Saudi Arabia
Graduate opportunities in Saudi Arabia tend to be restricted to those with specific professional qualifications, experience and skills. You are unlikely to get work as a new UK graduate with little commercial or practical experience. If, as well as your UK university qualification, you have good levels of experience in your field of work then opportunities are possible, particularly in areas such as engineering (especially in the oil industry), IT, healthcare, banking and medicine. There are also opportunities to teach English in Saudi Arabia.
Applications for positions in Saudi Arabia are normally made from outside the country and you will need to secure a job before you go. The employer will then usually be your sponsor for entering the country and will help to make the necessary arrangements. Recruitment companies and recruitment websites advertising vacancies in Saudi Arabia normally request a CV in the first instance.
Find out more about job applications and CVs and covering letters.
There is no specific style of CV for Saudi Arabia. However, the focus should be on your relevant skills, experience and qualifications. Some Saudi employers will request additional personal details such as marital status, number of children and religion, and there may be a request for a passport-sized photo. Your CV should also explain your motivation for seeking a career in Saudi Arabia.
Interviews for positions in Saudi Arabia will be held outside of the country. Major companies such as the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco have recruitment networks around the world that are responsible for the recruitment of non-Saudi workers. Larger employers may also run orientation events to help successful applicants prepare for the changes they are likely to encounter once working in Saudi Arabia.
UK qualifications are well recognised by Saudi employers.
If you are planning to live and work in Saudi Arabia, check your UK tax and National Insurance position with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to ensure that you are not losing any UK pension rights.
The Global Career Company organises a recruitment summit for careers in the Middle East and North Africa. Those who wish to attend must make an application and if successful, an invite to the event is then given.
As you are required to have a job offer and a sponsor prior to entering the country, it is hard to make speculative applications for Saudi jobs. Some Saudi organisations that employ foreign workers allow CVs to be submitted on their website and will contact you if they are interested in your application.
It is extremely difficult for non-Saudi nationals to gain any work experience or internships in the country. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Saudi Arabia focuses on helping its nationals to gain employment and there is no equivalent for foreigners in the country.
Native English speakers are required for posts in the language schools in Saudi Arabia. It is possible to get work in private language schools which cater for Saudi nationals and expatriates from other countries. Many of the classes at these schools are delivered in the evening when the pupils are not working and because of this the hours of work can be quite be antisocial.
It is also possible to get work as a private tutor, especially in the run up to language exams or for re-sits after the results have been published. Posts are often advertised in the local press or yellow pages.
The British Council also employs English language teachers in its centres. Candidates will need a relevant qualification such as a PGCE in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and around two years of experience in teaching.
It is not normally possible for non-Saudi nationals to volunteer or do casual work in Saudi Arabia. Most expatriates are on fixed-term contracts which are established before they enter the country. It may be possible for those who are fluent in both English and Arabic to find work as a translator or interpreter and these positions are usually short-term. However, you should not move to the country expecting to find this type of work, instead the positions should be viewed as an addition to any other work you have already set up.
Higher education in Saudi Arabia is available through universities (both public and private), teachers’ colleges and an Institute of Public Administration. Some institutions, such as the University of Petroleum and Minerals, are exclusive to men, although the majority are open to both males and females. The Higher Education Council oversees HE policy and each university has a university council.
As in the UK, a range of Masters degrees and PhDs are offered in a variety of disciplines, including engineering, humanities, languages and agriculture. The courses take approximately the same time to complete as those studied in the UK, with a Masters lasting two years and a PhD three to four years.
There are a large number of courses taught in English but this does vary across institutions, so check with each one to find out what is available.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) is a relatively new university, and had its first student intake in September 2009. It focuses on science, engineering and computer science subjects at Masters and PhD level. It is an international university accepting applicants from overseas students with classes taught in English.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) offers science and engineering postgraduate and undergraduate courses (admits men only). Classes are taught in English and applications from overseas students are accepted.
Alfaisal University is a new university in Riyadh and has just launched its first postgraduate course which is the Alfaisal MBA for Executives. It plans to offer more postgraduate courses in the future.
A full list of the universities in Saudi Arabia can be found on the Ministry of Higher Education Saudi Arabia website.
Both the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals recognise UK degrees for acceptance onto postgraduate courses. Individual institutions should be contacted directly for detailed entry requirements and application closing dates.
Applications are made directly to the individual universities and can be made online. Universities usually ask for three references or letters of recommendation while other specific requirements differ depending on the institution. You will also need a valid visa, which you are advised to apply for well in advance.
The fee levels for postgraduate courses are set by individual universities and they should be contacted directly for up-to-date information.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology runs a KAUST fellowship bursary, which is a scholarship programme open to non-Saudi students who are studying a postgraduate qualification and who have a first degree in a related subject. These bursaries offer full tuition cover, a monthly living allowance, free housing and private healthcare.
Although many Saudi citizens study overseas, there are no known exchange programmes for UK students to study in Saudi Arabia.
Postgraduate qualifications from a university in Saudi Arabia should be recognised in the UK. The UK National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) provides information about the comparison of qualifications and skills from overseas to the UK’s national qualifications framework.
UK nationals require a visa for both entry to and exit from Saudi Arabia. Visas can take several months to process and can be held up by a lot of bureaucracy. If you wish to work in Saudi Arabia you will need to secure a job before travelling. This will allow you to obtain a work visa, which your employer should help with. It is not possible to visit Saudi Arabia on a casual basis.
To gain a visa to enter Saudi Arabia, you will need a sponsor, who may be a personal contact in the country or your new employer. They will apply for the visa on your behalf and will arrange for the necessary forms to be completed. Some companies have people who are specifically assigned to carry out this role. In order to get the visa you will need a passport valid for at least six months, some passport photographs and a medical certificate.
If you are not a UK national, contact the Saudi embassy in the country where you are currently residing about how to obtain visas and work permits. If you are living in the UK, go to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London .
You might also find it helpful to contact your ministry of foreign affairs (or your own embassy if you are not living in your home country) to ask whether there are any issues to be taken into account when considering working in Saudi Arabia.
The majority of career opportunities for non-Saudi graduates will be fixed term for a number of years and permanent residency is not usually available.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is responsible for dealing with employment in Saudi Arabia but there are no public employment services available to UK nationals.
Contact individual institutions to find out if they have careers service provision for UK students studying at Saudi Arabian universities.
The King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) has an alumni section on its website, which may be helpful to those searching for employment after completing their studies.
The British Embassy in Saudi Arabia has offices in Riyadh and Jeddah and is a good point of contact for UK nationals who need assistance whilst in Saudi Arabia. The number for the main office in Riyadh is +966 (0) 1 488 0077.
Emergency contact numbers in Saudi Arabia are:
Emergency services in Saudi Arabia are not as widely used as in the UK and people who need to go to hospital usually use their own transport.
Find the latest travel advice and a traveller’s checklist on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website.
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