This reminds me of the ‘good old days’, especially the part about emptying your bank account just to buy gifts! However, having lived both experiences and finally deciding to come back to Sudan, I have to say that coming home isn’t so bad, it just depends on what you’re expecting. Especially when living in the Gulf there’s always the issue of having to worry about whether or not your contract will be renewed, or if you piss a local off or whatever, which means that you will be back home in a flash. You can’t do anything unless you ‘get permission’, not even a driver’s license. No matter how hard you work you can never keep up with your peers, you will never be on the same promotion line with them, you will never compete over senior posts. You will always be an expat, which is effectively a second-class citizen. Someone who is expendable. Its probably different outside the Gulf, but not much. There are many advantages to living abroad, but there are also advantages that can never be found outside Sudan. I think people have to see for themselves instead of judging that ‘anywhere is better than here’ and trying the impossible to get out. Thank you for this post, I’m sure it will resonate quite deeply with many people.
Thanks for this post. As someone who’s worked in Sudan and in the Gulf, I can tell you working in Sudan was a very positive experience. Socially it was wonderful to network and form relationships with colleagues. The camaraderie and feeling of belonging was really gratifying. Everyone knows you need these “ma3arif” to get stuff done in Sudan. You get more opportunities for training, promotion etc then as an expat in the Gulf. All my peers have went on to senior positions in Sudan, while here I am stuck in the same middle management position. Not to mention being treated as a second class citizen…don’t get me started on that…
