My Experience in Saudi

My fellow Indians, if you got a soft nature, much respect to our mother India , and you respect yourself for being an Indian .. Pls don read this.

My KSA assignment started like this..!!

I got an offer for a reputed bank in KSA - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ( Please note I will follow KSA here after) through a consultancy from India. The package is good where I will be paid almost 1.5 lac per month and the company will provide me with fully furnished accommodation and transportation. I was thrilled to take the offer and I did!!

I have quit my previous company where I worked for 3.6 years. Its an IT giant in India, also in world market and I was working for its Client, a sister concern. So many requests, mails , All the bests from my colleagues and from my clients .With all those my last working day over there was 14 th of July 2010.

The Consultancy which hired me for the KSA assignment wanted me to Join immediately. I joined on 21 st of July 2010 as my offer letter said that the offer wont be valid only till on or before 21 st July 2010. So I joined, but as they promised they have given me a paid vacation so that I visit my family before I leave for KSA.

My planned travel date was 26 th of July 2010 (sadly it was only 2 days where I can be with family since I have to come back from home town and prepare my packing,finish purchase etc- (My friends are really great, everyone took responsibility and completed my purchase,packing). I am ready with my packing and stuff's and couldn't bring my family to Airport/Chennai since I had very little time to do this.

Every thing is set and I am ready to fly.But the Consultancy which hired me had some problems on my travel date. My Travel was postponed by saying you will probably leave "Tomorrow". Like this 3 "Tomorrow " passed,(Believe me, these days are hell...You cant really do anything...Since you don even know whats the date or whats next). After sitting and duck watching for 3 days with out doing 'Nothing' , I got a confirmation on 29 th July 2010 and ticket for KSA on 30 th July.

Again my Journey was on a hurry.The same day, no bringing family for send - off business, So I have started..Thanks to my friends who managed to come there for send-off.

The Journey started like this, I didn't had a direct flight from Chennai,India - Riyadh,KSA. I started from Chennai on 30 th July 2010, 12:30 PM IST to Mumbai by Jet Airways. Reached Mumbai at 2.45 PM IST on the same day. I had my flight(Saudi Arabian Airlines) to Riyadh,KSA at 6.30 PM IST, but its delayed by 4 hrs. Later I came to know that its very usual for them. Meanwhile I met with 2 other guys in Mumbai airport who are joining me for the same assignment.


The respect I got in KSA!!!

After Immigration check,security check and other stuffs, I have got into the Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SA747 on that day. It started by 30 th July 10.30 PM (IST) and reached 31st July 2010 2.45 AM (IST)[12.15 AM - Arab Standard time. I don't know how we Indians looks to them, even the Arabic crew they are treating like we are stray dogs. For them its seems that giving respect to us is a Sin..! They don even bother to respond us. Go to hell, after the 4.15 hrs of journey I am in KSA now ...

Anyway, I reached Riyadh Airport. The main picture was here for myslef and for my fellow Indians. In Immigration the security guy was treating all of us like a street dog. He don't even want touch us. To take finger prints, to keep our hands on the machine, he just guided it through a pen he had. I even see him hitting so many persons badly. Anyway I didnt want that A** #$&# to touch me since he was keep on smoking..!! I didn't know that in International airport these guys smoke.

Every security guard/ police men/ officials in the Airport of KSA, they are smoking inside like they are in a pub or so. Also the guy in the Immigration check made us to stand in a separate area after collecting our passport Just to show his authority. Only Indians were made to stand, he was clearing other country people immediately. We stood there for an hour or so, then he called a Muslim guy with in us and just dumped all the passports to him. He distributed it to us.

That's the kind of things happening in the great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for every Indian. I don know what they have in their mind. Are they just showing off that " You guys are here for labor work.You are labor class only. Just be a labor and leave from here".

After coming to my Villa I heard from my fellows that, we were lucky that our immigration is completed in 2.5 hrs. Seems some were stood for hours and hours.(May be they don had a Muslim guy?)

And also I faced some issues in getting the Company car for my apartment.Have to tell something here. I tried to call the driver from Airport (after converting my 45 USD into 168 SR) , a Telephone both in Airport costs me 3 SR (39 - INR Approx) for 30 sec's local Call. And its of no use.

Then a Indian Brother helped me to call the guy again with his Phone. Somehow got into the car and reached my Room.

One thing I can say here is in KSA, People are rich, their mentality and Attitude is very Cheap.

Proud to be an Indian. We give respect to all. We tolerate all kind of problems. Also just think this,

" If our politicians are good , If we have the enough money and opportunities made by government , Why the hell we go out of our country?"