Moggie,
I have a very "close friend" who is working for the Kuwait outfit, he has also worked in Riyadh. He can give you his assurances that Kuwait is indeed far better than Saudi.
It is (apparently) a bit like living in Dubai without the booze. Women can drive and wear what they want, there is a lot more to do - cinemas, water parks, Zoo, museums, ice rink not to mention, as E5 elluded to, the sea with all its associated benefits. The cafes, restaurants and shopping are about as good as it gets in the Mid East - you can also leave the country when you like.
The down side is you won't save as much, the package isn;t as good, you spend more cos there's more to do and in general it's a more expensive place to live.
Given a choice I know where I'd rather be.
MD