Daz968

Has anyone got any constructive comments with regards to moving a young family from Muscat to Doha?

No need for schools for another 4 years (who knows where I'll be then!)

Thanks

co durham boy

I'm currently in Doha and have also worked in Muscat previously as well . This time i came from Dubai to Doha and the transition was easy for me.

I'm only here with my wife but there's plenty of our neighbors who have young families and they get on great here.

Doha is not the prettiest or easiest city to live in at times and wouldn't be on my top 10 list of 'places to see before you die' but work brings me here and while that is the case then it's fine.

Obviously there's no comparison to the social side of things that they are in other GCC countries and it can be quite a lonely place if you don't put yourself about and get a social circle going but it's not all doom and gloom and it's basically what you make it.

Sometimes it's hard for people to adjust when they come from Dubai/Abu Dhabi / Muscat to Doha because it can seem like a boring mundane way of life some of the time. Places in the Gulf are just a means to an end so i try to take the best out of whatever place i'm in .

Good luck

Daz968

Thanks...

At least people aren't saying it's a bad place. Seems like a typical(?) Gulf place, to me. We like the outdoors in Winter (camping, mountains, wadis) which is where Oman is great.

Also, what about running, swimming, cycling in Doha?

:-)

co durham boy

There's plenty great sporting facilities here , go and get the Explorer Qatar book from a good bookshop , that gives you a lot of basic information as well.

Also have a look at time out Doha , www.timeoutdoha.com

LaylaD

Having lived in both, would rather Doha as a place to live and work and Oman as a holiday destination

Daz968

Interesting, why do you say that?

LaylaD

Doha is not as pretty and exotic looking as Muscat but then Oman is exceptional in the GCC in terms of natural beauty/ wilderness etc. The native Omani population are also probably amongst the friendliest in the Gulf.

I prefer Doha because:

Well those are my reasons others may feel differently. I did live in Oman for 7 years though and Qatar now for 3

Keoic

LaylaD - looks like you've given the definitive comparison.
I'd agree with your comment about Qatar's work opportunities.
The country has enormous & growing wealth which it intends to spend on Infrastructure & large industrial projects like Petrochem & aluminium smelters ( world's largest). All these 'spin-off' work for others.
There's a good 5 yrs of growth here & if you are here for work & to save a few $$$. It's a highly acceptable place to live.

LaylaD

Forgot to add Sports and Sporting events like the tennis

Tockalosh

I always like the "its what you make of it" feel to most of the posts about Doha and Qatar

I am sure Rochdale could be a good place if you really made a go of it but to the rest of us, its just a shit rotten dingey rancid corpse of a place.

Guess I am biaised towards Oman though

Enjoy Doha

co durham boy

Quite a bit of truth in that , i'd go one better though , they are all shitholes everyone of these Gulf countries, same shit everyday just with varying degrees of social oppulance, i'ts hard to polish a turd....!

I wouldn't set foot in any of these khazi's if i wasn't getting paid , it's just a means to an end.

Never been to Rochdale though , does it have a Corniche as well ...?

Tockalosh

it does have a corniche of sorts if you have a good imagination and can romanticise the tow path of the Rochdale canal into being a cruising ground full of ferraris instead of abandoned shopping trolleys.

co durham boy

Daz968

Thanks LaylaD

You haven't said anything 'bad' about Doha, so that suggests there isn't anything specific to worry about.

Ethos83

I've been there for work but I will only comment on the passport issue. Apparently Qatari companies hold on to your passports. Is this true?

I'd never work for a GCC company that wanted to hold my passports whilst in their employ.