Saudia from inside after three years: the Jeddah and Riyadh bases, the Hajj as the identity, the pay for Saudi and foreign crew and the new Saudi aviation
-
#1 Saudi, Saudia, three years, Riyadh based, and the Saudia threads on here are from foreign crew about requirements and pay. Here is Saudia from a Saudi crew member, with the new Saudi aviation context that is changing everything in the Kingdom.
The airline
The Saudi national carrier, Jeddah as the historic hub, Riyadh as the growing second, a fleet of 787s, 777s, A330s, A320 family and the new A321neos and 787s arriving, a network across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, and the Hajj and Umrah operation that is the airline's identity and the world's largest religious air operation.
The Hajj as the identity
Amir wrote the THY Hajj season; Saudia is the Hajj airline. The season is the whole airline's focus for two months: the dedicated terminal at Jeddah, the pilgrim flights from every Muslim country, the crews trained for it from the first course. A Saudia crew member who has not worked the Hajj has not worked at Saudia. It is tiring, enormous and the proudest flying in the Kingdom.
Saudi and foreign crew
The airline has a Saudisation target and the Saudi share of the cabin crew is growing, with Saudi women joining in numbers that did not exist five years ago (Mariam's Riyadh Air thread makes the same point). The foreign crew are from the usual Gulf source countries (Egypt, the Levant, South Asia, the Philippines, Morocco) and the pay for Saudi and foreign crew is on the same scale with the housing arrangement for foreigners.
The pay
A basic in riyals, flying pay, allowances, tax free, housing for foreign crew in Jeddah and Riyadh, and a scale that is below Emirates and Qatar and comparable with Etihad on the total for a mid seniority crew member. The riyal is pegged to the dollar, which the foreign crew sending money home appreciate.
Jeddah versus Riyadh
Jeddah: the historic base, the Red Sea, the more relaxed city, the Hajj terminal, the older crew community. Riyadh: the capital, the growth, the new Saudi aviation (Riyadh Air next door), the stricter city that is opening fast, the newer crew group. The Saudi crew have opinions. Both are home for someone.
The new Saudi aviation
The Kingdom is building an aviation sector: Riyadh Air, the airport expansions, the tourism opening, the Red Sea resorts. Saudia is growing with it and the crew are watching Riyadh Air with interest and some movement. The competition for Saudi crew between the two is the new thing and it is good for the crew.
For applicants
Saudi nationals: Saudia or Riyadh Air, and the choice is history versus building. Foreign crew: the Gulf requirements, the events in the source countries, the Saudi context (more conservative than Dubai, opening fast, the alcohol rules absolute), and the Hajj as the flying you will do. The pay is Gulf pay. The identity is the pilgrim.
-
#2 Riyadh Air, and Hamza is right that the competition for Saudi crew is the new thing and it is good for us. History versus building is the Saudi applicant's choice and both airlines are proud. The Hajj is Saudia's and it will stay Saudia's.
-
#3 In training in Riyadh, and the Saudi women joining in numbers is visible in every course: half my cohort. Five years ago it did not exist. Hamza's thread and Mariam's are the record of it.
-
#4 THY, and the Hajj airline being Saudia is right: we fly the pilgrims to Jeddah; Saudia is the terminal and the identity. The crews meet at Jeddah in the season and the THY crews respect what Saudia runs.
-
#5 Kuwait Airways, and the small Gulf carriers watch the Saudi growth closely: the new airports, the two airlines, the crew moving. The Saudi aviation is the Gulf's new centre of gravity and Hamza has described it from inside.
-
#6 Pakistani at a Gulf carrier from Jeddah, and Jeddah as a base city is the relaxed one, as Hamza says: the Red Sea, the old town, the Hajj terminal. The Pakistani crew at Saudia are a large group and the Jeddah to Karachi and Lahore flights are the commute.
-
#7 Cairo, applying to the Gulf, and Saudia was on my list as the Egyptian community airline in Jeddah. Hamza's pay comparison (below Emirates and Qatar, comparable to Etihad) is the honest number I needed. Applying.
-
#8 @hassanruh half the cohort is the number that tells the story. Five years from none to half. The Kingdom's aviation is being built by the crew in your course.