co durham boy

The Pearl is a nice development in my opinion , it's the right size , it's got a decent build quality and it had everything in place to make it a grade A living destination until our hosts messed it up .

It really boils down to what you want and how you want to live and it's also relative to where you've come from . The OP has lived in Dubai Marina so he might see it has a bit of a ghost town and that's what it is compared to the Marina in DXB . Someone straight from the UK will see it in a totally different light and will be blown away .

To justify the cost premium you really need to offer a something special but with the closures and alcohol ban the place is a ghost town . The towers are on staged openings and the ones in trouble are bought by ruling families and kept empty to keep the price high.

I think you get more value from a villa and as other posters have said the quality is lacking but the quality is lacking in most things in Qatar that's just the way it is , it's the mindset here , it's changing but very slowly .

I always say to people , find some temporary accommodation then hire a motor and get round the city , give it a month and you'll find your feet and you'll find whats best for yourself . There's still some deals to be had and don't get pigeon holed into anything , keep an open mind .

Doha is at least 15 years behind the Emirates in everything it does but you'll never change that , just go with the flow and people will be fine . Ive seen a big change in Qatar over the last 12 months , projects are coming on line , things are moving and it's going to be a really busy city .

It's still a dunghole though

Kamaki

Yes, looks like the sensible thing to do is stay at a Hotel near the Airport, rent a car for a month, explore and meet a few people and experience life out there for a few weeks before committing.

I believe that I can also get accommodation on monthly basis so I can have a bit longer to find the right place. And they promised today that I can take my time in finding accommodation, within reason.

Looks like the Dubai weekend thing was just a wishful thinking looking at the prices, flight times and available window. Will just have to do it every few months and like you said, we should make the best out of Qatar. I am sure we will.

Still confused about the taxation issues and have downloaded a few documents to try to read and understand it better.

Thanks guys for your help, much appreciated.

Found out today some interesting Info regarding visa which you are probably aware of but, just in case, it looks like they will get me the working visa on line, followed by a RP for me only to start with, days after I arrive. Family visit visa can then be processed which can be extended up to 6 months.
For Family RP, this can only be processed after 6 monthly bank transfer certificate is obtained. For Families with school Children, the can't join schools without Family RP.

Thanks again for your kind replies, keep them coming please

Jamie

dragonladyoz

Might depend on the company - my husband had RP within 3 weeks of arrival and we had our family RP 3 weeks after that.

If your family is on UK passport they can come in on 30 day tourist visa that is extendable and its that quick trip to Dubai to get another one.....

Also, some schools will accept the enrolment if you have a letter from your employer stating that the RP is being processed.

Kamaki

Yes, they said that they have very inconsistent results with regard to Family RP Visa. Sometimes, they get it in days, other times, it takes weeks and maybe months, and position / seniority does not matter. We agreed to work on worse case basis so we are not disappointed and like you say, there is always the tourist 30days visa as a back up.

Cheers

gottheTshirt

Tax : providing you have a contract of employment lasting a complete tax year. That is until April 2015 and providing you do not spend more than 90 days in the tax year in UK you should be classified as non resident for tax purposes. (you don't pay uk tax). Subject to complying with the above you can claim non resident status from the date you commence your overseas employment (SSplit year). You should complete for P85 from the HMRC.

Kamaki

Great, Thanks. The nice Tax Lady on here helped me with a link too.


Resigned my current position today, no going back now

Qatar, Here we come

Kamaki

Hello again you good people.
Finally and after serving my full notice (previous employer being Awkward), I landed in Doha 3 days ago alone for now and having trouble sleeping (drinks in this Hotel not working). Spent most of the time running around with some helpers from the company doing the medical, fingers prints, eye test, photographs, bank account ...etc. Looks like the RP is going to be much quicker than I have expected. It will be stamped in the passport early next week I am told. I get a temp Qatari driving License tomorrow (Sunday) or Monday and I get my UK license back also I believe.
Got only 6 weeks max in the hotel paid for by the new employer and have the limited use of a driver until I get a car. Took your advice and staying at the Rotana, which is very Smokey. I may change the hotel next week so any other recommendations please welcome.
Had a look at a couple of places on the pearl today but they were too expensive and we would like a decent balcony (yes, we are crazy and like to sit out).
Need to get a move on and find a home or at least line up a few for when my wife lands in a couple of weeks. Also need a decent 4x4. I thought Dubai Divers were bad, I take it all back. There are some crazy people out there and I need to surround myself with as much metal as possible.
I Continued to read on the forum and none the wiser about both the accommodation and the car. Got myself a couple of decent maps and need to concentrate on 2 or 3 areas and start digging deep every weekend. Had a meeting arranged with a so called "British Native speaking lady" set by one of her colleagues to show me a few properties and she did not turn up ............ I can see the same pattern as Dubai here!!
What can QR4,500/month get me for a car, all in?
Anyone brave enough to recommend a good couple of towers or a compound?

Would love to join you for the next get together so I will watch out for that on the forum.

Jay