otto2k

Hi,

I’ve just received a reasonably good job offer with a large developer in Doha, Qatar.

I’ve been living in Dubai for the past two years and although I enjoy the life…all the job uncertainty over the past 9 months has taken it’s toll. I’m 30 and married, with no kids yet.

A lot of people I’ve been talking to say Qatar is boring…is this true…or has the recent influx of expats improved the social scene there at all. The prospect of no more redundancy worries is very appealing.

I’d be grateful to here from any one who is living in / has lived in Doha.

Thanks very much.

Blue Cat

my friend and fellow poster Alexa lives in Qatar hopefully she will see this. Take a look at www.qatarliving.com

Alexa

lol, IF you look at Qatar living, I promise you, you will NOT come to Qatar.

Anyway, yes, Doha is very boring. No question about it. If you are into nightclubs and such...bad choice. They are clamping down like crazy on anything even remotely fun...if you want to go to club, you HAVE to become a member,,,which entails you giving them your ID, and every time you set foot into said club, your details will go to CID.
Your wife can't have bare shoulders or a skirt/pants that end above the knee,same goes for any other public area...otherwise you will pay a fine.
There are many more rumurs, but I will not mention them now, as we don't know if and when they will come into place. BUT, things are massively going downhill.

The expats over here are a bitchy lot, in general.
But after a while you get used to it ,few nice people ARE around though.
Medic Care is pretty atrocious, you have to try to find a doc you deem somewhat knowledgeable, again, not an easy feat.

In your spare time or the weekends you can go to some beaches, but again, make sure you go in the mornings, in the afternoon, at about 3 o'clock it is open season for women spotting, spilling waste and garbage and other not so nice activities. We usually leave the beach by 3.

There is the Inland Sea, not too bad, you go there through the desert, dunebashing etc. NEVER do this without a convoy though.

May i ask which company you might be working for?

Alexa

Oh and I forgot to add, most of us are here for the money are to improve their CV.....the ones that tell you they are here for the "adventure" or "experience" change their tune after about 6 months.

So, if you get your housing and car provided,trips home and private medical care paid for, plus you have a salary that makes it worth staying here....and you are ready to put up with a lot of idiocy....go for it.

I have been living here for 5 years now

Shat Fink

Thats quite an interesting response from Alexa.

Some of my friends here in Abu Dhabi have lived all over the middle east for many years, Qatar, Saudi, UAE etc and all hated Qatar. Some even thought the social life in Saudi was better than Qatar.

Strange really, it must be pretty shite.

Alexa

I have lived in Saudi too. and yes the social life in Saudi is 100% better than in Qatar. As strange as that may sound.
Qatar is a shit hole and that is all there is to it.

captaincaveman

I have done the same - lived in Dubai for 3 years and then moved to Qatar - could not stand waiting to see if it went tits up (it did 3 months after i moved so i would have been without job).

Been here 6 months now - here is my 2 pence worth.

Got off the plane, in taxi and within 5 mins thought ' what a shithole'. The problem is the airport location is shit and takes you through mini bombay on the way out - not good first impression.

Got to my temporary accommodation - wife wanted to go home.

Bad first day.

Settled into work - just the same, no problem. Kept the same salary and benefits so very happy there.

Moved out of temporary accommodation - got a brilliant place for 40,000 less a year then i was paying in Dubai and was HAPPY!!!

Brought the 4x4 from Dubai after probation (by Aramex - was easy) - wife HAPPY

Settled into the routine. Pub crawl around the Ramada on thursday - nice.

Buffet at the Ritz, Four Seasons, W Hotel, Movenpick, Marriot etc - all good.

Just came back from a weekend at the Ritz (couple session) - HAPPY.

Qatar has shitty bits (lots), it has really good bits.

Work for me is good - major construction - and the pay is great. My wife (we have no kids) got a great job 90 seconds from the apartment and is HAPPY.

Save more money, easy to get about (traffic getting busier now though) and loving it.

It looks shitty in many respects - but lots and lots of work underway in construction.

The guys i work with are also much more fun than those in dubai - but that is just my story.

Take a chance - i was WORRIED but it was one of the best moves i have made.

Debowing

Very correct Alexa....Lived there for 16 months. Indeed it is what you said.

Bonny Boy

I am examining my soul.

I lived in Qatar 1997-99 and had a great time.

Dive club, sailing club, HHH, Doha players, rugby club, circuit training at the Marriott, camping/hiking/diving at the inland sea and the many wild and deserted beaches on the west coast.

Not to mention the many parties/bbqs at each others villas, the 'Library' at the Ramada, the 'Chinese Restaurant' at the Oasis and a few others hazily remembered.

Whilst visiting Doha without any connections is difficult, because there is no entertainment on a plate, I really enjoyed myself. (Admittedly after leaving behind a dead end northern mill town.)

Guess I was lucky.

Alexa

No, you are right, I have heard the same.
But times seem to have changed, a lot.
Funny thing is, nobody can really put their finger on as to exactly why and how.
But it is just not like that anymore.

Bonny Boy

Thanks Alexa.

Work may be taking me back to Qatar sometime next year, and it did occur to me that time may have moved things on - 10 years is a long time in terms of development in this region.

I wonder the effect of the internet, satellite TV, even mobile phones, on expat sociability - but you can only look forwards.

I also understand that the requirements of singletons/families/couple with no children are quite different as well.

Earlier this year I was invited to a May day party in Saudi - Chinese contractor plus they had invited Chinese nurses. Hidden away on the site, we enjoyed beverages and karaoke. A decade or so back it would have been Irish construction workers and nurses.

Alexa

oh, you will not recognize Qatar...it has changed do much. Even in the 5 years that I have been here things have changed tremendously.

About sociability ...well, it seems the locals, and I am generalizing here, are not particularly happy with the overwhelming influx of expats and all the changes that have been implemented and executed.

The expats themselves, well, if you are talking about Westerners, I think the problem are the Newbies, thinking they are "IT" because all of a sudden they have more than they ever had...and making everybody feel it....I think in Dubai they would be called "Jumeirah Janes"...a lot of those here!
And they are the ones spoiling it for all of us, as they do not seem to understand what is on and what is not....strappy tops, boobs hanging out...their male counterparts starting bar brawls, being a nuisance all around.
And all that .....

In Saudi it is different, there is , due to the circumstances, a good community, as without that, things would just not work for expats there.
Although, from what I hear, things are somewhat changing there too.

otto2k

Thanks all for your replies.

I am planning to take a trip there for a weekend soon...just to get an idea what we'd be letting ourselves in for!

Flydubai and Airarabia seem to do reasonably priced flights between Dubai/Sharjah and Doha....nice to know if we needed a fun weekend away!

I lived in Saudi earlier this year for about 4 months (mainly to avoid getting the chop!). Looking back, I really enjoyed my time there. Work and life in general was much more relaxed than here in Dubai. I lived a healthy lifestyle during the week and generally went to see my wife in Bahrain/Dubai most weekends.

I have an image that Qatar will be a mixture of Saudi, with some elements of Dubai thrown in, but it is really hard to know what to expect. When I think of it Dubai was not how I expected it to be when I first moved here.

Again thanks for your replies all your information is very much appreciated in helping us make the correct decision.

Another question some of you may be able to answer, slightly off the subject. A friend of mine is also thinking of moving there with his girlfriend. Does not being married pose lots of problems in Qatar?

Alexa

Yes it can. I think it is the same here as it is in dubai. Living together being not married is illegal.
Some people do it anyway, but I would not recommend it. It takes only one disgruntled person to get you deported.

Nic1

We were there 94-96, like you had a great time, did all the stuff mentioned with some great nights at the Thai Kitchen; only had to pour our 'tea' out of the window once!! Just done 2 years in Saudi - now that IS the pits.

N