In other words, the nit wits are running the place and the competent people are forced to just sit around and watch the ineptitude. Pretty demoralizing to anyone that actually has a

Look at this comment from "anonymous" ...."You can't make great again that which was never great!!". And the one before exclaims with "good luck with that" to a post that says make Saudi great again. To those I say you are better off leaving the country if that's how you feel about it. You should be happy that you are leaving so why express these negative feelings!?. I personally feel that expats in Any country add positively to local work or social culture and feel sad that some are leaving us. We wish them well and hope they can look back with a sense of fulfilment and enrichment for the experience of living in Saudi and experiencing a new culture.

@1Xnat I agree wholeheartedly. I have worked in 4 other countries besides KSA and all had diverse workplaces full of expats whom got along personally and professionally with the local workforce. The difference here seems to be SOME expats think they are better than Saudi colleagues and SOME Saudis feel poorly done by; hence the tension which we can see in these comments. Anyway, I treat all others here with respect and courtesy and hope for the same in return.

I recently retired after 37 years service with the company, I can honestly say it was the best experience of mine and my family's lives! It gave us a monumental amount of opportunities and also gave us first hand experience of a country with so many great people!

One must realise that the oil industry has fundamentally changed over the last 18 months, ALL MAJORS HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED MEASURES MUCH MORE SEVERE THAN THIS, we are faced with a new reality of cost cutting and savings needing to be made.

As an expat working for Aramco, one must realise that you are a guest in a very special land. Make the most of it, as too many people leave only to realise that the country and company were a lot more special to them than they can realise, it is what you make of it!

Reading the comments I sense an overarching feeling of disdain from expats towards locals or the company culture. As a Saudi Im perplexed by mixed feeling. For one, id like for expats to live here or leave with only positive things to say about my country. The other feeling I get is that of ungratefulness from expats when, for the most part, they are treated better than locals (at least financially) .

I know some of the laid off expats. A few were not a 'good fit' or unsocial or have stepped on somebody's toes, while many were unproductive. But that doesn't necessarily mean they are incompetent. The company is known to have misplaced many expats (assigning a job that doesn't match qualifications) and in general hired too many expats in the past few years.

"If you are a hard working individual, confident then these waves shouldn't really be making you concerned" what a full of s**t

These layoff decisions should have been made a long time ago despite the market changes. There are many unproductive EXPATS who do not deserve the money they are recieving compared to the kind of performance they are giving . If you are a hard working individual, confident then these waves shouldn't really be making you concerned.

"All the laid off expats that I've heard of so far are well known to be UNproductive".......OMG, this is an undercover Saudi.

Aramco will never cut all expats loose. They are a critical ingredient toward the success of the company, and everybody (including management) knows this.

HOWEVER, not every expat holds the same intention and dedication toward the company, and the comments here proves my point. All the laid off expats that I've heard of so far are well known to be UNproductive. Some cost double or triple what a Saudi would cost, and with the current market conditions, it only makes sense to start with them first.

I feel for those who've been cut loose, and I hope they're able to find a job and get back to business at the soonest.

Saudization and ELP are a failure. The Company will sink in deep water. Cheers

Oil bust winner: Saudi Arabia's tech scene - CNN

https://apple.news/AL3ihlK-KTHayXWh_rH3rhg

Layoffs are a result of Government pressures due to the economy. Expats are the mostly costly so are the obvious target. But how much of this is to make the bottom line more appealing for the impending IPO? Rest assured, when it happens the shareholders and institutional investors will demand productivity and the expats will return. Saudization will be recognised as the failure it is.

The company can and will survive with no expats! if the rumours are true 2017 will be turmoil!

The success of failure of the Expat Layoff Program will depend upon whom they get rid of, if they are getting rid of people based on GC, AGE, Nationality it will be a huge negative. If they are removing expats based on contribution to the firm, this will be a success. there are a lot of Lazy expat workers who once believed Aramco was a job for life, with guaranteed pay cheques, healthy pay rises and little stress, Welcome to the real world!

I have noticed the sentiment towards expats change significantly in recent times. It would seem that every opportunity is taken to highlight perceived faults or poor performance. In the absence of any criticism, being told you are too expensive for a Project budget is good sign to get that CV ready ;)

Saudi Oger and Saad Group were hit pretty bad with layoffs - both are in the construction business and projects are being cancelled left and right... Most folks laid off (retrenched) are TWNs - I think I saw a 10K+ floating somewhere...

What other Saudi companies are laying off people right now?

@1Wqxd - got it on the doctors - but how is that relevant to our discussion here?

We know that things are not good for everyone

You mean @1Wbrk - right?

@1Wbr good post

Before making any conclusion just remember that highly western trained Saudi physicians just lost 50-60% of there monthly payment!!!

@IF2wAWy-1Wbr - you speak wisely - I have been with the company for 5 years and I have observed almost identical patterns

Good luck to all