Sorry Diving Duck - can't do PMs - I took up flying for a living after ATC [some say I saw the light - others said other things!] and current employer has a rather nasty habit of deeply vetting e-mail for various reasons. Glad to hear life has improved in the ME. I had a friend who had lived with his family in Muscat for 10 years - inadvertently took a photo of the [armed!] military liason officer in the ops room - was deported within 48 hours. Had an aquaintence [he wasn't there long enough to become a friend] in Abu Dhabi - his wife complained about the early morning call to prayer - it was waking her young baby - they we deported that evening. Still suggest you be cautious.
Undervalued ATC - well spotted. As I said to DD, I love to wind you guys up - you bite SO HARD it makes me p*ss myself laughing. Do you know how many times I sat of 'your side' of the argument as a controller, and listened to the rhetoric about 'overpaid and underworked'. I like to stir the hornet's nest every now and again to see how much paranoia remains in the system.
PPruNe is a rumour network - an agony aunt column. I know from recent experience that only one person at Airsevices 'officially' vets the site, and I know from not so recent experience that only a VERY SMALL fraction of the identified discontent manages to find its way to senior management. They are too preoccupied with 'more important' matters [bonuses, etc] to worry about 'apparent whinging and griping' on a rumour site.