Job Discussion Forums

[daily chai]

Very sorry to be so uninformed about ME in general, and probably starting a thread that comes up with despairing regularity in this forum. But out of curiosity, where do most Western women feel comfortable and make a decent living in the ME? From perusing on the boards, it seems the female-friendly (not TOO friendly, KWIM), countries are Turkey, Morocco, Lebanon & Syria, possibly with Egypt too. But do they make a good living there (teaching at college/university)? I know other countries boast higher salaries but can be more challenging for Westerners to adapt to. Some of them may not be safe now for people who are obviously Western.

No flames please, I'm just trying to sort the wheat from the chaff. Looking forward to what you have to say.

[veiledsentiments]

Daily Chai,

Yes, the topic does sort of come up regularly in various guises. First off it is hard to answer without knowing something of your education and experience. The Middle East tends to draw quite different teachers than the Far East.

North Africa and the Levant tend to have more open lifestyles and lower pay. You can find a few jobs with just a BA+ a cert of some kind (and pick up a few private lessons) but you will get few or any benefits. You can live, but not terribly luxuriously. If you have an MA and a few years experience, there are a few good university jobs that provide better pay and also benefits - tickets, furnished flats - but they normally hire those with extensive experience teaching Arabic speakers.

The money is in the oil-rich countries of the Gulf. Here you tend to find older experienced teachers with MAs and most tertiary institutions require them. If you have a BA, CELTA, and years of teaching academic English (particularly reading and writing), there are only a few places. There are national and private colleges/universities in Kuwait, Bahrain, KSA, Qatar, UAE and Oman. The cost of living (and lifestyle) is more like Europe or the US than like North Africa or the Levant.

As a single American woman who taught - lived and traveled - in this part of the world for much of the last 20 years, I found adapting little or no problem at all. It take a minimum of cultural sensitivity, a slight adjustment in wardrobe, (longer skirts and sleeves), and common sense. I suspect that you are typically misled by the media that everywhere in the Middle East is like Saudi Arabia, whereas it is the odd man out. Other than in Cairo with its cheap taxis and horrible traffic, I always owned a car, went anywhere I wanted, could take a walk at midnight in complete safety, and only made slight wardrobe adjustments.

As to safety, I wouldn't recommend Iraq right now and other than that, only Saudi Arabia has had any obviously targeted attacks on Westerners - not many, but enough to make a few people nervous. But they rarely hire women teachers from outside anyway.

VS

[dmb]

In terms of Culture and lifestyle, Turkey is not in the Middle East. Istanbul, where most teaching jobs are, is much more European. However, you can get decent salaries, have a good standard of living and save a bit of money. Of course it all depends on your experience and qualifications. I'd suggest looking at the individual boards of the countries you are interested in.

[daily chai]

Thank you VS & DMB for such quick responses! VS, I'm just amazed at how brainwashed I am with the media. I never would have imagined that cultural sensitivity + (slight!) wardrobe adjustments were all that was necessary.

Thanks DMB for correcting my ignorance on Turkey and directing me to the country-specific boards. I will check them out again.

In more detail, I have several years of teaching experience at university and with adults in private schools. I have an MS Ed in TESOL and, by the time I apply, will be a PhD candidate in Education. My French is more than reasonable, but my Arabic non-existant. A former employer offered to cover tuition for learning Arabic for a year, but I left the job. Ah! Hindsight.

VS, I'm going to look carefully at the salaries in N. Africa and the Levant before accepting employment there. Both my husband and I are more keen on this area than what we know of the Gulf, but just getting by doesn't appeal at this stage in the game. NE Asian salaries made us prefer a certain standard of living.

Is it true that KSA only allows women (and children) to leave with permission of a male first-degree relative? Are there other countries like that?

More pertinent to TEFL, would a university in the Levant overlook a lack of Arab teaching experience when a hiring candidate is a doctoral candidate or has a PhD? At my institution PhDs are so sought after that the interview is virtually a formality.

[veiledsentiments]

daily chai,

KSA has the most stringent rules for women, but this is not uncommon in other Muslim cultures. It will not affect you though. Knowing Arabic is not required, but it is certainly helpful - in the Gulf, it is actually rare for teachers to know much of anything about it.

You may want to read about on these boards and narrow down some of your questions.

With your qualifications, you should be eligible at most of the best places. You may want to send me a PM so we can be more specific as to your personal situation.

Time for me to leave Dave's for now and get some work done...

VS

[Cleopatra]

"Is it true that KSA only allows women (and children) to leave with permission of a male first-degree relative? Are there other countries like that? "

Expat men and women alike - unless they are lucky enough to have friends in high places - all have to have the explicit permission of their employers in order to get the exit visa required to leave KSA.

In the case of Saudi women, the written permission of a male relative is indeed required to leave the country (similar rules apply throughout much of the Gulf). For non-working foreign woman, I'm not entirely sure, but I would say that once you have the exit visa in your passport (getting this would be the responsibility of your husband's employers) you can leave with or without hubby.

What I DO know is that a single woman has to have a representative from her employers to 'sign for her" on arrival in the country. If this man (and yes of course it has to be a man) does not turn up, she will be unable to clear Immigration and will have to hang around in the female only waiting roon until such time as he can be summoned. Trust me, I know...

[veiledsentiments]

daily chai,

I just wanted to make it clear that it is only KSA that has that rule for single women.

To be honest, I never really paid much attention to whether wives of fellow expat teachers had to have signed permission in the other countries. Wives and husbands often traveled separately for vacations and such - leaving at different times. I don't recall anyone discussing this... and I very much suspect that we would have heard complaints if they did.

Hopefully a married person will come on if they know anything more. (I suspect that if your husband were Muslim - even an expat Muslim - this permission rule would come into effect.)

VS

[daily chai]

First I just want to thank VS & Cleo for being so active on these boards, and giving thoughtful answers to so many. What would the ME boards be without them?

Cleo, sounds like you had a rough landing after a long haul flight! Yuck. I'm glad you got through it. I hope you were able to take the stuffing out of whomever came to pick you up, within the cultural parameters.

VS, thanks for inviting me to PM you. I appreciate that. I thought I had researched on the boards and forum pretty well before asking, but obviously I need more time looking through all the information. My DH is more interested in living in the Levant because he's been there and liked the atmosphere, nightlife, etc. It sounds like KSA would be a lovely place for when we have a family. But DH is such a butterfly, and now is asking about SEA. Oy! Looks like I'll be the one to decide where we go.

[Cleopatra]

Thanks for your kind comments.

Re. my little story about airport "escorts" it wasn't a case of "taking the stuffing" out of anyone - it was all to do with my flight being delayed and a lack of communication between me and my "escort" as a result. As I say, a long story and this is neither the time nor the place...

As for KSA, undoubtedly it is easier for those with spouses and families, esp., though not exclusively if you happen to be female. However, I've never met a woman who values her independence as much as I myself do, and I've been happy enough in KSA. However, if you need outside entertainments and constant company, KSA is not the place for you. This is as true for men as it is for women.

[refazenda]

Every time I read questions about "Western women" and their ability to feel comfortable in the Middle East and North Africa, I want to ask the question, so here goes: what about western women who are not pale white or obviously not from the country in which they reside? Is there a "blend-in" factor for some women (hispanic-looking, for example). I know after having traveled extensively that I am often looked upon as a native/foreigner, meaning that people think either I was born in or have ancestry from their country, but that I obviously look/dress like an expat. Where do those types fit in? My husband and I probably fit that category, and we are seriously looking to teach in Morocco.

[veiledsentiments]

Refazenda

In Morocco, you would barely get a second glance and would have much more leeway as to your dress. In the larger cities, the dress code is very European. Passing as a local could help with the hassle factor.

Now, if you were in the Gulf, they may think that you are a servant. Not really a major problem, just can bring some misunderstandings.

VS

[refazenda]

Why might they think I was a servant in the Gulf? I know that Asians are often servants in the Gulf, but I don't look Asian. What are the other "servant" nationalities (for lack of a better term) in the Gulf? I think we're headed to Morocco for now (at least I hope so!) but you never know what might happen in the years to come.

It is interesting that I would have more leeway in how I dress in Morocco if I blended in more. In some places I ahve heard that women who are perceived as locals actually have less leeway because it is assumed that they know better than to dress outside the norm for that country. Interesting.

[veiledsentiments]

refazenda,

You have to be careful with generalizing too much about this part of the world, things are very different in various countries. What you say may be true in some other Muslim countries, but if you are in Rabat or Casablanca many of the women dress very much in European style - thus your style may be within their norm. (though they do not display large amounts of bare flesh, for instance...) When I visited there, I was usually the most modestly dressed woman on the street. The small villages and the countryside are naturally more conservative.

As to the servant status problem in the Gulf. you were not specific as to what you looked like - only that you are 'not pale white.' If you are darker skinned and don't look Arab, they may very well assume that you are perhaps Filipino or some other non-specific Asian. Just a warning that it could happen, not a guarantee that it will.

Enjoy Morocco...

VS

[refazenda]

I am glad that I have not picked up the Salvadorean habit of baring so much flesh! No, my clothes are relatively modest, so I will probably be fine. I was hoping the blend factor would work in my favor! Sometimes here it does, other times not. I suppose that would be the same in Morocco. Thanks!

[iraqikiwi]

Just a quick note. Women in UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Syria (most parts of the countries) dress in a very westernised way.

It is only most of Saudi where they forbid much right, and freedom to women.

Regards.