Assalam aliekum
As someone living in the Middle East, it is not the money-earning site it used to be. Yes, oil prices are high; yes oil is the major product for these countries (gulf area), but, BUT nearly EVERYTHING is imported here (there is very little manufacturing industries) - that means, in the past year, the inflation here in Kuwait has surpassed that of the US (I can't speak for the UK or Canada, although we know prices have been going up everywhere). Everything that must be shipped in or flown in costs remarkably more than it did just a near ago - the high oil prices make the cost of shipping skyrocket.
In Kuwait right now, a very, very basic small one-bedroom apartment in a relatively decent (not necessarily a nice safe) area is going to run you a minimum of about $500 per month. I don't buy clothing in Kuwait, because it is cheaper for me to pay excess baggage on the plane when I go to the US in the summer and shop sales than to buy clothing here (well, I could buy extremely cheap, flimsy stuff - like dollar-store clothes for cheap, but they don't last more than 2-3 washings; I have tried).
Food prices (beyond rice, wheat and the few local vegetables) are way up in price. Electronics are up in price; home furnishings are up in price; the only things that I buy that I haven't noticed go up in price in 6 years (since I have been here) is the cost of gas, bottled water, candy & soda, and loaves of bread. Heck dry cat food has doubled in price in the past 2 years!
I truly, TRULY just want people who are thinking of moving to a new country from what they are used to, to LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT IS INVOLVED!!! It is hard enough to move to a new city in the same country you are used to, but the difficulties are multiplied 10 fold when going to a new country. If you move to Kuwait and are making more money that you did previously, but it costs you twice as much to live, you won't end up very happy here!
Just little ol' me, wanting people to jump in to new experiences with their eyes wide open!
Lana