Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

Hello Expats - I have just accepted a job offer in Qatar, I work in IT and the offer which was all inclusive = double my net income(not gross) in the UK so hoping that I made the right decision here ?
Its early stages now - I've just sent my documents for legalisation in the UK and building my knowledge on Qatar. Hoping to get some feedback from all of you on these questions, this will certainly help me being prepared.

1. Unconscious racial bias - This exists everywhere, its just human nature but to me being brown and Brit it hits you in the face the moment one steps outside the UK. Not sure how many of you are on the same boat as me, if you can share your experience in Qatar on this basis as I learn it has a huge labour force from India.

2. Document stamps formalities - I am going at it alone and not using any agencies so hoping to get this right myself first time, good idea? My sponsor has only asked for police clearance and degree cert attested by FCO UK and Qatar Embassy for myself. Should I be getting the same for my wife and birth certificate for the kids attested as well for dependant visa? or is it different when the company does it for you ?

3. Family Visa - My offer includes visa+flight for my family. How do people generally do it ? it is my understanding that we can all travel together to Doha, once arrived we will then need to get Resident permit and ID, is this right or should I be flying alone first and then followed by family ? Do you see any problem if my dependants leave the country for a long time as my wife intends to spent time in India and educate the kids there. Can my family be outside of Qatar when RP is being processed?

4. Marriage Certificate - My sponsor did ask for this but did not mention that it needs to be attested by FCO or Qatari embassy. Our wedding took place in India and we have a marriage certificate of that accord. If they need it attested where do I go? anyone had a similar story?

5. Jobs/Career - I landed this interview and job offer via LinkedIn, is this a common scenario if you are job hunting say after 2-3 yrs, how easy is it to switch within Qatar or maybe move to Dubai, AD.

6. Transport - Can one rely on ubers/taxi entirely, is hiring a car cheaper if all I am going to be doing is commuting to work and back.

7. Multiple exit visa - is it necessary to negotiate this during job offer ?

Re: Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

1. Unconscious racial bias? No, it's not unconscious. It's fully conscious. Qataris and other Arabs will, for the most part, either ignore you or think lesser of you. However, it's unlikely to affect your day to day life or working relationships. The one thing you must remember is that discrimination comes in all forms and shapes in the Gulf, it's more honest and real. White people are certainly discriminated against. Indians discriminate against other Indians and other nationalities. Everyone does it to a degree. You see this in, say, hiring, an Indian manager will often only ever hire other Indians and reject all non Indian CVs. And this is just one example. Welcome to the real world. But, and this is a realistic but, most people accept it and as such don't really get upset about it and get on with life. If there is a difference between Qatar and the UAE (for future reference) it's that the UAE has a huge and thriving professional and affluent Indian expatriate population who also own many of the businesses in the UAE, whereas in Qatar that same group is much smaller and disproportionately labourer/working bachelors.

2 - 4 I can't help you with. My company handled all the visa and RP stuff for me. I just gave them the copies of documents they needed. I don't have a wife or family so no need to faff around with those. In general the employed spouse gets his sponsorship sorted out by his employer, then he in turn sponsors his wife and children. In your case, you'd need to get your RP in place first then you can get your wife/kids RP. You should speak with your company's HR division about how this is going to happen.

5. Easy to switch jobs in Qatar (if you find a job) or move to the UAE. People do it all the time. If you work for a decent firm they won't make trouble for you. If you work for a Qatari/local monkey outfit they may try to play games with you leaving.

6. I use uber/taxi all the time. It's slightly cheaper than hiring a car on a monthly basis. But for a family you'll probably want your own car.

7. My company automatically gave me multiple exit visas. We all get it. Speak to your employer and ask what their policy is. I certainly wouldn't take any job offer in Qatar if I wasn't getting multiple exit visas.

Re: Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

And to Khaleejis a British passport holder of "Desi" origin will be forever a "Hindi" - even if he comes from Pakisatn or Bangladesh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desi

Re: Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

1. Even though I'm white a lot of my good friends are Brindian, as was my last long term GF..... and a few before that, and while I can only comment for the UAE, I would say that as soon as anyone realises you're a Brit then you a lumped into the same bundle as any other Brit, white, yellow, brown or black and treated appropriately, be that either in the positive or the negative.

Re: Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

For point 2, Your family visa is dependant on your certifications not theirs, so no need to do anything. Hopefully your company will do the forms and submit. I had to do this myself to take my family here and it was very frustrating. lots of forms etc
Point 3, Either leave them behind until you have there residence visas or you can also apply for a family visit visa for them with gives them 6 months entry. I would travel to country alone first for the initial few weeks
Point 4 Yes your marriage certificate needs to be attested from India not the U.K
Point 7, I think they now need to give this by law, it covers you and your family. Even so its only 500qar riyals for a years permit

Re: Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

As others said there is nothing "unconscious" about the racial bias. Discrimination is not only legal, it is accepted and encouraged.

In the workplace you will be officially "British" and you will be "British" to the other Westerners, but the locals will see you as "Hindi" and that may come out sometimes (overtly or covertly).

Re: Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

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Re: Accepted Job offer in Qatar, what next ?
 

cheers guys, really useful info!