TEFL in Saudi Arabia: an interview with a teacher who has worked all over the Kingdom

Have you ever considered teaching in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?  Here, teflhub interviews James, a British teacher who has taught for companies all over the Kingdom. We discuss some of the most common questions raised about life for TEFL teachers in this country which has been a common destination for TEFL teachers.

1              What drew you to Saudi Arabia?

I was drawn, like most people I think, by the high tax-free salaries on offer - although many of my Muslim colleagues were drawn by the opportunities to carry out the Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj or Umrah.

2              Is the money really that good?

It can be, especially if you have a master’s degree in a related field.  You should then be looking at jobs with BAe systems, one of the main universities, Aramco – Saudi’s main oil company, etc, where you should be earning a monthly salary of between 5,000 – 9,0000 US$ depending on experience and other qualifications.

3              Wow, that’s impressive.  What other benefits might you get?

Often these packages are the total you earn after they include a breakdown of salary plus allowances for transport, accommodation and annual bonus.  Other benefits usually include free amenities such as free electric and gas – you usually pay for your phone bill, as well as a free annual return flight to your home country.

4              Sounds fantastic - is there a catch?

Well, a lot of people experience a kind of “culture shock” due to the very conservative lifestyle.  This can be partly mitigated by living on a compound.  Otherwise, the tertiary level educational institutions often have quite intense schedules for their students which means the teachers’ contact time is often comparatively high. 

5              Did you experience “culture shock” when you arrived in Saudi?

Yes, I did.  It’s fair to say it’s a very different world for those from Western Europe.

6              If so, how did you get over it?

I lived in Khobar which is one of three cities [the others are Dammam and Dharran] which are on the other side of the causeway which links Saudi with the much more liberal Bahrain.  This meant I could go for a fairly relaxing weekend away every now and again [be aware that some nationalities are not allowed to freely pass across to Bahrain].  In other locations in the Kingdom I read a lot and watched a lot of DVDs.

7              What are the challenges of teaching in Saudi? 

As well as the teaching schedule mentioned earlier there is a challenge in that the Saudis are often unfamiliar with what we consider an educational environment which means that you need to help motivate them and ensure they carry out the work they are assigned.

8              Do you have any other advice?

It’s a good idea to live either in the Khobar region if you think you’ll need to let your hair down every so often in Bahrain.  If you’re into scuba diving then you could consider Jeddah on the Red Sea.  It seems that those who live on a compound enjoy a better quality of life – especially if they take up a hobby.  Try and work with a company which helps you get your iqama - which is the Saudi visa - and means you’ll be able to get in and out of the country more easily.  Oh, remember that if you are over 60 years of age it’s against Saudi law to hire teachers – some have managed to get around that law by being hired as a consultant.  Remember to learn about local laws and customs to avoid any unfortunate incidents.  You could consult your embassy or local consulate to see if they can help you with getting a social life.

9              When you go home to the UK, what do you miss about Saudi Arabia?

Well, as with most of the Gulf, when you finish work you can usually ‘switch-off’ and relax as there isn’t usually a lot of work that you can’t finish within teaching hours.  I also miss the lovely fruit juices you get out there.

10           Do you have any hints on how to save money when living in the country?

Don’t waste your money on luxury holidays – some teachers really go overboard on their holidays and end up spending huge chunks of the money they’ve worked so hard for.  Otherwise, eat where the other expats eat – it can be really good value, especially where the Asian workers dine.