That part of the world is no place to go foolin' around.
Absolutely not, though it does vary quite a lot from country to country. My feminist but flexible ex hated some aspects of Saudi Arabia when we were there, but she's been fairly content in Dubai.
I don't know why westerners even travel to the middle east except to see a few historical sights, ...
The best carpets in the world, some utterly fantastic architecture, interesting food and music, a long fascinating history, a long tradition of hospitality, ... That's just off the top of my head. Certainly there are difficulties, as there are in any culture significantly different from your own, but they are generally manageable. Don't write the Middle East off; much of it is fascinating.
For teachers, the high salaries are a big draw too. I checked this year and saw jobs advertised at anywhere from $35K to well over $100K. Qualifications they want are high, though. Lowest any ad I saw would accept was degree and teaching experience; most wanted CELTA and some insist on a Master's.