Indeed the golden times are gone; profit is the buzz word now, the old days of paying too many people too much money to do too little are a thing of the past pretty much.
That said, given the choice, I'd rather be paid 750 riyals and live tax free under the sun with a reasonably low cost of living than be paid a similar amount and live in freezing arse europe while the tax man figures out new and interesting ways to have his way with you.
All the best.