Not a great destination? (survey results)

Yes... it's been out for a while now... it's based on direct survey feedback from expat members specifically in country.  It's nothing new, they do it each year.

im more surprise  by number 1 and 3   

eesa wrote:

im more surprise  by number 1 and 3   

Number 1 doesn't surprise me, but yes... number 3 is a little surprising.  Of course the majority of expats in Mexico are American, and as a culture we are sometimes a little overly positive on surveys... could have something to do with it.  hahaha 

I'm just a bit sad that Kuwait is at the very bottom. I know it's not the best place to be but surely whoever comes here does it by choice. I guess it must be about expectations then. Unrealistic expectations?
And Saudi is supposed to be better?

I'm sure it's just mathematics, a comparative numbered based scoring model ... we scored the lowest based on subjects that expats throughout the world believed to be most important for "happiness" while living in a foreign country.  It doesn't mean we're abused (at least most of us... lol) ...and earned income was probably not a leading factor (what most expats in kuwait are here for) ...we just scored less then other places comparatively.   

Don't take it personal... it is what it is... lol

Don't worry.

Jordan is not even listed...

So, who cares? Certainly not me.

Here's a cut & paste quote from the survey results;

"Kuwait ranks last in the overall country ranking. This is largely due to its low results for personal happiness and in the Ease of Settling In Index. Expats in Kuwait do not think it is easy to settle down there, make friends, or feel at home. Only 5% of survey participants feel completely at home there, and only 7% find it very easy to make local friends."

Agree or disagree, this is what the respondents reported...

One other side note I read within the article... in order for a country to even 'make' the list, they had to have a 'minimum of at least 50 respondents to each category within the survey.

another interesting tidbit of info... that even the West African country's were rated above Q8 and KSA... I've lived and work in West Africa too, and you couldn't pay me enough to go back!  lol  ...that says a lot about the scores given by the respondents here...

Good day Annadp

Not everyone comes here by "choice" per se even professionals.  Company postings, a needed tick to move on to another position, financial crisisis, etc.  I need the tick in a few boxes and Kuwait allows this.  Would have gone somewhere else if the opportunity was there.   

Also what is sometimes sold and what it turns out are vastly different. Thus "unrealistic expectations". Several things I was told before coming here turned out to incorrect.  Housing prices and quality (despite internet checks), getting by with English, at work, etc.  Over three months to settle in....

The low marks are not surprising and again its to some extent number manipulation. Check out the Economist rankings of liveability cties http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicd … -chart-13.  At least in Saudi you are told you are going into a bottled camp and will be severly limited upfront.

Enigmausly,
yes, I read that. Ease of Setting In - definitely low for me, too.
Additional info clarifies it a bit but also shows this survey is not worth much...

TriniMario,
it's interesting to read about your experience. Can you expand on it? What 'ticks' for instance might one need / did you need?

Funny that Egypt is among that list , while almost 20 + % of Egyptians are expats themselves

TriniMario wrote:

Good day Annadp

Not everyone comes here by "choice" per se even professionals.  Company postings, a needed tick to move on to another position, financial crisisis, etc.  I need the tick in a few boxes and Kuwait allows this.  Would have gone somewhere else if the opportunity was there.   

Also what is sometimes sold and what it turns out are vastly different. Thus "unrealistic expectations". Several things I was told before coming here turned out to incorrect.  Housing prices and quality (despite internet checks), getting by with English, at work, etc.  Over three months to settle in....

The low marks are not surprising and again its to some extent number manipulation. Check out the Economist rankings of liveability cties http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicd … -chart-13.  At least in Saudi you are told you are going into a bottled camp and will be severly limited upfront.

I was especially amused by graph 7, appropriately named by the economist as "Going Down".  Not so much by the subject itself but more to the decision to harvest the data, and the detail of data it represented!  lol

Such a rich thread. Great input from all 

Let me drag this subject on...

It surprised me to see mainly cities in Australia and Canada in the top 10 of the "best to live in". (Best cities to live in) Nevermind that, now. 

The lower diagram, which shows change from 2009 to 2014, is much cooler than that little table. There you can see the political changes in the world (eg Syria, Ukraine, Egypt), economical crisis (Athens). I've also heard that Dubai is bouncing back from the crisis/debt as the investors moved their money from places like Syria, Beirut, Tripoli, to UAE.

But Kuwait? Cannot see a reason why the livability has increased here so much in the last 5 years. Any ideas?

Good day Annadp

I have not gone through the data and weighting so cannot say much on why the liviablity has gone up. Perhaps more infrastructure, the value of stability or some of the 30 factors the EIU used? For some reason cannot access the EIU site despite my Economist subscription. Worth some digging. 

Anyhow to be considered an expert on Middle East energy it helps to work with several Middle East energy companies spread across the the region and live in the various countries.  Also Kuwait gives me the time to do/complete(?) my doctorate, write for publication, and spend time with my little one during his crucial development years. The salary is not bad either (better than UAE). Unfortunately this sort of situation is needed for the next two years. Experience meeting energy executives on a regular basis, plenty of time at work to other things and finish my degree, time at home with little one until he start primary school and a decent salary to pay off the bills.

My "savings" goes to my stepdaugther in boarding school as she could not get a visa for Kuwait and exra flights for her mom and brother to visit her.  The wife prefers to be out of Kuwait and loves the excuse.  According to the MOI officials - not my daughter. So Kuwait is not for the money.

annadp wrote:

It surprised me to see mainly cities in Australia and Canada in the top 10 of the "best to live in". (Best cities to live in) Nevermind that, now.

Why would it surprise you to see Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary, Canada as No. 3, 4 and 5 on the list of "Most Liveable Cities"? Have you ever been to Canada? These cities constantly appear on the list and for very good reasons. Having visited Calgary many times and having lived just a short distance away from Toronto for 28 years and in the Vancouver area for another 28 these results only surprise me in that they didn't snag the top 3 slots.

Canada is an extremely safe country, you can go out at any time day or night without any fears whatsoever. Public transportation and other public services are all truly "world class". While the Cost of Living is high, so are wages. The minimum wage in Canada ranges from $10,25 to $11.00 per hour depending on the province; and hardly anyone except waiters and waitresses work for just the minimum. The public health system in Canada is a model for the entire world. It's inexpensive and everyone has equal access to the finest hospitals and best medical personnel available. The public education system has a worldwide reputation for excellence. Government is stable, effective, transparent and much less intrusive in the lives of the average citizen than in many other countries. Canada is a truly multi-cultural nation, people from all over the world are welcomed with open arms and rarely ever experience any kind of racism or discrimination.

The list of positives goes on and on... still surprised? You shouldn't be.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team

All I can say is that as time goes by my enthusiasm in Kuwait is rapidly fading, and will take a nose dive very soon. It has a rare treat to disillusion the most persistent optimist. I am hoping it is just a phase.

Why should you be so surprised. Who will vote number one for kuwait?

@TriniMario, that's a great story. Hope you manage to make friends and spend some good time here during your 2 years. I understand, Kuwait definitely provides certain opportunities, especially if you want to be an expert on anything Middle East.

4eyeopener wrote:

Why should you be so surprised. Who will vote number one for kuwait?

I do expect it to be before Saudi A., for once, the country with the least freedom... And perhaps before Qatar and Ghana (my brother has worked in a hospital there, not an easy life). Mexico is very high on the list, with its gang wars (they issue warnings for tourists all the time), and South Africa, with their daily shootings in the streets where life is really cheap (my good friends immigrated from there for the fear for their and their daughter's lives). Israel, a military state - it'd be scary to live there as a native, what about an expat.

So yes, this topic was supposed to be controversial. And thanks for your input, it was my goal to see what other expats thought on this one.

I heard that in Saudi the majority of expats live together in compounds. Despite having less freedom at least they're all in one place together which I can imagine makes it easier to make friends, cope, etc. maybe that's why?