Management actively have told me to ensure a project I am delivering fails. This is so a certain team lose face, which then makes another other director look like the messiah. Nobody seems to care about the $15m this will blow into the ether, obviously the failure will be blamed on the expat. I’m not that d-mb. What’s the solution?
14 replies (most recent on top)
Report it to Nazaha if they hit you.
You could report it to the ethics team so they can investigate. In fact, I would just to have something on file about this before it comes back to bite you. I wouldn't be surprised if they're also setting you up for a layoff as well. Watch your back.
Manager and director have high expectation regarding expats so you dont meet their expectations....what a joke! Writing powerpoint script so managers dont have to think, weekly highlights were fantastic. I love every moments. You will be treated like sla... e. Good luck for whoever's thinking to join this wonderful company.
Never a dull moment at the Aramco job, eh? The palace intrigue is real life there.
You'd be scared for your life to report anything shady in that company. And I heard some about seriously shady things in my tenure in Aramco.
Reading all this just reminds me how happy I am to have walked away from that company and country in 2020.
Given your predicament is probably terminal, I would cc in your bosses boss. Assuming he does not like your boss that is (of they are in cahoots, forget it you’re damned!)
If not, and I suspect he is totally unaware, it will scare the living shiit out of him, plus it will raise your profile to him as a man of “integrity”. Since you are being treated like a pawn, it’s time to treat fire with fire.
Good luck with your choice. Please update us on what happens…
First, I feel bad for you and wish you an unforeseable good outcome. Second, in my gut you are bein played - either way you play this. You could take the advic of the other commenters of putting the request in writting or going to the other manager, but both of those suggestions will not work because you ultimately have nobody backing you up. You cannot trust your manager (obviously) and you cannot trust the other manager. IMHO, do your job and carry on. I do not believe your manager knows enough about yout job that he can directly hinder your progress. Whenever you send an email, copy everyone. Not that it will help, but it will help you rally support if someone does hinder your progress and needs to save face. If possible, praise the assistance of a Saudi.....however, this was the nail(s) in my coffin in 2020 when those I praised took the credit for everything and bad mouthed me to as many people as possible. In short, my praise created several back stabbing monsters.
I would be inclined to tip off this director or someone in his team informally. Just for laughs. You have nothing to lose, your situation is intolerable.
I would then put your managers request back to up him in writing explaining what will happen and whether he would like to proceed? I guarantee 100% there will be no response. Refuse to accept it verbally and continue as is. He has no leg to stand on. Make him sweat, he sounds like a shabby character.
It's all a game with the company. You're either having to play the game or being played. More likely you're doing both to keep your head above the quicksand. Locals love the joy of a toy, and the toys are the expats who sit up straight and play house.
I wouldn't purposely sabotage a project to ensure failure. My conscience will not allow that. Go through it with minimum effort and with due diligence. You will need management to sign up on it, so just let them shut it down themselves.
I was in your situation almost ten years ago, but the dollar amounts were bigger. I was really uncomfortable with the group dynamics at play. Things worked out for me, but back then there were "OG" Expats I could ask for help. Long story short, I was taken off the project and replaced by a young Saudi guy that I was mentoring. The Saudi guy was quite capable, not to mention politically savvy, and it was his chance to shine. Of course, Aramco got a bad deal, but Aramco always gets a bad deal.
As far as I know, the only long time Expats that remain are selfish and political. Seems like its a different era at the company now. If there isn't anybody you can trust, and this seems likely since you are posting here for advice, then you should just keep your mouth shut and ride it out. The project might fail on its own anyway. The worst thing you can do is bring this to the wrong person, and there are plenty of wrong people at Aramco.
As you have probably already realized, Aramco isn't the kind of job any Expat can have long term now. If you need your Aramco job to last more than a year or two longer, you are in big trouble regardless of how this particular issue is resolved. Have a detailed plan B ready for when the curtain closes.
Most wasta always wins.
This needs to be reported to Internal Audit.
That's a tough one. Not exactly sure what the solution should be. Working for Aramco certainly has its challenges. Best of luck though.