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.
The first weeks set up the rest of your contract. Handle them in order and the next two years go smoothly; put them off and you find yourself months later in a problem that could have been avoided on day three.
The first week
- Make sure you still hold your passport. Handing it over "for processing" should be temporary and receipted.
- Ask when your residence permit will be issued and who is following it.
- Learn your address precisely, and a nearby landmark.
- Get the number of a direct supervisor you can call with a problem.
- Tell your family you arrived and give them an address and a number.
The first month
- Residence permit: chase it. It is the most important document you will hold there.
- Bank account: open it as soon as your papers allow, so pay arrives documented.
- SIM card: in your own name, nobody else’s.
- Contract: check that what you are doing matches what you signed.
- First salary: confirm it arrived on time and in the agreed amount.
Document everything from the start
Photograph the contract, the permit, your passport, your first payslip, and anything the employer has you sign. Upload them to email or any cloud storage. Phones are lost and stolen; the copy is not.
Signs that warrant concern
If you see any of these, it is not "normal" and patience will not fix it:
- A long time has passed with no residence permit and no clear explanation.
- Your passport was refused when you asked for it.
- The first salary was late or short.
- The actual work differs completely from the agreed occupation.
- You were asked to sign papers in a language you cannot read.
In these cases: do not escalate into confrontation, and do not abscond. Record what happened in writing, ask the employer for an explanation, then go to the labour authority if it is not resolved. Absconding complicates your legal status and weakens your position rather than strengthening it.
Life, not only work
- Find the nearest pharmacy and clinic and their hours.
- Save your embassy or consulate number in your phone.
- Get to know colleagues from home who arrived before you; their experience saves you mistakes.
- Take the heat seriously: drink plenty of water and observe midday sun-protection rules on site.
The first month is hard on everyone, and that is normal. But hardship is one thing and a breach is another. Know the difference, and do not stay quiet about the second.
Rules and fees change and differ by country and employer. Always check with the official authorities before paying or signing anything.