RE: Anyone out there worked in the Middle East?

Lorena Williamson — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:27:18 GMT

This sounds like an amazing opportunity and I'm very envious. Long Term or Temp? How did you find the role?

RE: Anyone out there worked in the Middle East?

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 09:51:02 GMT

Hi Kerry!

I grew up in the Middle East, glad to help. Plus I worked as a vet there for 3 years (rebound expat, go figure.) :)

How good your work experience is will depend on how good your employer is. There's no cascade out there, so be prepared to use a lot of human treatments because they're either a) cheaper or b) available. Both Dubai and Kuwait have better medicines availability than Saudi Arabia, but you still won't have quite the variety the UK sees.

You will occasionally have to get 'creative'. (I once got ketamine through the diplomatic pouch; that was a massive one-time favor. You may also have to source drugs from your friendly local black marketeer.) However, this should be fairly rare.

Referral hospitals are almost unknown in the veterinary world over there - if anything, things will be referred TO you because your hospital or clinic have better trained staff. You may find that surgeries or treatments are not the latest ones done in the UK, due to the fact that the drugs or the equipment are not available in the Middle East. Don't panic! you'll still be using isoflurane! :) However you may be using xylazine and ketamine for a lot of ops. Again, don't panic; just because the op or treatment is out of favor or out of fashion doesn't mean you're practicing bad medicine. Everything was 'cutting edge' once.

Culture: Both Kuwait and Dubai are more liberal than Saudi; you will not be required to veil yourself in black shapeless abayas. However, it's not all the same. The United Arab Emirates (of which Dubai is one of them) is composed of a federation of smaller Emirates; Dubai is more liberal, Sharjah is more conservative. So when in doubt, you'll rarely go wrong by dressing slightly more conservative than you might normally, at least until you learn the unwritten rules. You don't need to wear sack cloth, but avoid skintight and revealing stuff when not on the beach. (on private beaches you're of course perfectly welcome to wear whatever you like in terms of swimwear.) It's mainly practice.

One of the common fears is getting arrested. Honestly, this is an overrated fear. You've probably seen the news headlines about British tourists being arrested for getting drunk and having sex on the beach, for example. One simple solution for this would be to NOT do that. Also, public drunkenness is a huge no-no; by all means have a drink in your home; go ahead and have a party - but if you're very intoxicated, please stay at home. Also, don't sell alcohol; it's far, far, far more trouble than it's worth. Public displays of affection? Hand holding is fine, passionate kissing isn't.

Also, let's talk about drug trafficking. Don't. I mean that. Many people may ask you to bring stuff from the UK for them that might not be available in Dubai; and as long as it's not a medicine or a drug, go right ahead. Don't take anything in your luggage if you don't know what it is; this is an ironclad rule.

If you have any opioid based prescription medicines in your baggage, make sure you have a letter from your doctor or a prescription.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates/local-laws-and-customs is some great advice on local laws and customs, as well as what's acceptable to take in your bags. (Skip the bacon.)

Yes, cross-dressing is illegal, but I've been to a few pantos in Saudi Arabia on private compounds so you don't need to worry about entertainment. :)

Bottom line? Be respectful, obey the law, have fun, stay safe, and you'll be fine. I liked living in the Middle East and do miss it on occasion. Let me know if you've got more specific questions - if you know what clinics offered you work, i'll let you know if i know anyone there.

Cheers,
Mark