Local Couple Welcomes Call to Work in Saudi Arabia

by Cherri Crockett
     
     ANDOVER- When was the last time you thought about taking a vacation? Where did you want to go? Could you afford it? Have you ever thought about a working vacation?
     Mike and Deb Dixon of Andover have always wanted to go to Alaska, but couldn't afford the time off. In August of 2009 the couple decided to use their emergency technician (EMT) licenses to assist them in obtaining work in “The Great Land.”
     Mike began his career as an EMT in 1987 while still attending Telstar High School in Bethel. Deb, moved to Maine in 1983 from Dallas, TX and got her license in 1990. Both are currently employed by Med-Care Ambulance in Mexico.
     Director of Operations of Med-Care Ambulance, Dean Milligan stated, “I think this is such a great opportunity for both of them. I certainly have supported this endeavor. I have always tried to help all employees achieve their goals and their full potential. Supporting them on this was second nature.”
     It was only by chance that the Dixon's stumbled upon a recruiter for job opportunities in Saudi Arabia. They began “the paperwork nightmare” to get passports, work visas, informing their current employers of their plans and of course finding a way to take care of home from across the ocean, and one other thing, they needed to get married. “Mike came into a ready-made family,” stated Deb. “I have seven kids, the youngest being 13.”
     Saudi Arabian law prohibits men and women from living and working together. Special permits had to be obtained before the couple could enter the country.
     Mike was employed by an emergency service unit out of Scarborough at the time of their decision to begin filing paperwork. “I wanted a new challenge in life. I was traveling two hours one way with no hope of moving up in the ranks,” explained Mike.
     “I've always wanted to go overseas and help,” noted Deb. “I found out in September that I could go to Africa and volunteer. I was supposed to leave in February with my daughter-in-law.”
     During the span of four weeks when the couple first started working with the recruiter, they received a phone call from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Deb explained, “The voice on the other end said, 'Welcome!'”
     The couple researched their destination with excitement and curiosity. The hospital is located within a secure compound, has 8,000 employees, is world renowned for their organ transplant center and performs over 250 procedures a year.
     Their annual tax-free base salary for the 44-hour per week positions, for Mike at a Grade 8 will be $60,000 American and for Deb at a Grade 7, $40,000. The pay grade is based on ones' level of skill and Deb will be re-evaluated upon her arrival and offered training to advance.
     “That salary doesn't include any overtime,” stated Mike. “When you compare it to here, 60-80 hours versus 44 and tax-free pay...it doesn't take a genius.” Each employee also receives 56 paid vacation days per year, based on their lunar calendar, which has 13 months instead of the western 12.
     Deb was quick to add that they have a lot to get used to and learn. “They live and breathe by Allah over there. Medical treatment, for example, can only be performed after waiting 15 minutes for any intervention to take place. We have a lot to learn, but I'm really looking forward to it.”
     Over the past six months, there has been a constant struggle with the paperwork required for the couple to be on their way. At first, they were told it would take two to three months to complete everything.
     In November, when visas were getting returned without a stamp, Mike told Deb to head to Africa. They were going to abandon the Saudi plan. “The frustration was setting in.” Things just weren't happening according to what they were being told.
     At that point, they found out that there was a problem with Mike's birth certificate. He was born in Thailand and “it was pretty much the same situation. My father was looking for something different and came to the states.”
     Again, paperwork was passed back and forth and the expected date of departure was set for the end of January. The couple, thinking this would be their last chance, made a trip to Texas to visit with Deb's family and while there, visit with their recruiter.
     “Their website was very professional and impressive,” stated Mike. “We got down there and started looking for the company, found the address, but no sign.” Deb continued, “ Luckily, we went inside and there on the wall was this little plaque.”
     They found three people working inside. “It was a surprise that an operation that required so much legality was so small,” stated Mike.
     Upon their return to Andover, they packed their bags and waited for their visas to arrive with their itinerary for the flight and procedures once in Saudi Arabia. “We are still living out of our suitcases,” said Deb.
     “I never thought that a snowstorm in Washington, D.C. would have an impact on me in Maine. Since our government was shut down for five days and the religious holiday, Ramadan was going on over there, we are at another standstill.”
     On February 18, the Dixon's were told by the hospital they'll be working for that they would need to be at an orientation meeting on February 21 in Saudi Arabia. “With a 24-hour time difference and a 48-hour flight, I don't think that's going to happen,” stated Deb.
     Mike responded, “The catch is that they only hold orientation meetings on the first and third weeks of the month. So, either we get our go-ahead and we spend the next couple weeks home anticipating the leave or they get us over there and we spend a couple weeks getting acquainted with the lifestyle.”
     The Dixons will be responsible for transporting patients to and from the hospital to airports and emergency services within and possibly outside the compound. They will be accustomed to the trucks, since they are equivalent to those they use now. “They are in pristine shape,” stated Mike. “The United States sends their used trucks over there and the Saudis clean them up, they're immaculate.”
     There is no housing currently available for Mike and Deb to live in as a married couple. They will have to reside separately in a men's dorm and a women's housing unit until accommodations can be made. “This will probably take a few weeks, so it's going to be a little tough,” stated Deb.
     Special permits were required to allow them to work on the same ambulance, as it is illegal for men and women to work on the same vehicle.
     Mike and Deb have been briefed on many of the cultural differences, “They have Dunkin Donuts and Burger King over there, but don't you dare ask for a hamburger. It is a beef burger. Pigs are viewed as lowly, dirty animals over there.”
     They were also informed that the country is dry, not sand and sun dry, but meaning that there is no alcohol available to them. The nearest city that offers liquor is four hours away.
     The couple needs to become aware of the religious ceremonies, as “there are religious police that will smack you on the leg with this little stick if you're not being respectful,” stated Deb.
     “They have prayer five times a day and you are required to stop whatever it is you're doing. You don't have to pray, you just have to stand there and don't get caught staring,” stated Mike.
     The country is well-known for their public executions and low crime rate. “This is going to be something very different,” said Deb. “But, it's their way of life and we'll be there living it for a year.”
     Of their working family, Deb expressed, “Med-Care has been home to us for so long. We're like a family here and we'll miss it.”
     Mike continued, “They've been great here. We've been delayed so many times in leaving these last few months. I was out of a job in Scarborough on January 15 and Dean accepted me here, no questions asked.”
     In response, Milligan stated, “They are like family and have been great employees serving the citizens of the River Valley for many years. I am extremely happy for them to be able to go to the Middle East.” “We will miss them, but at the same time we are excited for them. Their family will be here for them when they return.”
     When asked about how staffing will be affected in the Dixon's absence, Milligan stated, “We will be okay...the board has approved substantial funding for education and we have just upgraded several personnel to the paramedic level.”
     “They will be missed...they were local and very devoted and available many times when we were in staffing pinches. Their jobs will be waiting for them when they return next year for sure.”
     During the last day of work for the couple, they got a call to Black Mountain for an injured skier. “We went out with a bang,” stated Deb. “We had to get him to the heli-pad at the hospital and within two minutes Lifeflight was there and our job was done. It's going to be so interesting to be doing the same thing overseas.” On February 21, Mike and Deb got word, “Our itinerary finally came through. Our bags are packed, tickets are in hand and everything is in place,” stated an excited Deb. “We leave from Portland, to New York to D.C. and then have a direct flight to Saudi.”
     The Dixon's have left behind a daughter-in-law to care for their home and animals, a caretaker will tend to their rented property and the 13 year old will live with his biological father. The other members of the family, are enlisted military, an emergency technician and a stay-at-home mom. “With any luck, we'll be back home in August to see our sons who will be home on leave and visit with the family,” stated Deb.