Starbucks, fast internet, and amazing sofas: working remotely in the Middle East

'If costs in the region are high, I want to motivate readers of this newsletter to consider a visit when they need to leave the Schengen area or take a break from Southeast Asia', writes Wesley Faraó

Last May, I invited journalist Wesley Faraó Klimpel, who is traveling the world on his project “Sem Chaves” (Without Keys), to write about the experience of working remotely from Africa. The partnership was so great that we repeated it in the Middle East, where he and his wife, Pati, recently spent two months. The plan is to create a series about remote work around the world. Want to participate? Reply to this email or write to mateusnodirectionhome@gmail.com.

• It's not that easy to be a digital nomad in West Africa

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We wanted to stay longer in the region, but the war between Israel and Hamas greatly affected neighboring nations. So, we spent almost two months there, focusing more on the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, further away from the conflict's epicenter.

If we struggled considerably with internet access in Africa, especially on the west coast, digital life in the Middle East was much smoother. Out of the 15 hotels we stayed in, only one had unstable internet —the only one labeled as a hostel.

We discovered in Dubai why there are so many hostels on accommodation apps. It's common in the largest city in the United Arab Emirates to convert apartments into capsule-style dormitories —in the one we stayed in, there were 60 beds in 4 rooms. These places are intended for immigrant workers, a very different audience from the hostels of young travelers in Europe and South America.

We also found good internet for digital nomads in many cafes and traditional workplaces. While we only saw Starbucks in two of the 36 countries we visited in Africa, in the Middle East we visited units in all seven nations we passed through —only at one location in Manama (the capital of Bahrain) was the Wi-Fi unavailable.

In addition to the Seattle-based café, other foreign chains are spread throughout the region. We discovered the Canadian Tim Hortons and the American Caribou, offering fast internet and a generous environment for several hours of work. We wrote much of our book, "Aventuras Sem Chaves [Adventures Without Keys]," in armchairs and sofas at these Saudi Arabia and Oman franchises.

We sought out local cafes to discover different spaces and support the local economy, but when we found a place with tasty coffee and strong Wi-Fi, there was not enough comfort to work for long periods.

On the road with a laptop. Photo: Sem Chaves

One that offered it all was the Maria Coffee House in Aqaba. We were hooked so much that we stayed an extra day in the coastal city of Jordan. There were various types of coffee beans —the staff even suggested which preparation matched best with each choice— and incredibly soft sofas. The traveler might shed a tear with this combo.

Another point that delights those living on the road is the absence of visas or, when required, the ease of obtaining them. And in this regard, some Middle Eastern countries are very friendly to foreigners.

We were exempt from visas in Jordan —a convenience for those entering through Aqaba or purchasing the Jordan Pass—, in Oman —those staying less than 14 days do not need the bureaucracy— and in the United Arab Emirates. In Qatar and Bahrain, you pay for the visa upon arrival, with a card. Modernity, they say, right? Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the troublemakers with Brazilians in this regard.

If I consider Africa expensive —yes, it's extremely expensive because there's no mass tourism, so prices are high when seeking the comfort we're used to— the Middle East demands even more resources. Jordan and Oman were the cheapest of those we visited —and not that cheap.

If costs in the region are high for long periods, I want to motivate readers of this newsletter to consider a visit when they need to leave the Schengen area or take a break from Southeast Asia. Who knows, you might fall in love with the geography and culture there.

I already miss the ease of having internet in places. If the cafes don't have it in Moscow or request a local SIM card to register for Wi-Fi networks, imagine on the Trans-Siberian, from where I'm writing this text?