brakedwell -
Sharjah food was ... interesting!!! On my first night stop('55) I assumed that the bread rolls at dinner were made with some exotic local seeds incorporated. The 'seeds' were weevils, as I noted when we delivered several bags of flour on my next visit - the outside of the bags was constsntly on the move as the little inhabitants wandered around. Possibly, given the awful standard of the Mess food (multi varieties of corned beef), the extra protein in the bread was an advantage.
An Army sergeant who had done continuous tours there for IIRC ELEVEN years, had a stash of tinned stew in his room which he heated up on a paraffin stove - Someone or Other's Ready Meal. Tried it one night and very tasty it was too