White Knight
You are absolutely right. Everyone is entitled to their view. I have lived the expat life (albeit in the World's first Air Force!) and I am now, very content to be in the place that I feel is home, (that feeling for me is priceless) rather than patching lives together across the globe.
You have recently arrived in the Arab world, and not surprisingly are very keen. Good on yer!
All I am saying is; the shine of new places, can, and usually does, wear off after a period. As alluded to by previous posters from your new company.
Also, perhaps you do have to get away from this grimy, dank, crappy, sh******le, to appreciate what it offers. We Brits are experts at slagging ourselves off!
Good luck to you. Personally, I have had a gutfull of the longhaul lifestyle. I found it quite lonely, and coincidentally, expect to take one of the RJ jobs at BHX (that you didn't want,) because it's even closer to home! I have no illusions about the aircraft, but at the end of the day, it's not what you fly, but WHERE you fly that is the important thing! (It's also the best paid shorthaul job in BA - but of course, that's neither here nor there!)
The expat lifestyle is good, but it rarely lasts a lifetime. If you aren't already thinking "what comes next," I really think you should.
Beware that, in a couple of years time, your triumphalism at leaving your homeland behind, doesn't come back and bite you in the bum!
ott, have you made your mind up yet?