Not been told anything, who already knows?
Deafening aircraft a part of life
There’s a lot of F15s and Tornados doing mock sorties of the camp recently, they have a practice loop that goes right over my house. Some even with their damn afterburners on at full-tilt around 200 feet, wakes my kids up. I know they are bored... — read more
Corporate Human Rights Benchmarking
1/26 (yes that’s a score of 1 out of 26 for Aramco). It was 2020 but nothing changes. https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/publication/chrb/companies/saudi-aramco/
Aramco for US Expat?
What's it like working as US Expat for Aramco at KSA these days? Is housing covered or subsidized? Is the pay premium worth it over getting a similar position at a place like ExxonMobil? Is it worth considering going without family, if you have... — read more
Thrown under the bus by trusted colleague
I’m gutted I didn’t see this coming. I always had an instinct not to trust this fellow expat but years of working alongside this narc really clouded my judgment. I have resigned as I cannot see a future here anymore. Living here has made me lose... — read more
Ghosted before even joining
Looking for some advice if any can be given. Previously posted on aramcoexpats.com but it was removed and I have been banned! I resigned as per instructions from Aramco, I had passed all contingencies etc. I was then told to do the medical and it... — read more
Living conditions in Dhahran camp
Considering a job there but worried about conditions, and family leisure facilities. Wife likes tennis and bridge and kids have gotten into ice hockey. Is it possible to continue these activities. Also, I have previously been to some compounds in... — read more
Struggling to understand why I was hired
Joined at beginning of the year, been giving Aramco the benefit of the doubt and have a financial plan to stay for a couple of years. I am still perplexed why I was hired. I don’t do anything related to my actual job, the week consists of drafting... — read more
Different religions beware
They don’t tell you this up front and when I challenged my relocation advisor, he claimed he didn’t know. This is a genuine post and is based on a recent experience. I am a Christian and moved across. My wife is a certain religion that is... — read more
2023 US Payroll Employee Package
Hi everyone, First of all, thanks for your honest feedback about Aramco and the lifestyle in SA. Much appreciated. I'm considering applying to Aramco and would appreciate some relevant information. Could you please share the current basic package... — read more
Is anyone happy working Aramco?
If one goes by aramcoexpats.com seems to be a happy thriving place. Yet reading here it’s very different. Is anyone actually genuinely happy in their job?
Aramco Alternatives
Since Aramco is on a mission to reduce the expat experience, what are alternative companies experienced US citizen O&G professionals can go to as expats and still make bank? Rotational assignment preferred to keep family in US and make family life... — read more
Some news
https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2023-04-18/saudi-arabia-pays-spanish-scientists-to-pump-up-global-university-rankings.html
Aramco’s Twitter Feed
There you will find such nonsense as “Human potential is the energy that drives us forward.” Plenty of greenwashing and other such propaganda. It would be entertaining if not so serious. Aramco’s feed makes it seem like the best company in the... — read more
We live safety all day every day
“Across our organization, we live safety all day, every day, in our facilities and in our homes, on and off the job.” https://www.aramco.com/en/creating-value/sustainable-business-operations/health-and-safety Except they don’t. This is propaganda... — read more
Saudi Arabia's push to get expatriates to ditch Dubai is off to a rocky start. Housing shortages and alcohol bans aren't helping
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-09/should-expats-move-to-saudi-arabia-salaries-housing-schooling-issues-to-know?
2024 Deadline to move your HQ's
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-09/should-expats-move-to-saudi-arabia-salaries-housing-schooling-issues-to-know?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=linkedin?sref=n5LiIHhd
What they don’t tell you
Air Quality https://www.iqair.com/saudi-arabia/al-mintaqah-ash-sharqiyah/dhahran
Heard that US Payroll no longer being offered to new USA hires
Is this true? If so, that means that new US citizens no longer get ERISA protected retirement, post retirement health care (or any health insurance in the USA for that matter). Americans founded Aramco, but I guess the Saudis forgot that.
Another Data breach
LOTS of private data on expats has been compromised…. Thank you Aramco, never failing to surprise.
Another pointless IT reorg…
Jobs are going, BL changes happening. Nebulous pointless depts that do F all will merge into new depts that do F all.. Some bald men in dresses will not be happy.
Interviewed for a job waiting for offer… don’t know what job is
How can you be interviewed for a job and then don’t know which job you are being offered? How can they keep doing recruitment roadshows for what looks like the same jobs they have advertised previously? Why do the people who sign off the offers... — read more
Discriminatory Ramadan working hours
This wasn’t in the onboarding materials. Why am I expected to work 50% more hours than everyone else in my office? What’s the best way to approach the next month? I am not putting in extra effort to cover my coworkers, they’d never do the same... — read more
Leaving on exit / re-entry visa
I hear stories about people taking a one way ride on an exit / re-entry visa, for various reasons. What’s the consequences of doing so? I believe you will be add to some GCC list and can be picked up when travelling in the future. Not sure how real... — read more
Checks
What is the obsession about gaps in your cv going back more than ten years? it seems overly thorough. Can anyone advise please?
Resigned and it feels GREAT.
I cannot describe the feeling of relief, I am a new person. It’s difficult to underestimate the amount of grief and mental torture this place has produced. I’d become institutionalised and didn’t fully appreciate just how unbearable the job had... — read more
Is GC-14 with net annual salary $ 200K a good offer or low balling?
I received an offer from Aramco to work as an expat in KSA. GC is 14 and the net annual salary is close to $200k. The issue is that I have a PhD in Chemical Engineering and almost 20 years experience in oil and gas working in Oklahoma. Is this a low... — read more
Good and Bad of Aramco
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.
My question how long it takes to received an offer letter.
After a month of the date of my interview, they launched my pre-onboarding tasks to complete online. The issue id that I have not received any offer letter yet. My question how long it takes to received an offer letter.
time to renew your Saudi bank loans
With SAIP days away, it's time to collect your Saudi severance package (errrr.... a new Saudi bank loan). Good luck!
GC 13 Base salary 8200 USD/month
Hi, How is the Grade code 13 and 8200 USD/month salary for someone with a PhD and 6 years of experience? Currently have an offer from an IOC as well. I feel it is a bit on the lower side. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Sue
I left a good job to come here. Negotiated and got to an acceptable level (I thought). Was subject to the usual negotiating tactics around lifestyle benefits and tax savings. Except the lifestyle benefit is a big fat lie. One can argue that not... — read more
Let's review Aramco's Business Lines starting with Finance
Finance is Aramco's ugly step child. Some areas are better than others, and I'll give you my opinion about the different departments. Controllers and Treasury. I lump them together because I think they are both uniformly cheap and dysfunctional, and... — read more
GC 14 offer
I have an offer at $13k base for GC14. Total is just over 20k a month = $240k per year. This excludes bonus and travel payment which I’m not including in the calculation. I’m on $260 base at the moment exclusive of a 20% bonus plus decent retirement... — read more
Saudi invisible tax
There is a tax that only you can measure it once you leave the kingdom, I called the Saudi invisible tax, employees could be comfortable at work, certainly some departments take care of their expats but family, your wife and kids are taking a huge... — read more
Profiles of expats
I generally find expats fall into these categories in Aramco. Maxing it out until retirement. Have a target $$$ and therefore planned leave date. Recent joiner and wondering WTF to do (my category) I’ve yet to encounter what I was... — read more
Fear based corporate culture
Here is the portrait of the "ideal" Aramco manager according to what I saw. This manager communicates expectations, usually from higher up who in turn took their orders from Riyadh. However, first he increases them, so if it was supposed to be done... — read more
E is for Expat
Anyone ever gotten more than this rating? Given I run the show and do everything in this dept, it’s a kick in the teeth. My boss told me in as many words, that it won’t ever go higher as others in the dept (Saudis) take precedence as they are... — read more
Info regarding Expat salary For technical job for Geoscientist/engineer
Hello everyone. Currently an American about to accept an offer from Aramco in SA. Entry level is SG 14. Is that a good entry level ? Can you negotiate the SG level? Any idea about salary differences? Any help will be appreciated
Layoffs 2023
A new one coming before March -general restructuring of the company - Saudis affected and expats old payrolls -->Not 100% confirmed but ALMOSTTTT.