Since Aramco is on a mission to reduce the expat experience, what are alternative companies experienced US citizen O&G professionals can go to as expats and still make bank? Rotational assignment preferred to keep family in US and make family life tolerable.
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Management love consultancies, they make bank raking off $$$, whilst maintaining zero accountability for anything.
Win/win.
"I suppose the burn and churn model works because for most expats there is no real work to do."
There is some truth to that, but only some. There are expats who do critical work for Aramco, but management isn't competent enough recognize this until it is too late. They have already lost some really important functions and I'm sure they are in the process of losing more. Of course, Aramco can always hire more consultants, but they have their own agendas that don't always align with the company's.
I suppose the burn and churn model works because for most expats there is no real work to do.
Current policy is to hire as cheaply as possible and then to squeeze expats until they burn out and leave.
If they leave prior to 2 years it saves us any retention payments and we can skim more.
We call it the burn and churn model, the power of human capital.
You can't consider Aramco to get bank now, cost of living is higher than before, Iqama an other hidden cost doesn't help as well, so you can try but if you are feeling miserable after few months you can quit as is mention in other posts.
Alternatives are same as always, target "real" big oil companies, as Chevron, BP, ExxonMobil if you are looking for a professional career.
To get bank now in Saudi Arabia only Neom projects.
I left before the 6 month mark
My department hired two guys who had just worked in the Middle East. Both lasted exactly one year. I think this says something about the current culture at Aramco.
Any suggestions on how to get a job in Singapore or Malaysia (or SE Asia) as an expat?
Based on my experience anywhere in the Middle East is better than Saudi. But anywhere in the world is better than the Middle East. If you can keen your head down and plough through all the inevitable difficulties you and your family will experience then it might be for you.
The majority of Middle East IOCs pay about as well as Aramco currently does, which is to say not all that well. If you are desperate enough to move to the Middle East for the job, I would recommend that you apply to as many as you can. There are other things to consider besides money. For example, do you think you will be able to stay longer than two years without losing your sanity? Is Expat turnover low or high?
The challenge is to get an expat assignment most energy companies only transfer internally, they do not hire straight into expat. Aramco is unusual in that respect because they are 99% in KSA.
A d--n good question.