Teaching in the Middle East

I connected with Cristina on LinkedIn and was wondering how life is teaching racquet sports in Oman. So I asked her some questions, and here are her replies.

My name is Cristina Kaiser. I am 29 years old and grew up playing tennis at a very young age before transitioning into padel only a few years ago. 

I chose to work in Oman because I was looking for both professional growth and a new cultural experience. I wanted to challenge myself, step outside my comfort zone, and be part of a dynamic environment in the Middle East.

How I found out about this position was actually through a Facebook expat group, and I decided to apply, not knowing I would be chosen out of four other males who applied for this position as head coach. 

The onboarding process has been smooth and well-organized, which made the transition much easier for me. Everyone has been welcoming, supportive, and respectful, and I truly appreciate how warmly I’ve been treated here. It has made settling in both professionally and personally a very positive experience. 

My days in Oman start early, usually with a quiet morning routine that helps me feel centered and ready for the day. I take my time getting ready, enjoy a calm moment to myself, and mentally prepare for work. Living here has taught me to appreciate slower, peaceful mornings before the day begins.

After work, I shift into a softer rhythm. Evenings are for unwinding—whether that’s calling family or friends, having meaningful conversations, watching something relaxing, or simply reflecting on my day. Some days I like going out for dinner, coffee, or exploring a little, especially learning the culture and traditions and being in the midst of it all.

Do you have to wear a hijab during work?

No, I do not need to wear a hijab in daily life here. I can wear leggings and and tshirt to train and coach. You do want to be more modest when going to the malls, and wear a head scarf when going to the Mosques.

How are the people in your community, and is it easy to make friends?

When I first got here for the first week, it definitely was a bit difficult to learn my surroundings and to get to know the Padel community with everyone in it. The second week, it was like everything shifted to not knowing everyone to all of a sudden, getting invited to things, and pretty much knowing the whole community. There are other coaches here from Spain whom I’ve connected with in the second week, playing padel and doing outside activities with them too. I will say the girls are definitely more reserved and quiet. I have found a few whom I’ve connected with and will spend time with. Pretty much, if you don’t go up to people or introduce yourself or make yourself known, you will probably not get spoken to or will be ignored. You are definitely the odd one out; people can tell straight away you’re not from this country or from the Middle East primarily. What I’ve learned from this month being here if you want to make friends and be social and make girlfriends, you definitely need to be the social one and to keep showing up to things and just be yourself and respect everyone. I’ve also added different routines into my schedule to meet other people and do activities like doing some Pilates classes, joining a hiking group, or attending some coffee meetups. I think it’s very smart to not just be in the padel community (most are) but to be in other communities here as well.

Everyone here is very, very private as well. Keep things to yourself because if not, things travel very fast around the community.

Can you give our readers an idea of what kind of pay to expect in Oman, and is housing included?

Yes, I have accommodation provided. It’s a studio apartment in a great location in Muscat. Free transportation from a colleague until I get an Omani license. We are paid in Rials here. I have a salary each month plus commission. All I need to pay for now is groceries, and anything else I may like on my own.

They also provided me with another phone to use for an Omani number and a laptop. I still have my US phone for personal use.

Here is Cristina’s image on her club’s website:

So, after you pay for groceries, you are able to save a lot of money?

Yes, pretty much.

How is the war in Iran affecting your life right now?
When it first started, it was a little bit scary because, being from the US, I was getting a lot of notifications from the embassy and live updates. Living in Muscat, there have been no casualties here, and it is still very safe, with no issues whatsoever. I do see it does affect a lot of UAE and GCC* residents, and it does affect some of my friends who do live here, or have family living in Dubai, Kuwait, or Bahrain. For me, this will be the first time that I am near a war personally, so it has been very interesting to follow and be around it.

The war hasn’t affected the lifestyle here; everyone is still doing their normal activities and doing Ramadan, and with Eid coming up, things will go on as normal.

The club is called The Club Muscat. 

• GCC represents Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.