Today I am posting on a topic which some followers requested information about via email. And that is what kind of salary can an expat woman expect to make in the Kingdom. What kind of jobs are available and what benefits should she be entitled to.
To begin with there are different distinctions for women working in the Kingdom such as whether they received a job offer from outside of the Kingdom and therefore sponsored by the respective employer or whether they are a resident of the Kingdom or a dependent of an expat in the Kingdom. You may be asking why should this make a difference and I will do my best to explain.
First of all, if a woman receives a job offer from outside of the Kingdom, then chances are that employer will be her sponsor. Why is this important you may ask? Well, if one is sponsored from OUTSIDE the Kingdom for a job then she should be entitled to full expat benefits which include: air fare to the Kingdom, r/t air ticket each year to point of origin and return to KSA, paid vacation days (usually averages to circa 45 – 50 days per year), health care, housing or housing allowance, driver or transport allowance. Interestingly in discussions with others it seems like very few companies offer any kind of retirement or investment options. If that is a priority one will need to make their own program. Naturally coming to the Kingdom from outside for a job, the employer will also be the sponsor. What that means is if sponsorship is taken away for whatever reason (resignation, quit, fired) then the employee must leave the Kingdom. It depends on the sponsor whether the employee leaves on an exit visa with options to return or not. This can be tricky and exceptions can be made. Additionally other benefits may include training and/or business travel. The traditional jobs for women coming to the Kingdom under employer sponsorship are teaching and in the medical professions. The salary range is typically from 7,500 to 15,000 SAR. One is paid on a monthly basis in the Kingdom.
Now if a woman is the dependent of an expat in the Kingdom the employment opportunities can be more limited. Many female dependents will have “not eligible for work” stamped in their visa. However in this case, opportunities depend on the individual. The opportunities can vary from tutoring, teaching, getting hired as a “locum” (local contract employment), consulting, etc. Also do not overlook in seeing if there are opportunities at respective embassies. In this category the salaries typically start at 3,000 SAR and go up from there depending on position. Because these positions are viewed more as local contracts the other benefits offered are typically less. It would be unusual to receive a yearly airline ticket. Paid vacation can be optional and negotiable. The same goes for housing and transport allowances. Naturally if one gets hired by a hospital as a “Locum” it is pretty much a given that health care will be included in the package.
Those with residency visas in my view have the most options (to a degree). First they are not dependent on a sponsor to bring them into the country. They can pick and choose and come and go in regards to employers. They receive pretty much all the benefits with the exception of a r/t ticket to home country but again, this can be negotiated. However in my experience if you have a residency visa it is unlikely that an employer will provide a ticket. Again the mainstream salary range is from 7,500 to 15,000 SAR per month.
Above being said, female physicians and those with Master or PhD degrees will likely receive more. Unfortunately it is still standard that a woman will unlikely receive the same salary as a man even if holding the same position and responsibilities. And in some cases, not only will a woman receive less but if working for a private company or individual may find herself being told that “you’ll get your full salary next month” and receive a partial salary. Naturally the male employees will receive their full salaries as “they have families to support…”
Another factor to take into consideration as a woman working in the Kingdom is that individuals of differing nationalities will receive different pay IN SPITE OF performing the same job and duties. Many companies and institutions will have a scale which in addition to pay will have the differing nationalities listed and how the pay will vary as a result. Rightly or wrongly, Americans are on the top of the scale and those from Asian countries are on the lower end of the scale.
It is also not unusual for an employer to ask for an unpaid trial basis to see if the “working arrangement is satisfactory.”
My advise under the “for what it is worth” heading is if faced with a situation of not receiving a full salary or being asked to basically volunteer services is to refuse. By allowing these situations to happen only reinforce that it is okay for a woman to receive less and make more concessions.
Men by comparison would likely receive all the expat benefits identified when sponsored by the employer. And because many of these positions are specialized, (remember, this is very much a male-dominated society and while women may be qualified for the positions, the culture may dictate hiring men) the salaries will be much more. They can start from 12,000 for a job at a hospital or school but can go up to as much as 75,000 SAR per month for a specialized job or leadership role in an organization. And in most cases for these higher paying jobs, the male employee would likely receive a nice furnished villa at a western compound as part of the package.
Last but not least in closing this posting, opportunities are what YOU in fact make of them. Jobs and opportunities are here or can be made. Be patient, be perseverant and do not give up. Skills which one may not have thought of marketing in ones home country can be very attractive and in demand here. Some suggestions include ghost writing for those whom English is not a first language; baking special dishes from your home country for sale; language tutoring (always in high demand here); if you have a skill or hobby, share it with others – for a fee. Use your imagination and be creative. Market yourself through friends, through poster boards, through newsgroups. Talk to individuals. Find out what they can not find and need. Can you provide it? And again remember…don’t give up!
Filed under: gender, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs
Carol,
I would imagine that expat women working in KSA would be subject to the laws of KSA, just like visitors to the US are subject to US laws. It is my understanding, and correct me if I am wrong, that under Islamic law (Shariah) the word of a woman in court is given only half the value of the word of a man.
If this is true it seems to me that women are at a significant disadvantage if they are accused of something or they are victimized by someone and are seeking justice.
Please clarify this situation for me.
Hi Valerie,
You raise an excellent point. It is also my understanding that the word of a owman in a shariah court does not have the same value as that of a man. I am guessing this would also apply to a foreign woman as well.
So what would this mean? As I ponder on this, I believe that a woman would likely need a male attorney or someone in a strong position to represent her so she can be better entitled to rights.
Yes; this is an aspect of the Kingdom that as you can imagine gets a pretty low “report card grade.”
Hi Delhi,
I worked as a teacher/administrator for several different international schools here in the Kingdom and watched in horror when the salaries were not only late, but unpaid. We were told to go to the Labor Department and sue and payment would be imediately forthcoming, but never saw a dime. To add insult to injury, the owner was showing off his paper that told how he was going to be buying a new car for himself with the exact amount of money that he owed all the teachers put together. It was heartbreaking because one of the teachers was a widow with two young adopted children.
However, in this particular case, the owner got his due.
While I was taking leave to visit my children in college, I was informed via
e-mail that the owner of our school was planning on replacing all of us ‘Western’ staff with other cheaper labor due to our constant complaints about our salaries. I decided that I’d soon be looking for another job…and without all of my pay….this time 3 months would be lost! However, by the time I got back in Jeddah, all of the students (who also heard about the plans of the owner), decided to re-located to another school. The ministry was so upset with the owner for trying to pull a fast one on the parents, the students, and teachers that they closed his school down.
For those seeking employment in the Kingdom, along with your contract, you should seek out other employees from your home country that work for that company. Ask them about the owner, the payments, the housing, the car, the vacations, and the overtime expected at night and on the weekends. In your contract, put everything you can in writing. Beware of companies that don’t give you a signed copy of your contract. AND REALLY BEWARE of teaching in schools that don’t have any contracts.
If you find that they play around from the beginning (and they usually show their true colors within the first few months), run, don’t walk, to the nearest exit.
Mary Ann,
So sorry to hear of your disconcerting experience and greatly appreciate your wise advise.
I went on one job interview to an “international” school in Riyadh. The owner was more intent on wanting to hire me for my nationality than credentials. I asked how many other Americans were teaching at this school. None I was told. Then how many Westerners? None. The owner then advised that in addition to his Saudi teachers he had Egyptians and Eritreans. And his offer…. 3000 SAR per month to teach a 4th grade class of 40 students. I was absolutely appalled by the whole situation and made a quick exit realizing teaching was probably not my forte.