Nic1

I've lived and worked in both Riyadh and Doha (altho that was many years ago) and I would go back to Doha but not to Riyadh. We had a great time in Doha but it has definitely changed since we were there. We were childless initially and then not - it was fine both ways.

We drove to Dubai from Riyadh - took us about 11 hours including the border crossing. Pretty boring, but you can fill up the cool box with pork on the way back.

N

atpcliff

Hi!

It sounds like Doha is bad, but I'll bet it's about 10x better than Nairobi.

cliff
NBO

novita77

Ex doha residents for 8 years. Friend easy to made. Alot of expats in the same boat.

Traffic is pain, road closure without proper notice. Population growing everyyear, but they cant cope infrastructure wise.

Not much places to go and drive without leaving the border. Allright when you are new in the country everything are interesting. But after few years then you stop going into places. Life revolve around visiting friend's house or inviting friends back to your place.

We got robbed in our house, local authority not much help. With the construction building progressing, they keep bringing general worker into the country, alot of local sponsors not paying them and they end up absconding. And eventually they have to result to a crime because they have to surive somehow.

Not much of night people ... Doha have night life that usually revolve around the hotel's club. Cultural wise Qatar just form their own Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra last year that of course being call Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, none of the musicians are Qatari. They are all expats.

The government trying to build the country as cultural centre in the middle east, so cultural events being held more and more often in the past. Theatre, orchestra and the likes.

captaincaveman

Depends why you are coming.

Me and the misses both work here in Doha. The week is no different to UK - go to work via costa coffee, grab some lunch at the mall, go home tired to watch some TV, read book, fall asleep.

The weekend, for me at least is one day, pub thursday night, shopping or bruch on friday and afternoon at home - perhaps use the pool (maybe the very nice gym in the building if i could work up the effort).

Life for us working people is routine. Doha or Guildford.

If you are looking for variety then you may be bored. If you are looking for a good salary, responsibility at work and kick ass holidays to places you could never afford when working in uk - then join in.

Doha has a few nice bits and some very impressive hotels, four seasons, grand hyatt, sharq, ritz carlton to name a few. Best beers is Ramada, you can pub crawl without ever leaving.

Bodie

Have never lived in jeddah although everyone I've met who lived there seems to have liked it. We lived and worked in Riyadh for 2 years, Bahrain for one and Doha for three in that order. Without a doubt, our time in Riyadh was magic - wonderful embassy parties, fabulous BBQs in incredible compounds and will never forget the monthly parties at the British aerospace compound. I was truly sorry to leave Riyadh for a job in Bahrain that turned out to be a dud.
Then Doha. Try as I might I can't find anything positive or nice to write about this place. Having lived in Port Moresby and some of the biggest dives in the South Pacific, they were in retrospect, complete paradises compared to this Sh--hole. The locals are rude, aggressive and arrogant in contrast to Bahrainis and even Saudis many of whom I met I still keep in touch with. Here - no one. The place is ugly and totally soulless. No - I'm afraid a bar or three does not make a place liveable. I don't know what they are building here - but they're making a total mess of it.
The traffic as everyone says is a nightmare. Don't have an accident with a Qatari - no matter what the police will blame you. This place is roundabout hell. Between our house and the lone booze shop (located halfway to Saudi Arabia) I have to traverse no less than 28 roundabouts there and back - each one a toss up getting through as no one has any idea or inclination to obey normal driving rules.
I think back fondly of the British club and sailing club in Bahrain where a cold pint could be had for 15 riyals - here in the "5 star" clip joints you'll be charged 40+ riyals. In the three years here, we've had double digit inflation every year - we've literally seen the price of supermarket goods almost double. Rents (although they've come down slightly) are stratospheric - the landlords here are akin to robber barons - they happily take your money - but just try and get any decent maintenance. My wife and I went 6 weeks in the middle of last summer before the AC could be fixed & this is just one incidence of many.
Social life - there is none. Sure we go to peoples places for the odd dinner and BBQ. My wife and I can remember fond details from our 2 years in Riyadh and 1 year in Bahrain - but we are hard pressed to remember anything notable about this place. It has been a three year black hole in our lives.
So why do we put up with it. Like everyone else - it's the money - but even that is no longer enough to keep us here. We have achieved goal "a" already and were hoping to achieve goal "b" before we leave - but it's just not worth it.
We are leaving early next year. The sight of this hole receding into the dust ridden distance from the aeroplane window is all that keeps us going.

Alexa

All the negative responses about Doha are 100% on the spot...I have lived in this shit hole for 5 years now...the only thing that is keeping us is the money and the so far excellent company my husband is working with....I have also lived in Saudi, and despite having been bombed over there, I would go back in a heartbeat.

Roadking

I've been bombed in a few places, mostly places I want to go back but they won't let me.

Alexa

lol.....