I had a neighbor whose daughter and son-in-law had a good gig with ARAMCO in Iran in the late 1960s when the Shah was in charge. They told me about how strict it was about booze and women driving even for the expats like them living in ARAMCO’s compound. Then, when traveling by plane out of Iran, as soon as clearing Iran airspace, the booze started to flow and the party was on - and I’m talking about the Iranians on board.
I have never been in that part of the world but I suspect much of the populace hate living under the strict Islamist rule of the tyrants currently in charge. The family of this female pilot must have been in fear for their lives that caused them to disown her.
I worked in Yemen Oilfields during 93~94. Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE were like Oasis compared to the desert of countries around them.
For much of the population, it is all they know. Internet access is such a life changing event for many.
I had a clerk back then ask me if snow was real or just a joke we had made up.
But UAE was a modern place that I would take my family prior to 9/11/2001; even found a good Tex-Mex restaurant run by a Texas ExPat. Today’s world, that would be not be an easy choice; fortunately oil/gas is good in the US these days.