Take the housing allowance, buy an apartment, use it while working, when get retired rent it out or sale. Good luck and hope for an emerging real estate market.
Or have bad luck or make a mistake, get fired, unable to sell the apartment because locals won't let you sell cheaper than the price of a new apartment, unable to get the clearance until you sell the place, unable to pay for the place because you cannot get a new job and leave the country until you finish the clearance, end up in jail.
How do you recognize expat pilots who bought a place in the Pearl? They fly fully configured and stabilized 20 miles before the final fix.