I know next to nothing about all this, but since I am not particularly busy at work today....

 

From a residential point of view, there is nothing to purchase, I think.  It's all currently under construction.  So you will find yourself having to rent in the short term.

 

There could be arguments for buying a property to sell in the short to near term as a speculative venture - buy and sell off the plan with a hope of making a capital gain, but to be honest I am not sure that long term there is a lot of money to be made in holding and owning property here.

 

I don't know about how many companies are being lured to Doha, and what the demand for high-end freehold property will be as a result, but in my 2 1/2 years here, I've seen nothing to make me think that Doha will boom in a fashion similar to Dubai. 

 

I think you are better off finding a modest rental and saving your money to buy when you return to Australia, which is what I am planning to do.  I just don't trust the local legal system when it comes to honouring contracts and agreements - there is no consumer protection generally, and that's not a risk I would take on such a huge investment.

 

Similarly, I wouldn't be too interested in buying off the plan in any development, even if the builder has a good reputation.  In Doha you can almost guarentee that anything constructed is constructed with flaws and defects.  Why shell out a lot of money for something of unknown and untested quality.

 

Just my humble opinion.  I know others have more faith in purchasing property here and I would love to hear their opinions.