Oh, goodness, what to answer first. The heat - I find jeans much too hot for Qatar. I prefer cotton or linen pants and the same for my shirts. You may prefer long sleeves which can be rolled up or let down when in an air conditioned building. Phone - Nokias are available here and I use a hala pre-paid card for which you don't need an RP, just go to Qtel with your passport. If you are not on the phone for hours it's the most economical. I pay about 25-30 QR month. I can top it off in many places. You will find meat from Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Australia and New Zealand. I prefer the NZ. Chickens are likely to be from Saudi and almost laughably small. NO pork. I'm not sure if your SA driver's license can be converted to a Qatar license when you get your RP. If not, you will have to take lessons and a test - a BIG pain in the you-know-what. Groceries are pretty standard unless you have to have a certain brand. Welcome to you!
Mandi
Oh, goodness, what to answer first. The heat - I find jeans much too hot for Qatar. I prefer cotton or linen pants and the same for my shirts. You may prefer long sleeves which can be rolled up or let down when in an air conditioned building. Phone - Nokias are available here and I use a hala pre-paid card for which you don't need an RP, just go to Qtel with your passport. If you are not on the phone for hours it's the most economical. I pay about 25-30 QR month. I can top it off in many places. You will find meat from Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Australia and New Zealand. I prefer the NZ. Chickens are likely to be from Saudi and almost laughably small. NO pork. I'm not sure if your SA driver's license can be converted to a Qatar license when you get your RP. If not, you will have to take lessons and a test - a BIG pain in the you-know-what. Groceries are pretty standard unless you have to have a certain brand. Welcome to you!
Mandi