大咖福利影院

Good discussion and useful information i got from here. Glad to find out this post

Hi all
I wanted to know if there's any one from the UK working for AKTE? What documents did you need for your visa application and did you have to get a medical done?

@ Kirsty_Riyadh
Hi
Were you reimbursed for all expenses that you incurred (e.g.visa costs) in getting out to KSA?

What's the salary that Al Khaleej offer per month?

hello all - i recently finished the visa process with Al-Khaleej and am slated to leave for KSA within a few weeks. i'm not sure of where i'll be placed as of yet, but i'm thinking it will be in one of the northern provinces from what i gather (though, i am prepared to end up wherever.)

this will be my first working/living experience in the Middle East. does anyone have any useful tips or links as far as packing, teaching materials to bring (if any) or advice on what i should expect as it relates to compound housing?

also, if possible, could any teachers give me a general idea of what the work year looks like, particularly during the summer?

you can reach me here or at alexlivesinsf [at] yahoo [dot] com

thanks!

Hello,

I received an offer to work for Al Khaleej Training and Education. I noticed a lot of others mentioning they will soon be starting work there. Can anyone give an updated status about their experience working there? (Please mention the city/location you worked in.)

Thanks,

SS.

Hi 101,
I live in Ha'il. I have worked here for about 2 months. So far so good. the locals are friendly. My co workers are very nice. They pay on time. The time is going smoothly. There are other things like, I'm Saudi Arabia, and things are different. I have to go with the flow. Um, I could tell you more... I have to run to the market. One thing is if you're a woman. You can't drive. That's a set back. But 3 or 4 times a week they will drive you to the shopping areas. Oh, and they may tell you that you are going to teach in Riyadh, but then you end up here in Ha'il. Be ready for that. They will send you wherever they have a need. No matter where you go there will be lots of other Americans, South Africans, and British teachers there to help you out.

Feel free to write
Yours
Kevin

I was told I would be in Buraydah. Im confused about the company itself- is this a recruiting agency? Like I know they can station you in a University or a Direct English center (this is where I was told I would be). Do you work in a uni or a Direct English center? He also said i would be working split shift聽 4 hours morning and 4 hours evening- does this mean i am teaching for 8 hrs or is one of the 4 hrs prep?聽
Also I have a couple more questions
Do you live in a compound? Do you have pictures you can share with me regarding the living accommodations. Do you have your own room, washroom?
Are there amenities like a gym, swimming pool, entertainment of some sort (theater, bowling etc.) ?
When they drive you to shopping areas- how long do they give you to actual shop?
Who picks you up from the airport? How do you know where to wait for someone to get you? Was it someone who was the same gender- I am female- will another female pick me up?
Also as you mentioned that they will send me wherever they have a need I saw this in the contract- have you known anyone who they have actual moved around more than once?
Can I actual get things in the contract changed to include some details? - ex. I get to hold on to my passport (did they let you hold on to yours??), entry/exit visa when I request, living accommodations (ex. to have amenities),
Also did your contract mention something about a "social insurance" fee that will be deducted from your paycheck- if so what did it amount to?

If you know any expat who is living in Buraydah can you forward me there contact info?

Thanks and sorry for the many questions, I just dont want to make a decision I may regret.

Hi, I just got up and I'm on my way to the uni in a few. When I get home I will answer your questions. I can tell you this much. Your pass port, they take it so that they can get a card, it's like a passport, and then they give you back your pass port. It takes like 2 weeks.聽 If you wan to travel, you just have to ask your contact person to get you the papers. No one I have spoken has ever heard of anyone being turned down. Are you American? They are not going to stop an American, Canadian, or British person from leaving.

I was reimbursed for my expenses.聽 After I signed my offer, I received a reimbursement form to keep track of my expenses.聽 I was reimbursed for all of the items on my reimbursement form when I turned in both items with the receipts.聽 Al-Khaleej reimbursed me up to 2000 SAR for the medical.聽 I was lucky in that I used my insurance to cover the medical so I used far less than the 2000 SAR limit, I had a few coworkers whose medical exceeded the 2000 SAR limit, but they knew beforehand.

I was reimbursed for the visa processing, photographs, mail, medical, a first aid course, transcripts, notarization, calls to Saudi to ask question, everything.

I am asking around to see if anyone has taught in that city you are being sent to. As far as being picked up... There is a guy who will pick you up at the airport. He will be standing there with a sign with your name on it. BTW, Whatever money you bring to the Kingdom bring it in hundreds and cash it in at the airport when you land. Who know if you be living near a bank, and the bank here does not like $20 bills for some reason.

Bring like 6 extra passport photos too. You will need them for you medical forms and your I.D. card.

I am at the uni for 6 hours a day. I go in at 915 am and get home at 4. There is an early shift that goes in at 715. The split shift thing might be that some people at your uni work in the day, others work in the evening. They will not over work you.

I heard from a teacher in my office that I can ask to be moved to another city. I'm thinking I would like to try another part of Saudi next year.

My compound is small. It used to be a holiday camp. We have two pools, but no water in them. From what I have heard,most compounds have pools, and the large ones have shops. Ha'il is a small city and the compound is out side of it. We have move nights, parties, hikes, trips.People have cars and will drive. There are cabs that are safe and a will take you around.

Down load movies or TV shows on your hard drive before you come.

It's not a bad place. A year will go by fast, and they need women teachers so you probably get over time pay.聽

Have you ever taught overseas before?

I feel very sorry for anyone who is on their way to work for Al Khaleej. I just got done working there for 14 months. They are without question the most inept company on Earth. I advise wholly against them. I am glad there are some people who had decent enough experiences with them, I know I certainly never met them because everyone I met hated it. I have a write up of several of my experiences if anyone is interested in reading it. Some may disagree, but they are factual, and most definitely represent the state of the company currently.

If you are considering Al Khaleej, there are many other companies to consider. ICEAT would be my main recommendation. I know several people who work for them at King Saud University, and they have a KUSH life.

/forum/viewtopic.php?id=460499

Hey there!!
Hw r u??

Can u help me out please?
My fiance wants to come to Riyadh for work as a computer science teacher.
How is it here for single girls??
And is there any vacancy for the post of a computer science teacher here in Riyadh?
Please let me know soon

Thank u

Has anyone had any recent experience of working for Al Khaleej?

Im slightly confused, do they contract teachers like us to different institutions or do they have their own?

Anyone had any issues with them not returning your passports? I have read of nightmares on other blogs.

Any help and advice would be deeply appreciated.

They put you in their centers and can send you off to any job they want. Several companies contract through them. If you have read my post, I highly suggest looking elsewhere. The company is the nightmare, not just passport issues.

I work for them, in a place called Ha'il. I haven't had any problems. I could tell you more but it's just a little late here. I will write again tomorrow.
Kevin

Much appreciated聽

Kevin?!

@ Galvatron.


Akte is a decent enough company with the usual issues of the industry. They aren't the best nor the worst. Reliable enough with salary etc etc. Remember, your experience and (happiness) largely depends on your relationship with the project supervisor and your reason for coming to work in Saudi.

No issues with passports being held by akte.
Don't expect the norms of the western world, beware of the crazies and you'll do fine.

Each project (location) has it's pros and cons, though Hail really isn't the best option in terms of facilities.

Goodluck!

So I work for them... I'm in a small city called Ha'il. I teach at the University of Ha'il. The local people are friendly.They really like Westerners. I live on a small compound with other teachers. It's not that great. but it's okay.I hear that there are better compounds out there. This one will do for the year or so that I'm here. I have my own place, and the people who live here are a lot of fun. MOST OF ALL I get paid on time every month. About my passport, I have it. I have heard that some people, from other countries, have their passport taken from them. They are not going to do that to you. If you are from the U.S. England or Canada they will not.聽

What would you like to know?
Kevin

Hi Kevin

Thank you for the information that you have kindly provided. It will be very useful for me when deciding to join the organisation.

Thats great, I was concerned about our passports being taken.

With AKTE, where a 1 year contract is offered, does that mean a full calendar year of employment/pay or a school academic year (ie August to June)? The reason I ask is to ascertain whether I will be paid during the summer period, even if I am only working for the company for 1 year.

I have also read of people being moved to different institutions throughout the year with AKTE. How often are people being moved to different institutions from your knowledge.

Thank you in advance.

I'm sure about your contract. Talk to your contact person, Did you go through Skyline? As for being moved around... I have not seen that. Some people are going to other locations at the end of school but they asked to be moved.

No not Skyline.

Thank you very much for the info聽

A lot of good information here everyone, thanks.聽

It seems the experiences with Al Khaleej has been a mixed bag, due to ESID*
Accordingly, it's been difficult to get a clear picture of the current state of affairs with Al Khaleej, with the conflicting stories and old posts (I couldn't find anything recent on Daves ESL if anyone has a CURRENT thread link).

In addition, it's hard not to read dukefan5656 thread (/forum/viewtopic.php?id=460499) without some trepidation, due to it's timeliness and no-nonsense tone. Sour grapes, perhaps, but forewarned is forearmed.

I'm sure no one here wants to go through his nightmare (NO ACCOMMODATIONS?!?).

Can anyone else comment on their experiences with Al Khaleej? Specifically, how did you manage with such tasks as setting up bank accounts, finding transport/ACCOMMODATIONS, and Iquama issues, etc. (Generally, support issues it seems.)

I'm set to deploy in the next few weeks. Wish I was reading more positivity here, but that seems to be the nature of these forums--people don't comment as vehemently on good experiences.

Thanks for your input.

*Everone's Situation Is Different

As far as the bank account was concerned, you take care of it yourself. It blew my mind that I had to make several trips because despite my managers multi year experience, he didn't know what paperwork I needed and he kept giving me the wrong stuff. Eventually I got my bank set up and a credit card.

Finding transportation is what it is. There are plenty of sites where you can find private lis tings and take that route. Make sure you take it to a mechanic before you buy it. They will do a full check for pretty cheap, think it was 100 riyals. You are probably best of asking your students or coworkers for help. That's how we got our car. Bought it from a coworker.

Remember what I said about the transportation allowance. While cabs are cheap, when you are taking 4 a day and a minimum charge of 10 riyals, you will run through your allowance in no time and start paying out of pocket. You will have scattered instances of students offering rides, but that should not ever be necessary, and was quite embarrassing to accept.

I understand the sour grapes comment, but why wouldn't I be sour? I spent 14 months working hard for the company and was jerked around constantly and ended up being shorted almost 2,000 dollars. If that doesn't make you sour I don't know what will.

If I were you聽 I would clear up the bonus confusion before you leave. Have them re draft a contract specifically stating that you will receive it immediately after one year has been completed. They will try to convince you to let it roll over but that is a ploy. Make it clear that that bonus must be paid regardless of all else AS SOON AS your first year is completed, otherwise you will not get it.

Then again, a contract really means nothing. So maybe you still don't. Saudi laws states TWO years are required for it to be lawfully binding to get a bonus.

take davidsummers post (from earlier upthread) and mix it with parts of dukefan's post and i think that just about sums up AKTE for me. personally, i set my expectations low and things haven't been bad; in fact, i generally enjoy my work despite the support which is sometimes lacking (read: you're gonna have to just do a lot of things yourself.) it seems completely contingent on where you end up. i have a really good English director and he looks out for us. you may end up in a place with the opposite. enter with a positive yet assertive attitude and things will most be fine for you.

re: bank accounts - shop around! they may suggest a bank they work and push you toward it but by no means take that. be firm that you are more than capable of choosing the bank that works for you. personally, i've had a great experience with SABB (used to be HSBC over here) and i have a personal account manager who i can talk with directly at the local branch. you won't be able to set up a bank account without an iqama anyway, so you'll be waiting for whenever that arrives on this note...

re: finding transport - check out expatriates.com (especially if you're in a decent-sized metropolitan area) and look for pick-up drop-off services. i found a professional driver for well under budget who is amazing.

re: accommodations - this was touch and go at first and depending on when you arrive in country so prepare to have some cash on-hand to put down for rent. i found a furnished studio in a centrally located area just by walking around and calling ads or popping in doors. if you end up at a local branch, AK will put you up in a hotel for your first seven days or so and expect you to find accommodation after; if the hotel has a monthly rate that is within your budget, i'd take it and then figure out the ropes from there.

re: iqama - doesn't seem like there is any way around this issue. it will come when it comes. could be two weeks, could be two months (mine was the latter.) that being said, i would buy a SIM card for your phone AT the airport if you can. i had a lot of trouble because i waited and had to have a AK driver run around with me until i bought one on his iqama (ties into the telecom restrictions here.) getting your mobile set up ASAP is invaluable.

Thanks for the further info, much appreciated.

I can understand your feelings, I'd be upset as well. Just reading your experiences and the inherent dishonesty and disrespect.....like I said, what a nightmare. Others, however, have said 'no problems' but aren't very descriptive. I wouldn't say neutral is positive.

I definitely don't want to find myself in the same situation. Of particular pause was the issue with accommodations. I'm not questioning the legitimacy of your complaint, just trying to see if your were an unfortunate outlier.

I've tried to research any independent information concerning Al Khaleej, but information on the web has been either sparse, contradictory, or outdated.

Working with a recruiter has it's drawbacks, obviously. They are my only point of contact, but as they aren't the contractor, at the end of the day they won't be responsible for any discrepancies, as you unfortunately found out.

Thanks, ExpatsareHumans2, that's handy info, especially about the phone.

I'm a little concerned about the accommodations, and costs in general. My Visa processing has been time consuming and a bit expensive, so funds are starting to run low.

What kind of budget would you recommend to hold me over until my first payment? I wasn't聽 expecting a big outlay for accommodations-based on the contract, but it is what it is. Is there anyway to get that ironed out before arrival?

Having relocated before, I know it's natural to get nervous, so I probably need to chill out and remember to just control my controllables. Which, if I'm reading here correctly, you won't really know until you get there.

Dukefan, forgetting the company, hopefully you had some good experiences in the KSA.

Thanks for the info, everyone. 馃憤馃徎

RisingStock - "I'm a little concerned about the accommodations, and costs in general. My Visa processing has been time consuming and a bit expensive, so funds are starting to run low." - i was in your exact situation; i got here mid month and my salary, housing, and transportation was prorated based on the number of days i had left in the month; and because you can't get direct deposit set up until you open a bank account (which means receiving your iqama) i didn't receive my check till the 10th of the month. not ideal (and i was also low on funds) but i just had to manage through it until my first full paycheck the following month.

"What kind of budget would you recommend to hold me over until my first payment? I wasn't expecting a big outlay for accommodations-based on the contract, but it is what it is. Is there anyway to get that ironed out before arrival?" i tried to get mine ironed out in country to no avail. frustrating, indeed. but i managed through it. i feel like between $700-$1000 would tide you over with a cushion to spare; luckily food and other costs are low since there's not much to do anyway! also, YMMV.

Tasneem - "Does Al Khaleej pay on time and what date in the month do they pay? How would one go about opening a bank account to deposit money to your home country???" in my experience AK pays on time, though expect a 10 day delay at the first of each month (at which time you'll receive a check, which i was able to cash with my passport at Riyad Bank) till you get your direct deposit set up. you'll most definitely need an iqama to open a bank account, but the main banks have some sort of process for transferring funds to your home country. mine is pretty painless and takes just a few clicks on the internet.

one more note on banks: what i needed was my iqama, passport (just to be safe,) paystub, and (this is important) a letter from your branch that says you want to open up a bank account with that branch. the letter should include your monthly salary, iqama number, your branch stamp or seal, and signature from your branch manager. also, it's a good idea to get "to whom it may concern" at the top of the letter instead of having it directed to a specific bank so you can shop the bank that suits your needs.

Hi everyone,

Quick question; How long did it typically take to receive a contract and POA from Al khaleej? Should I be worried that it has been almost 3 weeks without hearing about it?

You should call or write them. I don't remember it taking that long.

I think the important point to remember is that once you're here in ksau you become an asset, your visa etc is an expense yo the company, HI in Riyadh will pretty much help wherever they can to make you comfortable - unless you'be been a nightmare to deal with (note I say nightmare and not assertive)

No company or job is perfect, consider everything posted and expect any situation. It really depends on your project manager and your university director, and of course your attitude. Akte is decent enough, most people who've been employed (and came with a realistic open mind ) are pretty happy.聽 Let's face it, more often than not your reason to work in Ksa is based on the tax free salary and not the scenery etc.

After reading the various comments, think clear about why you're coming and don't underestimate the culture shock, that's what most expats struggle with and end up being miserable. Goodluck.

Depending on the circumstances...such as your project manager's assistance etc this is definitely possible. I know of two female teachers who sponsored their families successfully聽 (albeit with some usual admin troubles).

Please also brush up on relevant info such as schools and fees for your children and suitable housing if you aren't living in a compound.

Also, don't forget, once you're at your project you'll interact with other teachers who know the ropes etc and they will give you advice (the nice people that is, don't expect everyone to be friendly). You'll eventually get a working idea of how to keep out of trouble and enjoy your time here (relatively speaking).

Mmmm, They should get back to you. They always need teachers.
Hang in there.

I like it. I had to adjust to the Saudi way of doing things. That is I had to understand that it is in not America, and things move much slower.

Tips... Down load books, TV shows, movies, and music. Open a checking account in your country with a major bank, One with a SWIFT code, if you plane on sending money home. You will have lots of free time, you might want to use it learn Arabic, or study for you masters.

Do you know where you might be sent?