Middle East vs Europe for an Engineer With a Family

In the Middle East vs Europe choice, an engineer's family gets more money and an easier daily life in the Gulf. Europe gives you residency, a path to citizenship and a life that doesn't end with your contract. So it comes down to one question: do you need money now or a permanent home later?

I know both sides. From 2018 to 2020, while I worked for Saudi Aramco, my wife, our two sons and I lived in an expat compound on the Persian Gulf coast. At other times my family lived in Cyprus and Spain while I worked rotations.

I'm Alex, a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with 18+ years in oil and gas, at Shell and Saudi Aramco, and I've helped 100+ engineers get jobs abroad. Here I compare what family life looks like on each side.

Living in Saudi Arabia in an Expat Compound

When people hear "Saudi Arabia", they picture heat and strict rules. For our family, it was a camp on the Persian Gulf coast.

An expat compound, or camp, is a gated community where foreign employees live with their families. Ours was built by Americans more than 50 years ago: a real American style community. People from all over the world lived there, and the camp had everything needed for life.

That matches what Aramco itself writes on its housing page: four gated communities, each a neighborhood with people from all over the world.

When we were in Saudi Arabia, we planned every trip to the supermarket around prayer times, because shops close during prayers.

My wife wore an abaya, a long dress that covers the arms. It doesn't have to be black: hers was a colorful blue one, and she never covered her face. She even found an advantage in it, because it made choosing an outfit simple. My family and I respected the local traditions and customs, and I'd advise every expat family to do the same.

Kids' School in the Gulf vs Europe

For a family, school is often the real decision, not the salary.

In the Gulf, a good employer usually solves it for you. Typically, a good Middle East company pays for children's schooling in private British or American schools, and in our case the American school was inside the camp. Aramco describes its expatriate schools as modeled after North American schools, from pre-kindergarten through 9th grade. So if your kids are older, ask early what happens after grade 9.

In Europe it works the other way around. I've had offers from Sweden, Italy and Spain at around €7,000 a month. But European companies rarely offer relocation packages for the family. You move your family, rent a house and pay for school, insurance and healthcare out of that salary.

How Much Money Is Left After Taxes and Family Costs

Salary is the number recruiters talk about. What matters for a family is what's left at the end of the month.

When I moved to Saudi Aramco, my taxes went from about 40% to zero, and my income grew about 10 times. According to PwC, there's no individual income tax scheme in Saudi Arabia, and income from employment there isn't taxed. When the company covers housing and school, almost all your salary, except food, stays with you.

In Europe, the top income tax rates are 45% in Germany plus surcharges, 47% for residents in Spain and 49.5% in the Netherlands, per PwC's tax summaries. Usually you're hired on local terms. Add rent, school and utilities that you pay yourself, and with taxes like that, very little is left from the salary.

My first offer abroad came from Qatar after about five years of experience: around $4,000 a month, with a high cost of living and no family relocation. I said no.

If you want the salary picture by country, I compared where engineers earn the most separately, and here are real engineer salaries in Europe. I also compared both regions in my video:

Safety, Community and What You Give Up

Is it safe? In my opinion, countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman have a high level of safety. And you're not alone: colleagues who moved a long time ago and adapted will help you and your family.

But let's be honest, there's a price.

• In many Gulf countries, if you get fired, you can't stay: your residency permit is revoked.
• You probably won't ever get a second citizenship there.
• Summers are hot, and religion shapes daily life, from shop hours to dress.

Europe gives you the opposite. Under EU rules, a non-EU national who has lived legally in an EU country for five uninterrupted years can get long-term resident status. Citizenship becomes possible after years in the country. You also get a high standard of living, advanced healthcare and infrastructure, and mostly good ecology. If a second passport is your main goal, read my take on where it's better to immigrate as an engineer.

The Third Option: Rotation With the Family in Europe

There's a third way: work rotations and keep the family in Europe. That's how my family came to live in Cyprus and Spain. We always wanted to live somewhere warm, by the sea, and rotation made it possible.

The money works. The family part is harder. Even on a month on, month off schedule, you don't see your wife and kids for a whole month. My wife used to cry when I left, and the last time my youngest son cried too, asking why I had to leave for so long. Honestly, I don't like rotation.

I wrote about the pros and cons of rotational work in detail. Read it before you choose this option.

Middle East vs Europe: Who Each One Suits

There's no single right answer. It depends on your family and your goal for the next few years. Here's how I see it.

• The Gulf with your family fits if your employer pays for housing and school, and your goal is to save capital.
• Europe fits if you want permanent residency and a second passport, and you accept higher taxes and paying for housing and school yourself.
• Rotation with the family in Europe fits if your family can handle long separations. Not every family can.

And one more thing: don't go alone on a low offer without family relocation. I said no to exactly that kind of offer.

So sometimes you have to give up something to get something better. In the Gulf you give up a second passport for a while, and in Europe you give up a big part of your salary.

By the way, if you're planning a move abroad with your family, I share everything I learned about international jobs in my course.

Good luck, friends.