Middle East Flying Jobs

[typhoonpilot]

I don't think these are unrealistic salaries. I know a guy who went over and worked for a Security Guard company for a year and made 120k a year. Guard duty is cake. I could be unrealistic, but I don't think I am. 150 to 200k per year is the going rate for a pilot overseas on a contract basis.

$10,000 per month is the average for a Captain on overseas contracts. Contracts vary between really crappy at $4000, to pretty decent at $15,000+ per month. Those figures are for Captains. There are very few sweet deals around. Up until recently the pay was on a long downhill slide. Only because India, China, and the Middle East are hurting for pilots has the pay started getting better. China is still not up to standard as far as I'm concerned. The Middle Eastern carriers need to increase by a few thousand a month to get good. There are some good deals in India, but it's India uke: .


There are actually some very good North American based deals with foreign airlines. Mostly Asian freight outfits come to mind. For a long term job that would be the way to go. Living outside of your home country is not easy for long periods of time ( in excess of 5 years ). There are very few people who can do it.


Typhoonpilot

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I would also warn about working in Saudi. They do treat the Americans as 2nd class citizens, and keep them separated in their own compounds.

A lot of guys think that's the way it is all over the Middle East as they don't know their homework or their geography. Dubai, in the U.A.E., is about as much like Saudi as Hicksville, MS is like Portland, OR.

I would live in Dubai in a second, and never in Saudi (unless the military sent me!).

cliff
YIP

 

[TriStar_drvr]

I'm in Abu Dhabi now. Interesting place to visit, but I'm sure I couldn't live here for long. I used to entertain ideas of working for Emirates or Etihad.If I was a single guy I might do it. But there's no way I'd bring my wife and kids here.

 

[typhoonpilot]

A lot of guys think that's the way it is all over the Middle East as they don't know their homework or their geography. Dubai, in the U.A.E., is about as much like Saudi as Hicksville, MS is like Portland, OR.

I would live in Dubai in a second, and never in Saudi (unless the military sent me!).

cliff
YIP

Amen brother.

My only comment is that I spent some time in the Saudia compound in Jeddah and it was okay. I also lived in a villa on a golf course on the Red Sea coast, which was not in a "compound". Second green was right out my back porch, after the pool that is :smash: . It was an okay gig, but I didn't work for Saudia per say so I could tell them to stuff it if they wanted me to do something I wasn't interested in doing, like a night turn to Madinah.

It was a short term deal and I knew it so I just had fun while I was there. Golf and Scuba diving on days off and having a drink in the Saudia compound at night. Wouldn't want to live there long term and wouldn't want to take my family either.

That said there were Americans who had been there for 25 years and seemed to like it okay.

I'm in Abu Dhabi now. Interesting place to visit, but I'm sure I couldn't live here for long. I used to entertain ideas of working for Emirates or Etihad.If I was a single guy I might do it. But there's no way I'd bring my wife and kids here.

Dubai is very kid friendly, especially for young children. It compares favorably against many western cities for safety and education.

Typhoonpilot

 

[NW_Pilot]

Guys i know for some the thought of working overseas and the financial reward may be quite alluring,BUT there is a price......THE SAUDI's have nothing to offer you but $$$. yoThe contract you sign here is not the contract you work under when you get there, and even when you get there they have you sign another one which is not the same, but after all of that the change ther terms & conditions. They never pay on time, YES Think about that a MULTI BILLION dollar company but they dont think it necessary to pay the contractors on time!!!!! However if you become PERMINENT Then its a whole different picture. AS a contractor you are treated as a 2nd class person (like the Indian & Phillipeno F/A's that work there) your concerns are not there's and as such they dont adress them as a priority!!!
So If you want to go to saudi Arabia...BE VERY VERY CAREFUL!!!!!!

And you have to remember alcohol is illegal in Saudi also!!!

 

[typhoonpilot]

And you have to remember alcohol is illegal in Saudi also!!!

Yes, it is. That doesn't mean it is not available though. The embassy has parties and it is pretty easy to make your own.


TP

 

[414Flyer]

Type Rated Lear 35 PIC (will occasionally also fly C-90 and Cheyenne II), and also C-90 or Cheyenne II qualified PICs for Saudi contract (probably Riyahd), cloud seeding and atmospheric research flights. Starts this fall.