Dammam is the capital of the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Its location is commercially and strategically important as it is a major port of the nation. Dammam is located only 400 km away from Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Because of its location and the port, it has become a major commercial hub of the country. The city attracts a lot of business and provides career opportunities to a lot of expatriates in all major industries. Jobs in Dammam are quite lucrative too and are constantly on a lookout for trained and qualified people.

Dammam is mostly known for its major petrochemical and oil refining industries. Hence, there are many oil and gas as jobs in Damamm. The oil and gas jobs are available for all experience levels and functions. While there is a demand for chemical and mechanical engineers in Dammam to take up technical jobs in the oil and gas industry, there are also jobs for skilled labour who work on the oil rigs and administrative staff. Then, there are also sales jobs in Dammam in the oil and gas industry. Though locals are employed for these jobs, there are also many jobs for expatriates. The natural gas plants in Dammam have also increased the employment prospects of the city. There are jobs for expatriates in the natural gas plants too. Other than these, there are jobs in fields such as manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, electronics, construction materials, adhesives etc. Skilled labour is also required for jobs in these fields.

Other industries in Dammam that attract trained workforce from across the globe include Banking, Real Estate, Healthcare, insurance etc. the prospects are opening up in these fields. Since a lot of trained workforce is required in these industries, especially in fields such as healthcare and banking, the local workforce cannot cater to all the vacancies and these jobs go to expatriates. In the healthcare field, there is a requirement for specialists in all branches of medicine. Clinical pathology specialists, anaesthesist consultants, general surgeons, consultant & specialists, plastic surgery consultants, obstetricians, gynecologists, orthopedic consultant, pediatric consultants, ophthalmologist consultants, nurses etc are in huge demand in Dammam.

The medical and healthcare staff is offered lucrative jobs offering comfortable lifestyle and perks in Dammam. Their accommodation is taken care of by the employer and they are given many perks besides the regular salary. They are offered an annual leave to visit home with family and return tickets are also given. Thus, the money and other incentives that come with the jobs in Dammam are a major attraction and pull expatriates into the city. The city in itself is a beautiful and infrastructure-wise developed place that provides for comfortable and luxurious living to the residents, both locals and expatriates.

To get any of these jobs, one needs to contact either the recruitment agencies working in Dammam or apply directly to the companies that regularly advertise jobs in newspapers, job sites and also on company websites. If going via recruitment agents, due diligence should be taken to avoid spurious and fraud agents also working in this field. Always go to certified agents to avoid being cheated and fleeced. Before coming to Dammam, you should have your employment contract ready with all the terms and conditions clearly stated out. The details of your compensation and incentives should also be chalked out clearly. You should have a clarity over what all will be sponsored by your employer including accommodation, travel, health insurance, holiday etc.

Around Dammam is located the modern economic hub in the city of Khobar ad Dhahran.
To reach Dammam, you would land on the King Fahad International Airport which also enjoys the reputation of being the largest airport in the world in terms of land area. The airport is situated about 20 km to the northwest of Dammam. Dammam is surrounded by eight lane highways that connect it to the neighbouring cities. Within Dammam, the Saudi Railway Authority operates two separate passenger and cargo lines. Thus, Dammam is well-connected transport-wise with the rest of the region. However, you would require your own personal vehicle to move around in Dammam. Ask your employer if he will sponsor your vehicle or not. For most jobs, employers do. All the details can be obtained from the PRO of your employer.

Useful links:
http://www.naukrigulf.com/
http://www.naukrigulf.com/jobs-in-dammam

By: Geetika Jain