For many researchers around the world, Arab states in the Middle East do not sound like the place to move to for a career in science research. A recent boom in the quantity and quality of universities and research centres in the region, however, is turning many eyes.

The draw of generous funding, top-of-the-line laboratories and high salaries are attracting many researchers to leave their careers in the West for – at least a brief – stint in the Middle East. Countries like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and to a lesser degree Saudi Arabia are becoming increasingly multicultural with a large expatriate community which helps these researchers override their biggest fear: the cultural shift of moving to more conservative countries.

This week’s Nature podcast explores what is pulling young researchers to the Middle East, and what they hope to gain from their time there. You can listen to it in the second section of the podcast, titled “The draw of the Gulf”, on the Nature podcast homepage here.