Qatar ,Bahrain or Saudi Arabia ?orrrrr UAE?

soulforger
By soulforger

I moved to Bucharest/Romania after i had lived in KSA for 4 years.I was thinking that it was my last stop.Nowadays my wife(russian citizen)is pushing me to go back to Middle east.Unbeliavable.I visited Manama too many times.So i can compare Bahrain and KSA.But about Qatar just i have heard that it is very nice country to live.What are ur opinions?And are Middle East countries worth to leave European country only wish of wife? Laughing

By soulforger• 31 Jan 2007 11:43
soulforger

Doha'da misin?Ne yapiyorsun orada?Cok ilginc geldi.

By Mea• 29 Jan 2007 08:10
Mea

Hi. Do you have any idea if there are buses from Doha to Dubai or anywhere in the U.A.E?

By soulforger• 22 Jan 2007 18:04
soulforger

Unfortunately she is shopaholic.But anyway i am glad about this.I am stylish without wasting time :) She does everything for me and for herself :))

By pwb78• 22 Jan 2007 17:56
pwb78

Unless you love to eat out and your wife is a shopaholic then there's just not that must to waste your money on. Groceries and bills and that's just not all that much, unless you shop Megamart and buy all the western stuff. :)

By han19• 22 Jan 2007 14:50
Rating: 4/5
han19

its getting expensive now and thats not going to change.

my everyday essential grocery that used to be within 50qr, now its either 100 or 150.

if you have kids, expenses increase again.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By soulforger• 22 Jan 2007 14:19
soulforger

So i am a bit lucky company will provide car.At least i would save 2000Qr.

But really it is unbelievable.Is this life really expensive?

I think it is not so logical to go there less 15000Qr.(Exc.Car,House,Health Care)

By han19• 22 Jan 2007 13:10
Rating: 2/5
han19

healthcare:probably health insurance.

the govt n private hospitals are good here.

yup 10000+ for the 2 of you will be good.company doesnt usually give a car, you buy a car but calculate 2000qrs to pay for car loan in the salary figure.keep 1000qrs for tel bills.2000-3000 for groceries.not sure of the kind of food you like, so keep a figure for eating out. do you save anything at the end of it.calculate from there.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By soulforger• 22 Jan 2007 13:01
Rating: 3/5
soulforger

30 Days annual leave,2 airplane tickets.Health care(in private hospital which the company has aggrement).

So u say that minimum 10000 QR(excluding Housing) is enough to survive?

Oh my god :))

By han19• 22 Jan 2007 13:00
han19

to all your question the answer is not necessarily.

see to it you have these things provided by the company before youland here. its upto the company to provide you with whatever they do.

there isnt anything called food allowance, you eat from the basic salary and save as well, if rest is all paid by the firm, incl kids education when you do have kids.

2200$ basic salary looks low to me, that would be approx 8000riyals? aim for 10+qrs.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By gypsy gal• 22 Jan 2007 12:57
Rating: 2/5
gypsy gal

Approx. QR. 8000/- is not enough to survive...minimum QR.10000/-to QR. 12,000/- with housing is not so bad.. then again it depends on what job you are doing. Health care provided? Yearly leave and Airfare? all these need to be sorted out.

By soulforger• 22 Jan 2007 12:48
soulforger

1-Company will provide villa in a compound.Electirity will be paid by company.

2-Some amount of money will be given as food allowance.

3-A car will be provided by company.

4-Salary will be 2000 - 2200$ Per month.

5-I don't have kids so i haven't thought about educational fee covering.

What do you think?This amount of salary enough to live in good conditions in Qatar?

By han19• 22 Jan 2007 12:19
han19

qatar: quality time with family because not much traffic as in dubai.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By soulforger• 22 Jan 2007 11:22
soulforger

As a conclusion :

Saudi Arabia suitable for only pilgrims.

Dubai for shopping.

Bahrain for short term training courses ( I haven't found anything else.)

Qatar is for the people who want to pay high rent.

By soulforger• 22 Jan 2007 11:20
Rating: 4/5
soulforger

I hardly why she wants to go to Qatar or any gulf country.Maybe,

1- NO Crime(Even no need to lock the doors.)

2- Nice weather(NO snow,Seldom rain,always sunny)

3- Big American cars

4- No crazy women ( I think she still is not trusting me.)

But honestly after all these discussions,i have decided just to visit Gulf countries.By the way i run away from KSA because of unsocial life.As u said if the salary and other benefits are equal,it would better to stay in Romania.

By han19• 21 Jan 2007 09:27
han19

hmm i did think of that after i mentioned emporium as a mall.like i said earlier it probably doesnt qualify to be called a mall because its a tiny setup of expensive shops.

so i stand corrected.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By Gypsy• 21 Jan 2007 09:26
Gypsy

I haven't been to Abu Dahbi, so I didn't want to comment on it, but if you say it's like that I will have to make a point of going to visit. :)

By Terramax• 21 Jan 2007 09:22
Rating: 4/5
Terramax

If Emporium is a mall, then the Blue Saloon is a mall, and Salam centre is a mall c'mon. I know you like Qatar but be reasonable :) Otherwise ww will end up calling the new world center a mall....

By Terramax• 21 Jan 2007 09:20
Terramax

Gypsy, put Abu Dhabi on the list as well.

By Gypsy• 21 Jan 2007 09:15
Rating: 5/5
Gypsy

When I think of a city I think of lots of kitchy restaurants, nightlife, culture and fast and easy public transportation, parks to walk in, and what I call "block culture" where you live in an apartment and all of your needs are around your block, bars, retuarants, grocery stores, video stores,etc. So that you can walk to all these places.

Dubai and Bahrain are the only places here that I've found have that sort of culture to some degree.

It's defintely not here in Doha, where you can't walk anywhere and the city is ridiculously spread out with no public transport to speak of. Except for taxis who usually have no idea where they are going.

Also I don't find Qatari's to be the nicest Gulf Arabs at all. I've found them to be very conceited and arrogant. This of course, doesn't apply to all Qatari's, but the once who don't think they are "god's gift" to this world are few and far between.

By han19• 21 Jan 2007 08:58
Rating: 3/5
han19

yup centre does not qualify as a mall, porr thing, he used to be THE PLACE before city centre cam about, now it sits by itself begging for people to come to it.

emporium, if i am not mistaken, is next to chillis. the place where they sell designer stuff, they have baby care and other expensive shops there.its a tiny setup. so maybe does not qualify to be called a mall.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By Terramax• 21 Jan 2007 08:39
Rating: 5/5
Terramax

Shazam: everybody knows the issues.

1.High rent (in my case 30% of my income) which totally kills the benefits of being tax-free (back home I would be taxed at 24,5%) and the quality of what you get for this money.

2. Lack of infrastructure - simple things like fitness clubs are mediocre and overcrowded, supermarkets with half-empty shelves. One has to do a real effort to find ubiquitous things like watch straps or shoelaces.

3. Lack of safety in public transport and on the street. Lots of horny subcontinent bachelors harassing women. Unfortunately my wife has to depend on me to take her wherever she has to go until she gets her driving license, and I will have to buy a second car (one more expense!) At home I don't even need to have a car, we have excellent and safe public transport.

4. Lack of public transport and taxis. You can't just call a taxi and say street X house number Y in 5 minutes. Even when you manage to get them on the phone, they never find the place.

5. Gas stations from hell with Freddy Kruger cousins as attendants. They all are centuries old and look as if they will explode right now and take you in flames.

6. Lack of proper maintenance in most of the the apartments/compounds.

7. Not easy to find a job for a spouse.

It is possible to continue this list for a long time

Pros:

1.Qatari are very nice people. Much nicer than any Gulf nation (excluding Omani).

Why do I stay here? It is a professional challenge for me. I have a very interesting job and as long as it stays this way, I will be here.

By Terramax• 21 Jan 2007 08:18
Terramax

han19: Yeah, centerpoint/al asmakh is a sort of mall, while the centre is definitely not. What is emporium? Never heard of it.

By butterfly• 21 Jan 2007 05:38
butterfly

Dubai is more expensive than Doha???? Are you absolutely sure?

Also, why do you find Doha more open-minded and tolerant? I thought Dubai was the most tolerant place in the Gulf, more relaxed about alcohol consumption or being able to buy pork in designated areas, miniskirts and tank tops all over the place... well you know what I mean, a lot more liberal.

Am I wrong?

By anonymous• 20 Jan 2007 23:47
anonymous

Terramax:

Why don't you tell us, What you think about Doha? The good and bad issues.

Myself, I being working in Doha for 5 months and I do appreciate this dull place. Now I used to work in Dubai for 2 years and I'm not missing a bit of it. Too dammed expensive and many constrains. Is like N.Y. fast pace, but with a spin of religion influencing everything and everybody. Over here in Doha is more open and tolerant.

By Gypsy• 20 Jan 2007 18:19
Rating: 2/5
Gypsy

If I had to choose I would go to Bahrain or Dubai, they have more to offer. Doha, well more liberal, isn't that different from Saudi.

By butterfly• 20 Jan 2007 18:17
butterfly

I don't get it. Unless there is a considerable financial gain, why does your wife want to swap Qatar for beautiful Rumania????

What are her expectations of life in Qatar?

Also don't believe everything you hear, experiences vary from person to person. I may hate it here sometimes, other times I may find it bearable, but I do know a lot of people who love Doha so much, and would not change it for anywhere else. Again, it really depends of what you and your wife enjoy doing for fun and of course, having a decent accommodation and a decent salary is the main factor.

But salary and other things equal, I would rather stay in Rumania.

By han19• 20 Jan 2007 17:46
Rating: 5/5
han19

terramax, sorry i dont qualify al safeer or lulu as malls.

let me count again,

landmark, royal plaza, emporium, citycentre, hyatt plaza, villagio(not fully opened), the mall, al asmakh mall, the lousy CENTRE (i dont call it a mall though).is it 6 or more?

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 16:35
Rating: 4/5
soulforger

I need to leave.It's around 13 degrees.Nice Sun.It is hard to find such weather in Romania in this period.I shouldn't miss my chance :)Alchol,nice clubs,saturdays&sundays are free.I hardly think that it is logical to leave Romania.

later on i will ask for more comments to make my mind clear.

Thank you for all.

By pwb78• 20 Jan 2007 16:21
pwb78

Well, we are lucky that our house and car are paid for, bills are very cheap, very easy life and we get to spend a lot (maybe too much :) ) time with each other and our kids. I'm not looking for a full social calendar but a few more things, even family things, to do would be nice. It's not a bad life here just slooooow.

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 16:00
Rating: 4/5
soulforger

I guess for the moment she needs your care more than everything.And Qatar is very suitable for this.Of course u know more than me.And if u stand and try to handle all these difficulties,it means u are aware of advantages.

What makes Qatar nice to keep you and family there?

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 15:52
soulforger

As i guess, u are married.I don't know if she is in Qatar or not but if she is in qatar,have you ever asked her if she feels ok or not?Have u ever had trouble with her coz of Qatar?I hope u don;t misunderstand my question.

By Terramax• 20 Jan 2007 15:15
Rating: 4/5
Terramax

Soulforger: you mentioned your wife is Russian, so unless she speaks good english her social circle will be limited by you only. There are Russians in Doha (mostly housewifes), and they socialize, but it all depends on whether she will get along with the rest of the crowd.

By pwb78• 20 Jan 2007 15:09
Rating: 4/5
pwb78

Maybe in the larger compounds or if she gets involved in some of the women's groups that meet. Personally, I feel very isolated here.

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 15:05
soulforger

The last post was the most realistic one i guess.If she gets bored,it means the house after work i spend will become hell too.Dull Qatar and hell.

But isn't there any solidarity between housewives?

By Terramax• 20 Jan 2007 15:01
Terramax

Yes, I agree 100% with pwb78. If your wife will not work, it will be completely boring for her.

Btw. about socializing - in Bahrain one will have a lot of Bahraini in his social circle, here Qatari tend to stick to themselves.

By pwb78• 20 Jan 2007 14:52
Rating: 5/5
pwb78

There is no way your wife can come here and be a housewife with no kids to keep her busy. My goodness, she would die from boredom the first month. She would need to get a job that she likes or at least take classes at one of the colleges.

Compounds are nice. The bigger ones have nice pools, club houses, exercise areas, groceries and a neighborhood feel.

By Terramax• 20 Jan 2007 14:40
Rating: 5/5
Terramax

Living in Bahrain is indeed different from visiting it. I spent 6 months working in Bahrain, before I got to Qatar, and conveninence of having all modern amenities available for a decent price in max 5 minutes drive is spoiling.

Indeed there is only Al Seef mall, but the quality of stores in it is very different from Qatar. Here malls are full with stores which sell virtually nothing. Same stores around the same malls.

Regarding living in compounds - it is not a matter of preference, it is a matter of whether you got it or not. Most of those who live in compounds got accomodation taken care of by their companies. For "outsiders" there is a waiting list in the best compounds.

However price of a decent apartment in the city is almost the same as of a villa in a compound. Check www.zukhrof.com as an example.

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 14:29
soulforger

Do people prefer to live at Compounds?

By butterfly• 20 Jan 2007 14:17
butterfly

But it can get dull as hell. Working makes a lot of a difference. If you were to come here, encourage your wife to get a job.

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 14:06
soulforger

Do u have a satisfactory life in qatar as a housewife?Or is it same dull for u too without Kids?

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 14:02
Rating: 4/5
soulforger

Last time i was in Bahrain was 2 years ago.As I remember there was One mall on the highway to Saudi Arabia,small Manama city,lots of hotels that u cannot stay with ur family.And additionally 2-3 clubs.Indeed my trips to Bahrain was only touristic to get relax of boring Saudi Arabia.Maybe liviing in Bahrain would be different of course.

By Terramax• 20 Jan 2007 14:01
Rating: 4/5
Terramax

That's true. Here (unless a company provides you with a villa) you have to pay top money for measly accomodation with no services to talk about, while in Bahrain or UAE you either can get quality for half the price or luxury for what you pay here.

I don't mind paying a lot for accomodation, after all if you can't afford decent living, what's the reason to work? But in Qatar you will end up paying 2-4 thousand US dollars a month for crap.

By butterfly• 20 Jan 2007 13:57
butterfly

Don't come to Qatar unless you are lucky to have a wages that will allow you to save lots of $$$. Go to UAE or Bahrain, sure you cannot save much there either, but at least you will enjoy life better than here.

By Terramax• 20 Jan 2007 13:53
Rating: 4/5
Terramax

Qatar is a country in profound transformation. Many facilities are scarce or not available or of low quality. Bahrain in turn is an established place where everything settled down long time ago.

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 13:51
soulforger

Number of malls is out of discussion.Kidding:) At least there are 4 Malls.In here,in Bucharest there are only 3 malls :)

By Terramax• 20 Jan 2007 13:42
Terramax

han19: where did you find 6+ malls in Qatar? There are City Center, Landmark, Royal Plaza, The Mall and (still not fully open) Villagio. Where are the other ones? I hope you don't qualify Al Safeer or Lulu as malls?

By soulforger• 20 Jan 2007 13:42
soulforger

What are the similarities and diffrences?

By Terramax• 20 Jan 2007 13:40
Rating: 5/5
Terramax

Bahrain or Abu Dhabi. Not Qatar for sure, at least until the rents keep on growing. What's the use of having a tax-free salary if you end up paying in rent more than tax in the home country.

Also don't chose the place in construction, like Dubai or Qatar. Chose the one where everything has settled down. Abu Dhabi btw. has a european flair, genevish, I would say.

By han19• 20 Jan 2007 13:29
Rating: 4/5
han19

see to it that your basic salary is +20000qrs, house rent, school, medical paid by the company n month long paid vacation.

then its maybe a good deal.

lots of family time, 6+ malls to visit regularly.

horrid summers, be prepared for that.

not that dull if you have kids with you.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

By sabbiabella• 20 Jan 2007 13:24
sabbiabella

I would choose Bahrain over all of those.

By novita77• 20 Jan 2007 10:29
novita77

Only come here if the money is good, make sure housing, medical and school fees are covered.

By anonymous• 19 Jan 2007 16:40
anonymous

Don't forget to call the head shrink {psychiatrist), before deciding coming to dullest place on earth. That is Qatar....... for you.

By doctvm• 19 Jan 2007 16:31
Rating: 4/5
doctvm

qatar is good for the family life, you wil get so much of free time and very litle chance of spending time unnecesserily like dubai and unless your are a voracious shopping freak you can save money as well.

By randr88• 19 Jan 2007 16:26
Rating: 5/5
randr88

If you get the right offer come to Qatar. It is a lot better than Saudi and I stayed in Saudi 11 years.

RANDR

By browswerk• 19 Jan 2007 16:11
browswerk

only Dubai

By pwb78• 19 Jan 2007 15:53
Rating: 5/5
pwb78

Maybe for Dubai. If you like going to the mall over and over then Doha is for you. You will have tons of family time though.

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