Should we move to Doha?

Hello i saw your write up and i really like it, am Wole from Nigeria am planning coming to Qatar for a short-stay.

Really, i have gotten a GCC Companion visa from Now till March.

I want to know if i can get a good job when i come over.

I hope you can help with information concerning this

Thanks

Wole

For crying out loud. If you want to go then go! If you don't then don't.

We had the chance in 1978 and took it intending to stay in Kuwait for 2 years. We were in the Gulf for for almost 27 years! including 17 years in Qatar

Bite the bullet, Qatar is a great place for bringing kids up, even though entertainment is now done outside the home. It's a great life providing you don't expect it to be like the US or Europe.

Thats cool, but what about saftey wise?

That sounds good, but what about saftey wise?

You can drive, swim and go dancing. I'll let the ladies of this forum fill you in on the rest.

Hey guys... i might be moving to Qatar next month, i just wanted to know about the place, nd freedom for girls... whats it like? thanks alot... gnight...

My washer isn't American-sized; it's the postage-stamp-sized Italian kind, and it takes about 4 hours to wash and dry (and shrink beyond usefulness) a load of laundry.

But I agree with everything else you said about Qatar. :-)

Dohagirl - have you got a typical sized garden. They sound really small and pokey if you can't fit a swing in them. Any idea of the square footage?

What size garden furniture are we looking at fitting in - could I get a six seater in and still have room to swing my cat?

LOL Winnie

Matlor...I work for a multi-national oil company here in Qatar, I am British Expat, been here about 1 month now. Most of my colleagues are here with their respective families. Most of them are from europe. I don't know a single family in my company who are unhappy here. Doha really caters well for the family. I think if i was married with kids, i certainly would take the opportunity to be in Doha. But if you are single like me....then that's another question all together.

There is no American Compound, we all live together in mixed compounds.

If the backyard is similar to my backyard than no you won't have enough room. Sorry.

If the backyard is similar to my backyard than no you won't have enough room. Sorry.

Do you have any idea how big the back gardens are for the homes in the compounds (specifically the American compound)? We are just in the process of purchasing a swingset for the kids, but wondering if we will have enough room for it when we get there. Thanks!

Wexy, thank you for the posting, this site has been a life saver to me, especially Doha Girl! Thank you!! I hope you move there. All sounds good like Winnie said, we haven't found much that is negative, at least nothing that we can't live with or tolerate. Best wishes to you and to Winnie! Maybe we'll hook up while we're there..? who knows! It's not as big as Houston, TX or England that's for sure so anything is possible :)

Ok a compound means that there are a lot of villas inside a guarded gate mostly all kinds of ex-pats are living there.

The American School you can find online and most certainly register online - I am not sure if they don't already have a waiting list - best to check it out in advance.

Hi Matlor and Winnie

Glad to hear someone else trying to decide on the move to Doha. My husband has been offered work there and we are having to make the same decision. This site has been so helpful, just great to hear unbiased views on the place. I have been reading all your questions with great interest, all the replies help a great deal. Hope it all goes well for you both. Wexy

Matlor. We are in the process of moving. In fact my husband goes out tomorrow. So I m here on my tod till August. I found this site very informative by trolling through past messages. Its easier now because it is in subject area categories. This will help you. Also I contacted my husbands PR dept. and they kindly sent some dvd's on the company and Qatar. We bought travellers books in England and again trolled through a multitude of sites on the internet by typing in key words related to Qatar. (Lots of rubbish and defunct sites). I too am bringing out 2 children (4 and 14).

Whether it will be a good move or not we don't know. All the signs are good.But we are looking forward to a very different and exciting life for the next few years. Good luck.

The doctors here are fine, the only thing you will probably have to get used is the seperation of the sexes, the women have their own section and the men theirs. Congratulations on choosing to come to Doha, it will be an amazing experience. :)

Kids getting illnesses like that will be old news to us as we went through all that when we moved to England...new country new bugs so to speak. That I can handle. How are the Doctors there? Pediatricians, Gyno's, Dentists etc. I would think the medical field is a good one? Well, to let you know we are saying "yes" to moving there. But hoping we can wait till December. thanks again for all your help. I look forward to continue to chat with you as I will probably have more questions. thanks!

We are originally from Houston, Texas Ferrin. Where are you?

Don, Kuwait is much more like Saudi Arabia, no alcohol, stricter laws. Defintiely choose Qatar.

Thanks for your reply, it is a bit scary to me to be so far away, but it sounds like an opportunity either my family or my husband should not pass up. Thanks again!

I like the discussion. At his point I actually have an offer for Qatar and Kuwait and I am definately more in favour of the Qatar one.

Hi Matlor

A compound is a group of villas together that has security on the gates and usually a pool and a clubhouse. There are some lovely compounds in Doha. The American school is supposed to be a very good school and I know its the most expensive school here. Life in Doha is good, very laid back lifestyle and I think its a great place for the kids. What is your hubby going to do here if he takes the job ?

Good Luck with your decision

It's only *unbearably* hot for 3 1/2 months... then it's hot for 4 months, warm for 3 months, and cool for the remaining 1 1/2 months... :D

I wanted to move somewhere I could snowboard... so much for that idea.... :)

And the rest of the year the weather is beautiful? I expected to feel uncomfortably hot outside for most of year because on weather.com it says Doha's average high is 95 or above for 6 months of the year and only Dec, Jan, & Feb have average highs in the mid-70s. Link:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/QAXX0003?from=tenDay_bottomnav_business

I live in a hot and humid part of Texas and it's too hot for me 5 months of the year, although the average highs are about 15 degrees F lower than Doha's. I dread every summer here (too hot from May thru mid-Oct). So I definitely expect to feel too warm in Doha for all but the 3 winter months. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, but I doubt it. My body just has never handled hot weather well. I love cold weather and had so hoped to move somewhere cool after leaving Texas. Oh well, we don't always get what we want. But I know Doha is a beautiful city with a fascinating culture and lots to see and do, so I still look forward to coming for other (non-weather) reasons.

Doha is a fantastic place - you shouldn't allow your family to miss this opportunity - you can always come back to England if you don't like it. I lived there aged 9 to 18 and only wish I had the same opportunity for my young family to experience. My brother is living in Saudi and Bahrain at the moment with his kids and he too says the lifestyle is a good one.

A mosque is a Muslim "church" there are no Christian churches in Doha yet, but a couple are in the process of being built and the hotels have some services.

You can get internet in your home and satillite TV, all the comforts.

Immunizations, if you go to the doctor they might give you a Hepatitis shot, but thats a general percaution for Asia, and I don't think it is a vital neccessity, Qatar is very Western. You will probably be more surprised by the similairties between Qatar and the US than the differences. The only thing you might notice (disease wise) with your kids, because this happened to me in Korea, is that they will get every cold and flu bug they come across when they first arrive, this is because they are slightly different than the ones in England or the US, but thats a general thing for anywhere you go.

Excuse my stupidity but what is a "mosque"? And are you saying we wouldn't be able to have internet access in our own home? I can invision the sub-division of homes, that is what I thought it was but didn't realize it was all that and more. That sounds pretty cool. What about immunizations? My kids are up to date.. I think :) when we moved to England they had to have the menningitis immunization but so far that is it, anything there I should be aware of as far as diseases? I have to run now to get my son at school, but will check for you when I return, thanks again for all your help! You've been a blessing to me! Cheers!

Traditional style in the Middle East means your house is walled in, that way noone can look in and see your wife (or wives). A compound is a collection of these houses centered around a pool, a small conveience store, a mosque, a tennis court/basketball/football court, a playground, a clubhouse, a gym and a computer room all for use by the residents of that compound. Picture them a lot like tiny little subdivisons of 50 homes or so (Depending on which one you live in). If you are living in an entirely Western compound than you can wear or act however you like within it's confines (mostly meaning you can wear a bikini and drink beer by the pool).

The houses depend on your compound. Mine is three bedroom, three bathroom, kitchen dining. It's ok, many are bigger, but you fight the never ending battle against the sand and dust (get a housekeeper :P )

YOu will have absolutely no problems as a women here. I have a few minor irritants but that is because I'm not married. And even than they aren't really anything to write home about. How they treat their own wives is a completely different story, but you will be fine. The only thing you MAY have to worry about is the Muslim attitude towards women rubbing off on your son from his playmates. Nothing a good grounding won't take care of. ;)

Why do they call it a "compound"? That word just scares me a bit for some reason. How are the houses? Nice? Small? Old? New? Roomy? Are women treated well? A few have told me it isn't good. And those that did tell me are red necks who only believe what they see on t.v. So what is it like? Can I go places with just the kids and not my husband. I know you are probably shaking your head, but I have to ask.

Well for me this is a lot closer to my family than Korea, which is where I lived before and a lot more Western. And you have less a chance of a terrorist attack here than in the US. This is a really safe nice place to the point of boredom if you're a swinging single chick like me ;).

You are so helpful, I can't thank you enough. My husband has to have an answer to his boss by 9 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. We are going over the pros and cons tonight so talking to you has given me more to go on as far as what to expect there. Living so far away from family really sounds no different than living here, we've seen our parents once a year since moving here. I think the reality of actually living on the other side of the world freaks everyone out, at least it will to our parents if we decide to do it. I know it does me... I know terrorism and crime are everywhere, but is it more apparent there, I mean it seems to be so close to everything that is going on in Iraq.

I live in a compound as well and I like it, you have a pool right there, a gym, a family area and playground. It's like a small community inside a small city.

Ok now I can answer your questions! :)

Nobody can handle the heat, we all just stay indoors all summer or leave for the summer. It's only really really hot for about 3 and a half months, the rest of the year is beautiful. And believe me you will adjust.

There is no lack of things for kids to do, I wish I grew up here, there are skating rinks, indoor amusement parks, outdoor parks,and more and more each month. Anything a kid wants is here.

The size of the home depends on what your company is providing. They range from decent to huge. Washers, fridges, dishwashers are all American sized.

I hear good things about the American school.

Everyone tries to leave the country for the summer, including the Qataris :).

Your parents can get a visitors visa easily, so can anyone else from the US. And I only see my grandparents during the summer. Fact of life here in Doha. But you get long Christmas breaks to.

Very few people in Qatar speak Arabic, so you don't need to worry about the grocery stores, they are surprisingly well stocked with Western food.

I have friends that are on a compund which is a very nice community with a pool in the middle and a childs pool a outside playground also a inside one! You get expats stuff over here not everything but most! Most stuff is also labled in english and most people can speak if just a little english so dont worry! There are riding schools and most hobby groups like in england! Sorry do not know about the schools!

I have so many questions. I know it is extremely hot there. I know kids are resilient but can they handle the heat? Are their parks for kids? Indoor parks? Are the homes big? Showers, washers & dryers here are so so small. No a/c here, not really needed. How is the American School? How do Americans handle being so far away from home? I assume they go home in the summer as they do here. We've had a lot of visitors here but we seriously doubt we will have any (ie: our parents) if we move there. Too far for them to travel, which puts stress on all of us because we won't see them for so long. Will I know what I am buying at the grocery store, I obviously do not speak the language. I know I can do this but just want to talk to someone there. Thanks for your help.

My question would be specifically what do you need to know? There's plenty of threads on this subject. What do you love about England? Is it the weather? Because the weather here is very very hot. Is it the school system? Because all of the schools except the American school follow the British system. Is it the people? The people here aren't all English speaking and the dynamic is very different from England.

Tell us what you want to know and we'll answer your questions.