anyone worked in saudi ?

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Taling to my cousine yestersay, a lt col. who was stationed in

Saudi for 2 years. He tells me working as a nurse there is a good way to make a lot of money, get an eye opening experience of their culture. I love international travel, I'm open to others ways of life. Although I have a feeling their way of life may be a little challenging to adapt to. Has any one worked there. Now my pay in the US is about 90,000 a year(before taxes) . Does anyone know how much a nurse can make there ? :typing

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I've heard it is about 200K, now that is what I've heard.. My mom was thinking about doing it.

I found this website.. might be helpful:

http://www.nursinginsaudi.net/About-Us

Good Luck!!

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Specializes in Nurse Manager, Med-Surg, Instructor.

I had two friends who worked there several years ago, one male and one female. There's no freedom of religion; if you're Jewish, they won't let you in the country. A female nurse won't have the same privileges as a man----can't rent a car, can't go out in the heat in short sleeves or shorts (you'd be stoned to death off the US Compound), and all letters are read by the "authorities", both incoming and outgoing. My friend told me to be careful about what I wrote and I could tell that the letters he sent were opened and then taped closed. Some sentences were actually either blacked out or cut out! Women are treated about the same as a cow or a donkey. My female friend basically stayed on the US Compound for the whole year she was there. Travel is difficult, Riyadh is far from other capitals and you can't go to Israel and then return to Saudi Arabia, so you can forget about visiting Jerusalem or other sites in the Holy Land. I understand your reasons for wanting to earn $200,000 tax-free but why would you want to go to a country where the freedoms you're used to, like speech, travel, ability to congregate, and religion, will be taken away? There are other travel nursing opportunities in this world where you'll be welcomed and well-paid, and wll have the same rights and freedoms that you have in the USA.

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Wow, times must have really changed.

I have a coworker who spent several years in The Kingdom as her husband was a contractor (construction). They had 2 teenage boys so she thought she'd work to stay busy. At the time, about 7 years ago, according to her, she would only make $7/hr. She ended up not working and after a few years took her kids and came back home so they could graduate in the US.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I had talked with someone who worked there as a traveler. What she said was that the money was very good, BUT

  • the staffing was horrible and she worked for every penny
  • there was no one to complain to about the staffing situation--you are stuck halfway around the world in the middle of a country where everyone speaks another language and no one likes you because you are an American
  • the hospital had a lot of good equipment but they didn't know how to use it so most of the time it stood unused
  • as a female she was confined to the compound and was not allowed to go outside--women do not have the freedom to go walking about in public with their faces uncovered and unaccompanied by a male escort in many places, so count on being in a solitary situation when you are not on duty
  • she couldn't wait to get back to the states and was discouraging others to even think about going there

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Specializes in dialysis (mostly) some L&D, Rehab/LTC.

they'd stone me on my 1st day...wouldn't even get to the job...so y bother.....:bugeyes:

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Specializes in ICU, EMS.

I spent two years there. There is NO way I would ever go back. I highly recommend that you think very hard and long before you decide to go.

CC

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Thread moved to the International Forum.

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Specializes in med-surg, step-down, ICU/CCU, ED.

Hey,

I have not been to Saudi but I did consider it and went as far as to interview for a position at King Faisel (sp?). IF the interview were any indication of what life would be like there, then you definitlely don't want to go.

First, the pay is good but not THAT good. 200k is a dream, more like 50-60k. BUT, you work rotating shifts and almost 4 nights/days a week when all is said and done (they have some strange scheduling system). There is no OT pay, but plenty of OT.

Another thing is, if you do decide to go be sure you have very good health insurance before you apply because King Faisel wanted everything and anything under the sun. Titers, x-rays, samples of almost all your body fluids (depending on your age). The list was ridiculous.

Besides all that, the tax free benefit isn't really tax-free unless you are willing to do the numerical gymnastics required by the IRS (or leave at the first of the year). It's a minor thing, sure but another annoyance.

I applied this year, but after being told about the hours I'd have to put in I pulled out. Not worth it to me. But good luck if you do it.

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