Working in the middle east

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

Only kidding...I live miles from Clacton!

[OwlHoot]

He must be. What about the two expats, one a Scot who were arrested, tortured until they confessed to a crime they knew nothing about, then sentenced to crucifixion and beheading.

The sentenced was reduced on appeal - to beheading only.

With diplomatic interevention they were eventually extracted alive from Saudi Arabia.

Even if you can avoid being crucified, beheaded, or blown up, etc, I've heard the rates are way down from what they were in the good old days of the 1980s, because for most purposes its cheaper to hire Indian contractors.

[rootsnall]

I did a stint in Riyadh when there was stuff all work a few years back, a very strange and dysfunctional place and I'd avoid it personally unless you are a real money grabber. Life on the foreigner compounds is OK at face value with sun, swimming pools, lots of home brew etc etc but there is pretty much stuff all to do in the outside world and everyone is just there for the money and on the edge of cracking up. I was on decent money but they had just started recruiting Indian programmers when I was there and the feeling was the big bucks days had gone !? If you go make sure you get paid over there or offshore, you can get a sterling bank account.

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

Don't worry guys, there's nothing in the pipeline. I was just inquisitive. I have seen jobs advertised in such places (as well as Egypt, Tunisia etc) so am just checking things out

[Hiram King Of Tyre]

I had an agency call me this morning about a job in Iran

[hattra]

If you want to try the Middle East, I'd recommend that you stick to the Emirates - partucularly Abu Dhabi and Dubai - Saudi is dull as dishwater (though Jeddah seemed OK) and dry (as in - no alchohol). I've heard that Qatar is OK these days, if a bit dodgy politically, like Saudi. Iraq used to be the best by a long way but I wouldn't recommend it these days!