I've just checked my assignment conditions, I'm a permanent staff so its a contract within a contract.

It clearly states 'Proposed End Date' followed by 'Approximate to be confirmed in consultation with Project Manager'.

Bonus dates are however are fixed in black and white..

My half-brother, a Ph.D in chemical engineering, chose to go to work for Aramco, Dhahran right out from graduation in '1978. The untimate goal is to save money ..save...save. Up until present, he and his wife are still living there all these years.

By living in Saudi Arabia (or any radical muslim countries), he and his family have been saving abundance: From a very minimal expenses which he benefits from the full expat deal that he receives, plus as he is a none drinker nor smoker, so his expense for entertainment is zippo. The lifestyles where he has chosen to lead enables him to send more than half of his every paycheck back to the state. His in-laws (one is a CPA) helps find investment avenues and carefully invests his money.

He is set to retire next year just before he hits mid- 50, still young and healthy enough to enjoy the fruits of his labor without worries about his finance for the rest of his life, his children alredy been set to inherite a sizeable estate.

So this one is for 'Guesthouse' : Go For It ! It's better to live a hard life when you're young, than live a horrid life in your old age.

30 years working in a Desert with no entertainment to retire at 55?

Don't know if I'd sacrifice my 20's, 20's and 40's for some more money when I'm close to hitting 60.

He is either earning jack over there, or he is saving around 20 million.... I would have left that sand pile at the first million saved.

How about setting up a poll, Im to lazy to work it out!

I for one would be interested how many westerners in Thailand on 200-250,000B, 250-300,000B, 300-350,000B, 350-400,000B, 400-450,000B, 450-500,000B and 500,000B plus monthly.

Done http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=187143

Contary to the popular belief there is no big money to be made in Saudi, it is probably the worst paying places in the O&G game.

I would never go back to Saudi as the place seems to full of expats with their heads stuck up their asses who are unable or to old to get a job elsewhere.

From a professional stand point I have never met a higher concentrations of alcoholics, burn-outs and w*nkers in the middle east