Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

Does anyone teach in Yemen? I know the salaries are poor, but I am intrigued by places like Sanaa (at altitude) and Aden (on the coast).

Salaries may be poor, but quality of life may be high there, according to the cognoscenti who get around the region.

Thanks

Ghost in Korea

[007]

[EricBartholemew]

I've been to Yemen a couple of times, once for a few weeks' travelling, then a couple of years later to immerse myself in Arabic for a couple of months. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but that was in the late nineties.

I would hesitate to go there again to travel, or at least restrict the areas I visited: kidnappings were very common when I visited, but only inconveniences to the kidnapped.

Things have changed - kidnapped people are more likely to wind up shot - either by the kidnappers, or by their rescuers. Also, the tone has changed with Iraq's situation: Yemenis are very pro-Muslim-brothers, and anti-Western.

So, go with care, and take advice from expatriates and travel guides and operators about where to avoid (generally the North of the country, towards the Saudi border (like Sa'ada), and the oilfields (which include Marib, a common tourist destination, but one where a lot of problems are found)).

As for places to work, I'd recommend Sana'a over Aden: the former has lots of charm, and is an old, beautiful city (with sprawl); Aden is not a pretty city, and it takes a lot of travelling to get to sites towards and beyond Sana'a - although access to the likes of Shibam in Hadramaut is easier from Aden.

It would be nice if someone with more recent experience of the country could add a few words ...

[canadashirleyblue]

I have two friends who are starting in Yemen about now. I think they were to be getting less than �1000 a month. I will ask them about it when they have been there long enough to form an opinion.

[veiledsentiments]

I have had friends who have lived and/or taught in Yemen for the last 3 or 4 years in Sana'a - and one that has also been in Aden. Safe enough in the cities. Western women find that being on the street is more comfortable if they wear an abaya, but there is no requirement as in Saudi.

No one goes there for the money, and there are not too many employers. AMIDEAST is probably the best choice in either city. The British Council is also there, but I have never seen them advertise.

The teachers (male) that I know have tended to travel around the country with some of their students, and consequently are quite safe. To keep up with the latest on traveling around there, Lonely Planet's Thorntree keeps up to date on the solo travel situation.

VS