Maybe best to ask for an allowance and to be put up in a hotel for a while till you find somewhere and get an accomodation allowance.

As a british person whose had a year in bahrain, qatar even though it is bigger and has more things i have found it a bit duller compared to Bahrain.

Remember for tax you need to be away for the full financial year, its not just the numbers of months.

The pension question is interesting.