Aramco Schools Compound
Psyguy have you actually worked at Aramco or is all of your information based on what you have heard from others? I have found your insights very informative and was just wondering how you came into the information you have? Also, you seem well informed on a great deal with international teaching. How long have you been at this and do you mind sharing what school you are with currently? Thanks for all of your contributions to this site I appreciate your perspectives.
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expatteacher99
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:46 am
Re: Comment
"I suppose we have very different experiences, none of the kids seemed really happy there, parents seemed happier about their kids then their kids did"
Oh, so you've been here? To Saudi Arabia, to an Aramco camp?
"there is NOWHERE to go and NOTHING to do"
"Even the small town america fishbowl experience is an experience that you can hop in a car and go somewhere else 30 minutes away. you cant do that at Aramco"
Another incorrect assumption, I'm afraid. People seem to think that there's nothing to do around here, and that Aramcons just sit in their compounds all the time. I even thought that before I arrived! My own incorrect assumptions have since been shattered. There are plenty of places to go to and things to do. I'm not going to sit here and brainstorm (and list) every single fun or adventurous thing I've done in the past few years, but I'll list several common activities for the benefit of people who are considering Aramco.
On a typical weekend (or weeknight if you're so inclined), people: Go desert camping, go to the beach (Aramco private beaches and also non-Aramco beaches), go to museums, bmx/mountain bike, go to the malls, go to the souq, go out to eat at Middle Eastern/Asian/European/Amercian restaurants, go 4 wheeling, picnic, sit at Starbucks and relax, go to the same sprawling kids' play centers/mini amusement parks that you find in almost any city, go to the yacht club and sail their boats, go horseback riding, shop, shop, and shop some more. :D The list could go on and on. True, there's no bars, movie theaters (except on the compounds), or prostitutes, so if that's what you're looking for, Aramco will not provide the lifestyle you want.
As for hopping in the car and going somewhere else in 30 minutes, we do that ALL THE TIME. Most Aramcons have cars and frequently leave the camps. There are small villages, medium-sized towns, and huge cities that are accessible to Aramco camps. For the majority of Aramco employees, live in the biggest compound (getting close to 15,000 people), we can not only be in a city in less than 30 minutes, we can also be in another country in 30 minutes if the traffic is light. Bahrain is a mere bridge away from Saudi, and people frequently go there for bars, nightlife, and bacon. :D
There are plenty of questions about Aramco that would have me be the first one complaining! But lifestyle and range of activities is definitely not one of them.
Oh, so you've been here? To Saudi Arabia, to an Aramco camp?
"there is NOWHERE to go and NOTHING to do"
"Even the small town america fishbowl experience is an experience that you can hop in a car and go somewhere else 30 minutes away. you cant do that at Aramco"
Another incorrect assumption, I'm afraid. People seem to think that there's nothing to do around here, and that Aramcons just sit in their compounds all the time. I even thought that before I arrived! My own incorrect assumptions have since been shattered. There are plenty of places to go to and things to do. I'm not going to sit here and brainstorm (and list) every single fun or adventurous thing I've done in the past few years, but I'll list several common activities for the benefit of people who are considering Aramco.
On a typical weekend (or weeknight if you're so inclined), people: Go desert camping, go to the beach (Aramco private beaches and also non-Aramco beaches), go to museums, bmx/mountain bike, go to the malls, go to the souq, go out to eat at Middle Eastern/Asian/European/Amercian restaurants, go 4 wheeling, picnic, sit at Starbucks and relax, go to the same sprawling kids' play centers/mini amusement parks that you find in almost any city, go to the yacht club and sail their boats, go horseback riding, shop, shop, and shop some more. :D The list could go on and on. True, there's no bars, movie theaters (except on the compounds), or prostitutes, so if that's what you're looking for, Aramco will not provide the lifestyle you want.
As for hopping in the car and going somewhere else in 30 minutes, we do that ALL THE TIME. Most Aramcons have cars and frequently leave the camps. There are small villages, medium-sized towns, and huge cities that are accessible to Aramco camps. For the majority of Aramco employees, live in the biggest compound (getting close to 15,000 people), we can not only be in a city in less than 30 minutes, we can also be in another country in 30 minutes if the traffic is light. Bahrain is a mere bridge away from Saudi, and people frequently go there for bars, nightlife, and bacon. :D
There are plenty of questions about Aramco that would have me be the first one complaining! But lifestyle and range of activities is definitely not one of them.
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expatteacher99
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:46 am
I compeletely agree. There is no perfect place. And what is perfect for me might not be perfect for the next person. For me, Aramco IS a great gig. The money & benefits are fantastic, the schools are pretty top notch, the students are high achieving, behavior issues are minimal, there's a culturally diverse school and compound population - a true "international" vibe, teachers are dedicated, students are motivated, classes sizes are small, schools are extremely well resourced, and the travel opportunities are great.
I wouldn't complain about much, but a few things would be:
1. The hiring process is a nightmare. Teachers go through the same scrutiny that all Aramco employees go through. It's not just offer-contract-job. It's months (sometimes years for other employees) of paperwork, signatures, medical checks, background investigations. Even if the schools want you, Aramco can reject you. You don't officially have a job until you get your Saudi visa and your final contract. That may happen mere days or weeks before you are scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia. So a teacher can be offered a job in October or November, but not officially have a job until July. If it falls through, it's often too late to get another good job.
2. While the schools are fairly autonomous, we all still work for a company. A huge company. I've heard figures like 30,000, 50,000, or even 70,000 employees. I don't know which is accurate, but it's a lot. That means that there's a lot of red tape and bureaucracy. When dealing with the company, everything is more complicated that it needs to be, and takes longer than it needs to. I don't feel that the company has a good communication in place, so it's often hard to figure out what's going on and who to talk to if you have problems.
3. Because we are part of a company, we don't use a normal school calendar. The school year for the students is similar, but teachers have to work more days per year than at other schools. The vacation time is still sufficient, but it's complicated. The system is too complicated to explain, but one quirk is that depending on how much time you take off, you sometimes get docked for weekends that are part of your vacation. That can be frustrating. We teachers often find ourselves working even when there is not much to do, but we still have to be at work, because so does everyone else in the company. I have never felt like I didn't get enough vacation time, but it's not as convenient as a normal school schedule.
I wouldn't complain about much, but a few things would be:
1. The hiring process is a nightmare. Teachers go through the same scrutiny that all Aramco employees go through. It's not just offer-contract-job. It's months (sometimes years for other employees) of paperwork, signatures, medical checks, background investigations. Even if the schools want you, Aramco can reject you. You don't officially have a job until you get your Saudi visa and your final contract. That may happen mere days or weeks before you are scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia. So a teacher can be offered a job in October or November, but not officially have a job until July. If it falls through, it's often too late to get another good job.
2. While the schools are fairly autonomous, we all still work for a company. A huge company. I've heard figures like 30,000, 50,000, or even 70,000 employees. I don't know which is accurate, but it's a lot. That means that there's a lot of red tape and bureaucracy. When dealing with the company, everything is more complicated that it needs to be, and takes longer than it needs to. I don't feel that the company has a good communication in place, so it's often hard to figure out what's going on and who to talk to if you have problems.
3. Because we are part of a company, we don't use a normal school calendar. The school year for the students is similar, but teachers have to work more days per year than at other schools. The vacation time is still sufficient, but it's complicated. The system is too complicated to explain, but one quirk is that depending on how much time you take off, you sometimes get docked for weekends that are part of your vacation. That can be frustrating. We teachers often find ourselves working even when there is not much to do, but we still have to be at work, because so does everyone else in the company. I have never felt like I didn't get enough vacation time, but it's not as convenient as a normal school schedule.
@expatteacher99
The more and more I hear about this area from you as well as the research I have been conducting, the more intrigued I become. My wife and I have a list of places that we "would" go to teach and Aramco continues to move up on the list. I see there are jobs posted on their site, and jobs that fit both my wife and my content area. Two things:
1. Would you be able to tell me any more about the IT Facilitator position and the duties that come with it.
2. Who would I need to send my paperwork to in order to endure it gets seen by the "right" people?
Thank you.
The more and more I hear about this area from you as well as the research I have been conducting, the more intrigued I become. My wife and I have a list of places that we "would" go to teach and Aramco continues to move up on the list. I see there are jobs posted on their site, and jobs that fit both my wife and my content area. Two things:
1. Would you be able to tell me any more about the IT Facilitator position and the duties that come with it.
2. Who would I need to send my paperwork to in order to endure it gets seen by the "right" people?
Thank you.
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expatteacher99
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:46 am
Hi WiscoKid,
1. I don't know which location the job is at, sorry. Being a school district, and not just a single school, I rarely hear anything about the recruiting going on at the other schools. The job itself may depend on the school location. Some of the school IT people work in the central office (the school district headquarters). Others work in the individual schools. Some IT people do a lot of instruction, others do more actual computer support and liase with the company IT guys. It would really hinge on location.
2. Sometimes building principals do their own searching/recruiting, sometimes the district superintendent is heavily involved. Unfortunately, I really can't tell you much else other than to go through the normal Search/ISS channels. Make sure you express interest. I know of several people who have already gotten interviews. They were contacted by principals after posting their info on Search/ISS and expressing interest. In the past, the superindendent's email address was listed on these websites. I'm pretty sure I remember emailing him directly when I was first applying. Now there is a dedicated jobs email address. I take this to mean that the superintendent doesn't want his own inbox bombarded with emails from prospective students. If I were to recommend a teacher based on personal experience with that person, I might go directly through the superintendent. I'm sure you can understand why it would be inappropriate for me to give out his email to someone I don't know. Sorry!
1. I don't know which location the job is at, sorry. Being a school district, and not just a single school, I rarely hear anything about the recruiting going on at the other schools. The job itself may depend on the school location. Some of the school IT people work in the central office (the school district headquarters). Others work in the individual schools. Some IT people do a lot of instruction, others do more actual computer support and liase with the company IT guys. It would really hinge on location.
2. Sometimes building principals do their own searching/recruiting, sometimes the district superintendent is heavily involved. Unfortunately, I really can't tell you much else other than to go through the normal Search/ISS channels. Make sure you express interest. I know of several people who have already gotten interviews. They were contacted by principals after posting their info on Search/ISS and expressing interest. In the past, the superindendent's email address was listed on these websites. I'm pretty sure I remember emailing him directly when I was first applying. Now there is a dedicated jobs email address. I take this to mean that the superintendent doesn't want his own inbox bombarded with emails from prospective students. If I were to recommend a teacher based on personal experience with that person, I might go directly through the superintendent. I'm sure you can understand why it would be inappropriate for me to give out his email to someone I don't know. Sorry!
@expatteacher99
I appreciate all of your feedback about the IT positions and recruiting. The school I am looking at is Saudi Aramco School in Dhahran. They have listed a few jobs on the UNI Website and I have gone online to find more info, but haven't really gotten what I was looking for. I did find the Sups. name and email and that will most likely be my next step. I emailed the general account listed on the UNI site and have not heard back, but assumed that would be the case. I send my information to the Sup. and see if that gets me anywhere. I just want to make sure I get my materials out before the actual fair in hopes I can get an early interview.
I appreciate all of your feedback about the IT positions and recruiting. The school I am looking at is Saudi Aramco School in Dhahran. They have listed a few jobs on the UNI Website and I have gone online to find more info, but haven't really gotten what I was looking for. I did find the Sups. name and email and that will most likely be my next step. I emailed the general account listed on the UNI site and have not heard back, but assumed that would be the case. I send my information to the Sup. and see if that gets me anywhere. I just want to make sure I get my materials out before the actual fair in hopes I can get an early interview.
Advice
If you REALLY want to impress on the superintendent with a cold application, put together your best application package. Print it on high quality paper, include full originals of all your transcripts, certifications, degrees, reference letters. Include a statement of your teaching philosophy and preferably your portfolio and a good cover letter with a photo and package it up nice, and send it FEDEX/DHL international. For $40 it will at least get some attention and personally opened, and read.
(Credit: Ichiro, 2010)
(Credit: Ichiro, 2010)
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expatteacher99
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:46 am
FYI WiscoKid - There is no school called "Saudi Aramco School." Saudi Aramco Schools (SAS) is the name of the district. There are five schools, each with its own name. I think all teaching jobs are listed as being in Dhahran. That is the company and schools headquarters. Only 2 out of 5 schools are in Dhahran (but they are the biggest schools with the most jobs). I believe that all jobs are listed as Dhahran, and you don't find out where the actual job is until you interview. I know it's that way on Search and ISS. I have never seen the UNI website. So the job may actually be in Dhahran, it may not. But good luck in your efforts to get an early interview. I hope it works out for you!
Interview questions
@expatteacher99
Hello. It has been a while so I hope you are still monitoring this site. Would you happen to remember what your interview was like? My wife and I have an interview set up and I am assuming the sup and/or principal will be there...they said a team would be attending. We are trying to prepare for specific questions so any you might remember would be helpful...thanks very much for all your info thus far.
Hello. It has been a while so I hope you are still monitoring this site. Would you happen to remember what your interview was like? My wife and I have an interview set up and I am assuming the sup and/or principal will be there...they said a team would be attending. We are trying to prepare for specific questions so any you might remember would be helpful...thanks very much for all your info thus far.
expatteacher99
Thanks for the 1st hand information that you've been providing in this thread.
I was wondering if you could answer 2 questions.
1. What would the starting salary be for a teacher with a Masters and 7-8 years experience? And what does the salary go up by each year?
There are so many numbers thrown around about Aramco, it would be great to get the facts from someone who is there.
2. You hear crazy numbers about retirement packages. If a teacher stays 10 years, what is the deal?
Thanks for the 1st hand information that you've been providing in this thread.
I was wondering if you could answer 2 questions.
1. What would the starting salary be for a teacher with a Masters and 7-8 years experience? And what does the salary go up by each year?
There are so many numbers thrown around about Aramco, it would be great to get the facts from someone who is there.
2. You hear crazy numbers about retirement packages. If a teacher stays 10 years, what is the deal?
@wiscokid
My wife and I just had a preliminary interview with Saudi Aramco last night. We got an e-mail literally out of the blue about interviewing. All I did was send an e-mail through Search stating our experience, what positions we were looking for, and how we wanted to learn more info. It was with the Abqaiq school which is about 45 minutes from Dharhan. Apparently, the other compounds are becoming so full, that many of the new hires are going to be housed in Abqaiq. The school population is supposed to jump from around 250 to 375 for the 2013-14 school year so they will be hiring quite a few teachers.
As far as the interview went, it was basically a get to know you interview, and the principal talked a lot about the school, the community, Saudi Arabia, etc. The principal has not been told how many people he will be hiring yet so it was more to gauge interest. He was very up front and honest about both the positives and negatives of living in such a place which we both really appreciated. FYI, we were told that my wife would be paid less per Saudi law.
My wife and I just had a preliminary interview with Saudi Aramco last night. We got an e-mail literally out of the blue about interviewing. All I did was send an e-mail through Search stating our experience, what positions we were looking for, and how we wanted to learn more info. It was with the Abqaiq school which is about 45 minutes from Dharhan. Apparently, the other compounds are becoming so full, that many of the new hires are going to be housed in Abqaiq. The school population is supposed to jump from around 250 to 375 for the 2013-14 school year so they will be hiring quite a few teachers.
As far as the interview went, it was basically a get to know you interview, and the principal talked a lot about the school, the community, Saudi Arabia, etc. The principal has not been told how many people he will be hiring yet so it was more to gauge interest. He was very up front and honest about both the positives and negatives of living in such a place which we both really appreciated. FYI, we were told that my wife would be paid less per Saudi law.
Shocked
They are still paying woman less, solely because they are a woman. When I was there they were trying to get an exemption/waiver, and they had several internal plans to "equalize" pay. I would think they would have been successful by now. Why anyone would want to raise their children in an environment where the culture and the government deems a person of less value because they got an extra X chromosome instead of a Y chromosome.
Last edited by PsyGuy on Thu Apr 23, 2015 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Shocked
[quote="PsyGuy"]They are still paying woman less, solely because they are a woman. When I was there they were trying to get an exemption/waiver, and they had several internal plans to "equalize" pay. I would think they would have been successful by now. Why anyone would want to raise their children in an environment where the culture and the government deems a person of less value because they got an extra X chromosome instead of a Y chromosome. The ME is a craphole?[/quote]
I was just stating what I heard directly from the principal. It seems like the company enjoys certain freedoms that are impossible in the rest of Saudi Arabia, but also has to follow certain laws that perpetuate the male-dominant society. Saudi Aramco definitely has the clearest pros and cons of any school I know of.
I was just stating what I heard directly from the principal. It seems like the company enjoys certain freedoms that are impossible in the rest of Saudi Arabia, but also has to follow certain laws that perpetuate the male-dominant society. Saudi Aramco definitely has the clearest pros and cons of any school I know of.
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expatteacher99
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:46 am
Sorry guys. I haven't checked the forums lately and for some reason I stopped getting email notifications about updated threads. I'll try to answer everybody's questions.
gbr1964: I don't remember specific questions. My husband and I interviewed together, and our experience was similar to nkraai's. It was not the kind of interview where the admin fired questions at us. He did a lot of the talking, telling us about the school, the positions, the company, and life in Saudi Arabia. We asked a lot of questions and were able to show our skills and personalities through those discussions. Sorry I can't remember specific questions, but I don't recall any questions being particularly tough.
hallier: If you post your email address, I'll email you. :D
nkraai: Congratulations on your successful interview. I know you didn't ask a question, but I want to touch on the subject you brought up. I am not up to speed with the government regulations, but I do know that Aramco does NOT pay a woman less purely because she is a woman. It's more complicated than that. The "head of household" gets paid more than any dependents. Actually, it's not really the salary that is different, but the benefits. When there is a married couple, the husband is the HOH and the wife is considered a "casual hire." Dependent children would also be casual hires if they were to get jobs. All of the couple's benefits (expat premium, travel, relocation, etc) are included in the husband's pay check - he would get family allowances for those things. The wife's paycheck would be just her salary without the added benefits. It does work out to be less combined benefits than if each person received a single person's benefits.
However, a single woman is also considered the "head of household" and gets paid just as much as a single man given the same job title and qualifications. She does not get paid less because she is a woman. The kicker is that married women cannot sponsor dependents. A married woman cannot bring her husband over as a trailing spouse. She can still be hired, but he would stay behind. I belive that is a Saudi rule, but I am not sure of that. That part is unfair and sexist, but it is what it is.
psyguy: You said "When I was there....," implying Saudi Arabia. Or perhaps you specifically just said "they" so that when called on it you could claim that you never said you were talking about Saudi Arabia specifically? You have yet to answer the questions about your experience with Aramco. Have you worked in or traveled to Saudi Arabia? Have you worked for Aramco? Or are you basing all of your opinions on your short stint at a school in Egypt? Please clarify so that we can better understand your perspective.
gbr1964: I don't remember specific questions. My husband and I interviewed together, and our experience was similar to nkraai's. It was not the kind of interview where the admin fired questions at us. He did a lot of the talking, telling us about the school, the positions, the company, and life in Saudi Arabia. We asked a lot of questions and were able to show our skills and personalities through those discussions. Sorry I can't remember specific questions, but I don't recall any questions being particularly tough.
hallier: If you post your email address, I'll email you. :D
nkraai: Congratulations on your successful interview. I know you didn't ask a question, but I want to touch on the subject you brought up. I am not up to speed with the government regulations, but I do know that Aramco does NOT pay a woman less purely because she is a woman. It's more complicated than that. The "head of household" gets paid more than any dependents. Actually, it's not really the salary that is different, but the benefits. When there is a married couple, the husband is the HOH and the wife is considered a "casual hire." Dependent children would also be casual hires if they were to get jobs. All of the couple's benefits (expat premium, travel, relocation, etc) are included in the husband's pay check - he would get family allowances for those things. The wife's paycheck would be just her salary without the added benefits. It does work out to be less combined benefits than if each person received a single person's benefits.
However, a single woman is also considered the "head of household" and gets paid just as much as a single man given the same job title and qualifications. She does not get paid less because she is a woman. The kicker is that married women cannot sponsor dependents. A married woman cannot bring her husband over as a trailing spouse. She can still be hired, but he would stay behind. I belive that is a Saudi rule, but I am not sure of that. That part is unfair and sexist, but it is what it is.
psyguy: You said "When I was there....," implying Saudi Arabia. Or perhaps you specifically just said "they" so that when called on it you could claim that you never said you were talking about Saudi Arabia specifically? You have yet to answer the questions about your experience with Aramco. Have you worked in or traveled to Saudi Arabia? Have you worked for Aramco? Or are you basing all of your opinions on your short stint at a school in Egypt? Please clarify so that we can better understand your perspective.