So, what does March bring us…
18 replies (most recent on top)
Aramco is a terrible place to work. You may save some money, but you need to take into account the stress, stupidity from saudi managers that you have to deal with every day.
It’s time to get real. Things are far worse than is generally known at Aramco. The company is under massive pressure to deliver increased dividends to MBS at a time when geopolitics are working against high oil rices. The aramco cover- up culture masks the real, the distraction found in press releases on AI etc try give a better perception than reality, read between the lines.
It’s only a matter of time before the SAIP gets canned for expats. The company is in financial distress, share price down almost 20% in a year and 5% this month alone! Profits are down hugely, oil prices sub-70 this year will hit the company and KSA hard.
I expect all remaining expats on old payrolls will get terminated this year. There will be a hiring freeze and a full blown surplus program for other expats. Those left at GC15 or above will be let go first. For those that survive expect EAP to disappear alongside an end to the benefits supplement and the tax protection elements for US payrolls.
Yeah, your comment about great in the beginning but now toxic, correlates very well with my experience there. Enjoy your freedom.
It brings me freedom, 20 years and one month, was great in the beginning, slowly declined now it’s toxic. There will be no looking back. I saw much of the world, put all my children through college, no debt, no mortgage just one large 401k, huge Ripper that alone exceeds our needs, and medical largely funded by the company. Old U.S. Payroll was/is amazing. Social security in 9 years, and we are still very active and healthy. Good times are coming, best of luck to everyone, I wish you well.
To expat brothern from expat class of 2020.....never budget or count on a bonus or SAIP payout. If you get it, it's gravy! I will admit that with Aramco, it's almost a certainty.....but don't get used to it. Aramco can easily exclude expats from the payout or do away with it. After all, paying for the future ghost city of NEOM and future empty kickball stadiums are more important than you. Congrads on your payout. Now tuck it away into savings for your rainy day fund. It seems to rain more often than it used to for Aramco expats.
Better than a sharp poke in the eye. Seems I remember a headline about profits being down and reduced dividends. So maybe all-in-all it was a good SAIP...?
March brings you.... "same - same". Seems like people there loved to say that.
More cutbacks that are coming soon.
SAIP ? Whats the factor - any word ?
March brings you 3 months away from the summer purge season. At least we have time to get our kids into schools at home.
Bliss
More like disgusted employees.
A mental health break to prepare for the annual grade code and promotion frenzy where you see the absolute shameless side of crazy eyed drooling fools blowing smoke to be anointed with a GC whether deserving or not.
As much as I hated taking time off during Ramadan (because it was like a working vacation!!!), it was a GREAT time to take the kids to the amusement parks in Dubai! Lego Land, Dream Works, Atlantis (who cares about Bollywood!!!) are completely empty and fully operational!!! A couple Indian families to deal with but not the herds of spoiled Arab kids being led around by clueless nannies.
Ramadan work is a serious con. Easiest pay you will ever earn.
The first signs of summer heat he-l here followed by worse-than-Houston humidity later in the summer all in a soup of #1 worst in the world toxic air quality.
Big spike in tail kissing, fake worshipping and knee bending during the holy month of ramjam from the subservient local work force and imported mohamedists looking for scraps from the promotion and PMP annual BS review table.
All “Other” believers left to do the work with no place to hide in order to hydrate or eat out of sight lest they violate ram etiquette (still an offense that can lead to jail, or worse) during the haji’s fast.
Office bathrooms get cleaner (and drier) once the fast settles in but the smell never goes away especially from the explosions that occur early AM for the prayer rug iftar schedule flip. Haj janitors will stop working from exhaustion and slave like living quarters where they find no real rest or sustenance.
Noon meetings become standard for the entire month so the managers can see who is following the ideology of “peace” - does not apply to Christmas markets. The higher IQ and not inbred Others can’t go home for lunch. Managers tick their little boxes on the Others who skip lunch meetings to see their kids at lunch break then count the ticks during what has become the annual event of “Other” layoff season. Dar al-islam, learn it and live it.
Bahrain escape hours change for the worse.
On the other hand, it can be a great time to stay at work rather than to vacation as the forehead bruisers have shortened hours. Others have the same office hours and sometimes longer days to make up for the moon calendar slow and lazy followers that take the opportunity to get lazier. The office environment at times improves in odor, noise and of course visually as the trash throwers can’t be bothered to show up.
But it’s always a good time to leave this place whether it is in March, during the moon month fast break for an easy layup to fresh air elsewhere, or any other time. Forever and never to return being the ultimate goal.
Eid ul-Fitr....and the mass exit of Saudis & expats from the litter box of the ME.
SAIP?
And more comments from disgruntled employees?