Moving to Saudi

format_quote Originally Posted by crayon

Salam bro,

I've remembered to ask, but I haven't had the chance. I have exams now, so we just do the exam at school and leave immediately, so it's difficult to get hold of teachers. There's also this huge graduation party, so if there are any teachers around they're busy with that. I'll keep trying, but I'm only going to be at school for a few more days, and I honestly don't think I'll manage to get some answers. Did you try sending an email to any of the addresses you found on that website asking your questions?

Wa Alaykum Salam

What website? And No worries, don't stress.

I'm Pakistani but I live in Saudi Arabia. What city do you plan to move to?

Jeddah since I have some sort of people I know there.

Ahhh nvm, got a little mixed up.
I found this site that explains the whole visa process in a very simple way, here's what it says about residence visas: link

"Residence visas

If you are going to live and work in Saudi Arabia, there is a great deal of paperwork that your sponsor will have to complete on your behalf.

In addition to his work in the Kingdom, you will also have to show copies of your employment contract and academic or professional qualifications. You will also have to have a comprehensive medical examination for which the embassy provides the forms. An important part of the medical examination is a blood test showing that you are HIV negative.

Once you and your sponsor have completed the paperwork, which usually takes about six weeks, you will be informed of your visa number, which will entitle you to collect your visa. Once you have arrived in the Kingdom, your visa will be converted to a residence visa and in almost every case, you will at this point give your passport to your sponsor and be issued with an iqama, or residence permit, which you should carry with you at all times.

In the event of leaving the country on a holiday, your sponsor will obtain an exit/re-entry visa for you; upon returning your iqama to your sponsor, you will be given your passport which is only valid for travel outside the Kingdom if there is an exit/re-entry visa stamped in it.

If you are leaving the country and not returning, you will be issued an exit-only visa. "

format_quote Originally Posted by crayon

In addition to his work in the Kingdom, you will also have to show copies of your employment contract and academic or professional qualifications.

Insha'Allah seems clear that the qualifications are tied to the work, i.e. if work needs qualifications then you show them.

This thread is so long, i tried to read it entirely before posting this, but i lost patience.

Anyway, here is what I have to say:

- The best way to live in KSA is finding a job in one of the top companies E.g. Almarai, savola, NADEC, Panda
such companies give their employees many facilities over and above the monthly pay these may include, housing allowance, medical insurance, a vehicle for office and pvt use, return air tickets to fly to your home country once a year etc.,
- Medical allowance and air tickets are provided for the employee's wofe and 2 children as well.
- You can find a job by either directly applying (most of the top co's have websites) or by going to employment agency specialising in middle east jobs
- This way is easier because the company makes all the arrangements for obtaining the visa. you will have very little to do on than part.
- there are a few jobs avaialble for women. E.g. there are ladies' banks, schools. transport is usually provided for working women

format_quote Originally Posted by Alpha Dude™

I've heard from quite a few people now that the Arabs there can be racist toward non-Arabs.

I've also been told that when you start work in Saudi, as a foreigner, the employer takes your passport and keeps hold of it, for the duration of your employment.

Yes they do. But it is returned to you wheneve you need to leave the country, like for your annual vacation, or some emergency

format_quote Originally Posted by Al Habeshi

But can you work there and keep working there as long as you get the sponsor from a company? And the host has to be arab, so any arab business can sponser you?? Am confused, so if I know someone with an arab business i can get sponsored and keep renewing it??

As long as you are working for the co that provided your visa, they will renew it for you when you renew your contract. If you want to chamge jobs, your company might transfer your visa to the new place. But some comapnies dont transfer visas. if that is the case you have to leave KSA for a certain period and return with another visa provided by your new employer.

Al Habeshi : Also do you each have individual iqamas like id cards or what?

crayon: No, the iqama is just one document. It's a residence and work permit, so the person working, ie. the father or husband, carries it.

In my case, each person in my family (my husband, myself and my 1 1/2 yr old son each have a seperate iqama which is like a id card with our photos on it.

im planing to go to a universityafter this year Insh ALLAH

do you think Americans will get acepted

il be crushed if i dnt get accpted..Insh ALLH Ill Pray to ALLAH (SWA) that i do

format_quote Originally Posted by Al Habeshi

Yea check this:

· Copies of academic qualification certificates that have been used by you to obtain the employment, also authenticated by the Legalisation Office of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Thats why I thought that.

Copies of academic qualifications certificates are required to prove that you are of the profession mentioned in the Visa. For instance, my husband's visa was gave his profession as "marketing specialist" and he had to forward certified copies of his marketing diploma to prove this.

i so mad i didnt see this post earlier....im so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ok im 17 n i finish high school nxt year Insh Allah

i live in atlanta ga here in the u.s..it pretty hothere until about
Asr time...how would it compare to Mekka?how hot is it there in degrees

i want to attend umma al-Qura Insh Allah(if thats how u spell it)

how hard is it for american to get it?

if i get accepted Insh ALLAH,do i get to live in a dorm? can women study Da'wah or is it only men?

im aware of the racism in ksa but how bad is it really?

what is the best thinga women can study over there for a overall better pay?

do i have to come with a Mahram or can i come by myself?
and also if i have family/friends that live there can i stay with them while in school.

what are the major pros and cons


plz answer my questions Insh ALLAH

^ Sis ayan333, you might find these links helpful insha Allah:
http://www.bakkah.net/studying/ummalquraa.htm

http://www.uqu.edu.sa/english/

Yes it is very hot here during the summer. right now its about 40 degrees during the day and about 35 degrees at night.

Best job for a woman in saudi is to be a teacher. Good pay and treatment. But make sure you go to a reputed school.

Everyone talks of racism in KSA. Let's not discuss this. There is racism everywhere, i wonder why peole think KSA should be any different.

As for the major pro and cons sister, that depends on each person. There are many blogs by poeple who are living/have lived in KSA. Take a little time and use google to find out whatever you need. this way you will have many differnt views.

format_quote Originally Posted by manaal

^ Sis ayan333, you might find these links helpful insha Allah:
http://www.bakkah.net/studying/ummalquraa.htm

http://www.uqu.edu.sa/english/

Yes it is very hot here during the summer. right now its about 40 degrees during the day and about 35 degrees at night.

Best job for a woman in saudi is to be a teacher. Good pay and treatment. But make sure you go to a reputed school.

Everyone talks of racism in KSA. Let's not discuss this. There is racism everywhere, i wonder why peole think KSA should be any different.

As for the major pro and cons sister, that depends on each person. There are many blogs by poeple who are living/have lived in KSA. Take a little time and use google to find out whatever you need. this way you will have many differnt views.

thanks so much sis..reputed school as in..?
and what do yal measure your temperture in.The Kelvin scale...with celsius?
ya i figured english teacherbut im not a big fan of it myself..i wanted to go into Da'wah and Islamic studies

Temp measured in celcius sis.

What i mean by reputed school, is one that has good accreditation. There is an organization called CITA (Commission for int'l trans-regional accreditation) that conducts appraisals of schools. These schools are those that follow proper standards in education. It is always nicer to teach in a good school that take the job very seriously.

There are some schools in KSA that are run in a business like fashion, i.e. they are in the filed to make money and dont care much about education. in such schools students are taught the bare minimum and teachers dont have much work!

This btw is not the fault of the "saudis". The private international schools are all run by expatriates and are meant for expat students. Saudi Arabian children are not allowed to be educated in such schools.

Here is a list if CITA schools in KSA. There are only 30 listed her but its a good place to start.

A junior school teacher can ear a minimum of 2000 riyals per month and senior school teacher a min of 3000 per month.

i'd love to go and do Hajj, ive never been to Makkah or Madinah before

format_quote Originally Posted by amani

^^ 2-3000? gosh that sucks... that is quite little. I read on another forum something along the lines that if they quote you around 6500, then negotiate till you get at least 8000sr per month (because even 6500 is not a good salary)

I guess that's for men who have to support a family and get their iqama (work permit) from the school. But most female teachers are here either on their husband's or father's iqama. So their salaries are in addition to what their husband or father earns. Most schools prefer to employ such teahcers, otherside they will have to hike up the tuition. And i think salaries are higher in Riyadh than Jeddah and the reseidents of Riyadh are more affluent.

I think the American and British schools pay really well, but they dont employ a teacher unless they have some teaching credential (e.g. dip in edu). In the school i teach in, a teaching credential is not a must, but you have to have a bachelor's degree in your field.

oh,thank you sis,i do really appriciate it,how do you like being a teacher?i really would like to get into Dawah and Sunnah,do they teach that in tehir public schools or in private school?

I'm not sure of that sis. Maybe you should try the open university? But i dont know much about higher education here really.

I love being a teacher, specially because i teach older students and its easy to talk and discuss subject related issues with them. Wouldn't want to teach primary classes though! I cant deal with so many little kids at the same time.

Female foreigners can apply to Umm al Qura and Imaam Muhammad Uni to study Shariah, Aqeedah, Dawah, and Quran and Hadith, provided a mahram will join them..

format_quote Originally Posted by Jawharah

Female foreigners can apply to Umm al Qura and Imaam Muhammad Uni to study Shariah, Aqeedah, Dawah, and Quran and Hadith, provided a mahram will join them..

thanks sis..but ive been searching my options,no mater what i want to attend collage somewhere in Saudi,but i really want to atted Umm al Qura,ive been on their website many times...but it soumds to good to be true...it states that they will give you round trip tickets every year to go home back.visa,allowence,here in america we pay for almost everything when it comes to books,classes,parking,and even scantrons that we take the tests on...so is it really like that or is there a catch,do they accept random plp or is it based on on you grades and so on?

i really dnt want to stay here so im really pushing to go to that school insh ALLAH

and also what would increase my chances of getting accpeted besides getting all the paper written in arabic,,i know someone who works at a university in Mecca do you think if he writes me a recomandation it would increases my chances of getting in?


thanks in advance