Hongkongers find big pay cheques and cultural challenges in booming Saudi Arabia
Kingdom’s economic diversification offers a host of opportunities, but success depends on willingness to adapt to culture, embrace challenges
Hongkongers lured by well-paid jobs in Saudi Arabia say the kingdom’s rapidly expanding economy remains full of promise, though navigating cultural differences in the Middle East’s richest nation remains a challenge.
Those who spoke to the Post said they had never planned to move to the oil-rich kingdom but were drawn by the large-scale transformation under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan.
The ambitious blueprint aims to aggressively modernise and diversify the Saudi economy to reduce its reliance on oil.
Chloe Wong relocated to Saudi Arabia last year after being headhunted to join the sales and distribution team at Riyadh Air, an airline backed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund as part of its push to boost tourism.
“This is a fast-growing market that brings new opportunities every year, and I want to get ahead of them,” said Wong, who is in her early thirties.
Wong, who previously worked for another airline in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for nearly two years, said she was attracted by a substantial pay rise – more than double what she earned before – and by the pace of change across Saudi Arabia’s economy.