There have been a number of posts, both before and since the Challenge Tri in Bahrain that have been full of just poor information / stereotypes / speculation as to what travelling to the region for an event, or through the region might be like.
So in the interest of answering question with facts about what its actually like, there are a number of people that have lived or do live within the region at present and I’d suggest a single reference for people who might have an interest in travelling to the region for tri’s to pose any questions.
This is not to answer any geo-political questions, to engage in discussions about human rights, the role of democracy all of which can be left to the LR but should obviously address questions of culture or religion or any other aspects that would impact a visitors experience.
So, for some basic info: of the core members of the GCC, they range in degrees of conservatism from Saudi / Kuwait at one end of the spectrum to Bahrain at the other, Abu Dhabi and the Emirates sit along that continuim along with Oman.
In Qatar for example, the Nationals comprise approximately 15% of the total population, the balance being ex-pats comprised of migrant labourers and professionals from all over the world. Qatar has / had the highest income per capita, has stacks of natural gas, was a former british protectorate, is not a Emirate but is a member of the GCC.
That said, things about the region:
Women usually do not travel alone - so nationals will usually only ever venture out in groups of other women or with chaperones - fathers, brothers, husbands - this obviously does not apply to westerners who are by and large free to do as they want which is why you will see single females running on the Corniche and in Parks in Qatar and AD and elsewhereIt would be completely inappropriate for a man to approach a single woman on her own in a public space - which is why westerners go to bars 
where there is usually a lot of action - if thats your thing…its also, I suspect why, the comments were made to women travelling to the race in Bahrain, it was not safety related but custom and practice - its also why when skiing in Iran, because the religious police don’t ski, young iranians of both sex’s are able to meet and in Riyad they meet in groups in hotel coffee shops where the police are notCovering up is NOT a requirement - respect for the culture is, and that varies across the region, so whats acceptable in Bahrain and Dubai would not be acceptable in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi. Covering up would generally mean shoulders and knee’s - exactly the same requirement as St Peter’s in Rome. Covering up in Saudi / Kuwait slightly different with a requirement to cover your head - though plenty of females across the region comply with the requirement to the least degree possible to make a point…Oman is the most beautiful and varied country - mountains, temperate climate, rainy season, excellent divingQatar is currently under the greatest amount of construction and is arguably 15-20 years behind AD / Dubai in terms of developmentIn Bahrain, Dubai and AD one can drink in bars, restaurants, malls and hotels Oman you can definitely drink in hotelsIn Qatar you can only drink at the Golf Club, hotels and one bar called GarveysKuwait and Saudi - no booze at all unless you know someone at an Embassy or someone doing moonshine :)All the countries have amazing hotels, great restaurants and probably enough to keep a visitor entertained for about 48 hours - depending on what you like to doThe region is by and large exceptionally safe and there is a constant nervousness about things happening to westerners and whilst it does happen, in my experience its been with far less frequently than violent assaults when I lived in londonCrime rates are exceptionally low - much of it is not reported but in the four years we’ve been here we’ve never locked our house, car, leave the car running when we go shopping, leave laptops, phones and wallets lying around and stuff just does not go missing (be that through fear of being caught or honesty is largely neither here nor there as the results the same). Friends who’ve lived in AD for 22 years have never locked there house and only once in that time has something been taken from the house which was later returned when the threat of it being reported to the police was voicedThere are significant numbers of young single women working in a variety of sectors - healthcare, recruitment, law, finance, banking, IT throughout the region - I work in healthcare where we’ve recruited dozens of single nurses from europe / north america over the past 4 years to undertake specialist roles all of whom live in apartments / villa’s on there ownAttacks when they do happen on westerners are by and large not “reprisals” for being something any more than being attacked in London or NY is a reprisal for having anything more than a iPhone 6
Without being pollyanna about it - I know men and women that do hate it / have hated it and left, some of their issues are real, some perception and some I’m pretty certain were imagined.
The region is very different, culturally, socially, employment wise and there are customs and practices that are definitely not the same as living in London Paris of NY
That said, the countries of the GCC are by and large safe, friendly, open to single travellers, have great facilities, and things to do for both the transient visitor or full time resident. I am not a tourist board but more myth refutation at this point
If people have specific questions about where to stay, what to do, things to do, things to be aware of, concerns or anything else they can be posted here and perhaps they can be answered by one of the current or former residents of the region.