Moving to Qatar from US
I have been talking with QP and if I get a job offer then I'll be moving from US with my family (3 kids, 2 school going). Is there anybody who recently moved from US/Canada and wants to share his/her experiences i.e. To do list before moving etc. I am thinking of shipping furniture and other household items from here along with my cars. Is it a good idea or should I buy it there. Name and contact of any reliable and trust worthy overseas shipping company will be helpful that someone has dealt with. Any suggestions on international schools, accommodations etc. will highly be appreciated.
I used Allied from the US to Doha. Dont bother with a local company. Most points have been hit on. I would just reiterate the rents here are mind blowingly expensive. For a decent villa you will be paying at a minimum of $3500 USD per month. For a nicer compound with other families with children you are probably looking at $4500+.
Allied movers in North America. You don't want a mover in Doha.
Mandi
could you provide e-mail or phone no. of Nixon, I need to to get an estimate on shipping.
thank you.
Doha is outrageously expensive for rent. A four to five bedroom villa will run 20,000-30,000 QR per month. A three-bedroom in a compound (what we would call a condo) will run 12-16,000. And that's not including utilities. Schools are also shockingly expensive. But QP should take care of these things?
Mandi
Shipping your car will be a very expensive proposition, if you have to pay it yourself. Better buy brand new here since QP will give you interest free car loan. Check the classified section on this site or go to Qatarsale.com to have an idea of what brands/models are available and their prices. Most american i know go for big 4x4 SUVs as they don't need to worry about petrol price....
QP should provide you with temporary accommodation (a compound villa for family) for up to 3 months (?). The house hunting during that period should not pose a problem as there are many accommodation options available nowadays to suit every taste and budgets.
The biggest worry, as other had mentioned, will be getting shools for your kids. ASD, American School in Doha do give priority for US passport holders, but as far as I know it is not guaranteed.
Shipping your car will be a very expensive proposition, if you have to pay it yourself. Better buy brand new here since QP will give you interest free car loan. Check the classified section on this site or go to Qatarsale.com to have an idea of what brands/models are available and their prices. Most american i know go for big 4x4 SUVs as they don't need to worry about petrol price....
QP should provide you with temporary accommodation (a compound villa for family) for up to 3 months (?). The house hunting during that period should not pose a problem as there are many accommodation options available nowadays to suit every taste and budgets.
The biggest worry, as other had mentioned, will be getting shools for your kids. ASD, American School in Doha do give priority for US passport holders, but as far as I know it is not guaranteed.
Thank you guys for quick and valuable responses, it really helped. Any suggestion about accommodations, is it expensive or reasonably priced. I am living in a 4 bed 2 story house here with about $1600/month (QR 6000) mortgage payment. What would be good option: apartment vs villa & renting vs buying, Pearl VS West Bay or any other decent area to live.
Welcome to Doha.
Make sure you contact schools to find out availability. Depends on what their grades, it will be very difficult to enroll the kids in the same school. I meant VERY difficult! This depends greatly whether you pay or your company pays for education. The American schools might have availabilities but really hurt your pocket if you pay yourself.
If shipping paid for by company, then bring your belongings (except electronics/appliances since it's 220V here). Do bring some good toys/games/books and branded name apparels. They are expensive and hard to find in Doha.
Be sure to check with the Qatar custom regarding your vehicles. I heard that if older than certain number of years, it cannot be imported.
Good Luck
QP should be providing the relocation services for your household goods as well as your housing. Their HR should provide you a (long) to-do list!
Mandi