DXBtoDOH

November already eh?

Weather has cooled rapidly in the past week or so. Winter is coming soon. Compared to the UAE Qatar seems to have a narrower window of hot but pleasant weather as the country goes from a hot-hot summer to warmish winter pretty quickly.

Only two more months left in Qatar.

What are you all planning for the end of year? Trips to Blighty? Christmas on the beach? What's on the agenda?

I was also thinking of things I will not miss from the Gulf. Such as office boys holding up the queue by placing orders for 12+ customised coffees, requiring the barista to ring the fat local in his government office to make sure she got all of the orders right.

scrubbedexpat141

It's been weird weather here, storms have threatened and half come but not quite. Wouldn't mind a huge storm to just shake things up a bit.
Not looking forward to obligatory, it's winter now so here's a cold, cold.

Two months to go. Anything exciting planned? Going to come over here and have a leaving do with all of us? (By all of us I mean anyone who's left posting apart from you and I)

Blighty for Chrimbo, wedding venue visits to do and family to see. Just booked the hire car and have re-sent the email to family to try and get times booked in with them all. Quite exciting really, although I don't particularly like Christmas anyway.

UKCityGent

Its weird here in the sandpit - im actually cold at nights hence the need for a jumper !

No trips planned officially - have to stand to attention until wife returns for 2 weeks in Dec for her semi-annual visa stamping parade (however i may sneak a "work" trip to Bahrain for a few G&T !)

Also planning my escape from the sandpit after 10 years - (Q1 2019!!)

DXBtoDOH

Away next weekend then several days in UK towards end of November (taking the cat over) and in early December a flying visit to the UAE. 21st December I go to Spain. I fly back to Qatar on 5 January for a final week to cancel the visas and then off to UK forever.

Am looking forward to Spain. It'll just be me and the folks doing the touristy stuff. Museums, tapas, walking around historic city centres. Relaxing in the apartment at night. Madrid, Seville, Granada, Barcelona. But I need to remind M to bring over mince pies for me. That'll be the one thing I'll miss from not having Christmas in the UK. I used to love Christmas at home but the older I get it's not quite the same any more. It's hard to put a finger on it but I suspect it has to do with having children around and this year my sister's family are going on a massive holiday with the brother in law's parents for their 50th, and without the kids it's just a rich meal with too much food.

Speaking of Dubai, what's it like there these days? I hear scores are leaving but people say that every year. Rents are certainly falling. Any big changes?

TheShed

Two months to go. Anything exciting planned? Going to come over here and have a leaving do with all of us? (By all of us I mean anyone who's left posting apart from you and I)

Were you looking for me? Did I hear Beer??

scrubbedexpat141

People have been leaving in droves forever if you listen to the bloke down the pub.
Rents are definitely down but not dramatically, I don't think....there are just deals to be done and the fact that rents are going down gives the average moron renter the confidence to actually negotiate sensibly with landlords. Until now it seems another thing to fear.

No big changes, it's very busy....but Saudi is the future.

TheShed

The Palm is like a ghost town. Seriously, so many people have left, half of the golden mile shopping centre is boarded up. If my rent was due now, I'd be able to pick up the same unit for 20% less than I settled with my LL in July and I pushed him pretty hard then.

Millhouse

I've just got back from 10 days in the UK. Temperature went from a crazy 18C to around 4C with frosty mornings. All nice and clear and no rain. People hadn't slipped into suicide watch and were looking forward to Halloween. I've eaten like an asshole but did manage to avoid the beers.

Not going back until Feb.

Millhouse

Lots of boarding up at the DIFC too. Traffic in the local area a nightmare with it taking me up to 30 mins to leave the car-park on a Thursday although that's more a function of poor road planning and construction than anything else.

scrubbedexpat141

I don't doubt that people are leaving, my point was that since arriving in 2011 it's been a constant theme that the place is about to collapse and everyone is leaving.

reddiva

I heard that Bidis and Cabana have or are closing

reddiva

I am in Liberty House and there is a new road next to our building. Yes we thought, we can get out onto the back road but oh no the traffic will flow in the direction of financial center road! adding more to the traffic at 5pm onwards

reddiva

I had two friends leave this year. Both single girls. One left in July and still hasnt found a job in the UK, the other had to leave sharpish if you know what i mean. Roads are much quieter in the mornings but that may be because i start earlier than i used too. The oil and gas sector has kept me really busy this year and they expect the same next year. I am off to Norn Ireland for Xmas. I did England in the summer and it was depressing as hell. Shops gone replaced by vape or charity shops, restuarants empty etc etc.

DXBtoDOH

Yeah, we're witnessing a massive transformation in retail and that's why. Everything's online now. And even for restaurants, when you factor in the high cost of labour and that the quality of prepared foods in the market has only gotten better, it makes it difficult to justify dining out other than for special events. It's sad for the High street.

reddiva

Primark makes a killing, every other person i see in town has one of their carrier bags. Cheat tat is popular