I sure as hell would hope that I didn't have to pay taxes to a government organization from a country that I neither live in or work in (IRS). Regardless of what my citizenship is. I mean, that wouldn't even be worth it...
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One of the hardest things about leaving home is leaving either your family or your wife's family. That can be a real hardship. Schools for the kids can also be a problem. Expatriate life can be quite good for a certain period of your life depending on where all the above falls but certainly not right for your entire life. Sadly many families don't survive it although many do. If the family falls apart, that changes the situation entirely for the expat. I have a narrow window during which I can rightly work here. Fortunately the family is doing quite well. If for some reason I did lose my family, I'm on the first flight to Phuket and I will never be heard from again. I can't imagine living here as a bachelor. Thousands do but it just isn't my thing. Camels might start looking interesting. There is a large singles scene here but really not my cup of tea. Woodlands is nice. Much better than Houston proper. I have a sister in Spring. Best of luck. Things are a little crazy right now for all service companies and then there is also the big red elephant in the room.
Anonymous137530:
Based on your last post, it sounds like your situation is not really that bad of a situation to be in. Especially since you highlighted a bunch of reasons why it is better than your other options.
Believe me, as someone who is actually from Houston, I am aware of the dangers (eventhough others would laugh at this notion since either they have not experienced anything here or maybe they are only familiar with The Woodlands and think all of the actual city of Houston is the same...). Thing is, this is where I feel I belong, I have built something for myself around this area, and I would not be overly excited about leaving to go live in another country. Ultimately everyone has to make their own decisions though, so just do whatever is best for you and yours. I think that pretty much applies to everyone, in their own way.
Anonymous136326: There are some countries very unsafe to work in. I have never been to Nigeria but it would be one of those I think is dangerous. Iraq is a little risky right now. The UAE, Oman, Qatar and Saudi are not in the same category. I believe I have a much higher (orders of magnitude) risk of being killed in Houston than Saudi Arabia. Of course that could change in the future. The situation in Saudi could easily change although the government goes to great effort to maintain stability. The oil sector in Saudi is still going full tilt so the work is not stopping. In terms of job security as well as personal security based on how things are right now, Saudi is a much better choice than Texas. That may not be true next month or next year but it is true today. The biggest problem with working in Saudi is the boredom and it is hard on wives due to limited mobility. As far as the government bailing me out, I've never expected them to. I learned the two great American lies a long time ago. 1) The check is in the mail. 2) "Hi, I work for the US government and I am here to help you!". If I could make even close to the same compensation in the US, I would probably work there but the reality is that it is not possible. Having said that, the US is becoming a strange place. Saudi doesn't have home invasions, armed robberies, violent road rage (not much anyway but no guns involved), serial killers, gang violence and the crime rate in general is very low. The Eastern Province is much more relaxed than other parts of the country. When the risk no longer outweighs the reward, it will be time to leave.
If you're still working in Saudi, milk your time there into money as long as you can. Or wait at least a couple years before transferring out when the industry picks back up.
Ha! I had posted the original comment in a different thread, looks like it got copied and pasted. Anyhow, there are some interesting points made here. The point I was trying to make was that I don't think it is really worth going to work in a different country where you might not be safe. If I were to try to convince myself to do it, the payoff would have to be crazy. As far as expecting someone to come bail me out when the shit hits the fan, well that is why I probably would never go in the first (I would rather avoid that situation altogether). That is just my personal opininion on the matter, but every person might view it differently. Hey if you want to go work somewhere like that and take those chances, that is your choice, not someone else's, and you do it at your own risk.
Another issue: expats do not get to vote in elections. Yes we can vote but the votes are counted after the election is over. If you don't believe that go search Bush /Gore and hanging chads. Expats have zero say in the government that represents them. We are at the mercy of elected officials who only care about a favorable sound bite. I am happy to know that if anything happens to me or my family that we will be in their prayers.
Oh and the reason they abandoned all the Americans in Sana'a? They did not want any bad press in case anything went wrong. The US government couldn't care less about any citizens working overseas - I mean as long as they pay their taxes. Don't pay taxes - then they care.
Look at how the US abandoned all US citizens in Yemen. And if they do somehow gracefully manage to send in a military plane to rescue you, you do understand they will send you a bill for the flight. Cost is evenly divided among all passengers and you do not pay commercial competitive rates. You pay government rates. You could fly on a private charter cheaper. So don't talk about something you know nothing about. Taxes don't cover the flight.
And when the shit hits the fan who will get you out of there?