Various Salary and HR Questions

Hello,

I hope anyone working in HR or aware of HR policies with companies operating in Qatar will be able to answer some of my questions. My impression is that HR practices in Qatar have not been standardized, but I’m hoping to get an impression of how the better companies in the country operate.

How are salaries in Qatar compared to those in the United States? Are they equal? Is this including or excluding various allowances?

What’s the typical salary for an accountant in Qatar? I’ll take figures for chartered/non-chartered, etc.

What about a secretary? You can offer me salaries based on country of origin, but I’d prefer figures that reflect companies that do not base salaries on country of origin.

Are housing allowances standard? Is there a general formula used to determine this figure? What takes precedence, seniority/position or family size?

Are transportation allowances standard? Is this usually distributed as a monthly stipend or a lump sum figure? How is this figure determined? Is it common for companies to offer drivers simply to shuttle employees to and from work?

Are travel allowances standard? Does this simply include a ticket to and from Doha, or also one or two visits home?

How does the health care system work here? Is it completely public or semi-public? If the employer provides health coverage, then what is its responsibility in this regard? Do they have to pay for “insurance�? If so, what are the fees? Or do they simply have to register the employee for a health card or something like that?

Thanks!