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[broadband_austen]

Hello there,

I've been browsing these posts with interest since a friend told me about this forum. I'm an early career academic who is bound for Qatar in August having finished up my (part-time, untenured) teaching job in Oxford. I've been particularly enjoying the discussions of workplace practice and the ex-pat weird zone that the Gulf seems to be.

Basically, I decided to take my job for a number of reasons, but primarily because I was sick of being exploited (often in the nicest possible way!) by UK institutions for my teaching energies and the expectation, not always tacit, that what early career academics have to put up with is extreme exhaustion & poverty for a few years before, Hey presto! one finds oneself in a fabulous job.

As I've seen, that often does _not_ come to pass despite the many years of dedication people put in. I still want to teach, I (desperately) want to have some time to research, and, materialistic though it might seem, I would like to have a decent quality of life. That is, I would like a reasonable salary. Qatar's package seems good and to offer the amount of time I might need to write that book / those articles / conference papers.

So, with this in mind (and also the terrifying fact that I'm going, site-unseen to Qatar in August!), I'm very interested in the benefits of teaching in the Middle East - what do people enjoy about their jobs, their lifestyles, their academic communities?

At least it doesn't rain all the time...

[baka_janai]

The 12 years I (we) spent in the Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman) were some of the best of my (our) life and I wouldn't trade the memories for anything.  But it's all about attitude.  You're time in the Gulf will be what you make of it.

Many (too many) expats seems to have a negative attitude from day one.  These are typically the "I'm here for the cash" types.  Cash is good and cash is nice.  But not if your plan is to sell several years of your life in exchange for a thick bank book.  These types almost always burnout within a year or so.  Another group endlessly complains about that fact that they can't live their lives exactly as they had always done before.   Duh.  These people should have stayed at home. 

One key to happiness in the Gulf is to be realistic about the situation you're going into.  You won't be "blending with Arab society" -- rather you'll be living in a semi-colonial situation.  Most of your friends will be other expats.  You will rarely, if ever, be invited into a Qatari home.  You will probably never get to know a Qatari outside of work.  That can be off-putting at times but needed make your life miserable.  Being happy in the Gulf is all about "lotus eating."  Kick back.  Enjoy.

As far as what we liked, well in some sense it boiled down to lots of very interesting people, an easy-going lifestyle, and lots of free time and the ability to travel.  Most "happy" expats traveled extensively.  Really I wouldn't have stayed as long as I did if it weren't for the traveling.   Unfortunately, the Brits tend to get the short end of the stick here because of the "airfare to point of hire" rule.  My point of hire was LA so I got a virtual round the world ticket for me and mine every summer.  The Brits, in contrast, might only be getting airfare to London.

Enjoy your time in Qatar and don't forget to get down to the UAE and even further down to Oman.

[broadband_austen]

Thanks for that. It sounds like you really made the most of your time there. I have friends in Beirut and Israel so am intending to do a lot of visiting - and that should be great. Attitude adjustment sounds like a healthy thing to do. I really appreciated your comments about the lack of social mixing. A few contacts out there had hinted at that fact, but having it stated frankly is useful.

Though living in a quasi-colonial compound makes my ideological skin crawl it is not 'optional', and really gives me the chance to work hard then bring it on! The cash incentive is part of my motive, but not the sole one, so I'm glad to go with a more open mind about what I will get out of it, rather than fixating on lucre.

[normative_]

I agree it's about attitude. And it certainly helps if you either arrive alone or have a partner who has no qualms about living there. I won't go into the possible downsides there.

The money isn't unimportant--it's  a fabulous place to pay off your student loans--but at some point those loans will be paid off and you'll have to find other things to do with your time and money. You will have to choose between visiting your Lebanese and Israeli friends though (and can you even travel to Israel from the country you'll be working in?). Be aware of that.

Lebanon should be no problem. Lovely country and very good wine when the government and Hezbollah aren't shooting at one another.

My tip? Go in the summer when it's unbearably hot in the Gulf as alternative to heading out to one of the western destinations. Stay away from the coast and it's oppressive humidity--the Bekah Valley is about as close as you can come without getting that--and it's really quite beautiful.

[mingus]

Lebanon should be no problem. Lovely country and very good wine when the government and Hezbollah aren't shooting at one another.

What happens to the wine then?

[keepitmoving]

Hope that all is going well for you if you have arrived.  I too just moved to the Middle East (Abu Dhabi) and have been here for four days.  It is Hot but I was expecting that.  I have to say that I am really enjoying it. I think that it is going to be a great place to live and get some research done.  Sometimes life gets in the way at home and tends to get me behind.  I am hoping that I will get more work done, meet lots of new interesting people, travel, and relax a little.
Good luck
keepitmoving

[baka_janai]

Sometimes life gets in the way at home and tends to get me behind.  I am hoping that I will get more work done, meet lots of new interesting people, travel, and relax a little.

Sounds like you'll do fine in the Gulf!  In some ways I would say that the greatest lesson I learned in my 12 years in the Gulf was to manage my own entertainment. 

[sultana2u]

Greetings,

I have been in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi) for almost 5 yrs. I have refer to my time here as the "best of times and the worst of times'.

I worked for three yrs in workforce development and business outreach in an administrative role at a govt. University here,  I designed programs, taught short courses, connected with private business and government sector, representing the University as a training resource.  It had its challenges and its frustrations (unrealistic timeframes and shortage of resources available for continuing ed programming, but it was a professional experience I wouldn't have missed for the world.

The University offered a 2nd contract after my initial 3 years, but I declined.  I have moved in a training and development  and HR consulting role with a private organization. I love it!  I have managed to blend my love for teaching and learning with my entrepreneurial bent in a way that I couldn't have done in the States.  Yes, I no longer have a guaranteed salary and paid accommodation but its challenging, vital and gives me a degree of freedom to explore just want I can cook up.

I'm here for the long haul.  Unlike the many who have stated that they have not had the chance to know local families, I have.  Thats probably related to the fact that I'm a Muslim, having converted years ago before coming to the UAE.  I'm progressive in my views, and I don't cover, ( as I once did), and I love the Emirati families who have now considered me like a sister. 

Sure, I don't fit will all the cultural expectations and its likely I never will.... Nevertheless, I have adjusted and adapted and have  found a way to be just who I am: Am American Muslim, creating a life and enhancing a career in ways that work wonderfully for me.

I enjoy Abu Dhabi and have learned to deal with the few downsides and am happy here.

My advise to anyone coming from "the West" would include: respect the culture, be discreet and do as you please, but in private,  don't expect it to be "like it was back home".  See the challenges as an incredible adventure, and stretch yourself.  Remember that patience, tolerance and flexibility are the most required personal attributes.

I suspect you will go away with a sense of being a truly global citizen

[beequeen]

Since you started work in August, you may not be reading this forum, but...

I have just applied for a job at the American University at Cairo. I am curious about the interview process. Were you interviewed in person or by phone. Why do you think you were selected for the job. Any tips will be appreciated.

[plordan]

I agree that attitude is very important. I lived/taught in Al Ain, UAE for 5 years at the UAE University there. Dubai and Abu Dhabi were 60-80 minutes away. Oman was less Westernized/developed, and traditional Gulf Arab culture was more accessible. One of the upsides was living among expats from all over the globe, getting a better sense of what each of the cultures encountered had to offer. Great, inexpensive eats at Lebanese, Indian, Philipino restaurants. It was possible to get comfort foods from home via certain grocery stores and restaurants--as well as to try lots of other, new things. Certain Western-style hotels have affordable athletic clubs and Westerner beaches (where other patrons don't stare at you), and that makes for pleasant leisure activities. It's also possible to go on desert outings in the winter months (camping, wadi-bashing--e.g. 4-wheeling, scuba diving, skiing). It's possible you may get invited to Qatari homes, if, for example, you have students who you get to know and they invite you to a wedding. I went to one wedding--as did my wife--in 5 years. I also went to multiple Omani homes as we were on the border of UAE/Oman. Plenty of adventures, cultural learning, lifelong friends. There were plenty of difficult and weird experiences, too--keep in mind.