Guides for jobseekers heading to the Gulf
Plain-language explanations of how the process works, what your rights are, and how to avoid being defrauded. Written by us, free to read.
Working in Saudi Arabia: the steps, start to finish
A plain explanation of the route into a Saudi job, from a genuine offer through to residency, and what is required at each stage.
How to spot a job scam before you pay anything
The tactics used in fake Gulf job adverts, and how to tell a genuine listing from a fraudulent one before you lose money.
Work visa, visit visa, residence permit: the difference
Three terms that are easily confused, where confusing them can cost you your job and your money.
Your employment contract: the clauses to read first
What to look for in a Gulf employment contract — pay, housing, hours, flights and end-of-service.
Trades in demand across Saudi Arabia and the UAE
The trades that appear again and again in Gulf job adverts, and what makes an applicant stand out in each.
Saudi Arabia or the UAE? A practical comparison
The differences that actually matter to a worker: where the openings are, living costs, and what to ask before choosing.
Writing a simple CV for a trade job
One page is enough for a trade role. Here is what it should contain and what to leave out.
Preparing for a phone or video interview
Most trade hiring starts with a short call. Here are the questions to expect and how to answer them.
What do trades pay in Saudi Arabia and the UAE?
Figures counted from listings actually published on this site, with the sample size stated — not estimates.
Your rights at work: pay, housing, flights and end-of-service
What labour law guarantees every worker, what depends on your contract alone, and where to complain if a right is denied.
What is Nitaqat, and how does it affect your chances?
The Saudisation programme that governs how many foreign workers a company may hire, and why it explains delays that have nothing to do with you.
Getting your documents ready: certificates, attestation, medical
Putting your paperwork in order before travelling to work in the Gulf, and why this is the stage where most people get stuck.
Sending money home: losing less on every transfer
Fees versus exchange rate, why a "no fee" transfer can cost more, and how to compare properly.
Your first month after arrival: what to get done
What should happen in your first weeks in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, and the signs that something is wrong.
Cost of living: what is actually left of your salary?
The items that consume a Gulf salary, and how to work out your real savings before signing.
Your wages are late or unpaid: what to do, in order
Practical steps when pay is withheld, what strengthens your position and what weakens it, and where to file a complaint.
Changing employer: what you need to know
How a lawful move between employers works, and why informal arrangements end badly for the worker.
Site safety and working in the heat
What your employer must provide, how to protect yourself from heat stress, and what to do if you are injured.
Searching smarter instead of losing weeks
A practical method for searching job sites, choosing the right words, and skipping listings that were never going to work.
Ending your contract: your entitlements and final exit
What you are owed when work ends, the order to do things in before travelling, and the last-minute mistakes that cost people their rights.