Where do most nannies work in the Middle East?
When nanny agencies talk of the 'Middle East' they usually mean the several states or countries clustered around and including Saudi Arabia. Employers might live in Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and even Azerbaijan, to the north between the Black and Caspian seas. British nannies usually work in the cities - Amman (Jordan), Riyadh and Jeddah (Saudi), and Dubai (Emirates).
How different is the Arabic culture from ours in Britain?
The short answer is - very! The predominant religion is Islam and most families will follow it to a greater or lesser degree, within whatever flexibility they are allowed. Outside the family home, however, centuries of different cultural traditions and religious regulations combine to make the Middle East a challenging and complex region for westerners to work in.
It depends on which countries you visit. Saudi Arabia, for example, is a strictly-run Muslim state, where women do not show their faces, arms or legs in public. They don't drive, don't go out in public with male friends and certainly don't drink alcohol - nannies will only find it at the British clubs or consulates. The United Arab Emirates and Jordan, however, have a reputation as being less strict, although British nannies will feel more comfortable if they cover up.
What are the hours and conditions?
Nannies here work six days a week, and should expect to provide 24-hour cover if caring for a small baby. A nanny will have her own self-contained accommodation within the family's large compound, and will probably share a room with the baby. The day starts at 5am, and children go to bed comparatively late, as they will have had a rest during the hot afternoon.
Families holiday in Europe or America during July and August, and take you with them to help out.
How much would I earn?
Between 400 and 500 a week, tax-free. This is the great incentive, and many nannies take a contract in the Middle East determined to save money. Some also use their free time in the job to study.
Are other staff employed?
Yes, and this is the crucial point about working in Saudi Arabia. As a nanny, you will find yourself 'in the middle' between several other members of staff (usually Filipinos) and the family. British nannies are treated extremely well and often take the position of a trusted friend rather than a servant. Therefore you should be able to both give and receive instructions with poise and good humour.
Is this right for a first job?
Not really, unless you have very relevant experience. Families seem to prefer nannies in their late twenties or thirties, always with a recognised childcare qualification.
Don't apply if...
* You're determined to wear that cropped top.
* You have a serious boyfriend in this country.
* You crave a gin and tonic at the end of a busy day.
* You love to party.
Last-minute tips
Wear smart, longish skirts at the interview, and don't be too shy to haggle over your wages!
AN UNFORGETTABLE YEAR
This summer is going to be a good one for Montessori teacher Caroline Leatham. She's off to visit the family in Abu Dhabi who gave Caroline her first job as a nanny after she finished her three-year childhood studies course. 'Although I'd only just qualified, I wanted to experience a completely different culture,' she says. 'The United Arab Emirates seemed like a good choice as the lifestyle is quite relaxed - I wouldn't have to wear the face mask and veil as women do in Saudi.'
Arriving in Dubai, Caroline discovered that her home for the next year would be in a palace inside a walled compound, with armed guards at the entrance. Her employer had six children, 'but only one wife!' Caroline laughs. Her charges were the two youngest girls, Anna, aged four, and one-year-old Naema. Modest dress codes were important. Caroline was asked to wear dresses or skirts below the knee, and no sleeveless tops; also, if she chose to wear a skirt and top, the top was to be left outside the skirt rather than tucked in.
'I worked six days a week, from 6am to 9pm, but knew I would be providing 24-hour cover for the baby, who slept in my room.' During her first, quite traumatic week, Caroline says the family did all they could to ease her transition to a lifestyle where, as a privileged member of a large staff, it was part of her role to both give and receive instructions. 'The mother kept saying how happy they were with me, and I could see that they were devoted parents - a very happy family.'
Woken every morning by the aroma of roasting coffee beans, Caroline would wake and dress the girls and supervise their breakfast, which included milk and a teaspoon of honey - 'that's a very Arabic thing, to ward off coughs and colds'. Then one of the chauffeurs would be summoned to take Anna to school.
Mornings had a comfortable routine. 'I might take Naema to a playgroup, or ask the playgroup mums back to the palace for a swim in the pool, and arrange for drinks and biscuits to be served. Then I would make lunch.
Although the family employed a cook, the mother liked me to cook Naema's food, as she was still being weaned. At 1pm we would be driven to collect Anna from school, and bring her back for lunch with her brothers and sisters. The parents would eat their lunch later, relaxing on cushions on their sitting room floor, around a centre spread of wonderful Arabic dishes. Tabbouleh, hummus, rice, hunks of meat or chicken, salads, yogurt, fish, and, of course, crisped Arabic bread laid on top of everything.
Delicious!'
The afternoon hours would be spent resting, away from the heat, but at 5pm, people came to life again. 'Once or twice a week, the mother would take the baby to visit her parents,' says Caroline. 'This was quite an occasion.
Naema would be wearing a pretty dress, with lots of gold jewellery, and she would play with her grandparents for about an hour. Her other grandmother lived in one of the palaces in the compound, and I would take her there once a week. Again, she would be wonderfully dressed and I would be served refreshments while she played.'
Caroline's day off was usually spent sailing at the British Club nearby or shopping at the local souk for silks and coffee pots. At the club she could enjoy the occasional drink, as alcohol is not forbidden in the United Arab Emirates but her employers were strict Muslims and did not allow alcohol, or even the mention of it, in the house.
Religion was important to the family. 'All the children had a prayer from the Koran written on a tiny piece of paper and sewn into a piece of fabric, which was then pinned to their vests. I have to admit that when I first saw those vests full of tiny holes I thought moths had been eating them.'
Following strict Muslim custom, the ladies of the family could relax without their veils only in the company of their husbands or immediate male relatives such as brothers or fathers. And they could meet other males, such as their husbands' brothers or more distant relatives, only in the palace gardens, not inside their houses - hence the importance of keeping these beautiful spaces absolutely private. Caroline was privileged here.
'The staff had no access to the gardens, and there was a huge wall separating the garden from outside. But it's wonderful for the children, as related families will often have a palace each within a compound, so the children grow up with their cousins.'
It was a sad day when Caroline left. 'They did try hard to keep me,' she says. 'I was offered a car and an apartment in Dubai, but I had been accepted for Montessori teacher training in London, and just had to keep saying "No, no".' Her year had been unforgettable. 'Arabic people have a lovely habit of offering perfume to visitors. You dab it on your wrists, and it's pungent and spicy. And there was always lovely incense floating through the house. And fresh fruit drinks made with mangoes - I won't forget those.'
With thanks to Claire Braddick at Imperial Nannies, who placed Caroline Leatham in her job.
