I've spent a little time in the Middle East and was offered VERY lucrative employment there in the early 90's. Without even the slightest hesitation, I declined. It truly is like going back in time when visiting that part of the world. Others can flame me if you like, but that's the truth. I'm not speaking of the developed (relatively) larger cities or colleges, (even that's questionable) but the rural areas.

I should add that during my travelling years, I ALWAYS tried to learn some of the language, heritage/history so that I could visit countries with respect and not trample around like someone in a theme park. I would have to guess that about 50% of the time, doing that made for a more enjoyable experience.

IMO, until they stop dragging their knuckles and banging rocks together, the rest of the civilized world should tell them to pack sand!