Doha – The Middle Eastern Vegas?

Old thread I know but... Being a Vegas local (sorry, no low license plate), and living in the Gulf region for 3 years, I can say with certainty that Vegas and Doha are about as different as it could possibly be without moving to a different planet.

I mean, I couldn't even begin to try and find similiarities between the two. Both are hot? Yes, but one is bone dry (vegas), and the other isn't. Both do have cars... There is that...

-Dirk

"But, c'mon, NFH - drivers worse than in LA? Not sure that's humanly possible."

SandBsMom-

Trust me.

I lived in LA for several years and spend part of each summer there. It's not even close! :-S

It's a different kind of "worse" lol

interesting post about your life and of your thoughts, butchsmom! its quite funny. good luck with your new and yet no so different life in doha!

LOL

@ ShygirlNepali,thank you so much for finally stating this fact...@ the risk of stirring the racism cauldron...Spikenbutchsmom, i'm guessing you're white,in which case you're unlikely to ever get a real taste of life here unless you actually make the effort & i see no reason why you would...life for you will most likely comprise living in a villa within a gated compound,surrounded by caucasian neighbours living in the same bubble,you'll might carpool to drive the kids to ASD or Doha College taking turns to drive them in that 5.7L V8 SUV & pat yourself on the back for doing your bit for the environment & know of no shops other than those @ Villagio/landmark/city centre...your closest encounter with real life out here will most likely be the Asian security guard you greet on your way in & out of your compound...so really,it's not going to be bad at all...

Doha close to Vegas.......hahaha

Ya some similarities,terrain wise.Rest it's suffocating here especially for nationalities other than caucasians!

I've stayed in many countries and this is the most boring and dead city ever!!!!!!!!!!

When did you last played a test Match for England :)

You can't teach experience...

I like Doha the way it is....

Hope it doesn become the next Vegas.... All Noise no peace....

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Reality is a Illusion Caused Due to Deficiency of Alcohol

Ay up Ladies, when was the last time you saw a Filipino totally batter a Brit in Doha. Come on, Vegas my a*se.

Sophistication - I've been to Leeds.

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I say what I like and I bloody well like what I say

but I don't think that's special to either community. And heck, in Vegas, you can drive 50 K to the next county and trashy hookers are legal.

notfromhere, one of my USAF friends who'd spent time in Doha told me it was the only place she's ever found that's hotter than Vegas - this after two tours in Iraq! ;-) I will miss the Mojave vegetation and the dry heat, though. But, c'mon, NFH - drivers worse than in LA? Not sure that's humanly possible. ;-)

Lucky L, there's yet another similarity! Most of Vegas do not know their neighbors, either! We have a good neighborhood in this Vally, though, and I'm thrilled that we're in a small compound in Doha where folks so far have been very neighborly. We shall see!

let's not forget that both cities also have trashy hookers.

SpikenButchsMom, pretty close!

EXCEPT:

The Las Vegas desert has more vegetation than the Qatar desert.

HUMIDITY!

Maniacal drivers anywhere in the US are tame compared to here.

Welcome to Doha :-)

I don't know who is living in my next door. This is Doha :)

it would be a good idea to actually READ the post first.

I live in Vegas.

This is about the communities, not the tourist amenities.

Someone who has never been to vegas might think so. But seriously, this place is not even close to what vegas is. Vegas is actually fun.

I understand that moving to Doha in July is something akin to moving to Duluth in January. Timing is everything, eh?

Oh, well - it's like we say to folks who move to Vegas in the summer - if you get the worst over at the beginning, you're never in for a nasty shock down the road!

"you can live anywhere in the world if you have good friends"

Well put, virkie! I'm looking forward to meeting folks!

hmm....not quite Vegas, alcohol not readily available, local dress very different, no gambling, however let me tell you something, it is different and I love it! But I am Scottish...... you can live anywhere in the world if you have good friends, I drive along the corniche and I feel blessed to be in Doha, right now I am not and I miss it terribly....

hmmm right on time then spikeymom

I was living in the big city and never had I thought that I can resist here.

With the time, the life here became marvelous and I can’t go away from Doha.

I enjoy that much

If you keep your funds in the bank or you send it to your country, it normal the life becomes gloomy.

This only homesick or emotion of nostalgia

Doha is attractive

I do believe you have a false picture of Vegas! Do re-read my post - I refer to the community here, not the Strip & the tourist traps. What I am comparing is a desert community of more outsiders than natives to a desert community of more outsiders than natives.

And I stand by my assertion that the similarities are striking.

And I am still looking forward to our arrival in July!! :-)

People are here only for couple of months and already seeing Doha as Vegas.......You gotta be kidding me. Ask a person who is here for fifteen yrs. You can enjoy jazz concerts, orchestrea concerts, dinners, plays, and lots of other stuff but Doha is never come close to Vegas.

LOL...u shud get outside find something different...

1. It’s HOT. Really hot.

.....can reach 50 deg in summer

2. It’s BROWN. Really brown.

...90% sand and brown rocks like Nevada desert

3. Practically everyone is from somewhere else.

...Almost from every corner of the earth.

4. Everything’s under construction.

..70% under construction. Even the glamourous West Bay

5. The drivers are maniacs.

....All of them.

6. Half the population doesn’t speak English.

...You are about right

And the big one…

7. There’s one of those malls with a canal running through it.

...If the recession continues, then it should be ready in 5 years time called The Pearl Qatar

@ SpikenButchsMom...in many ways life will be different from Vegas & in many ways, it won't...if, for example,like myself,you love good offbeat theatre & plays,forget about it,with all due respect to Doha Players,there's like 1 or 2 plays a year,very mainstream ones @ that...if you love to read,again forget about the joys of browsing & buying @ a good bookshop...what they claim is the country's biggest 'bookstore' is actually a glorified stationery shop...if however,stuff like malls,bbq's(in the winter)& dune bashing do it for you,you're coming to the right place...@ the end of the day...this joint ain't "home"...not for any of us,we're here as long as our contracts are valid...period...some food for thought:- they wouldn't have to pay expats big bucks to come & live here if life were that good out here now would they?...so i think you'll like some aspects of it & won't like some others but such is life right?...good luck & God bless! :)...

Tagalog is quite possibly the third most popular language in Vegas, too, right after Spanish & English. Yet another similarity!

And I guess I can be glad you've the time over there to scout out all the cool things to do in Qatar before we get there - see, I knew there had to be something positive about that!

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone! I look forwad to getting there this summer, heat, traffic & all! :-)

Awww, welcome you guys! You will love it here! And yes, the thing to do here is get involved. Try everything at least twice - the ladies groups, church, sports and music events, gyms, restaurants, movies, bowling, ice-skating, AA and Al-Anon - you name it, we got it (except for the showgirls and gambling.) The driving is a little homicidal and it takes practice and serenity to get used to it, but don't let that spoil things. Hope y'all are together soon!

Mandi

PS It gets a little hotter here in the summer than Vegas. And say bye-bye to cruise control.

I am inclined to agree with SpikenButchsMom; Doha is hot, dry, dusty, brown, and togolog seems to be the 3rd most popular language. But I like hot, dry, dusty, and brown.

And like sknox40 said, one can be as bored or active as one chooses to be. I've been to jazz concerts, orchestrea concerts, dinners, plays, and lots of other stuff.

However, the one thing I am really looking forward to is having SpikenButchsMom over here since I am Spike and Butch's Dad.

Lol!!!!

"Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship"

"dgoodrebel is not plastic"

There are probably more English speaking people in Doha than in Vegas. And Vegas traffic is bad, but nothing compared to Doha's drivers. But yeah, the rest seem pretty acurate.

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What difference does it make to the dead whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or democracy?

-Gandhi

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there may not be strippers here yet, but there's performers wearing very skimpy outfits now..

Kind of the same as Vegas, minus the strippers & showgirls of course.

Still think that there is a fantastic business model out there for a strip club / bar - should the government approve it of course. It could go in the Pearl as a high class place between the new Ikea they are building and the Pork products shop...

(QK awakes from dream, realises still in Qatar and goes back to sleep..)

Welcome to Vegas I mean Doha..

I can second BritExpat and Baldrick one can very busy here, and meeting people from different cultures backgrounds in itself is an experience.

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HE WHO DARES WINS

britexpat! That of course in itself may put Doha ahead of most cities in the SW USA. ;-)

Thanks, baldrick2dogs - that's what I thought. I expect in no time at all, I'll be looking for that 25th hour each day.

Lol! Paul R - love the comparison! I AM going to have to give up my freeways & get used to round-abouts again - ugh!

Yep, the moment I walked into Villagio mall I thought I was in Las Vegas... Although it's much nicer without all the ringing of the slot machines!

I think most people here speak English..

Like baldrick, I quite like it..

still no casinos and bars open

SpikenButchsMom - Yes, get involved. Some people (no names no pack drill) expect excitement to come to them. Look at the groups on this site and see if any of them appeal to you. Join one or two, go along to meetings and ask what else people do here. You will soon fill your day.

You can choose to be bored or you can choose to seek out adventures and there are many to be found if you just open your eyes. Albeit, finding the timings and such can be a real detective's game. Alas, more fun :)

there are a lot of bored locals in Vegas! They discover they can't afford the luxury goodies meant for the tourist & get bored quickly. I'm thinking that could be another similarity. Here, I've always found the key is to get involved with groups/organizations.

True in Doha?

I second that - don't think I've ever found myself bored here. Well, no more than anywhere else.

shazbat, you need to get out more. I've lived here 18 months and haven't been bored a single day!

I havnt lived in Vegas but we got married there. I would say the biggest difference between Vegas and Qatar is one word - BOREDOM!

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"Every adult of sound mind, should be able to choose to do whatever they want, as long as they cause no harm to others".

Driving to work every morning without losing your temper could be considered a gamble. The roundabouts are also like a roulette wheel as you know what exit you want, but getting it is a different matter. Also queues at lights are like slot machines ! Three landcruisers in a row is a big win !

Left out the Fat , white 4500 to 7000 CC powerd Killer animals allover. :)

Doha and Vegas ..Huh!! No comments

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- Listen to Many...Speak to a Few -