How do you get a job at Aramco or ADNOC? There are two doors. The first is direct hire: Aramco recruits international staff through its own regional portals, and says it generally looks for five to 10 years of applicable experience (Aramco). ADNOC posts jobs on its careers portal, jobs.adnoc.ae. The second, and often easier for foreigners, is to work for a contractor: an engineering, construction, drilling or services company working on the national oil company’s (NOC’s) projects and sites.
This guide explains both routes, what Aramco says about pay and benefits, how ADNOC hires, and how to avoid the many scams that use NOC names.
Direct hire vs contractor: the difference
| Direct hire (NOC employee) | Contractor employee | |
|---|---|---|
| Your employer | The NOC itself | An EPC, drilling, maintenance or services company |
| How to apply | The NOC’s own career portal | The contractor’s career site |
| Experience asked | Aramco: generally 5 to 10 years | Varies from entry level to senior |
| Benefits | Company housing or allowance, schooling help, healthcare (Aramco lists these) | Set by the contractor; read the offer |
| Visa sponsor | The NOC | The contractor |
| Work location | NOC offices, plants, fields | NOC sites, plus the contractor’s own offices |
Both are legitimate. Contractor work is a common way in for foreign technicians, supervisors and engineers, and it gives you experience on NOC sites, which helps if you later apply directly. Direct jobs are harder to get but usually more stable.
Aramco jobs: how direct hiring works
Aramco’s careers site splits recruitment into Saudi applicants, international applicants and jobs in its regional offices (Aramco careers).
Who Aramco looks for
Aramco says it seeks experienced professionals in “engineering, geosciences, drilling, R&D, as well as education, finance, law, and other administrative areas”, and generally looks for “a minimum of five to 10 years of applicable experience”. It looks favourably on active membership of professional associations (Aramco).
How to apply to Aramco
International applicants apply through regional portals:
- Americas (including US applicants): careers.aramco.com, For US Applicants
- Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe: careers.aramco.com, For European Candidates
Aramco also has regional companies, such as Aramco Americas and offices in Europe and Asia, which hire for their own locations.
The Aramco hiring process
Aramco describes these steps (Aramco hiring process):
- Application: fill in an Application for Employment along with your CV; Aramco says this can shorten the wait for a response.
- Interview: with technical representatives in London, Houston or Singapore, at a recruiting event, or by video.
- Conditional offer: a written offer listing the conditions and the package.
- Relocation: a Relocation Advisor helps with medical and background checks, dependants, your Saudi visa and travel.
- Pre-departure orientation for you and your family.
- Arrival: Aramco has a 24-hour office at Dammam airport, and a representative takes you to your accommodation.
Aramco gives no timeline for these steps. For visa and residence rules, see our guide to working in Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
Aramco jobs for US citizens and in Houston
US citizens apply through the Americas portal, and interviews can take place in Houston. Roles based in the US are with Aramco’s regional company. Most international Aramco jobs are in Saudi Arabia itself.
How to get a job at Aramco from India or Pakistan
Use the Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe portal, or Aramco’s regional sites (Aramco lists an India site among them). Direct roles need the same 5 to 10 years of experience. Many Indian and Pakistani engineers and technicians work on Aramco projects through contractors, so also look at contractor jobs in the Eastern Province.
Aramco salary and benefits
Aramco does not publish salary scales on its careers site. It says salaries reflect “experience, job description, responsibility, and qualifications”, and packages can include “expatriate premiums” for the cost of living in Saudi Arabia (Aramco benefits). Other parts it lists:
- Housing: four Aramco communities in the Eastern Province, or a rental allowance to live elsewhere.
- Leave: up to 38 calendar days of paid annual leave, plus about 9 to 11 public holidays.
- Healthcare: through Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare or contracted providers, at no cost to the employee.
- Schooling: an education assistance plan for children of employees hired on family status.
- Pay extras: an annual performance bonus, a settling-in allowance, annual merit increases, and a severance award after two or more years of service.
Salaries in Saudi Arabia are not taxed for employment income; our guide to Gulf oil and gas salaries and benefits explains how basic pay, allowances and end-of-service awards work under the Saudi Labor Law (HRSD).
Salary figures posted on forums are not verified. Ask for the full package in writing, including basic salary, allowances and the severance terms.
ADNOC jobs
ADNOC posts jobs on its careers portal, jobs.adnoc.ae, which groups them into areas such as HSE, QA/QC, business support, technology and a Graduate Trainee Program. On RigJobsDirect on 16 October 2026 we listed 47 open ADNOC jobs, almost all in Abu Dhabi, including operators, technicians, engineers and project planners.
ADNOC jobs for freshers
ADNOC’s portal lists a Graduate Trainee Program. Check the eligibility on the portal, including whether foreign graduates can apply. If not, contractors and international companies are the usual starting points.
ADNOC jobs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Most ADNOC operations are in Abu Dhabi. On 16 October 2026 we listed 341 energy jobs in Abu Dhabi at 29 employers, and 485 across the UAE. See our guide to working in the UAE’s energy sector for visas and residence.
Other national oil companies
The same two doors exist at other NOCs. On RigJobsDirect on 16 October 2026 we listed jobs at QatarEnergy LNG, which produces LNG from 14 trains at Ras Laffan, Malaysia’s Petronas, and Norway’s state-controlled Equinor, though each had only a few open roles that day. Their direct jobs, like Aramco’s and ADNOC’s, mostly ask for solid experience in a specific discipline, and their own career sites are the only place to apply for them.
When you compare a direct NOC job with a contractor job at the same site, look beyond the salary:
- Stability: a direct role does not end when a project finishes.
- Training and promotion: ask each employer how people progress; contractors may move you between projects and countries, which builds a different kind of experience.
- Family status: check whether the offer allows your family to join you, and what housing and schooling help comes with it.
- Notice and transfer rules: if you work for a contractor, read any clause that limits joining the client directly after your contract ends.
Contractor jobs on NOC projects
Large NOCs run their projects and much of their maintenance through contractors. On RigJobsDirect on 16 October 2026 we listed 226 energy jobs in Saudi Arabia at 30 employers, including 55 in Al Khobar, 32 in Jubail and 24 in Dammam. In Kuwait, 13 jobs were in Ahmadi.
What to check in a contractor offer
- Who is your legal employer and visa sponsor? It should be the contractor, named in the contract.
- Is the job tied to one project? Ask what happens when the project ends.
- Basic salary and allowances: housing, transport, food and remote-site allowances.
- Rotation and leave: see our guide to rotation schedules.
- End-of-service award: under the Saudi Labor Law, it is based on years of service and your last wage.
- Who pays flights, medicals and certificates?
Avoid Aramco and ADNOC job scams
Fake job offers use NOC names. Aramco says it “will never request fees or payment during any stage of its recruitment process”, warns about fake look-alike email domains, and gives contact addresses ending in @aramco.com to check whether a message is real (Aramco). Treat any offer that asks you to pay for a visa, medical, training or “processing” as a scam. Our guide to avoiding recruitment scams shows how to check UAE and Saudi offers.
Company recruitment practices and labour rules change. This guide is general information, not legal advice, so check the official links before you apply or accept an offer.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to get a job at Aramco?
For direct hire it is competitive: Aramco says it generally looks for five to 10 years of applicable experience. Working for a contractor on Aramco projects is an easier first step.
How do I apply for a job at Saudi Aramco?
International applicants use Aramco’s regional portals on careers.aramco.com: one for the Americas and one for Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe. Submit your CV and the Application for Employment.
What is the Aramco salary for engineers?
Aramco does not publish salary scales. It says pay reflects experience, the job, responsibility and qualifications, with possible expatriate premiums, a performance bonus and allowances. Ask for the full package in writing.
Can US citizens work for Aramco?
Yes. US applicants apply through the Americas portal, and interviews can be held in Houston. Most international roles are in Saudi Arabia.
Does ADNOC hire foreigners?
ADNOC’s portal lists jobs across many areas, and we list current ADNOC jobs on our ADNOC page. Many foreigners also work on ADNOC sites through contractors.
Does Aramco charge a fee to apply?
No. Aramco says it never asks for fees or payment at any stage of recruitment.