In uk.d-i-y Essjay001 wrote:
"BAH" wrote in message
...
Good Luck mate, BUT............. I was out there for three years in the
'80's. At the time, despite the pay being tax free and about thrice UK
rates, the average stay for a British Expatriate on a long term contract
was
around three months!

I was in Oman for 13 months (2000) and Kuwait for 7 months (2001). I only
returned because I had to not because I wanted to. I did so love Oman.

Yes, but Oman is a *little* different from Saudi Arabia. We lived in
Saudi Arabia from 1974 to 1977 and in Oman from 1980 to 1987. We
enjoyed both but Oman was better in many ways.

We were a couple without children in Saudi Arabia and my wife had a
job too, I think this was one of the easiset situations to be in
there, wives with children were stuck at home and isolated, husbands
by themselves often just sort of festered. Although it's a dry
country we knoew more heavy drinkers and alcoholics there than we've
ever met anywhere else. The other saving grace for us was that we had
our own horses there and went riding out in the desert just about
every day.

In Oman we had children (they were born in the gap back in the UK,
1977-1980) but it's a much more open sort of society in many ways. It
was brilliant for young children, they just about grew up out of doors
and in the swimming pool at the PDO club. They both still spend most
of the time barefoot.

--
Chris Green )