graeme_p - 7:09 am on Sep 6, 2010 (gmt 0)

nothing against any religion but a strict Sharia law will severely cramp my style and I prefer not considering such countries.

My point is that not all Muslim majority countries have strict Sharia law - I would not want to live in those that do either.

First they came..

Agree with the quote (its one of my favourites), but I would question its applicability this case - or to a good many other countries discussed in this thread.

Hot weather undermines productivity.

True. Choice of region (at least in this country), well designed out of town houses or air-conditioning all solve this problem. Also, beware of summer in some apparently cooler countries, especially if the buildings are primarily designed to stay warm in winter.

That requirement certainly rules out Dubai and a few other places that have been mentioned. Singapore is pretty hot, as does much of Australia in the summer. How well do you cope with cold weather? Its quite difficult to find places with temperatures in a comfortable range all year round.