💼 Got a Jeddah job in 6 weeks back in 2018. This time I'm 6 months in and nothing

I was in Jeddah from 2018 to 2022. Back then I got 3 interviews in my first month and an offer in week 6. I came back to Hyderabad for family reasons, and this April I started applying to go back. It's been 6 months and nothing I'd call a real offer. I'm in purchasing and stores, 9 years experience, 4 of them in Jeddah, so I'm not a fresher. I apply almost every day. Portals, LinkedIn, and 2 agents in Tolichowki who keep saying next week. 5 interviews so far, all online. 2 went quiet after the second round. One made an offer, but the salary wouldn't have covered rent there plus what I send home, so I said no. My old manager in Jeddah told me straight, applying from India puts you at the back of the queue now. Half the postings say Saudis only or want someone already inside with a transferable iqama. The rest get hundreds of applications. Salaries for my role are lower than in 2020, and not by a little. 2 friends flew out on visit visas to search there. Both still looking, both burning money every week. I'm not doing that. What I regret is telling the whole family in April that I'm going back. Now at every function someone asks when I'm leaving. If you're working in Saudi now, is it this bad in your field too, or is it just purchasing? Any agent or site that's worked for you recently?

Every posting my brother in law saw last year wanted someone already inside the country, with a transferable iqama. Took him almost 4 months to get something in logistics, and that was through a referral, not a portal. Salary was less than he wanted but he took it. Said he'd rather be inside and look for better from there. Maybe not a bad plan if you get even a decent offer.

My cousin's in the same spot. 5 months applying for Riyadh and Dammam from Hyderabad, nothing solid. He says portals are almost useless now. The only 2 calls he got came through people he knew.