[Nurse2B16]

Hi, guys

I dont know if any of you have been to Emirates (Dubai), but it certainly is less strict. I was just there about 6 months ago. I loved it! There are so many Americans working there and they dress as they choose. Ofcoarse I don't think you would feel very comfortable walking around with a mini skirt, but dubai is certainly another world. Very modern, latest fashion, and lots of money to be made if you are an American citizen.
I am still in Nursing school but wish someday to go live there. Good luck to all of you. Emirates is nothing like Saudi Arabia.

[SnowymtnRN]

This truly has been a great discussion. Things are so hot in the ME right now, of course we aren't planning on doing anything anytime soon. IF we do it, it'll be in a few years because we just found out i'm pregnant again. lol BUT we would never leave our kids for a year with someone else. We also plan to team up with 2 other couples, 3 of the 4 people are nurses, and the 4th is a school teacher. So what we are thinking of doing is her teaching our children as if in homeschool, and the rest of us working. I don't konw, hopefully the terrorism stuff will be over before long and it'll be a lot safer to TRULY try to accomplish. I feel in my heart, that if me and my family went, we would make some great money, learn some valuable life lessons, and realize how lucky we all truly are. Just my thoughts tho......lol i know this isn't for everyone. Just planning for the future i guess.

[Azdream'nRN]

I looked into this a few years ago and the pay was around $100,000 a year, tax free for nurses, however, that has all changed. I knew countless people that had gone over there on 3 year working stints, lived in those compounds and saved lots of money and bought houses outright with the cash they had saved....I have met nurses all around, since I work agency, who have done this and they own their homes outright. HOWEVER, they have since lowered the pay rates drastically.
My brother in law who is an MD just got back from working in Saudi Arabia and was earning $4,000 a month as an Internist and did a 2 year contract with them. He noted that the RNs there, mainly Philippino and Indo/Pak. were trying to migrate to the USA for the higher pay there and possible green card as well, monopolizing on their Saudi experience.
Another thing, you will NOT be allowed to take your kids TO SAUDI ARABIA. You would have to leave them in the U.S., it is for nurses who don't have dependents as far as I have been told by the agencies as well as those who have been there. If you work in ANY country outside the US, you will be allowed to keep up to $70,000 of it without paying any U.S. income tax, according to our laws.
Keep us posted and GOOD LUCK. I hope you find a position that you can at least take your children with you!

[SnowymtnRN]

Hmmm that's interesting actually. Like i said it'll be a few years, and the only condition is that our kids go, or we don't go. HOWEVER< who knows that it'll be like in a few years right? lol Thanks for the info, i'm still looking around into international agencies.