I would agree with everything you wrote. Oman is no different, I knew four ex saudi teachers and all of them had their various quirks and eccentricities. But I actually liked 2 of them very much, nice guys, but the others were just creeps and plain weird. Saudi seems to attract a lot of tough it out for one year,get drunk, lock yourself away, take the money and run types, and the plain religious nutters, all types really. A very bizarre place, where I never want to work, and as you say poles apart from the UAE.