Most of the negative perception of the Middle East is from what people see and hear on various media; the inside story is actually quite pleasant.

The first question I was asked when I decided to move to the Middle East was about safety and security. I gave them a definitive answer when I visited home for holidays after 4 months in the ME.

Of course like most others have said, it can be better, but hey, there are several things that can be better in other parts of the world too.