Friendly advice

You must have transportation and housing allowance per the saudi labor law. Please double check with the employer.

The package with this total must suffice for a family of 7. Schooling cost will be the highest as quality one here is very expensive (3K sar pm per kid approx)

Also do enquire them about the profession they are going to offer you. If you get a bad one (or if you don't have an accredited Univ degree), you won't be able to bring any of your family members. In fact talk about the entire family relocation.

One more thing:  Do google about Riyadh weather. It's extremely hot and dusty. In summer, we usually get a duststorm every week. In fact during the entire season, you can find sky covered with a layer of dust. The intensity keeps varying. None of you must have dust allergy or any respirational med condition.

abuyusuf wrote:

Hello,

I am an IT software consultant, settled with family in UK with british nationality (originally indian)

And I've been offered a similar role in Riyadh.
In a nutshell:
24k + medical (family), bonus, air tickets, entry/exit fees, relocation allowance.

No accomodation/car.

I am going to take a reduction in my current earning yet am considering this offer due to the fact:
a) parents cant live with us due to unsuitable weather/culture but can in riyadh.
b) am muslim (practising sort of) so perhaps things wud be easier there as I have 2 school going kids with another one starting soon.

What do others suggest is it a wise move?

Thanks for reading.

Mate you should be looking at 30k monthly atleast. This would ofcourse include rent for your apartment and transportation.

You've got to be very careful about your employer. You really don't want to come here and get stuck.. if you know what I mean..

Housing allowance and transportation allowance must be provided and included in your contract or he must provide you accomodaton and transportation. its a normal practice and usually all the employers provide either of the two.

Hello,

You can NOT have your parents live with you in Saudi Arabia on permanent basis.

At most you can arrange visit visa for them, which is extendable to a maximum of 6 months. After which your parents will have to leave the Kingdom and come back again on a new visa which you may or may not get.

Please consider the following objectively:

1. Getting the visit visa in the first place requires a day of paper work, and visiting the chamber or commerce. It's not difficult but it is annoying. Your employer must be cooperative to give you the required letter.

2. Renewing the visit visa is not guaranteed nor is it issuance in the first place.

3. Issuing the visit visa is predicated on the time and date of application. Please be informed that the kingdom closes down all application for visit / Hajj / Umera some 15 - 20 days before Hajj and reopens the services 2 - 3 months after Hajj.

As you have mentioned both your parents are alive, I doubt you will be able to arrange Iqama for them. It is possible but will cost you above 30,000 SAR per person.

now that leaves us with your question about salary / earnings. I have to say it is relative and depends on your life style. People run out of money even when they make 80,000 SAR, and I have seen people making 17,000 save a bunch.

It is a decision only you can make. That said your salary range fall in middle tier.

Good Luck.

Thanks for all the opinions.

Yes parents dont want to live there 12 months but on/off as it goes.

They provide transportation allowance but no accomodation.

Am little concerned that schooling could cost upto 3k per child in a good school, for 3 kids its sounds like an extortion to me!

One more thing, I've found it extremely difficult to find an IT job for my skills (software development) sitting in UK. I mean out of every 10 applications you might get one response if you're lucky. People tell me I need to go there and try!

So was thinking to take this for now then after a year switch.

How easy/difficult would it be to do that?

My other worry is if I dont relocate soon I might not be able to at all as kids are growing up fast! And am getting sucked into the system.

I suggest you have a look at this thread: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261162

For the change, you'll need to stay for 2 yrs with your employer. Then if he agrees, you can move to some other company.

My advice: Stay in the UK or return back home to beautiful India and find a job with Intel's R&D center in Bengaluru.

Good luck

hard to decide isn't, well compare the positive to negative outcome....follow whichever weighs the most or rather follow your instinct....... goodluck

TheLegendLeads wrote:

I suggest you have a look at this thread: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261162

For the change, you'll need to stay for 2 yrs with your employer. Then if he agrees, you can move to some other company.

And the default is usually not to agree. I've rarely seen employers willing to give NOCs (No Objection Certificates) to people who want to change jobs.