Teaching in Saudi Arabia: Not at all what I expected

Like most people, I know very little about Saudi Arabia. I do know that it is a place that I wouldn't exactly consider to be a tourist destination at all. From what I know you can't simply decide to go there and have that be ok either.

Recently a friend of mine accepted a job in S.A. and not many people had much of an idea about what to expect. Was he nervous? Sure.

Most of what i "know"about a foreigner living in Saudi Arabia comes (unfairly, i know) from films such as "The Kingdom," which paints a rather dreary picture of how life can be there. I honestly expected that my friend who went to teach there was going to be living in a protected compound complete with armed guards to deter any would be issues that might arise. However, this has not been the case at all.

As someone who is relatively familiar with TEFL and TESL teaching in Asia, I know that sometimes the school will include "accommodation." This always arouses suspicion because the accommodation that is provided is normally so bad that most teachers opt to instead pay for something else entirely. There are some good options, but for the most part in my experience the free housing was dreadful.

When my friend showed me a video of his provided accommodation i couldn't believe it. For one thing it is massive and extremely modern. This is a proper 1-bedroom apartment complete with all the modern equipment. In other countries, the provided accommodation is a series of hotel rooms that have been converted into living arrangements - normally without a kitchen.

My friend's place which again, is provided completely free of charge, is in a massive building complete with pools and fitness center (both of which can be used for free) and he will never receive a bill for electric, water, or internet. This is all provided by the school.

Combine this with the fact that his actual job is in an extremely modern classroom, with helpful assistants as staff, small class sizes, and plenty of materials for classroom activities makes for a really wonderful work environment. It also doesn't hurt that he is paid $5,000 a month and pays no tax. This is unheard of in the TEFL world.

I can't believe it, but this is a school, folks

Now before everyone tries to run off and apply for teaching jobs in Saudi Arabia here is the downside: My friend is exceptionally well-qualified for the position. He has

• an undergraduate degree in Education
• A TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA certification (you can look those up, i'm not going into it)
• nearly 10 years of teaching experience abroad and school management experience
• an impeccable list of references
• a passport from a nation classified as "native-English speaking"

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So why am I writing this even though the story isn't about me?

I feel bad for allowing movies and media to shape my opinion of an entire country. I thought that my friend was in for a terrible time that would be compensated for only by the high salary. I thought he would be having every move he makes closely monitored and that hasn't been the case at all. Is Saudi Arabian culture very different from my own? Of course it is. I allowed the things i have seen in fictional movies and sensationalized news stories to shape my opinion of very large demographic and well, we shouldn't be that way.

If you are a teacher, and want to make some real money doing "real" teaching jobs overseas. I think you should definitely consider Saudi Arabia, but be prepared - they are extremely picky about who they choose for their available positions