Vinnell Arabia Employee Job Reviews in the United States

"I began my career at Vinnell Arabia in 2011, since then I have obtained an upper management position as the Security Operations manager. The company overall is a great company with promotional opportunities. The senior management team has a great sense of business improvements and management."

"3 years in the system. Company has no leadership. All work is copy and paste. Personnel have no drive or ambition because leadership lacks direction, ambition, and quality work ethic. Living conditions on the camp are very poor. Everywhere you move the personal living spaces smell like pee. If you are lucky you can live in a western compound in more favorable living conditions. Don't accept a job here. The company treats grown men as children because leadership lacks ability to convey standards and enforce them in a manner consistent with the private sector. Instead, corporate or group punishment is enforced because there is no leadership. The general manager acts as a child throwing tantrums and yelling in the most unprofessional manner imaginable. Several actual leaders who arrive leave shortly after having been faced with the complete lack of quality in leaders. Proof of this is in the fact after 43 years the company contract exceeded $1 billion. Most companies of similar expertise in Saudi surpass this value in only a few years. The lack of growth demonstrates a complete lack of vision and ambition in a culture driven by former military retirees past their prime with nothing to prove or accomplish."

"Lowest salary in country, poor work culture and climate."

What do you like about working at Vinnell Arabia?

"The people are nice. They have a camaraderie because most are ex-military."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Don't work here unless you are on the street or doing it so you don't lose your home."

What don't you like about working at Vinnell Arabia?

"Vinnell Arabia (VA) is a front company that is owned by Northrop Grumman. They provide services and training for the SaudI Arabia National Guard (SANG) under the direction of the US Army, Office of Program Manager (OPM SANG).First off, the company is only concerned with filling the contract requirements and filling slots. If they have vacant slots, they dont get paid. The senior leader is a retired Army 3 star general who acts like he is still in command of an army corps. They treat you like you are in the army; you wear an ugly, outdated tan army uniform and must adhere to military grooming standards. The work week is 45 hours, 9 hours a day from 5:30 am until 2:30 pm. Some divisions start later, it just depends.Most leaders are very ineffective and have only past military experience to rely upon. Again, they still think this is the military. The company is so cheap; they not only make you provide your own boots, but the have the lowest base salary for contractors in the entire country. They ask people to suck it up and pitch in or volunteer instead of getting corporate to pitch in. I am sorry, but in the real world, your employer shouldnt be asking for volunteers to beautify the area and in one case, they even required the employers to pick up trash all around the compound.In June, 2012, the entire company moved its employees off a Western compound that had several swimming pools, a gym, tennis courts, racquetball courts, etc. and was comprised of 2 and 3 bedroom villas. They were old but at least you had some escape from this nasty, oppressive country. Now, they moved everyone into apartments on Camp Vinnell the same place many people work. It is owned by the SANG and is the same dump that was bombed in 2003 that killed 9 people and injured dozens more. The security situation here is just as bad. They are ripe to get bombed again. The apartments are shared, 2 bedroom and they are smaller than most dorm rooms. The quality is 3rd world country and most things dont work right. The kitchen is so small, the sink isnt large enough to wash a fry pan without spilling water everywhere and the oven is so small we called it an Easy Bake. Also, they dont use pee traps here so sewer gas emits from everywhere and you get to smell everyone elses excrement all the time. Also, they moved us in at least 6 months before they were ready. The cable and internet are still not working and wont be ready for several months. The security office isnt even completed and the dining facility is barley operating. They promised a temporary gym and the new gym wont be ready until late fall. I dont know if they will ever get good equipment. What they have now is worse and less than you would find at a garage sale and actually dangerous!Finally, they certainly have the good old boy system here and certain people get certain perks. They use this for promotion boards, vehicles and other perks like your own room, villa, etc. The SANG doesnt want to learn or posses the capacity. They have had this same contract for over 30 years and made almost no progress. The only thing they succeeded at was spending billions of dollars for nothing."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Find another place to work because this company will fold - everyone is leaving."