Thread regarding Saudi Aramco layoffs

What pile of nonsense is this? Looks like an over-friendly, light-in-the-loafers Millennial is trying to sound like an intellectual. Go to Bahrain to one of those special bars to receive a proper education in “Split-Roasting,”

If you’re going to this Company, enter with your mouth wide open and be prepared that sallow.

Those with true skills, abilities and a good work ethic aka the “Talent”, left and moved onto comparable or better jobs as soon as they sensed the company no longer suited them. Because, they could. That left behind those without the option of career mobility. The Company figured it out and realized what they were left with, hence the layoffs occurred and are ongoing. It frankly should not be a surprise that those who are left are essentially viewed as nothing more than a peon.

The 11-1 lunch break, along with 1-2 basement coffee breaks, helped to detoxify the work environment a bit. Also helped to take a coffee break with one of the toxic supervisors.

Don't listen to the negative comments. The reality is Aramco is a great opportunity if you follow one golden rule. Come as a Bachelor, leave your family at home. This will allow you to enjoy your time here. This is where it gets fun, every weekend pop over to Bahrain and party. Lots of ho----s from across the globe. If you get bored with Bahrain, take a business trip to Bangkok.. Wink wink. The strategic location of Aramco open up the far East.

Wow. A thobe who thinks he has a sense of humor. Neato. That never gets old.

Sounds like someone is a little down in the dumps these days. Do you have a history of job hopping and are one of those people who the first to get the boot out the door on past jobs? Don’t let the door hit you in the backside on the way out, as we would want those gerbils to hit the floor.

@queh+1vt9pJNY Yesterday was a breeze: checked in at 7 a.m., had my "free company coffee," and spent hours tidying my mailbox. Took a two-hour lunch break, then went back to my desk and pretended to be working. Took a walk around 3 p.m., then headed home at 4 p.m. Just waiting for my paycheck next week... easy money... meanwhile, you guys are pumping your own natural resources to pay for all of that... lol

@queh+1vt9pJNY....easier said than done thobe.

Meanwhile, the reality is, rather than moving on, you are still here, versus simply getting a competitive job more suitable to your liking.

I always look at these people and remember that as they are, they would NEVER make it in another organisation outside of Saudi. So unprofessional. Emotionally immature. They think they know everything but they know squat. We do the work and they put themselves as the face, consistently. Even housing, which should be expat housing now has Saudis in it and they get the best houses because they appear on bidding lists at higher points.. Saudi Aramco is a scam. Just do the barest minimum and wait until you can check out.

A fair assessment.

Culture is broken and beyond repair.

Those that complain are literally wasting time + damaging their own mental and physical health.

Aramco is akin to doing time in a third world prison, su-k it up, save, then leave. Hopefully the cash will be enough to change your life for the better. If not then leave asap.

If you’re low grade and had no prospects in the civilised world then Aramco might be the career for you. Lots of moon watcher recent expat fit this bucket. They have won the lottery.

Working hard is actually career limiting, you will expose lazy dullards around you, who will not want to look that way and may lose face.

Just do the minimum, turn up on time and never ever take the initiative, never question “orders” or disagree with anything from management. They are always right.

When in Rome.

Post ID: @gubv+1vt9pJNY
IMO: Sounds very accurate to me, based on my experiences within the Aramco/ Dhahran expat system.

Working there is indeed an acquired taste. During my 13 years there, I've categorized people as either idealists or realists. Among the idealists, some chose to leave and others chose to stay, but ends up living miserably. You can just sense the negativity whenever you talk to them.

The realists know they only have one priority, fill their coffers. They clock in, check ego at the door, put in the work for a couple of hours, then clock out after spending most of working hours drinking coffee and BS'ing. Believe me, nobody puts in a full day's work, locals nor expats, why would you? Doctor's appointments or meetings always start at 2PM, so they can bu---r off the rest of the day.

At the end of the day, nobody is being forced to stay. Whatever that decision would be, Aramco work culture will never change. Might be wise to think what works for you and your family instead.

It doesn’t matter what we say—there will always be people who give up everything to join this wonderful company.
FYI:
For those planning to go there, you won’t be given a laptop or desktop for about a month. After that, you’ll be assigned a task that has absolutely nothing to do with your background or education. I know a guy who had a relatively good job and career, and he regrets every minute he spent with the company. It doesn’t matter how bad your job is; working for Aramco is on a whole other level of stress and stupidity.

I have been working for SA for 10 years and cant wait to leave in 3 years. I would not recommend anyone to work for this company under this management.

@8nwl+1vt9pJNY
You should not get ahead of yourself. Saudis are being released for exactly what you are posting out of. That's ignorance. Incompetentance is at the forefront of Saudi leadership as the culture to lie and hide is perpetuated by local supervision. Please enlighten this forum why 11 are dead within (that is known of in SLS) your beautiful company as it was due to local supervision not expats? We will be waiting for your answer.

I think Saudi just stops hiring people from US.
I feel bad for Motiva and ASC in Houston that under Saudi management. Working for Saudi is a joke.

A brief history on the ever growing pile of reasons NOT to go to saudi and not to be conned into becoming an AramCon. (List generated for educated, “other religion” aka non-muzz, westerners or Europeans not counting fake blue passport holders or asylum seekers):

1 Dependent tax. You pay $1300 per family member per year. As Arabs now say “We will make immigrants pay for the air they breathe.”

2. The air you breathe - worst air pollution in the world ranking with India, China, and other he-l holes. Don’t forget the water. And the piles of trash, especially plastic, floating through the wind and ocean you think you are escaping too for recreation.
3. Free Medical for your cancer retirement Amrikase Khafirs (infidels): Free medical after 10 years service and 50 years age? Gone. Always a con but now it’s changed. You aren’t going to stay that long anyway now.
4. Sales tax/VAT - 15%. Happened overnight. Your dollar or fake riyal lost 15% value. You aren’t getting it back in any form as little has improved.
5. Wage - expect to get paid the same as someone that hired on 15 years ago at your grade code. Don’t worry about the 20%+ inflation. Read other posts here. The examples are everywhere.
6. Travel - we thought companies like WIZZ would save us with cheap fares and more one ways to get out of this awful place. Gone. The happiest times in ksa are seeing it from 5000’ as you fly out. Unfortunately, the saddest times are having to return.
7. Gasoline - Approximate values. 2015 - $0.35/gal. 2018 - $0.55/gal, 2020 - $1.05/gal. 2023 - $2.15/gal. Road construction not much better. Traffic safety has improved (the only positive). Infrastructure engineering - still non existent.
8. Discrimination - increases every year I have been here. And remember, you can’t ever call Saudi home but it and the rest of the ME cuntreys will send their thobes and niqabs to your home and claim it as their own. You will love that as you try to find a vacation spot that doesn’t have an ahmed reminding you of your workplace and ruining your view.
9. Retirement Plan - gone 2020. Current plan not worth it given the low salary you will be offered to breathe and drink cancer, be discriminated against 24 hrs, forced to hear horror film zombie awakenings 5x/day, paranoia of the low IQ company security in your worsening Dhahran hood (it really feels like Minneapolis and Detroit now), border line mentally disabled management and coworkers, awful odors, awful noises, feet in your sink sometimes socks too, po-p floating water on your floor, on and on and on.
10. Crackdown being waged on the few remaining things enjoyed by the men from a country who discovered, built, and developed the ksa dump hole. (They did nothing for themselves and still don’t). If you want to smile then you must travel. How do you save money if you have to leave every weekend? You don’t. Stay and suffer. Travel and lose the reason for going to this anticivilization. $

It is a lottery, will depend of your boss, your department, your colleagues, if everything aligns may be you will feel apreciated

After 15+ years at Aramco, I can safely say that the work culture has changed. At times, it has been okay, never at the level I could say yes, this is a fantastic culture and I enjoy working here. It has gotten progressively worse. Employee engagement surveys only tell half the story. Employees are strongly "encouraged" and " reminded" to respond to the survey. There are so many reminders that it becomes a nuisance. On the other hand, honest answers/opinions to the survey are not encouraged either. Toxic culture, I do agree with that. Collaboration, teamwork.. what are those?
Bullying, micromanagement, and burdening that one employee with enormous amounts of work while others enjoy their daily Tiktoks, Starbucks, and pastries, are common practices.

As the new US administration encourages "Drill Baby Drill," expect oil prices to drop, the Aramco culture to get worse, and more western expats to be returned home. The good news is, without Western expats, expect the downward spiral of Aramco, NEOM, and Saudi to accelerate. This is inevitable, so grab your popcorn and enjoy the show.

Are you a Saudi citizen? Nope? Prepare for exactly this treatment.