lostinuk

Hi,

I have never worked in the middle east although been to Dubai and Saudi.

Noe got two offers 1 from qatar and the the other from Riyadh. Both about same in money terms, (although Qatar expect me to work 48hrs per week compared to 40hrs in Riyadh).

Can anyone advise where would it better to stay and why?

1 have 4 children (14,8, 3,5) and would want them to go the British Schools and that is a big consideration as i underatnd getting places is difficult.

thanks

Blue Cat

not lived in either but I would say for your wife and kids, Qatar, I know which one I would prefer

Millsyisland

Definitely Qatar - the working hours may be longer, but it will be so much less restrictive on your family than Saudi.

The key to coming over here with your family and settling for a while is to make sure they're happy. Whilst I obviously don't know them, I'm sure any Western family would be happier in Qatar than Saudi.

Good luck.

co durham boy

Qatar without a doubt , i know some people enjoy KSA but when i was there it was pretty shite but that was only for 8 months.

If you've got your family then it would be Qatar for me . It's not Dubai or Abu Dhabi or Oman but you can still live a decent life and to be honest that's where people go wrong , they compare like for like.

I'm here with my family and we live a better life than we did in all the years we spent in the U.A.E . If you haven't worked in the Gulf before it will seem very restrictive here and it is up to a point .

Good luck and the other thing is all the works here....

nottmbantam

Sadly, I have to echo the sentiments already expressed. I say that as I'm in Riyadh, and compared to Qatar, the quality of life will be far better in Qatar.

It is difficult when you have never been to either place, to appreciate the freedoms Qatar has to offer, you need to have lived in Saudi for a while, but if you come there fresh from the UK, it might still feel a little restrictive.

If the package on offer is the same, now I have experience of living in Saudi, I would plump for Qatar. I'm not critical of Saudi, but the two lifestyles have quite a few differences.

Good Luck.

lostinuk

Hi,

what about getting places in british schools - good ones - I hear that in qatar the waitng list is so long that i may not get the children in the schools on time for Sept?

Also what about the cost of living - is it a lot different?

co durham boy

There are a lot of schools but only a very small amount that you'd really want to send your kids to that's why there's a waiting list in some age groups.
You'd really have to start sending emails and doing the dog work of getting info back to see what the situation is like.

A friend of mine has recently placed his two kids in the Montessori School here in Doha without any problems and they're aged 6 and 12 , that's about as much info as i personally have with the schooling.

Can't compare the cost of living between the two as in Saudi i didn't pay for anything as it was a short contract and the firm picked the lot up . Here in Qatar i would budget for and average of 600 QAR per month for utilities and food bills for a large family per month could be between 2000QAR - 5000QAR all depending on what your lifestyle is.

Remember thats just the basics , that's without socializing etc etc.

Victor Meldrew

Yes, definitely Qatar.

I have lived in Saudi and have relatives in Qatar/have visited frequently.

The lack of personal freedom and ridiculous laws/rules in Saudi are a real pain. Qatar has a much more sensible approach.

Alexa

Hmm, it's the opposite for me. I have lived in Riyadh, now live in Qatar. Would go back to Saudi at the drop of a hat.
And funny enough, the people I meet here that have lived in Riyadh say exactly the same.
Sure, you have more restrictions in Saudi. Wife has to wear an abaya when she goes out, she can't drive herself, the shops close during Salah.
BUT I and many others think that life quality , if you live on a good Western compound in Riyadh is much better than in Qatar.
It is hard to pinpoint, but life in Qatar is pretty harsh. If you make it here, you can live pretty much anywhere in the world, no matter how shite the place is.

co durham boy

There's an element of truth in that but the Gulfs shite really , all turds just dressed up in different layers of extravagance...

Alexa

True. But I find in Qatar one is more exposed to it compared to Saudi. Saudi is a "black bubble with pink lining" , whereas Qatar is a" dull gray bubble with black lining".
Had oodles more fun in Saudi in 4 years than in Qatar in 7 years.

Victor Meldrew

Got to say similar; I did 3 years in Riyadh and had a great time.
However, the outside life ie outside the compound eventually got to me and I ended up spending about 80% of my last year there without leaving the compound.

You have to have a particular mindset to be able to adjust to the 2 extremes of inside/outside compound life.

In addition most Saudi's look at you and treat you with disdain, which can be quite unpleasant at times. You are, after all the Infidel.

Bottom line though - I would do it again, yes.

Not having lived in Qatar, I can only go on trips/holidays I spent there, which seemed OK.

humann

yes I do agree Qater is the right place

Good luck

Alexa

Hmm, I went outside a lot...never had a problem, well, except once, but that was with the Hayya (Muttawa), which is to be expected, somewhat.
Saudis, naaa, they were always pretty friendly to me, even the ladies
Maybe I was just lucky. It also might have had to do with that I really enjoyed my time there, so was 100% positive about it all.
Qatar on the other hand, totally different ballgame. Could have a hissy fit here on a daily basis...there is so very much here that is way behind Saudi ,IMHO.

Victor Meldrew

Maybe it was my grumpy old demeanour Harrumph!!

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