Hey - no need to worry about coming out here - it is pretty liberal compared to other Gulf states so it shouldn't be tooo difficult to adjust from UK life. Obviously things are different, but you can do most of what you'd do at home with no problems. Drink is available (but quite pricey) in all the main hotels, a lot of which also have nightclubs. If you're hear long term you'll need a resident permit, and once you have that you can also get a alcohol licence to buy from the one offie (much cheaper than the hotels).
The driving is indeed insane, and you'll see a lot of accidents, but they are mainly minor prangs. The problem is that even though there are traffic lights every few hundred metres, people seem to be in a terrible rush to get to the next queue and sit there for longer! Tailgating seems to be the national sport, but as long as you chill and dont let the locals riding your bumper stress you out, you'll be fine. As you're from the UK you don't need to take a test here - you can just show your current licence, take an eye test, and bingo you'll have a Qatari temporary licence. Your work will probably sort this kind of thing out for you.
As others have said there are loads of shops and restaurants, and plenty of other stuff to do too, depending what you're into!
I came here for a couple of months last year but have now been posted here for 2 years, and am trying to make the most of it!
Hey - no need to worry about coming out here - it is pretty liberal compared to other Gulf states so it shouldn't be tooo difficult to adjust from UK life. Obviously things are different, but you can do most of what you'd do at home with no problems. Drink is available (but quite pricey) in all the main hotels, a lot of which also have nightclubs. If you're hear long term you'll need a resident permit, and once you have that you can also get a alcohol licence to buy from the one offie (much cheaper than the hotels).
The driving is indeed insane, and you'll see a lot of accidents, but they are mainly minor prangs. The problem is that even though there are traffic lights every few hundred metres, people seem to be in a terrible rush to get to the next queue and sit there for longer! Tailgating seems to be the national sport, but as long as you chill and dont let the locals riding your bumper stress you out, you'll be fine. As you're from the UK you don't need to take a test here - you can just show your current licence, take an eye test, and bingo you'll have a Qatari temporary licence. Your work will probably sort this kind of thing out for you.
As others have said there are loads of shops and restaurants, and plenty of other stuff to do too, depending what you're into!
I came here for a couple of months last year but have now been posted here for 2 years, and am trying to make the most of it!
Enjoy!