Just that little article in the GulfNews to add......for all you guys wanting to join us in the sandpit.
Dubai: Across the Gulf, inflation is surpassing wage increases, leading to a significant erosion of purchasing power and this phenomenon is expected to continue for a few years, according to economists. "The average cost-of-living increases were the highest in the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, and have outpaced annual wage gains by more than 14 per cent, 10 per cent, and 9 per cent, respectively, signalling an acute deterioration of local buying power. (…) According to recent data, Qatar's inflation increased to 14.8 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter before declining to 12.8 per cent in the second quarter. The country will have a problem containing rent inflation until additional housing supply comes online, but that is not expected until 2009. In the UAE, official inflation reached 9.3 per cent in 2006, also driven by the rent component, closely followed by soaring food prices. (…) Faced with a combination of the falling purchasing power of Gulf currencies and the appreciation of currencies of their home countries, expatriates living in the region are facing huge financial losses. 
(whole article> http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Economy/10157093.html)