To be fair, there are certain parts of the ME that are much more conservative than other parts. I've lived and traveled all over the ME for about 15 years, and consider Bahrain and Dubai to be more "liberal".
Is it the best place to live? I don't thinks so.
Is it easy to live in the ME? It has it's challenges, and when you come from a European or Western nation then I have to say that it is certainly more difficult. When you're originally from the ME or from certain parts of Africa or Asia, it's different. It may not be as difficult for those people, but again it all really depends on your origin and the life you are used to living.
Individuals that come from countries that have a proper legal system, proper freedom of religion...will always find it more difficult.
However, and based on my experience...some of the things mentioned by SkyDive6 are true. There are some countries and cities that are a little more "lax" (I honestly don't even know if that's the right term), but in the end..it's fair to say that when you start to think about whether you want to live in the ME, it's risky business. In the end, I hope any decision that is made is for ones benefit and everyone that deserves to live a comfortable life, is able to do so.
Just my two cents.