Clothing for Western Women

i have just been offered a teaching post in doha starting in september. accommodation is provided - does anyone have any idea of the type of accommodation which is offered for teachers? i also would like to do how to obtain a licence for buying alcohol - not that its a necessity but just wondered if its hard to get?

Canarybird,

You can mail me on [email protected] - any info would be much appreciated. Thank you. We don't have kids but my husband needs to find work when we get there so the more we can learn in advance the better!

Lachalla

Dear Lachalla,

if you send me your e-mail I can send you a briefing on all schools and things of interest for a British ex-pat which I received from the British Embassy and might be of help to you.

Canarybird,

How funny! I am Scottish too. We are coming in August, just hope we find some work for my poor husband, he will go mad otherwise! Glad you are having such a good time, we're looking forward to being there now..

Your welcome and I am very happy to give you the information. I am sure you will enjoy your time in Qatar.

Many thanks

Dear Lachalla, many thanks for your answer no I am not from Qatar I am actually Scottish and have been in Qatar since September. I find it is a wonderful place - somethings are a little on the conservative side but generally we can do anything we want to do here and Doha is small enough that you can even meet people you know when you go shopping. Evry time go down to the Corniche it fills me with joy just to see the sea it's a feast forthe eyes. I have had only good experiences here whether it be with locals or any other ex-pats or whoever.

Your post was very helpful indeed! Also, thanks to everyone else who has posted. I benefit from hearing all viewpoints.

Dear Canarybird

I'd just like to say thank you very much for one of the most helpful and informative posts I've come across. If you don't mind my asking, are you from Qatar? Thank you

Lachal

Great answer! :D

Qatar is a very safe country and the least of women are harassed by men here. You can buy anything you really want here if you have enough money. However, there are a couple of stores such as Marks and Spencers, British Home Stores, who cater for a more western style. We also do have a number of very nice shoppping malls - certainly not on a large scale but they are very pleasant to visit. There are very good food supermarkets so you will be able to buy what you ever you may need. Your dresses don't need to be long but they should not be too short either. As said you can easily wear t-shirts too. The abayah is a quite a light garment (which you don't have to wear) and the Qatari Ladies wear very light clothing underneath. This is a part of the culture here and you will get used to seeing this quickly. The Summer months from May until the end of October are very hot and it is advisable not to spend a lot of time outside in the heat at least not with out a hat. If you like to swim there are clubs and hotels in the city but Qatar also has some very nice beaches. Do bring along a couple of pullovers as the airconditioning is in some places very cold and not to forget we do have coled weather in the winter months. Not so cold but inside the house does get cool in these months.

Qatar has a wonderful Corniche it is very pretty where many people go evenings to jog or walk.

There are many clubs and interesting things to do here and a great many ex-pats. There is also a book which comes out 3-4 time a year called Marhaba which will give you a lot of useful information.

In December Qatar is hosting the Asian Games and has put most of Qatar into one big building site at present with most main streets being dug up.

My advice is just come and see and enjoy Qatar.

VW, I was born in Newfoundland and raised in Cape Breton, beleive me I know all the jokes. ;)

Ferrin, that website is probably American, no offence to your country, but never believe anything that Americans say about the Middle East.

And abaya or abayah or abiyah, that's the fun of spelling Arabic words in English.

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.

Dohagirl,

Just so you know, Newfoundland is the 'armpit' of Canada and we joke about them even more than they are harassing you.

But I apologize on behalf of the civilized Canadians out there. True what QatarCat says - some people are jerks, where they are from is coincidence only.

If you want to reciprocate, just call them 'stupid newfs' mwhahahah

Hmm... Weird. I've never seen anyone harass women over here.

Everyone goes with the flow it seems. I've seen many foreigners walking around the main city areas n no one really seems to bother them or anything at all. Mostly, I've noticed people just mind their own business, so its all good.

I walk around jaidah bridge, Muntazah, the mall etc (very central)

It´s not like I´m extremely beautiful or something (I´m not) and I wear normal clothes.

Maybe is my smell that they find so attactive? Mmmmm....

Haha yeah that's neat :p I think he will only get something if anyone actually clicks on those links, and I am not so sure I want to click on "Primo Moda Islamic Store"!

at least through all this discussion we have managed to get a load of sponsored lined come:

www.thehijabshop.com

www.bemodest.com

www.ahad-ahad.com

www.divenemodestee.com

how much do u get for all of this Qaitari, anyway you should ask for more

That's my impression too!! Butterfly, where were you walking??? Now that I think of it, I do walk around - I walk on the Corniche, around my house (the worst area imaginable), Khalifa Sports City (in the evening, ALONE!) and nobody has ever even said anything to me, let alone harrass me.

I walk everywhere and I've never gotten anything more than the friendly Honk "what are you doing walking crazy girl it's 42 degrees outside!" I find these guys way better behaved than anywhere else I've been in Asia...hell, the world.

I don't go to the souqs and I don't walk around, I drive - so maybe you are right and I am wrong and I just don't get into contact with the harrassing types. Although those rare times that I did walk, I was never ever harrassed by anyone. Nothing more than stares, and I ignore that :)

on this one.

Men behave very well when in hotels and malls, but try walking the streets and you will almost always get harrassed.

Mediterranean men are less sticky.

As for clothes... Well, depends where you go. Go to the Mall or Corniche and you can wear anything you like. Go to the Souqs or streets around town and cover yourself as much as possible.

Huh? Really? What idiots! Then again, you know, it's not any different from any other place in the West. You can find jerks everywhere. I would say that men here are generally much more reserved than back home in the Mediterranean! Catcalling, following, stalking, groping even are all too common there, unlike Qatar.

But that wasn't what I was talking about. These buffoons would probably react the same if you wore an abaya, too. It's not because of the clothes you wear, it's because of their poor imagination and lack of manners.

Actually QatarCat, you should listen to these buffoons, it passed from flirting to harrasment a while back when they started asking if I (and even the little 13 and 14 year old girls) would like to come over and BEEP them.

And I have been to both places in the summer. I thought it was cute, just like I do here.

Dohagirl,

That is not hassling :p That is flirting. Nobody would dare to actually harrass you based on what you wear, unless you show up in the mall wearing a swimsuit.

If you think that catcalling or offering a ride is hassling, don't go to Cyprus or Italy in the summer. You'll be in for a shock :^)

That's not true. There's a group of Newfoundlanders on my compound that like to catcall when I'm walking by the pool. But I've never been hassaled by the locals. Except when they see me walking in this heat and offer me a drive. But that's innocents because they think I'm crazy to be walking anywhere.

LOL - I remember myself years ago, agonising over the same issue! T shirts and all kinds of pants are ok - loose or tight fitting :)

And NOBODY HASSLES women in Qatar.

Wear abayahs in public! I don't know who's telling you this stuff but stop listening RIGHT NOW! The only people who have to wear abayahs in public are muslim women (and even some of them don't).

And don't be silly about long sleeved shirts, unless its January or February when its a little chilly. I wear t-shirts or thick strapped tank tops and I have never had a problem. I even wear knee length shorts, skirts and capris. (Occasionally when its really hot I'm a little daring and I wear shorts a little above the knee)

There are no laws about what you have to wear, the Qatari's ask you to please respect their culture and dress modestely, to quote the Marhaba "WOmen should avoid wearing shoe-string straps, sleeveless dresses, shorts or see through fabrics."

YOu should have no problem buying clothes to wear here, here in Qatar. Just avoid the spagghetti strap tank tops of which there are many...and the see through stuff cause there's lots of that to.

Ferrin,

You will be able to wear all your clothes. No long sleeves are mandatory, and you certainly will not have to wear an abaya, I am surprised you were told that it is recommended! No way :^) However, covering your shoulders is generally preferred if you want to avoid people staring, so a t shirt is ideal. This said, there are plenty women everywhere wearing spaghetti straps tops! Plenty of shops that sell all sorts of clothes here that suit all budgets, from dead cheap to super expensive - come on, you are not moving to Mars!

How do we survive in this heat? Quite easily - cover up so that we don't burn! And bring a jacket or anything warm with you when you go out shopping or dining - air conditioning is on full everywhere, and you can get really cold.

Virtually no westerners wear abayas

Don't stress about clothes, short sleeves is fine

Its easy to get mixed views about what women should wear

...tell me are T-shirts ok...loose pants?

My wife is threatning to buy a new wardrobe of clothes...help!!

you will find anything you need here .... u will be fine

who told you all of this above anyway??