Working Overseas (Saudi)....???

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Working Overseas (Saudi)....???

Posted: 2/25/2006 5:45:10 AM EDT

I caught an ad looking for people in my (medical) field to work in Saudi Arabia. The wife will probably Nix the idea immediately, but thought I'd get comments from over here first.

Any thoughts?

Posted: 2/25/2006 5:48:29 AM EDT

[#1]

I worked in Iraq and I would never work in Saudi Arabia.

The difference?

In Iraq I was issued body armor, a sidearm, a rifle and a light machinegun. I went everywhere with a well trained team similarly equipped and riding in armored vehicles.

You'd be nothing but a walking bulls-eye in Saudi.

Posted: 2/25/2006 5:51:08 AM EDT

[#2]

Read ALL the fine print with the job description. I looked into doing Security work with Dyncorp and once I saw the breakdown in pay, that $100,000+ a year was a HIGH estimate.

Posted: 2/25/2006 5:55:19 AM EDT

[#3]

I'm a Podiatry Resident just finishing up in 2 months....looking for a job now. Since I don't have "permanant" roots yet anywhere, I thought about doing something like this for a while. The wife wants to move closer to the East Coast (Mid Atlantic region, mostly).

I would (hope) that for a trained Foot (& Ankle) surgeon, the pay would be more than in the US--at least enough to make it worth the travel and hassles.

Besides, why should I worry about security....Don't you read the posts that we get around here..."Doctors are 2 million times more likely to kill someone than guns are...."

Posted: 2/25/2006 6:18:50 AM EDT

[#4]

Well, by the time you add in any additional costs of living, security issues (remember they did saw off one contractor' head that was working there), and the general suckness, it probably wont be worth it.

ALso, you should look at the working hours you have to work as well.. For example, a buddy of mine works with computers in Iraq... Sure, he makes $120K a year after taxes, but is working 12 hour days just about 7 days a week..

If you want to travel around, etc for awhile, I would look at working for the Military in Europe, Japan, etc...Most Military doctors I know are actual military officers though..

Posted: 2/25/2006 6:25:05 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I'm a Podiatry Resident just finishing up in 2 months....looking for a job now. Since I don't have "permanant" roots yet anywhere, I thought about doing something like this for a while. The wife wants to move closer to the East Coast (Mid Atlantic region, mostly).

I would (hope) that for a trained Foot (& Ankle) surgeon, the pay would be more than in the US--at least enough to make it worth the travel and hassles.

Besides, why should I worry about security....Don't you read the posts that we get around here..."Doctors are 2 million times more likely to kill someone than guns are...."

Why should you worry about security?

Its Saudi fucking Arabia.

Tread lightly... there are much safer and equally foreign places to go!

- BG

Posted: 2/25/2006 8:22:26 AM EDT

[#6]

BG:

Why should you worry about security?

I guess you missed it above.....I'm much more dangerous than any armed security...I can kill with a glance (or at least a good medication error, or mis-diagnosis).....

Posted: 2/25/2006 8:25:29 AM EDT

[#7]

No way in hell.

Posted: 2/25/2006 8:37:30 AM EDT

[#8]

Depends on the particulars of the job.

Posted: 2/25/2006 8:48:31 AM EDT

[#9]

My understanding is most foreign workers live in compound like areas. Fish in a barrel.

Posted: 2/25/2006 10:10:47 AM EDT

[#10]

There are plenty of terrorists in Saudi Arabia

This guy was in Riyadh. They got him in his house: http://www.terroristmedia.com/nukem/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=15

Link intentionally left cold. Graphic.

Posted: 2/25/2006 10:18:16 AM EDT

[#11]

I go to boarding school with a bunch of ex-pat kids whose parents work in Saudi Arabia. They all say its ok. No problems, a lot of cool cultural experiences, their parents seem to like their jobs. They all live in ex-pat compounds, which have walls and security forces.

Posted: 2/25/2006 10:20:46 AM EDT

[#12]

My dad was offered a bunch of money to teach chemistry there back in the early 80s. A LOT of cash at the time, IIRC.

Of course he didn't go. Like somebody said, it's Saudi Arabia. If you're not a Muslims, expect to be limited. If you're wife and daughters (if you have them) are not mindless drones, they will not do well.

Basically, an equivalent of this would be a black American asking if he should take a job in 1980's South Africa. They might not kill you, but US/Europe/Japan it is not.

If you're in the medical field, there's lot of other (and better) overseas work. There's also places overseas that won't pay as well, but they'll appreaciate a doc more.

Posted: 2/25/2006 9:28:42 PM EDT

[#13]

I've worked with quite a few medical people that did stints in Saudi. Apparently the atmosphere there has changed a lot and the one that I work with now says they no longer felt welcome or safe and it was time to do something else. Apparently you can make quite a bit of money.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Working Overseas (Saudi)....???

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