Thoughts on working in Saudi/Anyone heard of NEOM?

I worked in the defence sector for many years and worked with many, many people who went there. In summary, the organisations typically comprised a third Saudis, a third long-term ex-pats and a third were simply there for the money. Many of the Saudis were only interested in being ‘in charge’ but often lacked the knowledge or education to be effective, often in post due to family connections rather than ability – holding VP job titles and some kept well-away from doing any damage. The long-termers were often there because they were unemployable elsewhere and institutionalised – some with serious alcohol or behavioural issues. The last group were often there simply for the money, either bursting with ambition or having the dawning realisation they were working for a completely disfunctional organisation. Sometimes, partners and families found it difficult to adjust to “compound” life – moving back to the UK.

I thought from the start it was someone’s vanity project.

Saudis get jammed into “do nothing” and “no show” jobs because of Saudization. Many employers just see it as a kind of tax and are happy if they don’t interfere too much. Sometimes there just aren’t suitably qualified Saudis in the industry – so what do you do if you’re in a niche consultancy and supposed to have x% Saudis?

I worked with some very capable “locals” in the Gulf who were just as good as the foreigners but I could totally have understood if they had taken the other route of cruising along like many of their compatriots. I probably would have done the same if it had been open to me (and tbf I was spending most of my “work” time dicking around on forums anyway…).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudization

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68945445

Neom: Forces ‘told to kill’ to clear land for eco-city

What a wonderful model of sustainability /s

It jars just a bit with this from the OP

and people will be able to live there too.

Only the right kind of people apparently.

I knew this things was long, but had no idea of the volume.  170km long, 200m wide and 500m high.  It’s like 3400 of the world’s largest skyscrapers, in pairs, all in a line.  WTF?!

They’re only building a couple of KM of it aren’t they?

I saw the news about the killings. Grim.

They’ll only ever build a couple of km. Not sure even the crown prince’s vanity will carry it further.

I knew this things was long, but had no idea of the volume.  170km long, 200m wide and 500m high.  It’s like 3400 of the world’s largest skyscrapers, in pairs, all in a line.  WTF?!

helps people to reconnect with nature, obvs.

It’s like the film Elysium but with fancy dress

I knew this things was long, but had no idea of the volume.  170km long, 200m wide and 500m high.  It’s like 3400 of the world’s largest skyscrapers, in pairs, all in a line.

Its about as likely to happen as Boris Johnson’s 40 new hospitals, garden bridge, bridge to Ireland, airport on a man-made island in the Thames estuary, tunnel to Ireland etc etc etc etc

As far as I know even Boris stopped short of killing anyone who objected to his various fantasy vanity projects

As far as I know even Boris stopped short of killing anyone who objected to his various fantasy vanity projects

Erm COVID response….

Fair point, but that was incompetence rather than malice. The Saudis are extremely competent at gunning down their own citizens if they raise any objections to having their homes bulldozed for their leaders latest vanity project

A fine summary of the Neom project

Fair point, but that was incompetence rather than malice

Was it?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68945445 nice bunch of folks! 🤔

I can understand why they’re doing it – I mean there must be millions of people queuing up to live in a massive tower block thats fallen on its side in the desert.

I mean there must be millions of people queuing up to live in a massive tower block thats fallen on its side in the desert.

Correct.

Admittedly thats mostly due to them being scared to say no to the invitation but they are lining up.

Parts of it are laughable – for instance in one instant they’re saying it’s going to be super green and energy efficient and next they’re saying they’re going to have a ski resort….in the desert…!
BUT… I’d say the idea of it is interesting at least, not that I’d ever want to live there.

If they do manage to build it and find the “sort” of people who’d be happy to populate the buildings then perhaps we can have a giant game of domino rally and shove the first one over.