Ukeuro75

Well...after a few weeks of headaches, tension, stress and sleepless nights as to what to do about a recent job offer in Doha , I have finally decided to accept the offer and come to doha. I figured that it was possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity and more than that, I was fearful of having regrets if I didn't come. So, over the next couple of months I need to pack, put possessions into long term storage, and give my house a lick of paint in preparation for renting it. I'm feeling apprehensive and somewhat anxious, which I think is normal (????), but feel I need to go there and give doha a try. I am particularly upset that I will be parting with my dog who mum has agreed to look after for me, but I will be devastated not having her with me. I was just wondering if anyone could share their experiences and words of wisdom about when they moved from uk to Doha. Are my anxieties normal? Practically what should I be planning now ? If you had your time of moving to Doha again, would you do anything differently ? Many many thanks! Hope to meet some of you when I arrive. Cheers!

Johnnyboy11

Some money tips from me:

(i) Tell HMRC that you have left the UK to live and work full time abroad. There's a form to fill in and post.

(ii) Open a SIPP (HL online is one of the best and very low cost). That way you can pay in £2880 each year for 5 years and receive £720 free money each year you're abroad from HMRC.

(iii) Take time choosing your accommodation and don't commit to more than 6-months unless you are absolutely sure. Don't pay cash upfront to anyone, use post dated cheques which is the norm.

(iv) Rent a car until you become familiar with the driving here, and get your first few bumps behind you. That way your outlay is limited to your insurance excess, usually QR1500 -2000 each time. Once you are confident on the roads, consider buying a new car (not used which are stupidly expensive). The Nissan Altima is a good deal at about QR63k new.

Oh, enjoy the beautiful weather in January when you arrive and get into the habit of exercising. It's really easy to put on weight in the ME, particularly when the temperature rises and you're stuck indoors.

[J]

AirBender

why not the used ones? I was thinking for go for Hummmmmerrrrrr

Millhouse

In my opinion storing stuff is a waste of money. It's expensive, and you have no idea how long you're going to be away. Either sell it, or stick it on a container and bring it with you (doesn't cost that much - I paid 1500quid to Abu Dhabi in 2008 for a full container but you can also get part containers).

Added benefit is that you don't have to buy all this shit again at an inflated cost when you arrive and it's an instant 'home' which is quite settling.

If you do get a container, ask around... the prices vary massively

Johnnyboy11

As I said, the used cars here are stupidly expensive, like a 10% discount on the new price, but the car is 3 years old and has 100k on the clock. Check out the used car board on Qatar living to see what I mean.

Plus Hummers, Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols are the car of choice for the young Qatari 'drifter', you know the ones that see the hard shoulder as their own private, high speed lane.

[J]

Neil51

Bring with you:
1.A bottle of TCP. You can't buy this in Doha, and I used a bottle of it in the first month. There is a fine dust in the air and it is very common for new arrivals to get a sore throat and bad cough. Having my TCP was a real blessing.
2. Some nice shower gel. For men, the only stuff you can buy in the chemists or supermarkets is tacky 70s stuff like Denim or old spice. And these two are the good ones. Choice is great for other stuff though.
3. knowledge that taxi drivers will rip you off if they detect that you have just arrived. Get a Karwa (turquoise) taxi and demand at the outset that it is on the meter for the tariff.

It's a nice place to live and it will be a great experience for you.

MaserMan

Don't you realize that Old Spice relaunced itself recently and has lost the 70s reputation just go onto you tube and see the latest ads.

co durham boy

Where do you shop for shower gel then , the Indian souk ?

You can get most of what you need here in the big supermarkets .

MaserMan

There is also all the better shops like L'occitane etc to buy good body washes.

co durham boy

First we had bed linen and now we've got shower gel....

The modern expat , they don't make them like they used to that's for sure !

MaserMan

One has standards!

Cosmopolitan

I think that working in ME is a unique experience, that's why I accepted job offer in Dubai and been here for a month. It's great, heard that Qatar is very good as well, so good luck!

OleJanx

Qatar is very good? Well, I have to admire your optimism, but Qatar is what you make of it. Some people love it, others hate it.
The thing to remember is, It's not Saudi - but it isn't the Emirates either....

Immad

Hi UK Euro – good move 
UK side: Sort out tax P85 and home rental NRL something
Lick of paint is a start but ask a rental agent what you will need to do as there is a Gas safety cert electricals etc. Maybe you don’t want it managed though? You really don’t need to bring much but remember that you will be limited to 30KG on the plane. £22 per kilo extra me thinks
Also your mortgage company needs informing and Insurance Company.
Doha side: fantastic mate go to a Carrefour (typo?) Supermarket as you will find everything you ended up chucking out. Extension leads, clothes, Iron + board and glorious range of food. Pricy but salary covers you.
Bank with HSBC and send money anywhere you like QAR account + Dollar + GDB (3 accounts) then move it all around online in the evening for something to flipping do!

Immad

Weird question as I would deffo say "I would've turned back at the airport when I had to say bye to the wife and kids" but Im Mad see
its a dump here, went out to Trader's and realised here is a "half-life"