Uproot and move to Doha?

I'm a manufacturer and exporter of solid teak furniture,I have a factory in indonesia and a retail shop in Mauritius.My Office and shop is based in mauritius

I currently export to Europe,Reunion island,Comores etc,Our publicity is made from mouth to ear due to our good quality products and we always honour our promise.

I'm looking for a company who want to import furniture from my factory and sell in retail in qatar.

Looking forward to get a good deals.

Thanks,

Dil hossain Mohammad Fawzi

I'm a manufacturer and exporter of solid teak furniture,I have a factory in indonesia and a retail shop in Mauritius.My Office and shop is based in mauritius

I currently export to Europe,Reunion island,Comores etc,Our publicity is made from mouth to ear due to our good quality products and we always honour our promise.

I'm looking for a company who want to import furniture from my factory and sell in retail in qatar.

Looking forward to get a good deals.

Thanks,

Dil hossain Mohammad Fawzi

I contacted the headhunter today and provided condition that housing be provided for as a condition for my mobilization for Qatar from Calgary. I think if that is done, it is worth it, and..

I very much appreciate all of your comments and help in contributing towards keeping me from making what might have been a very bad decision.

Ali

Just go to "my account" then "track." Easier than "search." Or even, since you started the thread - go to "recent posts" then "my post."

If a pay review is in the contract remeber this is only a review and will consist of this conversation.

Them: Lets review your pay

You: Can I have more

Them: No

Them: Pay review over

Them: Close the door on your way out...Next

Oh and did your company offer you a Multiple Exit permit if they don't offer that all the money in the World aint worth the hassle of chasing up your external affairs department

Your headhunter's pressure should be a sign. I think company's here are getting desperate, the truth is getting out about the Country and the region. By this I mean people now know that a tax free salary is not enough in a region of spiraling inflation,rents and schooling. Plus a country such as Qatar is difficult to live in.

I would keep hanging on, another offer will come in, if it doesn't then its not the end of the World and probably for the best.

Anyone reading this in the same circumstances should basically turn around and demand housing be provided.

Also and this is not often mentioned, ask for a copy of your contract in ARABIC as this is the only one that is valid in Law here.

Obviously you won't understand it but get it translated and verified.

Companies here have a nasty habit of promising the earth to get you out here then revoking benefits on arrival.

I have mentioned before my company offered full schooling to all children and has now withdrawn it.

Full medical and dental went

Subsidized health clubs went

2 Flights a year went

Pay rise is off the table probably forever.

Anyone out there please be very careful I work for a big name company too so don't think you might be immune.

Good luck

thanks, for your responses.

BTW not sure if any seasoned QL veterans out there, but would you happen to know under what category this thread is filed under? When I first posted, I was not under any specific category. Now, it appears the thread is only accessible if I type a keyword such as "Calgary" on the search function.

Anything? (this is just for anyone else out there who has "lost" a thread")

I wouldn't rush it. The housing is low and why come out of pocket when the goal is to save. Maybe your headhunter doesn't really get how crazy rents are here? Housing and availablity of schools are the two biggest issues here for expats, in my opinion.

Good day.

Am under some pressure from my headhunter here in Calgary to take this job with govt (Oil and Gas Internal Auditor) - base 21.5K, they might increase it if I negotiate. The headhunter really seems to want it for me. Problem remains the housing.

Guys and gals, bottom line: please let me know if I "get it". Even with a 14.2K housing allowance and really good perks like "currency fluctuation allowance", full education for both kids paid for, 45K accomodation, even with all these benefits which would be OUTRAGEOUS even to think about in the western world, it's still a better bet for me, as a potential Canadian expatriate with 10 years of in-demand Internal Audit experience, to just WAIT for an opportunity with an employer who provides housing???

Would you agree if you were me, happy and settled, in no rush to leave a good job, in a nice place professionally, would you agree I should hold out for a job where housing is provided??

Ahasnain - yes, the oil/gas families I know have very nice housing. Some may live in more dated compounds but all have been nice. One friend's husband works for Maersk and they have a great compound and villa.

A few things. Education a big thing to research. Best school is American school and its full. Qatar Academy is good for elememtary.

Have 3 friends who lived in a decent compound at Burger King Round About. Means nothing to you but people on here know this is a good area. They pay 10500QR and I would argue its a nice compound. Simple 35 units, pool in the middle, little front and side yard, car port. I would say it would compare to a BraeGlen type accomadations in Braside.About 10 years old perhaps more. But definitly a good grab. They saw the owner on a slight occassion but of course he runup the rent. When they moved in 4 years ago it was 4000QR and up and up. However compared to 19 and 25QR its a steel. You need to furnish it yourself, which isn't a hardship here. So just a thought. The ones you will look at through the papers are brand new and built by the greedy who are so hungry for the buck, thus they are in a different mind set,as they start at 20. But there is no comparision between the 20 and the 10QR as in there over priced for what you get.

Example. Together me and my wife bring home 25,000QR. housing paid, school paid. Utlities paid. Nanny full time. Only real cost food and its big. But we save one pay check for the year, we save 140,000QR a year(roughly). so yes its good. We live very nicely, eat out 2x a week, buy whatever clothes we want, kids have to many toys. We are off to Sri Lanka for 3 weeks. We have one car. You do the math, not a bad set up.

" if its not a good time, its a good story"

You all have been more than helpful, thanks,

You are Canadian, and have skills that are needed here. Hold out for a rock solid offer, that MUST include housing, and wages of at least 23K. a month.

Not taking the first offer is a good idea and one that everyone should take note of.

With so much at stake it is foolish to rush into something so life changing, hope we have been of some help.

Thanks everyone.

Aviduser and PWB78, I read and re-read your posts carefully. This particular employer does not offer "free housing". They offer an allowance, which at 14.2 K is not bad, in my opinion. They state the "pay for all education up until age 18" but yes, I know, there could be terms and conditions around that as well where I might have to shell out of pocket.

However, there are other employers (not going to name names) in Qatar which I might have a chance with, and who DO offer "free housing" in their own compounds.

My conclusion, after reading your feedback, is to be wary of this particular offer, and to hold out for a company where housing is offered in their own compounds. My only fear is that the housing offered is sub-standards.

PBW78, I understand from your last post that housing you are provided by your husbands employer, though not luxury, is acceptable to you. I'm happy for that. Do you know whether oil/gas employers who do offer free housing have "good" housing? (based on what you might have seen visiting others, or perhaps your own compound is one of these?)

http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=189867&version=1&template_id=51&parent_id=31

If that doesn't work goto Gulf-times.com and click on classifieds, this should bring up the latest Villas for rent.

I think compound living starts at around 16,000K

You will really struggle to find a place the same size as you have now, infact I can guarantee that that size would cost prob 19,000 MIN.

As for rents going up, there are numerous ways landlords can put the rent up, and if you don't like it you will be evicted. You do not have any rights here.

Also you may be stung with the old 6 months in advance or 12 months in advance trick meaning you will have to find the money up front.

I in all good heart cannot recommend anyone from any where in the World coming here without Housing being included and by that I mean your company giving you the house.

The 19K allowance is very good, and in any other City would be great as you could find a cheap place and pocket the difference. Here you can not.

Also the wages you are offered are not high enough to justify moving a family here.

You may know inflation is 15%.

Are your kids of school age, will your company pay for them. If not account for between 21 and 55K a year.

It just isn't worth it.

And check out the forum for my posts regarding companies reducing benefits and screwing you once you have been here.

Sorry to be negative, oh and have they told you about exit permits ?

Renegotiate, Or think long and hard about it. Unless you can save say 13,000 rials a months or more its not worth it.

one more question for anyone who may know.

My months and months of research on this forum and speaking with people tells me, in general, if you can make, without tax, what your gross income (not including taxes) in your home country, that is a good first sign to move to Qatar.

So if I'm doing this calculation, should I include only QAR base + maybe transportation and furniture allowances? (as housing allowance will be insufficient and every other allowance such as education for kids is something that I wouldnt have to pay for here in Canada anyways)????

Just jumping in here - having my husband's company handle the housing and us not even seeing the rent bill is such a peace of mind. You will really have to undershoot your 19 allowance to leave room for increases because it's crazy. We live in a small, clean but not glamourous compound with a tiny pool and it's 15. Our house fine by me. A big, spacious compound with loads of amenities and vastly large villas will cost between 20-25. See this website for a look at one of the best -

http://www.alfardanrealestate.com/gardens.htm

I don't know much about stand-alones but they are generally cheaper but a lot more work is placed on you.

I don't think you can really put full trust into too many landlords because the odds of you actually meeting yours is slim - at least if you are living in a compound.

Good luck with your decisions.

Thank you both for your responses and time.

BTW BigDaddy I do agree with you on your last comments about not using off-hand remarks as basis for such a huge decision. Good point well taken.

if either of you have any more advice, particularly on the spreadsheet and whether it's realistic, I'd really appreciate it. My 80K CDN in Calgary (wife does not work and 2 kids) means very little savings per month, and I'm starting to realize unless I do something about it, we'll be living in a box when I retire.

If you have any comments on my comment to Aviduser above, pls help as well. thanks again,

Ali

Aviduser, if you dont mind, I have a question. you stated "crap villa" for 14.2k. I totally agree. Right now I live in a 2000 square foot (roughly 200 square meter) detached villa in Calgary. It's a nice house, 3 bedrooms, nice stainless steel appliances, blah blah blah.

My wife insists she wants a compound. I think she's right. I tried www.doha-properties.com and see what appear to be decent villas between 16 - 23K.

I request your help, please, to understand the type of villa I can get for 19K which is my budget (please see my spreadsheet attached).

Also, could I please get your opinion on how easy it is for landlords to break the 10% rent ceiling? I mean, would a reputable landlord do that to me (assuming I'm with a good, reputable, ethical landlord)??

Everyone, is it totally NUTS of me to think my rent will only go up by a maximum of 10% a year on a 19K villa???????

Thinking about it Ahasnain. i guess its perhaps an unfair question or atleast unrealistic to find the true answer. Who could possibly know on this site or whereever. Sure someone may know someone or heard about a guy or those stories that you hear in elevators but who knows the % truly of who gets axed because of soft reasons. would you base your future move on a off hand remark on this site about a guy knows a guy who was fired for wesaring the wrong color shoes or perhaps his hands were to sweaty when he shook the bosses hand. Know one really knows, so don't use this question to guide your instict, desire or reluctanence to move. You need to be more real with yourself.

No disrespect.

" if its not a good time, its a good story"

PM, for me the issue really is whether, in practice, at decent professional level jobs in oil/gas sector, expatriates may be dismissed upon the "whims" of someone higher up, assuming their contract is indefinite.

It could be as simple as "hey, you're fired" or "well, we're just not renewing your contract".

I have over a decade of progressive experience, obviously I'm not planning to get fired. Nobody is. But I'm just asking whether it's normal for govt contracts to state you can be fired without reason with 2 months notice?

And importantly, if that is the case, then does is happen a lot to expatriates in Qatar? I dont mean fired for cause, such as robbery, sex harrassment, whatever. I mean fired because of soft factors such as "things arent working out" or "your communication skills are not what we need", etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Please help me decide this is SO key in my decision to move to Qatar.

I didn't mean they'd give a year notice. I meant, if he moved here, gets settled things don't go as planed either by him or his employeer, he has a year over hear under his belt before he would return home. I don't think he will land and a month later they fire him. Sure could happen but unlikely. So a bad case senerio would be one year over here and leave, I can imagine worse things in life.

" if its not a good time, its a good story"

To move your family over here for that money, you want more plus a house, the housing allowance might just get you a decent flat. Or a rubbish Villa.

Still if you are on crap money back home why not.

if you work for Q company ... pls aware with Qatarization.

You've done your homework. I think your pretty dead on.I think your life style is pretty comparable to ours. If this is true, then it comes down to life experience. Money is good, not over the top, especially the salarys now a days in Calgary. You will save a bit, even more if your less adventurous but you will save. So I think it comes down to life choice now. We have travel experiences we'd never have back home. We have insight into a culture that we can only read about back home. Priceless. Can they fire you, yes of course, will they probably not, I think if anything you'd get atleast a year but more than likely much more. Wouldn't let the fear control you stretching out of the box. Say it is a bust, atleast your failing forward. Life is to short my friend.

" if its not a good time, its a good story"