More on working for Education Experts

What people need to do is to read everything they can get their hands on and weigh what's said, positive and negative.  And then try to make an informed decision.

I urge prospective teachers to go to the Saudi teacher forum at DavesESLcafe.  They can read the threads and ask questions.  The members there are experienced, extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Best of luck to all.

I have an offer from Education Experts.  I have read some negative things about the company online, so I had a specific question.  It seems that many ESL instructors come there on 90 day Business Visit Visas, change their minds, and pull a 'runner.' My question is, do they need an exit visa to leave the country?  Does anyone ever get stopped at the airport?  I just don't want to find out that I don't like the company, and then not be able to leave.  Any thoughts on that?

No, they don't get stopped at the airport, but it will be difficult for them to return to Saudi, also I've heard that the company blacklists them making it difficult to get a job with another company. Obviously you need to make sure you have enough in your bank account to buy a return ticket. The job is fine, but for some people particularly for single women living in Saudi is oppressive. You always have to wear the abaya and it's safer not to walk around. I tend not to wear the hibjab, mainly because I find it hot & uncomfortable to wear one in the heat, however, I always carry a headscarf, just in case.  Hope this helps.

Yes, people come here due to the money offered but you have to consider, would they offer high salaries and good perks if they didn't have to in order to attract people? It can be oppressive, as sallyann says, and for many the money just isn't worth it.

Thank you, Sally Ann and Alliecat, for your help.  If anyone else has any specific stories on this to pass along, I would love to hear more.  Good luck to you all!

starofthesea wrote:

Thank you, Sally Ann and Alliecat, for your help.  If anyone else has any specific stories on this to pass along, I would love to hear more.  Good luck to you all!

You have read the teachers' forum at Dave's ESL Cafe, right?

hi people, i wanted to know why does it take so long to process business Visa , its been 5 week.

:roll:

It's mostly men who are applying, and they're applying because they're not able to teach in the US, usually because they don't have MAs or PhDs in English and they don't want to teach high school kids. (And even if they did, they don't have BAs in Education.)

And also to be fair, being a foreigner in Saudi isn't that safe because of the mutaween. And despite Alliecat's reassurances, I keep reading stories from women involving taxis that lead me to conclude that being a woman in Saudi is incredibly unsafe, and there's not much you can do to avoid it.

Moreover, Chicago's much, MUCH safer than you give it credit for. I know plenty of people who lived in Hyde Park for years  with zero problems. You just have to have an ounce of street smarts (e.g., no designer clothes, no BMWs, purse in front of your chest, etc.). The people who get targeted are dumb rich kids who flaunt their wealth and pay attention to their iPhone instead of their surroundings. And even then most of the crimes are drug related (e.g., muggings, drive-by-shootings).

cairanya wrote:

And despite Alliecat's reassurances, I keep reading stories from women involving taxis that lead me to conclude that being a woman in Saudi is incredibly unsafe, and there's not much you can do to avoid it.

You can always use one of the limo services, which I've also mentioned.  They're cheap, clean and safe.  I've talked about this on another thread.

Moreover, Chicago's much, MUCH safer than you give it credit for. I know plenty of people who lived in Hyde Park for years  with zero problems. You just have to have an ounce of street smarts (e.g., no designer clothes, no BMWs, purse in front of your chest, etc.). The people who get targeted are dumb rich kids who flaunt their wealth and pay attention to their iPhone instead of their surroundings. And even then most of the crimes are drug related (e.g., muggings, drive-by-shootings).

I totally agree with you here--she gave Chicago a really bad rap.  I grew up in Chicago (in Hyde Park, for a BIG coincidence!) and crime certainly isn't rampant there, but as you say, you just need to follow the precautions you'd follow in any big city in the world, be it Chicago, London Paris, OR Riyadh.

AIARA wrote:

I THINK THIS IS SUFFICIENT TO CLOSE THE DISCUSSION ON SAFETY HERE IN SAUDI ARABIA

AIARA

No offense, but you don't get to decide when something is sufficient.  This subject will live on and on, believe me

Oh, and BTW, you violated the number #1 rule of taking a cab:  don't talk to the driver.  Tell him where you're going and then sit in silence.  Some women are talkative and friendly and the drivers misconstrue this as coming on to them.  You have to ride in silence and when you get to where you're going, have the money ready, hand it to him, and say 'thanks' as you're stepping out the door.