Moving to Qatar in a few days...

This topic comes up repeatedly in threads. And from what I have read, I have managed to narrow down what types of clothing attract these men's attention.

-Revealing clothing

-Regular pants and jumpers

-Loose clothing with hijabs

-Full Abayas

-Loose clothing and pregnant

So ladies, I advise you to stay at home everyday unless you are accompanied by a male.

On the other hand, you can refuse to be cowered by these ignorant neanderthals and start fighting back. Let them know it is NOT ok for them to proposition you, and make them uncomfortable and embarrassed as all hell when they do. If they are publicly embarrassed, or are given the threat of public embarrassment, they will remember that the next time they try it. It's simple behavioural conditioning, and it is how we train animals.

Don't do it. Qatar is a really really really scary place.. From what I have read, Locals hurtle around in big cars called LC's scaring the hell out of everyone. Expats can be found on the beach or at the watering holes in various forms of undress. The heat is unbearable and there is NO IKEA :(

do you mean me or charlene what her face

moving to qatar? it ses in your profile that you lived in doha since 2006

Well when i moved here the people looked at me too because im white from the UK so i got look and stares but i learnt to just think that they are not there and you'll soon realise that they dont afect you any more.

scared of what? here is not more scary than in UK, let alone India...

...advice? ...here you go:

don't be scared...

i am also asain (indian) from the uk looking at moving to qatar fairly worried and scared - can you offer my advise please

Well her and i just mutually split up...because of the move basically. She doesnt want to move, especially out of the country. I am still excited about the whole move and i am looking forward to it more and more each day. I am not going to visit there first because it would be like 2000 U.S. dollars i will just wait and trust everyone that i have talked to about the country. My roommate here has already lived there for 2 years and he is telling me about it and about how it is actually like our city i am living in now...all the same restaurants and everything just more sand everywhere lol

" then i heard about how ALL the guys treat woman horribly"

It is not true that ALL the guys treat women horribly. I've been living & working here for just over two years, and I have never had an unpleasant experience with a man here. Certainly I have friends who have had a few negative encounters, but that doesn't mean EVERY guy in Qatar mistreats women!

yup i agree with angelo....we have to suit our way of life (Dressing is one of it) with the place you live....anyway qatar still a safe place for foreign people

Hello Adam,

To console yourself and girlfriend, why not come to Qatar for a few days and experience the place. It may be more safe than many other countries.

Angelo

Yeah i am new to this...i have been reading quite a bit about Qatar and the more and more i am reading about this the more i get turned off about the whole moving thing. I was excited about moving and being a mechanic for the military but then i heard about how ALL the guys treat woman horribly, this subject has made my girlfriend not want to move with me. I have a awsome job over there making more money than i could ever make in the states...plus they pay for my living and transportation, so the job is great but i dont think i would like to live in such a place where they treat woman horribly. If any one would like to get to know me more my email is [email protected] i will need to make friends for when i move. thanks Adam

Good answer la Jolla!

Your right, I'm not disapointed in the food, and I'm always open to trying different things :) Must try Turkish sometime now. Thanks for the info...

How awful for you. I'm so sorry that you had to experience such negative behavor from these men. I can relate though as such things happened living in Kuwait as well.

However, I am in Qatar now, I do have blond hair, (streaked) and I do notice the looks, however, I learned a long time ago to look the other way and before long you don't even notice them anymore!

Glad to hear that you are still able to enjoy Qatar.

Thanks so much for your answers. I am now living in Qatar, and you are quite right, it is like a toned down version of Kuala Lumpur!

Butterfly...

"even my grandmother shows more flesh in Spain than I do here in Qatar"....good one!! hahahaha

I just say be modest and I also say to men to be human and be modest! Its not all women fault that if a women is wear something out of the system that all men have the permit to do whatever they want. Men are more to be blamed!!!

Good morning Aisha

No woman in her right mind would dare to wear a mini skirt or an open shirt in Qatar. OMG, can you imagine? I'm sure it would make news on the Gulf times.

I don't mind now when is kindda coolish weather, but as it gets wormer it really gets annoying, having to watch what you wear.

Personally, I think it xucx all this whole clothing nightmare, even my grandmother shows more flesh in Spain than I do here in Qatar. I don't think that some men's sick behaviour has any relation with us women wearing sexy, provocative clothes. Unless you consider jeans and a loose t-shirt to be revealing!

Maybe in 20 years time it will be different.

My fiancee came over to visit for the Christmas & New Year period ...

When we were out together there were zero issues. Not even staring (and she isn't ugly!)

One day she walked the 500m from our house to The Mall. She says she was offered about 15 'lifts' during the 5-minute stroll, and had two crawlers. She was wearing normal jeans (ie. not tight or low cut) and a baggy sweater. Her hair is brown.

She took a taxi home from The Mall for 10 Dirhams, rather than face the hassle.

It isn't like this in Dubai - I think the 'locals' aren't yet 'used' to seeing 'Western' women ... things will change - it is different (better) in Dubai, so there IS hope :-)

Well, you have to report!!

It's a shame that you are facing such things, ladies.But I don't agree that most of men here are shallow as others said.

Anyway, Why don't you just try not to wear things that attract sick men's attention like the very short skirts or the open shirts..ect.I've read that even in the US there was a kind of campain against such clothes but I think it was stopped for some reasons.Anyway Just avoid bad things and enjoy it here.Come on it cant be that bad..!Or maybe I'm just blind lol

I wondering if inocent expat women get problems with local Bedduz, to whom police will believe or protect ? In my understanding, they will believe in Qatari men. That's why I never call police when I ahd problem with nasty men. HARD for me !!!!!!!!

Hi Sunshine,

If you can, it might be better to get a job as there's only so much you can take, going to the same malls and coffee shops day after day after day after day..you get the idea *wink*

There are quite a few ladies groups you can join to make friends and it sure beats sitting around a home with little sunlight. (I guess it's because for people who have been born here they don't need anymore sun but personally I like the sun and the windows are too small for my taste!)

Other than those wierd men out on the streets (and I don't think they're all 'beddus' - no offence jbravo!), the ones you would encounter at work will be decent and you'll soon be making friends, men and women alike :)

good luck!

oh, and I have a question, I have heard from quite a few friends that however innocent you are even if you do call the police the thobe-clad men will only insist you hit on them first and you'll be the one thrown into jail (as i heard prostitution is illegal here). Is that true? My friends say they prefer to either walk or run away!

oh butterfly i am sorry that you had to expereience that a$$ hole comments..this is sooo bad...you should have taken his car number and reported to police...

hmm yeah i guess msot of the men are stupid and dumb a$$es here. Well money cant buy culture..the beddu attitude will never change i guess..

Hi Bravo,

The comments are often in arabic. But it only happens when I walk around on my own. If I'm with my husband or a friend, no-one follows or says anything to me.

The worst comment?: days before my daughter was born I was in the street waiting for a taxi. A guy came up to me and started to say that he wanted to be my friend, and as I told him to leave me alone he called me a "fat whore". Just what a 9 months pregnant woman needs to hear! (I'm back to my normal 50 kg now...)

Hello John,

I just sent you an e-mail.

Irene

Ladies it really doesnt matter wether you are asian or blonde. I actually think its worse for middle eastern looking women who do not wear hijab and go out in normal jeans and a top get harassed just as bad, just because they are arab looking and are not covered. What may not seem as obvious even qatari women in abayas get harassed and pulled. Guys in qatar are really shallow. I say guys in qatar because i have seen how the qatari guys treat women here and also the american base guys which are complete losers. The soldiers are just as bad and even worse. Therefore there are good and bad everywhere in the world. Just as long as you respect yourself and the culture you are living in you shouldnt have any problems. :)

I would like to make some famale friends to exchange culture and information about Qatar and mideastern countries. Email me @ [email protected]

John

Hi Girls

Interesting to hear abt such issues in Qatar.

Actually my BF will be posted to Qatar soon...

Would like to get any of your advise on the cost of living over there ...

So any of you ladies am working ? or it is not advisable look for jobs over in Qatar?

Butterfly its really surprising to hear actually that people are passing comments...are they in arabic or english..??

Cos the thing is I have lived here for many years but I mean neither I have seen anything like this in person nor any of my friends have seen this..but maybe your right...but I also go out with my family out and no one has complained anything about such matters..

But there should be some stoppage to this...

Actually during this recent rayyan ipo thing lots of other gcc nationals have come in and every hotel you go you see lots and lots of asian women ... just last night i saw 2 asian women getting into a beddu guys car ...... so bedduz and such nasty womens are to blame for other people suffering...

my 2 cents..

Girls, I know how you feel. I'm not asian and no-one has asked me for a price or anything like that, but the stares and the nasty comments, I suffer them on a daily basis when I go out in Doha .

I just came back from holidays and it was just so nice to be reminded that there are places in this world where a woman is free and treated with respect.

I hope one day things will change in Qatar.

money is power..... and power is a weapon .....and weapons could be used to keep peace or to flame a war...if you know what i mean.

My wife doesn't wear a Abaya EVEN though she is a MUSLIM ....we should not change our style of living because of some nasty people who act irresponibly

Well you should add sister, mother, aunties, daugther .. hopefully by the time you reach daughter the dumb ass would get the idea...and leave innocent women alone...

I dont know, doha was kinda ok in this regards, recently all this have come up since this so called boom has started...i guess with money comes many social evils...

Prostitution is a kind of " business " you can find everywhere in this planet, but it does't mean you have the freedom to ask any woman while she is walking down the street!!!!!!! Those people made me feel so bad ( a friend of mine has to wear Abaya while she goes out now though she is not Muslim ). Next time if somebody ask me again " how much " , I will tell him " More than your sister " !!!!!!!!!!!

Yup, it might be the women prostituting themselves but then they are here because its good business here!!!

And it's not an excuss for those 'dumb ass' men (and in fact most of them are grown up men not teenagers!!) to think any women is a prostitute or is willing to prostitute. I wonder what they would do if that happened to their wives or sisters?

These dumb asses offering money to a woman walking down the street and expecting her to just hop into the car really deserve to be called dumb asses.

Well I am also sorry for asian women but I have to agree with dentist that it cos of the facts caused by not to good asian women who come here for prostitution. In fact even these days I guess things are happening. I was in dubai recently and there friends say that its getting out of hand...

But by far this does not justify a dumb ass local coming to a women and offering money...weather it be asian or any other.

Its a shame...hope things can get better...

Unforunately sometimes the good people have to pay the price for what the bad ones do.

For ages,many asian women used to-and still do- fly to gulf countries for prostitution...they promoted it and they marketed it and they really did a good job making it a big market just as back at their homes.

So for those ladies who are offended by the nasty comments they get on the streets....I am sorry.

It's just another example of people suffering from biased impressions given by the media and the community...just like any arab man with a beard in London or Newyork is subject to having his ass beaten by those people who think all arabs are terrorists coming to blow their countries up!!!!!!!!!!!!

Asian women here, specialy Chinese and Korean and Japanese, very often have been asked the price and/or offered cash if they are walking along without kids and/or husband, I have been asked more than one time while I was walking in my neighbourhood with my grocery bags. It makes me feel very scared to go out. And the men were Qataris. Like poor Onion, I DON'T think my apparence and behavior provocated them to try that. It made me feel uncomfortable to go out !!!! Very sad that I am here because my husband works here and then realized I can't go out along. And once when the Qatari man asked me directly "how much" I just threw my grocery bag towards his face !!!! I wear my wedding ring!!!!!!!!!! Anyhow, as an asian, I DO feel life is not easy here. Now when I have to go out along , I feel I am ready to defend at anytime. It's sad feeling. And the worse is if I get problem with a Qatari man, will police believe what he say or protect me ---- a Asian woman ?????

Onion, I feel your pain. At first this bothered me, too, the stares and whatnot, but I eventually got to where I could totally ignore it and I went out alone from time to time but mostly I'd have my kids with me (and/or husband)and was left alone. And sure while teenage boys have raging hormones--I saw a post around here earlier saying it was all the young boys that acted this way--it wasn't teenage boys I dealt with, it was grown men, mostly Indian but in one instance, a Qatari guy (and was probably one of the more graphic encounters). Still, I loved Qatar and I watched what I wore and how I expressed myself, not always easy but I adjusted fine. ;-)

Charlene, you won't be disappointed by the food! There are plenty of American joints you'll recognize although none quite as good as what you'd get back home, but close! Try a lot of the different foods as well. Turkish became my fast favorite. Good luck!!!

Actually, I realize this sounds wierd but if you're Asian or blonde, it might be better to dress more conservatively. Men here tend to have this preconception that Asian women and/or blonde (Of course I'm not saying all the time, but there is a higher percentage for these two types of appearances) are prostitutes. Sounds harsh? Well, you try living here as an Asian woman who simply had to relocate because her husband has been transferred here and CANNOT go out alone because men would stare, make crude remarks and even approach offering actual money!!!

And for your information, i DO NOT wear any revealing, provocative wear. I DO NOT smile and look at men. I DO NOT wear heavy makeup. Yet they think just because I'm Asian I am willing to go with them.

It's disgusting the way SOME men act here. I'm sorry if I offended any decent men, but you have to understand how scared and traumatized you can get after such horrible men approach you.

But in spite of all things, this is my first year here in Doha and I'm having a great time and I actually love living here in Qatar. I've met some great friends and i can spend quality time with my husband. Now I simply avoid places where there are too many men or I have my husband accompany me and I simply ignore those stupid men who don't realize that staring is RUDE and I act as if they don't exist.

Concur with the above, also please add "Pondorosa" just luv the salad bar, Applebees.

In terms of dress, view Qatar as a toned down version of Kuala Lumpur. Arms do not have to be covered and long legged shorts appear to be acceptable.

As for American restaurants, there is TGI Fridays, Chili's Grill & Bar (minus the alcohol!), and Fuddruckers. I am sure that there are more, I just cannot think of them now.

Regards,