MamaG2319

Hi,
Am due to move to Qatar in the next few months with hubby and kids and wondered if anybody could answer a few questions for me? I have been researching this for a few weeks, but keep sourcing lots of inconsistent information, so anybody who is able to help with some info, would really appreciate it!

1. What is life like for families in Qatar who are coming from the UK?

2. Anybody able to recommend a reliable international moving company from Scotland to Doha - probably half a containers worth of furniture to come over.

3. Schools - anyone able to let me know about what high schools are worthwhile and which are not?

4. What is the best area (not necessarily the most expensive) to live in Doha?

5. Is the driving and traffic really that bad? Have read some horrible stories and although I don't drive I am just asking on behalf of my family.

6. Any pros and cons to living there with a family?

7. Can you take books/DVD's and CD's there, or are there certain authors, music acts or films that we cannot bring?

Thanks in advance to anybody who takes the time out to answer my questions, am really grateful. Look forward to any responses and hope everybody is having a great day!

Take care!

Johnnyboy11

Sorry to be blunt, but who's the breadwinner and what will their all-in package be? If it's less than QAR 60k/month then I'd forget it, the risk and expenses just won't make it worthwhile relocating the family. Qatar is a tough assignment.

MamaG2319

Thanks Johnnyboy11 for the honesty, it's appreciated.

My hubby will be the breadwinner and his package including salary, rent, school fees, car and insurance will be over QAR 60k pcm, so I take it that this would be okay?

When you say Qatar is a tough assignment, what do you mean? Any info you have about Qatar is appreciated and thanks for taking the time to respond.

Cheers!

Johnnyboy11

Some of the down sides to living and working in Qatar, in my opinion and in no particular order are:

Horrible weather: heat, dust and humidity will keep you indoors for half the year
The overt arrogance and racism of many Qataris, particularly in the workplace (see Qatarisation)
Endemic graft, deceit and general poor work ethic of the dominant cultures in Qatar (Arab/ Indian)
Dangerous and congested roads, making driving anywhere a living nightmare (walking or cycling, forget it)
Appalling treatment of migrant workers, you'll see this everywhere
Poor or non existent Health and Safety culture
Non existent job security, compounded by the Kafala (Sponsorship) system
High turn-over of western expats, 1-2 years being the norm. A lot of western expats are leaving or have left due to the persistent low oil price
Questionable education standards in the English speaking schools, very expensive
Construction noise, dust and heavy vehicles everywhere
Low quality housing, poor build quality, usually unsafe (fire/ electrics/ plumbing) and badly maintained
Very expensive rental accommodation, 3-4 times what you would pay in Scotland
Excessively bureaucratic and inconsistent government 'services' that constantly frustrate and waste time
A general lack of recreational things to do, except mall shopping. Everything is available, but you'll have your work cut out to access it and will have to pay a lot
Inaccessible beaches, without paying a high price for access through a 5* hotel, or driving far out of the city
Strict Muslim state, so the usual restrictions apply (except women are allowed to drive)
Harsh treatment if you offended a local or break any law (travel bans and prompt deportation are not uncommon)
No free press (See Doha News)
Volatile part of the world, see here
Americans in the workplace, who persist in abusing the letters 'u' and 'z'
Lack of social provision for expats, so you'll have to provide your own pension, health insurance, sickness cover etc.

Some plus points:

An interesting cultural experience
Massive investment in roads and other infrastructure, so things are gradually improving
Great business opportunities in the run up to WC 2022
Fantastic weather for half the year
Usually well paying jobs for high skilled, experienced western expats
Tax free salary, once you become and remain UK non-resident
Cheap cars and petrol, so you can drive a massive 4x4 or truck (to keep you safe)
Cheap and abundant taxis
Compound living and Friday brunches, if you like that sort of thing
A maid, to do all the housework and look after the kids
Alcohol is available, but restricted and very expensive
Good airport and access to fantastic holiday destinations
QAR peg to the USD, so exchange rate is currently very favourable for Brits
Internet access is good and fast (VPN recommended)
Airside at Hamad airport departure lounge, my favourite place...

Have you thought about sending your hubby to Qatar on his own, at least until he is settled at work and has completed his probation period? You and the kids can visit during the school hols, and he can return to the UK during his leave periods. You'd be able to save a fortune, pay off the mortgage in no time, send the kids to private school in Scotland or whatever. A lot of western expats choose this lifestyle (or had it imposed on them) for a period then move on. It's tough on the family, but financially very rewarding.

Whatever you do, have an exit plan and don't get into debt.

DXBtoDOH

JohnnyBoy summarised it quite well.

Doha is not Dubai at all, there is no comparison. It's a dull, dreary and dusty place. Even many of the pros he mentioned come with a condition. Like to travel? Great, but flights out of Doha are expensive, in many cases double those out of Dubai. The weather may be "nice" for half the year but it's still dull (and this past winter was surprisingly cool). Want to get out of the city on a nice day? There's bugger all but a dreary desert landscape that's more flat scraggly wasteland than the romantic dunes of the stereotypical Arabian peninsula. You may have a large income but you pay through the nose for a decent lifestyle and ridiculous sums for basic quality produce at the markets, and a standard beer is 50 QAR. Restaurants are more disappointing than not.

If you have a good compound or circle of friends it can be liveable but be aware that scores and scores of expats are leaving and large culls are still happening. The two main employment sectors for expats are O&G and that's in the toilet, and the architecture/engineering sector, and they feed off government budgets, and that's in the toilet too, with many unpaid invoices from major government agencies forcing firms to cut down on the overhead and that means expensive expats. So you could come here, meet a bunch of people and discover half of them are leaving by the end of year. A lot of rumours of a massive flight this summer once school ends. Those rumours pop up every year but this year seems more serious than usual.

You mentioned high school so you have a child in secondary and frankly, you may be better off staying in Scotland until he/she finishes their education. People tend to be more unhappy than happy with the quality of schooling in Qatar - it's expensive for what you get. Johnny's right - a lot of senior men keep families at home and live a bachelor lifestyle here. I know a number of "Doha bachelors" who share large apartments in West Bay, each paying 5k a month in rent, spend another 5k on their day to day living, and send 40, 50, 60+k home each month. When family comes over to visit, they book a hotel. Or all head over to Dubai.

But if the move is not negotiable, look into living on the Pearl if you can. There's townhouse villas and it's a decent place, probably the best place to live in Doha. The compounds are all dotted around the outskirts of the city so there's no one or two 'best' location. It's a mixture of compounds, villas for the locals and dreary Middle East midrise apartments where the cheaper expats live. No landscaping and little walkability outside the compounds, so it's pretty ugly.

Johnnyboy11

Another down side of leaving Scotland as a family is that your kids will lose their entitlement to free University education. You should factor this future cost into your finances, which will be a significant outlay.

Another plus side is that the longer you live in Qatar, the more your eyes will be opened to the extreme wealth and prosperity that a low-tax, free-market, oil-based economy can bring to a small, independent country. When you return to visit Scotland, you get a stark reminder of the suffocating effects of socialism, compounded by the confiscation of North Sea oil wealth by Westminster and the expropriation of North Sea fishing grounds by Brussels. I'll stop ranting now...

DXBtoDOH

Funnily enough, I'd never describe Doha as a rich and prosperous country. There's some money, certainly, and the sovereign fund is filthy rich, but 95% of the population here aren't rolling in dough, even many western expats. It feels very midlevel second world to me. Dubai, by contrast, feels much more affluent, even if much of it is on paper and debts.

mission

i've never lived in Doha, but travel there on business and it truly is a sh*t hole - i would need my salary doubled to even remotely think about moving there.

scrubbedexpat141

I honestly don't think you could double your salary without the use of a calculator.

mission

scot47

I had a number of different jobs in many parts of Saudi over a long period. I first went there in 1970 and left in 2010. In total I worked for 17 years in that country.


I lasted for 2 weeks in Qatar. Ghastly place.

co durham boy

Qatar is dull , dreary and boring but it's not impossible . There's loads of people that prefer it over Dubai or other places which i do find strange .You're basically there to earn money and to eventually move on . The culture is shite and so are most of the people.

It's also relative to where you're coming from and far different for someone who has more overseas experience in far more salubrious places .

Doha is not Dubai but it's not Riyadh either . Just make sure you walk away with plenty money in the hip pocket because it's a shit place to be skint.

DXBtoDOH

Be nice to me, mate. I'm not that bad.

Fair enough. I keep forgetting to look at Doha from this angle.

I'd also make sure they're happy with the education available. Especially at the secondary level.

co durham boy

I'd have no trouble going back if the job was right but it's a pain in the arse after a while and gradually wears you down.

Everything is second rate which is fine but not if you're paying first rate prices !

martinbkk

This sums it up quite well I think.

But 4 years in and I've still not got to the point of binning the place. My 10 day breaks every 6 or 7 weeks help with the sanity I guess but while the moolah is rolling in I'll stick it out. Mind you it's a fairly spartan life, work, flat, work, flat, shop for grub, work, flat, work, flat, drink, work, flat, drink. shop etc. Down time is a mix of internet, movies and tinkering with things that amuse me.

I chose not to bring any family here and just escape back home every 6-7 weeks for a full on family bonding binge.