Pros:
Weather
The weather can be a hit or miss but it’s mostly warm and full of sunshine all year round without the grey clouds. A lot of teachers escape their homes to teach in the Gulf region as of the beautiful climate since they feel happier, healthier, and more energetic soaking in the sunshine. The winter season is very pleasant ranging from 16°C to 26°C, with an average temperature of 21°C which still feels pleasant so you could probably go out for a swim at night. In the summer season, the temperature can go up to 45°C with the lowest at about 26°C.
Distance
The countries in the Gulf region are pleasantly easy to travel to so a lot of teachers that don’t want to travel somewhere far tend to go teach in the Middle East since it is easy to get around and flight distance is shorter than going somewhere in the Far East, especially if they are going they have family or commitments back home so they prefer a shorter distance so they can easily go back and forth.
Tax-Free Salary plus benefits
Many are attracted to the location since the salary is tax-free unlike the Western system and on top of that many of the clients offer accommodation, flights, visas, medical insurance, tuition, contract completion bonus, and much more!
Culture
Some people want to transition to the Gulf region as of the culture since they follow the values and culture, so they are keen to move to countries following the same ethos, religion, and culture as they want themselves and their families to grow up in the Islamic environment.
Socialising with new people
People enjoy meeting fellow educators as they get to engage with people from different backgrounds and learn about their culture, and traditions and make new teacher friends from all over the world.
Cons:
Weather
The hot weather can be a hit or miss as temperatures could increase to a high 40°C+ in summer making it unbearable and not so pleasant for some people especially if they are working.
Socialising with locals
It can be hard to engage with locals as they try to avoid interacting with new people as of the language barrier and cultural differences. Usually, locals like to only engage with people they know and other locals rather than foreigners, and most of the countries in the Gulf region are made up of lots of ex-pats than locals.
Respect for teachers
You may face children’s behavior issues in school as they are spoilt by their parents and live a certain way so they can lack respect for teachers but as long as you’re ready to face the challenges then you will be fine and not all schools have this problem so a good accredited school will always make sure the teachers receive the best and students are well behaved.
Living culture can seem shallow
Expats who have lived in different countries feel that it’s hard to escape the fun party gatherings that happen almost every weekend and during the week too as for locals, it’s all about partying, driving fancy cars, and showing off designer goods which can be a very tiring routine to follow for everyone especially if that’s not the standard of life you want. The labourers and lower class can’t afford such a lifestyle, so they are often looked down upon which is a sad mindset of the people.
Modest Dressing
For some people, it can be bothering to dress modestly every time but in Muslim countries in the middle east, you have to follow a modest dress style, especially for women to avoid unnecessary attention so always do research on the country you will be relocating to as if they don’t require you to wear a hijab but you may still need to cover your legs and arms to dress modestly.