When trying to figure out what life in Saudi is really like, there is not really much to go on. Many of the blogs online are out of date and just don't give you all the details. For example, women can drive, vote, and work now in Saudi-- all things which have changed within the last 8 years or so. Saudi is changing rapidly, but is still behind in many ways.
It is a great place to live in order to save money and experience the Middle East, but at the same time many people get frustrated because thing are not clearly spelled out like they are in many western countries. This is a country where you could say that the "right hand is not communicating with the left."
So, here is one example . . . . so you want to be a teacher in Saudi? You have to get your visa and documents approved by the ministry of labor, ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of education, and the Saudi Cultural Mission. But, here is the thing--- all of them have different requirements!
Thus, we try to make the process a little easier for you by trying to make sure that you meet the highest requirement before you come. Here are the basic requirements:
1. Minimum of a Bachelors degree in English, History, Math, Science, or Education.
2. Bachelors degree needed to be completed at least 50% or more in person (an online Masters in one of the above fields is accepted even if it was done 100% online, as long as your Bachelors was done in person-- and any subject for Bachelors will do if you have one of the fields above for your Masters)--- confused yet?
3. Teaching experience or a teaching certification
4. Passport from the USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand-- but we have to have a visa for your country. The visas are given on a lottery system. This year our school had zero male Canadian visas and 7 Irish visas. It is really weird how they give them, and it is all about luck.
The process is weird, it changes all the time, and we just try to go with it and figure it out.
Though this unspokeness (is that a word?) is really frustrating for some people, it is also something that you have to learn to accept in order be successful in Saudi. We try to just figure it out, vent to friends, and then move on. This is a place where some organizations actually want to be vague on purpose so that you respect their authority and have to rely on the decisions.
There is a Tom Hanks movie that really describes Saudi well, called "A Hologram for the King." It use to be available for free on Amazon Prime. Anyways, there are definitely some bad scenes in this movie (NOT FOR KIDS), but at the same time, it really shows Saudi culture and cultural norms (except for the whole Saudi doctor thing-- not realistic, plus they say that Saudis don't camp-- they camp in the desert all the time!).
This is a culture that is sometimes vague on purpose, a place where you often just have to figure stuff out, and an atmosphere that is really left up to "InshAllah" (God's will).
It is a great place to live in order to save money and experience the Middle East, but at the same time many people get frustrated because thing are not clearly spelled out like they are in many western countries. This is a country where you could say that the "right hand is not communicating with the left."
So, here is one example . . . . so you want to be a teacher in Saudi? You have to get your visa and documents approved by the ministry of labor, ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of education, and the Saudi Cultural Mission. But, here is the thing--- all of them have different requirements!
Thus, we try to make the process a little easier for you by trying to make sure that you meet the highest requirement before you come. Here are the basic requirements:
1. Minimum of a Bachelors degree in English, History, Math, Science, or Education.
2. Bachelors degree needed to be completed at least 50% or more in person (an online Masters in one of the above fields is accepted even if it was done 100% online, as long as your Bachelors was done in person-- and any subject for Bachelors will do if you have one of the fields above for your Masters)--- confused yet?
3. Teaching experience or a teaching certification
4. Passport from the USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand-- but we have to have a visa for your country. The visas are given on a lottery system. This year our school had zero male Canadian visas and 7 Irish visas. It is really weird how they give them, and it is all about luck.
The process is weird, it changes all the time, and we just try to go with it and figure it out.
Though this unspokeness (is that a word?) is really frustrating for some people, it is also something that you have to learn to accept in order be successful in Saudi. We try to just figure it out, vent to friends, and then move on. This is a place where some organizations actually want to be vague on purpose so that you respect their authority and have to rely on the decisions.
There is a Tom Hanks movie that really describes Saudi well, called "A Hologram for the King." It use to be available for free on Amazon Prime. Anyways, there are definitely some bad scenes in this movie (NOT FOR KIDS), but at the same time, it really shows Saudi culture and cultural norms (except for the whole Saudi doctor thing-- not realistic, plus they say that Saudis don't camp-- they camp in the desert all the time!).
This is a culture that is sometimes vague on purpose, a place where you often just have to figure stuff out, and an atmosphere that is really left up to "InshAllah" (God's will).
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