With the recent situation with Iraq, the U.S. Department of State and its fellow Western counterparts, among them the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, have issued travel warnings advising against travel to most of the Arabian peninsula, citing the possibility of retaliatory attacks against Western nationals. The families of diplomats and their officials have been evacuated or encouraged to leave, and many of these reports suggest that foreign workers should do likewise. In the time between Gulf Wars I and II (and even earlier), however, it was relatively safe and easy for Westerners in the oil, health care, and IT fields to get jobs almost anywhere in the Gulf region. The jobs were usually contract positions for 6, 12, or 24 months, and included accommodation (usually in a compound for Westerners) and relatively high salaries. Such positions have always appealed to me not just because of the perks but because of my interest in foreign culture and love of extremely hot weather. (I simply can’t be happier when it’s above 40 degrees.)
I have some idea of the variations in climate on the Arabian peninsula, but apart from that, what are/were the differences one might expect in working in the various cities around the region? For instance, how do Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Qatar differ in terms of the type of accommodation available, access to goods and services, friendliness of the local populace, recreational activities, local media, and overall quality of life and experiences of foreign workers? I hear that Bahrain is more cosmopolitan than most Gulf cities, and that UAE cities tend to be more modern.
I’d be interested to hear from anyone with experience working in this region, particularly those who have worked in more than one place.