Teach in the Middle East

We get many calls a day from teachers who are interested in teaching in the Middle East for good reasons - sun, beaches, tax-free salaries and free accommodation are just a few of them!

Growing daily, international schools in this region are numerous and varied. Because of this, Teachanywhere's office in the United Arab Emirates visits most of our client schools to provide you with the most up-to-date, "insider" information on what to expect and to match you with a school that fits your training, experience and personal requirements. We know what the schools are looking for, and we can help you find the right Middle East teaching job.

We have put together the following guidelines to get you started but remember to contact your nearest Teachanywhere office for personalised advice so that we can match you with an appropriate region and school:

Middle Eastern salaries are usually paid in local currency. Use www.xe.com to get a conversion rate.

Middle Eastern schools almost always provide housing as part of the employment package, as housing is very expensive. Housing is usually an apartment that is hard furnished with a bed, dresser, table and chairs, etc. Soft furnishings such as cutlery and dishes may or may not be provided, but are not expensive to buy in any case. Utilities are very cheap and may or may not be included in your employment package.

Contracts are usually 2-3 years. Shorter term contracts are not often available because of the high cost to the school of procuring a work permit. Schools generally prefer to amortise this cost over more than one year. We do not have 1 year teaching contracts in any Middle Eastern country except Kuwait.

Most salaries are tax-free which is not a concept that is familiar to most western teachers! To compare the tax-free salary to your own, remember to look at your take home pay, minus the cost of rent/mortgage, utilities and real estate/council taxes. Most single teachers find that they can live quite comfortably on a tax-free package of £1000 per month.

The provided housing may not be suitable for a family, and is usually never suitable for more than 2 dependents (including non-teaching spouse and dependent children) per teacher. However, concessions may be made for teaching couples. Whilst some schools will provide a housing stipend in lieu of housing, it is usually no more than the cost of a studio apartment and often less. If your partner has procured a post in this region, and his/her employment package includes housing then you are in luck but dont expect the school to offer you money in lieu of the housing benefit.

Schools usually provide discounted tuition to children of teachers, but it is almost never free. Typically, they offer a discount of 25–33% which makes it very difficult for teachers who are the sole breadwinners who have dependent children.

Unmarried partners can present problems for teachers wishing to relocate to this area especially when there are dependent children. We do not recommend this area to female teachers with unmarried partners and dependent children unless she has sole custody of the children and her partner has his own work authorisation. Make sure you discuss your personal situation with your consultant so we can best advise you.

Some parts of the Middle East are dry, meaning that the sale of alcohol is forbidden. However, our teachers have reported that enterprising shopkeepers will often sell everything you need to brew your own wine and beer, and the local embassies will often host pub nights and other social events. However, it is important to respect local sensibilities: public drunkenness is strongly discouraged wherever you go in this region.

Schools in this area are purpose built and usually quite new. The school leaders might be western ex-pats or experienced local educators but in any case working in a Middle Eastern school usually requires patience and acceptance of the many cultural differences between east and west.

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) positions are often available and contract lengths are the same as for teachers. Pay is frequently less than a primary/secondary teaching position and a TEFL certificate plus at least a year of experience is required.

Almost all Middle East countries have age restrictions, some will have restrictions on children born out of wedlock as well as a wife's ability to sponsor the residency of her spouse, and all have different rules on what teaching qualifications are acceptable. But do not worry we take this into account during our matching process.

Up for the challenge? Register with Teachanywhere today to find your next Middle East teaching job. It's free of charge, and will give you access to a world of knowledge.