- Steven Catudal moved to Saudi Arabia for six months to work on a consulting project.
- He said the heat was intense and there were subtle differences between the Dubai and Riyadh offices.
- Catudal noticed a key difference between decision-making in New York and Riyadh.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Steven Catudal, an associate in the people and organizational performance practice at the consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Growing up, I had always traveled to other countries, so when I saw opportunities to work abroad with Oliver Wyman, I raised my hand.
In my four years at the firm, I had already worked on projects in Brazil, Germany, and Canada. I was interested in the Middle East, so I started networking with partners and managers at my firm in the region.
It took a couple of months, but a project came up in Saudi Arabia. Within two weeks I was on a flight to Riyadh.
The practical side of moving was pretty stress-free. My employer sorted out the visa. My company also had some preferred hotels and apartment buildings, and it was easy to set up a short-term rental.
The work
The biggest difference I noticed compared to working in New York was the diversity of the teams. There were managers and consultants from India, Singapore, Dubai, the UAE, and Russia.
The smartest talent from all around the world is coming to one place.
I worked at both the Dubai and Riyadh OW offices during this time. The Dubai office was definitely more expat-driven and international, but in the Saudi office, they try to staff locally when they can.
A big positive of working in the region is that the projects are grand in scale and impact. While working on the projects in Saudi I felt like we weren’t just helping a company grow or make more money, but building something for the future.
I found it interesting and refreshing.
Steven Catudal
There was buy-in from everyone on the team to ensure projects were successful. A lot of the Saudis who I worked with said that they studied in the US, Canada, and Europe but chose to come back because they wanted to help build the country. The people I worked with had a ton of passion and pride toward Saudi Arabia.
The work was the same intensity of every consulting project. There are tight deadlines, and some weeks, it’s a grind to get everything done. On weekends when colleagues had traveled to the region for work, we got our heads down and it could be intense.
There are some projects in the region that are remote, but I was always in the office.
Riyadh is a massive city and is very spread out. I took a cab to and from work, partly to stay in the air conditioning and avoid the heat. In the summer, it’s close to 110 degrees. I found the heat challenging, especially trying to stay cool before client meetings.
The lifestyle
It’s very easy to travel around the region on the weekends. There are loads of affordable flights — you can find a $100 return deal. I went to Oman, Turkey, Morocco, Cairo, the UAE, Qatar, and Georgia.
Riyadh itself is bustling and energetic. I loved the evening culture once it had cooled down a bit. Even at 11 p.m., thousands of people and kids would be out walking or playing soccer.
There are always new things to do, it was very fun and felt, to me, like safe place to be.
Johannes Sadek/picture alliance via Getty Images
One of the things I enjoyed the most was how friendly the Saudis I met were to me and how welcomed I felt.
Coming to a country where all the signs were in a different language and I couldn’t order in restaurants wasn’t a problem. People were always pulling out their phones, trying to translate and figure out what I was saying.
It was the same with my colleagues and clients. People were always welcoming me into their home, asking to get meals or giving me recommendations. After work, I was often invited to join in scoccer games or invited to colleagues’ houses for dinner. They’d even offer to drive me home rather than take a cab.
One of the toughest things was being away from friends and family and keeping in contact around the time difference.
These consulting projects vary in length, from one or two months to up to a year. While you’re away, it can feel like your life is on pause. You miss friends getting engaged or cousins going to college.
Career growth
Working on a project abroad is absolutely worth it. I’ll take this experience with me for the rest of my life.
One key difference I noticed in Saudi Arabia was the direct approach that individuals took to ensure that there was consensus among the group.
While working in New York, once a decision had been made, it was assumed everyone agreed and it wasn’t questioned. However, while working in Saudi Arabia, there were many times when everyone’s input was requested after a decision was made to ensure that everyone was onboard.
Working in such a diverse office culture made me think about how peoples’ background impacts how they work and deal with problems.
In the future, if a team is working from one perspective, this kind of experience opens up your mind to say, “Oh, there are so many other ways you can tackle and solve this problem.”
Do you have a story to share about your career as a consultant? Contact this reporter at pthompson@businessinsider.com
