I like this anecdote because it's the exact opposite of what I've seen in Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and practically any city where they're building up massive infrast

I like this anecdote because it's the exact opposite of what I've seen in Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and practically any city where they're building up massive infrastructure. The government has a vision for a certain skyline to take shape, so small scale residential don't really find much government support. On the other hand, the governments strongly encourage a 70-storey residential skyscraper with a wonky rad shape, because why not? The end result is a massive oversupply of homes - there was a such a large glut that prices remained depressed even now, except for Dubai after the Russo-Ukrainian war. My cousin lives in a cozy 3 bedroom rental in Dammam, just outside Aramco City (the part where all the Western oil engineers live and where there are American schools and bars and stuff), for a tenth of what I pay for my tiny apartment in Zurich (which is at the typical level for any non-sharing home for a major city worldwide). If living in a liberalizing autocracy doesn't rock your boat, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are nice options. I've seen a lot of Israeli techies moving to the UAE too.