Once many become an ex-pat, then their outlook is diametrically opposed to what they previously thought - it is now normal not to pay income tax.
A shock for those who leave the Gulf, but also a shock for those who stay...
VAT on the way for non-essential goods. Next will be for all goods and services, followed by a stepped introduction of income tax. It's becoming hard to hide all the stealth taxes and fees but at the end of the day the money needed is a huge figure - and it has to come from anywhere but the national population, naturally. Such is life, the boom was pre-2008 and is over and we should all get used to that fact.
Still, for guys coming to the ME from Indian, Eastern European and SE Asian Low-cost airlines it's a great opportunity to rent cheap, live cheap and send the money back to their home country where the cost of living is cheap... I'd jump at the chance if I was in that position, who wouldn't? And they get to see the world too. Especially now the requirements are just a frozen ATPL... No -brainer!