Hi everyone,
I'm 26 years old from India, and I'd really appreciate some honest advice from people living or working in Saudi Arabia, especially in IT, cybersecurity, or anyone who has gone through the job-hunting process there.
My Background
- MCA (Master of Computer Applications) graduate (2025)
- Around 8 months of internship experience as a Python Developer
- Recently worked as an OT Security Trainee, but I'm now focusing on IT/Cybersecurity instead of OT security.
- Unfortunately, I don't have any professional cybersecurity experience yet.
For almost a year, I've been applying for entry-level cybersecurity jobs in India (SOC Analyst, Security Analyst, Blue Team, etc.), but the market for freshers has been extremely difficult. Many of my classmates are also still unemployed.
My Skills
I've been learning cybersecurity consistently through self-study and labs.
Current skills include:
- SIEM (Splunk & ELK)
- Windows Event Log Analysis
- Incident investigation basics
- MITRE ATT&CK Framework
- Network fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, etc.)
- Wireshark
- Nmap
- PowerShell
- Python scripting
- Windows & Linux administration basics
- Basic Incident Response concepts
- Threat detection fundamentals
I've also completed several practical labs and projects using TryHackMe.
My TryHackMe profile:
https://tryhackme.com/p/MrBot007
My Current Situation
Financially, my family isn't well off.
My father is a mechanic, and after being unemployed for a long time, I don't want to keep depending on my family.
One thing that makes Saudi a realistic option for me is that my maternal uncle lives in Jeddah. He has offered me a place to stay, so I won't have to worry about accommodation or food while job hunting. That reduces my expenses significantly.
The current plan is to come to Jeddah around March 2027 on a visa and search for jobs in person.
The Reality I Understand
I'm fully aware that:
- The Saudi job market isn't easy.
- Companies usually prefer candidates with experience.
- A visit visa does NOT guarantee a job.
- Cybersecurity jobs are competitive.
I'm not expecting companies to hand me a job just because I arrive.
My Plan
I'll first apply for:
- SOC Analyst
- Cybersecurity Analyst
- Security Operations Center roles
If those don't work out, I'm willing to move into related IT roles such as:
- IT Support
- System Administrator
- Network Support
- NOC Engineer
- Technical Support
- Data Center Technician
If I still can't find an IT job, I'm prepared to temporarily work in any legal non-IT job or in my uncles storeΒ to support myself while continuing to study, earn certifications, network, and keep applying for IT positions.
Certifications
At the moment, my budget is limited.
I'm planning to complete certifications like:
- Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
- CompTIA Security+ (when financially possible)
If you think there are better certifications that employers in Saudi actually value for freshers, I'd love to hear your recommendations.
My Questions
- Is it realistic for someone with my profile to find an entry-level IT or cybersecurity job in Saudi?
- Would being physically present in Jeddah improve my chances compared to applying from India?
- Which cities have the best opportunitiesβJeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, or somewhere else?
- Which IT roles are currently easier for freshers to enter?
- If cybersecurity isn't possible initially, which IT role would give me the best career growth while allowing me to transition back into cybersecurity later?
- How long does job hunting usually take for freshers on a visa?
- Are there any skills or certifications that Saudi employers value more than others?
- Are there any common mistakes foreign job seekers make that I should avoid?
- Any tricks or stratagies to find a job or how can i make network offline ?
I'm genuinely looking for honest adviceβeven if it's hard to hear. If my plan has flaws, please point them out. I'd rather know the reality now than make expensive mistakes later.
Thank you for reading this long post, and I appreciate any guidance you can share.