Thanks Mutt!! Always the bet source of info for the region!
I would stay in Canada but jobs here are far few in between. I'm a mechanical engineer and it's been 6 months with no luck here. My chances for a career back in the Gulf are better which is why I was asking about the license conversion.
The 300$ price sounds about right. If all plans are good inshallah I should be able to afford that with whatever job I find in the Gulf; however I'll definitely have to scrutinize my budget more closely.
The microlights sounds like a good idea, yet I still prefer being in a C-172 going cross country with an E-6B in my hand trying to figure out my ETE lol. I seem to love the complexity.