Everyone's comments have been very helpful. Thanks so much!

I tend to be a cautious person. I'm nervous about moving to Qatar, but I'm sure I'll calm down and relax once I get settled in. Moving to a new culture so different from mine puts me outside my comfort zone, especially because I've never even traveled out the USA.

For those who wonder where I got the idea for Western women to wear abayahs to avoid being hassled by men, it was from this website (under the section called "Stay Safe"):

http://wikitravel.org/en/Qatar

Also, which is the correct spelling--abaya or abayah? I see it both ways.