Moving from Florida to Doha
It looks like my wife and I will be coming to Doha in August and will be working in the West Bay area. We have a couple of questions?
1) Where should we look for a furnished Villa in a compound that is close to West Bay? How much will one cost monthly?
2) We are not coming with kids, so we want to meet other people to socialize with...any advice?
3) What kind of clothing do we need for the winter?
4) What should we expect to pay for a new SUV (where can we look online?)?
5)We are getting a 20FT container (door-to-door)to fill...anything we should not forget?
6) Where and when do Christians go to church? We will be working 7-3PM Sunday - Thursday?
I'm new to Qatar and would like to attend a protestant church regularly either in Doha or Ras Laffin.
Would any one give me the detailed address and any information related.
By the way, I prefer the Baptismal or Evangelical church and on leave only Friday.
Thanks for your help in advance!
Joanna
Hi Tom,
How are you? I just saw your posting. I am currently working for Century 21 in Doha qatar and if your still looking for a villa please let me know
Thanks
Thanks for all the help...so many of you there are so nice and helpful. It is helping us to get very excited about the move! Thanks specifically to USAexpat & Rose
Yes,Catholic Church meets Sunday PM, if this is the one you are interested, is in the Marriot Hotel area, if you need I can direct you there, let me know
My family is new to Doha as well and we are looking for a protestant church. If you would not mind, please PM me the location and service times for your church.
Thank you.
Hi, here are a few answers based on our experiences...
Probably the best way to find a villa is to work with a real estate agent. Unlike in the US where you generally choose one agent and work with him/her, I suggest you work with 2 or 3 here (although they don't like it) in order to find something. West Bay is more expensive than many areas, so I think you'll pay a minimum 15,000QR a month for a small villa in a compound. Check out www.gulf-times.com for their classifieds to get an idea. That might be unfurnished though. Your answer to #2 might be found in the answer to #6... We have made many friends through church. As for clothes for the winter, probably similar to what you'd wear in Florida for the coldest months. 70 feels a lot colder when summer is 100+, but you won't need any heavy coats.
SUV prices are comparable to the price in the US. When you get here, go to the grocery stores (Mega Mart and Family Food are best for this) and look at the postings. You might be able to find postings for used cars of expats leaving Doha. If you want new ones, you can go to dealerships. Most stuff here is not online, you have to go in person.
As for the container, you can find most stuff here. Personal items you can't live without are good to bring. Let me know if you are debating about anything specific...
Churches usually meet on Friday mornings since that is when almost everyone has time off-- I think the Catholic Church meets Sunday PM though. There are 2 protestant churches that Americans tend to go to, a Episcopal and a Catholic. Ours (protestant) is moving to west bay in a few weeks, not sure where yet, if you are interested I can send you the info.
We've been here 2 1/2 years, so feel free to send me a private message if you have any other questions... Enjoy your move!