Most people expats come to Saudi Arabia for one reason: Money. Landing a position here as an experienced and educated professional typically comes with perks that jobs back home don't offer.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s last great forbidden kingdoms – long closed to outsiders, with a very limited tourism industry. However, health professionals from around the world have been travelling there for years – working in some of the largest, most sophisticated and respected hospitals not just in the Middle East, but in the world.

In general, employment packages for Saudi Arabia will include:
  • Tax-free income with few expenses – you can potentially save around 85% of what you earn
  • Free flights to and from Saudi Arabia
  • Free furnished accommodation and paid utilities
  • Generous annual leave entitlements
  • Renewable 12 month contracts
  • Medical cover and emergency dental care
  • Career development opportunities
Saudi Arabia’s economy is a stellar performer these days on the back of steady oil prices in recent years. With 2500+ jobs listed in Saudi Arabia on an average day in major cities including Riyadh and Jeddah, the job market in this oil-rich country is indeed a thriving one worthy to be explored.
famous career expert website, have listed below twenty good reasons why Saudi Arabia should be on your job search radar:
Career opportunities in Saudi Arabia:
1. 65% of surveyed Saudi employers will be ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ hiring in the next 3 months, and 70% of the firms have up to 10 positions to fill. (The August 2013 Bayt.com Job Index survey)
2. Four out of 10 (39%) of KSA professionals expect there to be an increase in jobs in KSA in the next 6 months. (The Bayt.com Consumer Confidence Index survey – September 2013)
3. Riyadh is considered to have the highest possibility of employment as per 49% of the surveyed professionals stating that the availability of jobs is either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. (The Bayt.com ‘Top Cities of the Middle East’ survey – July 2013)
4. There is a demand for qualified professionals in Saudi Arabia, as business management (34%), engineering (30%), and administration (27%) top the list of most desirable qualifications among Saudi employers. (The August 2013 Bayt.com Job Index survey)
5. Skills most in demand among employers in Saudi Arabia include good communication skills in English and Arabic (74%), team players skills (50%), and good leadership skills (49%). (The August 2013 Bayt.com Job Index survey)
6. Senior experienced professionals, especially those who have experience in managing a team are most desired by employers in the Saudi Arabia, along with those who are experienced in sales and marketing and have good IT skills. (The August 2013 Bayt.com Job Index survey)
7. Saudi Arabia is believed to be among the best countries to set up a new business compared to other countries in the region; 8% of Saudi Arabia respondents claim that it is ‘very easy’ to set up a new business, while 10% claim that it is ‘somewhat easy’ to be your own boss in Saudi Arabia. (The Bayt.com ‘Entrepreneurship in the Middle East‘ survey, October 2013)
8. The most attractive industries in Saudi Arabia are perceived to be construction (42%), telecommunications (33%), and banking and finance (32%). (The August 2013 Bayt.com Job Index survey)
9. 49% of the surveyed employees in Saudi Arabia claim to be “somewhat satisfied” or “extremely satisfied” with their job. (The Bayt.com ‘Happiness and Wellbeing in the MENA’ survey – July 2013)
10. In terms of recognition received at work, 20% of surveyed employees in Saudi Arabia are “extremely satisfied”, while 20% are “extremely satisfied” with working hours and 16% are “extremely satisfied” with support received from colleagues. (The Bayt.com ‘Happiness and Wellbeing in the MENA’ survey – July 2013)
Better salary and benefit packages in Saudi Arabia:
1. 40% of the surveyed professionals consider the salaries offered in Riyadh to be most competitive, compared to other cities in the region. (The Bayt.com ‘Top Cities of the Middle East’ survey – July 2013)
2. 56% of professionals in Saudi Arabia expect a ‘moderate’ to ‘marginal’ increase in salary levels, while 17% of professionals expect a raise of more than 15% in 2013. (The Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey – May 2013)
3. ‘Health insurance provisions’ are important to consider for expatriate professionals, and Riyadh and Jeddah performs extremely well on this metric, with 57% and 51% of professionals there respectively rating the health insurance benefits as ‘good’ to ‘excellent’. (The Bayt.com ‘Top Cities of the Middle East’ survey – July 2013)
4. A majority of professionals in Saudi Arabia say they receive basic salary plus benefits, making it the most popular type of pay structure. Professionals in the region also list the more preferable incentives you can expect as: performance-based (61%), or professional training and development courses (46%). Commission (27%) and holiday allowances or foreign trips (24%) are also popular incentives among professionals in KSA. (The Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey – May 2013)
Happiness constitutes more than a better job and better pay. Saudi Arabia ranks highly on various metrics related to general welfare:
1. Saudi Arabia is believed to be among the happier countries in the MENA with 64% of KSA respondents on the Bayt.com ‘Happiness and Wellbeing in the MENA’ survey, July 2013, claim that they are satisfied with their life in general.
2. Residents in Saudi Arabia rank the country highly on metrics including availability of utilities (drinking water, electricity, etc.), stability of political environment, and general safety and security. (The Bayt.com ‘Happiness and Wellbeing in the MENA’survey – July, 2013)
3. 40% of Saudi professionals feel that their standard of living is ‘about average’, 28% claim to be ‘somewhat better off’, and 14% are ‘much better off’, thus indicating residents in the region enjoy a standard of life that is mostly either on par with, or above the standard of other residents. (The Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey – May 2013)
4. In terms of affordability and cost of living in the MENA region, three in ten professionals (30%) consider Riyadh to be affordable – thus positioning it second on the list compared to other cities in the region. (The Bayt.com ‘Top Cities of the Middle East’ survey – July 2013)
5. Riyadh features third on the list of MENA cities offering affordable utilities to residents. (The Bayt.com ‘Top Cities of the Middle East’ survey – July 2013)
6. Six in ten residents (61%) rate Saudi Arabia well in terms of their satisfaction at being able to maintain healthy personal relationships. (The Bayt.com ‘Happiness and Wellbeing in the MENA’ survey – July 2013)
Living and working in Saudi will be a rich learning experience for a variety of reasons. As well as the challenge of assimilating in to a new way of life/culture, you will be faced with conditions and diseases you would probably not see anywhere else. But with challenge comes reward, and many people return with the feedback that these experiences have been of benefit immensely - not just in their career, but in the way they view the world as a whole.
Working in Saudi Arabia, you will have a lot more annual leave than you're used to - many use this extra time off to explore the surrounding Arab Kingdoms, Northern Africa, Asia and Europe. To really get the most out of your time in Saudi Arabia you will need to be open to new ideas, to new people and to different ways of doing things. If you are confident, optimistic and keen to see and experience different things then Saudi Arabia will work well for you.
Today, there are over 400 hospitals in Saudi Arabia compared with just a handful 50 years ago. That equates to around 60,000 hospital beds. Expectation is that this needs to double over the next 5 years in order to cope with escalating demand from a rapidly growing population. With this in mind, opportunities for health professionals are plentiful and overseas trained staff are in demand to help meet this massive need.
Saudi Arabia has built a reputation as a leader in research and hospitals in the kingdom have pioneered many of modern medicine’s procedures. You will be rewarded with opportunities to involve yourself in new and exciting developments in health care that you may not have in your home country. Hospitals are well equipped with the latest in advanced and sophisticated equipment. Training, education and career development are encouraged. Health professionals will all find rewarding employment options in Saudi Arabia.
Geneva Healthcare recruits on behalf of several hospitals throughout Saudi Arabia. All our vacancies are hospital based, so you will need at least two years current experience in your chosen field of expertise and this will be in an acute hospital environment. The types of health fields that we recruit for on behalf of our clients include Medical, Nursing, Allied Health and Medical Science Professionals. This includes leadership and management positions..
That's why I advice you to come and work in Saudi Arabia !!!