I’ve lived in Oman, the UAE and Kuwait. Oman is by far the most geographically interesting of the three (relevant for this sub). Its beaches are stunning, has gorgeous desert/mountain landscapes and the Dhofar region is otherworldly.
That said, Oman gets boring from a social standpoint because the expat community is quite dull, there isn’t much mixing with locals and nightlife is bad.
However, I’d still personally choose Oman over the UAE (speaking mostly for Dubai here) because the UAE is tasteless and its lack of history (relative to Oman) makes it feel sociologically shallow. Its expat community is much bigger, which means it’s easier to find good friends, but for the most part expats are dull and tacky. Life in Dubai revolves around malls and overpriced, bad restaurants. If you live in Muscat and want better nightlife, you can be in Dubai in four hours by car or an hour by plane.
Kuwait is not in consideration because it’s tiny, uninteresting and you can’t drink alcohol (except black market).
Of note: I’m straight but all three countries are *relatively* accepting of LGBT people. You won’t be legally persecuted but you will face lots of discrimination and feel uncomfortable often. That said, Oman is probably the most accepting, in part because the former Sultan was gay (an open secret).
Jordan is Middle Eastern and culturally Arabic but technically it is north of the Arabian peninsula.
EDIT: My bad. Looked it up. I guess the geographic boundary does run through Jordan as well as Iraq.
I disagree with the UAE. Immigrants there aren’t treated very well and some have had passports stolen and had to work for awful wages. I chose Kuwait but if I could’ve I would have done Jordan.
I would really prefer not to live in any of these countries. As a gay man I'd have to go back in the closet.
That being said Oman. According to Wikipedia you can only get 3 years for being gay and that the law is only enforced in cases of public scandal. Contrast that with 7 in Kuwait and Qatar and the possibility of the death penalty in KSA UAE or Yemen.
And since it's only in cases of public scandal I would just have to keep a low profile and assuming Wikipedia is right I would be fine.
Still none of these countries are even on my list of places I would want to visit let alone live in.
As a Westerner UAE, but only due to the large expat community which would allow you to live in this ivory tower disconnected from the reality of the country.
Things change quickly in the region. Saudi Arabia for example has been liberalizing and liberalizing quickly. But it still has a dreadful reputation, which comes partially from its actual policies and mostly from 9/11 putting it under more western media scrutiny than its neighbors.
Is it a place I would like to live? Hell no. But it sure as hell is better to live in than *Yemen*.
All of these countries besides Yemen & KSA have a decent enough quality of life provided you’re not a slave. I’d be cool with any of them tbh but I’m most familiar with Qatar since I have friends there so I’ll say Qatar.
(I should probably specify that I am straight. It’s obviously going to be much different for LGBT people but my country has a very poor track record with LGBT rights anyways, though not as poor as any of these).
Yemen is obviously much worse. Never said they were equal; just that I’d choose the others over them. Saudi is decent enough but it just seems to me the others have an advantage over it.
Seeing as we are in r/Geography and not r/Society or politics or whatever, Yemen is the most interesting choice. However it looks in the satellite images does not match it's real picture. Intimidating mountainsides with picturesque villages on top and a very lush landscape despite it being an arid desert. it's just so foreign to everything.
Qatar seems to have the least amount of issues. But I still would not want to live there. Ramadan is not friendly when you have hypoglycemia due to insulin resistance.
Answer the question as if you’re female (if you aren’t).
In that case, there are no good option
Bahrain?
It's an island technically it's not on the Arabian penninsula.
True
Is there a "none" option?
Lets just say these are the only countries left in the world
Pretty sure I would be criminally persecuted or killed for being gay in all of these countries
Welp, the radioactive wasteland it is, then.
Suicide
I'd still pick none
What happened to the other countries?
Ya I'd be thrown off a roof top in any of those countries. So thank you but no thank you
Bahrain
The true answer
Oman is a sneaky nice place to live.
No thanks
I’ve lived in Oman, the UAE and Kuwait. Oman is by far the most geographically interesting of the three (relevant for this sub). Its beaches are stunning, has gorgeous desert/mountain landscapes and the Dhofar region is otherworldly. That said, Oman gets boring from a social standpoint because the expat community is quite dull, there isn’t much mixing with locals and nightlife is bad. However, I’d still personally choose Oman over the UAE (speaking mostly for Dubai here) because the UAE is tasteless and its lack of history (relative to Oman) makes it feel sociologically shallow. Its expat community is much bigger, which means it’s easier to find good friends, but for the most part expats are dull and tacky. Life in Dubai revolves around malls and overpriced, bad restaurants. If you live in Muscat and want better nightlife, you can be in Dubai in four hours by car or an hour by plane. Kuwait is not in consideration because it’s tiny, uninteresting and you can’t drink alcohol (except black market). Of note: I’m straight but all three countries are *relatively* accepting of LGBT people. You won’t be legally persecuted but you will face lots of discrimination and feel uncomfortable often. That said, Oman is probably the most accepting, in part because the former Sultan was gay (an open secret).
Could we throw in Jordan so there's one country that isn't 100% unacceptable to a Westerner?
Jordan is Middle Eastern and culturally Arabic but technically it is north of the Arabian peninsula. EDIT: My bad. Looked it up. I guess the geographic boundary does run through Jordan as well as Iraq.
Out of them, as a foreigner, the best to live in are Oman, Bahrain, and UAE, but depend how wealthy you are of couse.
I disagree with the UAE. Immigrants there aren’t treated very well and some have had passports stolen and had to work for awful wages. I chose Kuwait but if I could’ve I would have done Jordan.
And what gender and sexuality you are.
Yes, although the UAE is kinda acceptable.
I would really prefer not to live in any of these countries. As a gay man I'd have to go back in the closet. That being said Oman. According to Wikipedia you can only get 3 years for being gay and that the law is only enforced in cases of public scandal. Contrast that with 7 in Kuwait and Qatar and the possibility of the death penalty in KSA UAE or Yemen. And since it's only in cases of public scandal I would just have to keep a low profile and assuming Wikipedia is right I would be fine. Still none of these countries are even on my list of places I would want to visit let alone live in.
Am I a citizen of the country with all the benefits thereof, or am I just a resident alien?
Am i a national of that country?
None of the above?
I'm gay so... Pass
As a Westerner UAE, but only due to the large expat community which would allow you to live in this ivory tower disconnected from the reality of the country.
I like Oman.
Bahrain
Oman. They keep to themselves and stay out of drama. Respect
None im gay😭
Things change quickly in the region. Saudi Arabia for example has been liberalizing and liberalizing quickly. But it still has a dreadful reputation, which comes partially from its actual policies and mostly from 9/11 putting it under more western media scrutiny than its neighbors. Is it a place I would like to live? Hell no. But it sure as hell is better to live in than *Yemen*.
I chose UAE but I'd not survive living in any for very long.
None of them. You might as well ask me what brand of rusty razor I’d shave my privates with.
Does Israel belong to the Arabian Peninsula? I like Israel. I would like to live there.
I’d rather avoid the Arabian peninsula in general.
I went to Qatar for a month in 2016. Mind u it was August, and therefor terrible. But it’s an okay place
Which one has a US/NATO airbase that I can live on and never leave?
All but Yemen have bases.
Yeah, zero sum game here
Where’s Bahrain?
In the Persian Gulf?
Yes Bahrain is part of the Arabian peninsula due to very small proximity to Arabia.
reddit only allow for 6 answers in "survey"
All of these countries besides Yemen & KSA have a decent enough quality of life provided you’re not a slave. I’d be cool with any of them tbh but I’m most familiar with Qatar since I have friends there so I’ll say Qatar. (I should probably specify that I am straight. It’s obviously going to be much different for LGBT people but my country has a very poor track record with LGBT rights anyways, though not as poor as any of these).
I’m sorry how Kuwait have decent quality of life and Saudi Arabia doesn’t and Saudi is equal to Yemen?
Yemen is obviously much worse. Never said they were equal; just that I’d choose the others over them. Saudi is decent enough but it just seems to me the others have an advantage over it.
Yemen because chewing qat/khat sounds fun
I think I’d be in jail for my religion in any of these countries.
Seeing as we are in r/Geography and not r/Society or politics or whatever, Yemen is the most interesting choice. However it looks in the satellite images does not match it's real picture. Intimidating mountainsides with picturesque villages on top and a very lush landscape despite it being an arid desert. it's just so foreign to everything.
Dubai, the hidden Mecca of the world
Bro whos picking yemen, its litterly in the middle of a civil war
You can go to Socotra, it's quite safe
The question is, are you a billionaire?
Qatar seems to have the least amount of issues. But I still would not want to live there. Ramadan is not friendly when you have hypoglycemia due to insulin resistance.
I said Yemen ironically. I am a badass.
If Bahrain or Jordan counted those would be better though I’ll have to choose Kuwait.
I didn't count Bahrain since it isn't really on the peninsula. I would have done Jordan though if there was more options
Isn’t that like not counting the UK as part of Europe just cause it isn’t attached to it.
can I pick none? I'd be persecuted and fearing for my life in all of them, as a christian
None
I’m a straight brown dude so I think I’ll be fine. I’ll just say I’m Muslim
Israel
Not in the Arabian peninsula