Johnybo

Can someone please confirm how is job security, is it consistent fear of being terminated, day in day out.
Heard localisation but how quick and fast it is?
Further, how is about living there, has it changed recently due to WC?

w_scott

1) What is QE?
2) if QE refers to Qatar, then job security anywhere in the GCC is 0

Johnybo

Thanks Scott. I mean Qatar Energy

Ismailwadi

I would definitely disagree, jobs are quite secure.
Most expats I have been working with have been here for 10+ years
Positions only go out to expatriates if locals are unable to fill the position

w_scott

I know people who were fired after 20 and 30 years of hard work in Qatar. A few stories for you:

(1) In 2015, QP closed their RnD and fired hundreds of employees. Not only that but they also refused to give them NOC. I personally know many of those who have to leave the country despite some got jobs elsewhere!
(2) In 2017 there was another wave of firing across many governmental institution in Qatar. Some people committed suicide when they were taken by surprise and handed their termination letter. I remember seeing an ambulance on standby from early morning when the letters were to be handed.
(3) In 2020 and in the wake of Covid there was a huge wave of firing across the big organizations/institutions in Qatar including QP, Qatar Airways, QF and others. I know some pilots with 20+ years with QA but they were not spared.
I heard about some professors in QU who are very good but were also fired overnight.

What I find disturbing in all these waves of firing is that it has nothing to do with competency. In most cases, it has to do with personal relations with your manager/director. Every director has a black list in their drawers for the D-day. When Qatar decides to reduce budget, they leave the decision up to the discretion of each director, who will be more than happy to rid of their blacklist.

The morale of the story, even if you are highly competent and have been 10+ years in your job you would not be spared from being fired one day.

By the way, I expect another wave to come after WC is done. I know already some governmental institutions took the decision to reduce the benefits of their employees starting next year.

w_scott

NO
When private companies face difficult times they try to minimize the losses by laying off the least productive people or the employees who are least needed, otherwise the company will collapse if they lay off the most productive ones. Also, in some companies they offer those to be laid off alternative positions or compensation and they do it in a proper way without humiliation. In governmental and semi-governmental sectors in Qatar such as QE, QP, QF and QA etc. they do lay off based on personal relations with manager/director regardless to performance, and they do it the most humiliated way possible. You can be the best among your team and find yourself fired if your manager/director does not like you.