Moving to Qatar

scotshaz
By scotshaz

Hi i have the opportunity to move to qatar in March this year and am keen to make the move and to see a different part of the world and a different culture.

My situation is that i would be able to move and my husband would also be sponsored to come out - could someone tell me if he can work there - will it be viewed oddly as i see normally the postings are men moving and bringing wives ? We dont have any children.

We are looking for some social life and culture - we are getting too old for partying) but we are not ready for our pipe and slippers yet .. !! we would move from Scotland - i understand costs are similar to UK - i think the biggest thing for us would be to ensure we are able to socialise and meet other expats and settle in.

Is it true you shouldnt have a dog as they are seen as unclean and can someone advise us on what kind of television we can expect ???

Any advise on moving at this time would be much appreciated.

By cynbob• 21 Jan 2009 09:05
Rating: 3/5
cynbob

I just wanted to tell you that my husband was here a year before we decided to take our beloved chocolate lab to Qatar. Although he was an indoor dog, the summers here are brutal and it was tough on our dog.

I would recommend coming here and getting a "feel" for this place before bringing a dog. Perhaps, after seeing where you will be living and getting adjusted yourselves, you can decide whether to get your pooch. There is an adoption agency here and I'm sure that there are pets here that would love to be your new companion.

To get a better idea about deciding whether to bring a pet or not, you can go to the SEARCH button to read previous postings on this subject.

Much luck to you and your husband. Safe travels.

By scotshaz• 20 Jan 2009 23:50
scotshaz

he is in IT - more install and de-install of equipment and also works on point of sale installs for shops and has also dealt with bank IT - no high end IT basic level. At the moment he is settling up tills for lottery machines and the company have won some work for SKY tv. He is really happy to consider a change - he is an excellent base guitartist !!

By baldrick2dogs• 20 Jan 2009 20:20
baldrick2dogs

What does hubby do? - it's always easier to start looking sooner than later.

Did you Google it first?

By Dracula• 20 Jan 2009 20:13
Rating: 2/5
Dracula

If you want to adopt a puppy in Qatar, contact "Qatar Animal Welfare Society" or Scarlett (QL member)

contact/-a-t-/qaws.org

www.qaws.org

Drac

By Mandilulur• 20 Jan 2009 20:09
Mandilulur

Exit permits sound stressful but they are really not a big deal. Oh, do wait until you get here to get a dog. There are wonderful puppies here who need a loving home. Go on the QAWS website and fall in love.

Mandi

By scotshaz• 20 Jan 2009 20:05
scotshaz

thanks for the info - esp on TV ! i was about to buy a puppy here before all this came up - so dont have a dog yet - so needed to check out whether easier to go ahead and get puppy now and get him over or to wait till i was there.

Really grateful for all the info - will keep in touch with this site and hopefully everything will go ahead and i will be in Qatar by March. Theres still bits and pieces to go through.

One ex colleague has advised me that you need permission from your empoloyer to leave the country - has anyone found this to be an issue or is it relatively straightforward ??

My husband would like to kick back for a while and take it easy but after a couple of months would like to work.

Thansk again

By jasminejasmine• 20 Jan 2009 17:31
Rating: 4/5
jasminejasmine

Hi, yes I know quite a few couples from the UK where the wife is sponsored and the husband is here on a family visa. Companies are attracted to people on a family visa as it means they don't have to provide the gratuity, annual flights, bonus etc. On the other hand, some companies are a little wary as he wouldn't need an exit permit so could leave at any time with (technically) your permission. So it is easy to find work but sometimes the higher positions will be given to people that the company has sponsored.

There are loads of expats here and they are really friendly, I work in Doha and have met some of the best people. There are lots of social things, not just limited to one type of thing, golf and rugby clubs, Doha Players, QatarLiving Social Group to name a few. The Natural History Society sunds really good but I haven't beenYou also meet lots of expats at work.

Television. Look at www.showtimearabia.com and www.bbcprime.com and look up listings for UKTV on star select network. Eastenders is about a week behind. Coronation Street and Emmerdale about a month behind.

We get lots of repeats and things take a while to get here. When new series of things come out in the UK, such as Ashes to Ashes, we just get the box set from Amazon. If you have a home back in the UK you can get a box that allows you to watch your sky subscription online, I think it's called a Slingbox.

The other thing that makes life loads easier is Aramex. Its a UK address that then couriers your post to Doha. It means that you can order something from Amazon Uk and have it within a few days. I couldn't be without it now.

Most expats have dogs. Yes there are issues with walking in the City but there are lots of nice beaches, especially Zikreet for a day out. To bring your dog he or she must have vaccinated against Rabies but doesn't need an EU pet Passport. However, it is worth doing as it means that you can travel direct into Europe on leaving and then, after 6 months into the UK without quarantine. All you need to get the passport while you are in the UK is the rabies vaccination and a rabies serology blood test. As the sample is sent to the UK lab if you do it in Doha, it is easier to just do it there.

I hope that is helpful, my fingers are aching now! Good luck, JJ

By Mandilulur• 20 Jan 2009 17:21
Rating: 4/5
Mandilulur

I will haunt your dreams, dear Drac. And apologies, Scotshaz, for the hijack. I promise to answer any more questions. Oh, yes, the TV. There are several satellite packages that you can buy. You will get over a thousand channels on each of them and several may even be watchable!

Mandi

By Dracula• 20 Jan 2009 17:19
Dracula

Who are you to bring me back down to reality and tell me all the reasons to get this "Mandilulur" out of my head.Or tent. Or cave! Or castle? ...! :)

By Mandilulur• 20 Jan 2009 17:15
Mandilulur

Drac, you don't have a tent, you have a cave - or is it a castle?

Mandi

By Dracula• 20 Jan 2009 17:10
Dracula

Granted in my tent:

1)my horse; 2)my dog; 3)my wife!

By Mandilulur• 20 Jan 2009 16:37
Rating: 5/5
Mandilulur

Yes, please bring both your husband and your dog! And if they both want to look for work when they come it will be just fine (just kidding about the pooch, no therapy or service dogs in Doha.) Sounds like you are very much like my husband and myself, socially active but NOT into the bar scene. Don't worry, there's plenty here to do unless you are really into the great outdoors. To bring in your dog go onto www.dohavets.com. They are pet relocators. There are husbands who have found nice jobs here and then there are spouses who have decided just to kiick back for a while. Take some time to decide. Definitely keep in touch with the expat sites for social events. Eventually you will also meet locals (who don't tend to advertize their gatherings!) And welcome.

Mandi

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