Moving to Doha - Tons of Questions
My husband is in final negotiations with a firm in Doha and I've got tons of questions swirling round my head. I thought this would be the best place to come for help and information.
1) He'll be working initially on the Education Center. Can someone recommend a nice area where an upper middle class Western family can get a 3 bedroom, nice area flat or villa that will be less than a 20 minute commute there? We are thinking price range of 15,000 QR price range. Is that reasonable or should we expect to need to pay more?
2) He'd like to bring all of our belongings over - not a problem since the company is paying for shipping. But he'd like to bring the electrical items as well - tv, treadmill, small appliances, computer, etc. He figures we can just put everything on converters and adapters. I'm afraid things will short out and/or start a fire.
3) Can someone clarify the DVD comments I've seen on the boards? I didn't realize there were different regions. Will our DVDs and videos work if we do end up buying a player there? Also, and this is really for my 10 year old son, will his video games be compatible with systems we would buy there?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
guys if you are shipping anything over, call up Qatar Airways Cargo. They'll recommend a shipping company in your area.
It cost me around 300 pounds to ship 4 bags and boxes. (around 200 kilos)
(lol 60 kilos were my Law books)
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1. You should be able to get a nice villa, 3-4 bedrooms for that amount. Check out www.gulftimes.com, they always have advertisements. I think everything in Doha is around 20-30 minutes drive depending on time of day.
2. Buy at least 5 heavy duty transformers/adapter and extension cords with multiple outlets from your current location. Outlets here uses different prongs.
3. Qatar is under REGION 2, you should be able to buy a multi-region DVD player here. They cost around $100 - $150.
Qatar is a very safe place except when your on the road driving... :D
I am bringing everything but left all my appliances eg fridge, washer etc bringing only my TV (which I am kinda attached to!) and a couple of smaller things like clock radio.
If you have any tips on good agents in your search, would love to hear!
Thanks to everyone fortheir helpful comments. It's good to know people in Qatar, regardless of where they are from, are so kind and helpful. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be an expert myself and be here helping someone else!
After staying in Qatar for so long I still have lots of unanswered questions with regards to my rights. Questions that will never be answered.......
should mention that areas aren't really divided by class in Qatar.
Everywhere is safe although some places will look nicer than others :P
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Go to Radio Shack for the converters before you go to Doha. They have the best quality - check the amps on the electrical items as well. Make a list of the items and the amps then go to Radio Shack and they will be able to help you.
Best of luck on the move.
Lisa
Please please if you are coming from North America, don't bring any electronics here. Even with converters, due to different current ratings, appliances do blow up. Buy electronics from here or if you are bringing them from UK, it's fine.
nice try anyway :o)
sleep well!
Well know I've messed the flow of the thread all up by trying to edit it. Crap. Off to bed now. :)
I agree with Novita - 15 will not get you in a compound with any kind of amenities. You can get a decent stand alone but then more of the burden is on you for repairs and such. Nice compounds seem to be running about 20. This website - www.alasmakhrealestate.com - has a few examples of stand alones and this website - www.alfardanrealestate.com/properties - will show you what one of the nicest compounds can offer.
Just be careful with all those converters. I think someone had mentioned before that they tend to cause fires when use on power strips.
We have not had any problem using our DVDs from home. Mostly just have a problem playing dvds bought here when we travel back to US. We must have the multi-region thing because it does play everything.
Good luck with the move. There are some nice compounds around Education City and near there. Also a good information source is expatwoman.com on the Qatar Chatboard. Just don't read the current "living in doha" thread or you might unpack! :)
Maybe because I only gave you half the website! It's www.alasmakhrealestate.com. I think I was just so worried about spelling it right.
As for the other one - I have no idea. Just do a yahoo search and type Alfardan Gardens and you'll get there.
Sorry. :)
niether of those websites 'worked'. First one directed me elsewhere to Gawab or something - didn't seem anything to do with property, and the second one had a security message and a reference to send to an e-mail address (if I didn't know why I was blocked) so I did.
15000QR should be fine. Our friends moved from around LandMark Mall(good area) from a compound which had 3 bedrooms a front yard and a pool for the 30 or so units in the compound. I believe the rent was about 10,000- 12,000QR.
If your computer is relativly new it should have duel voltage. Outside of the computer, I wouldn't bring any electronics. Just bank on spending afew hundred bucks to get all new. Simple and easy.
DVD's, all recorders here are multi system, actually out side of North America, most DVD players are multi system. If you have a newer one, the guys here can easily adjust it to multi. Again that may be an item you will bring but there so cheap now just buy one here. The converter/adapter issue is a pain in the butt. You can get good pirated copies here for 10QR a movie.
" if its not a good time, its a good story"
You made me go back there to read after months havent read that site :D.
1. 15,000 will get you a very decent villa. Check out www.gulf-times.com under classifieds to find out what's in that price range if it suits your taste.
2. All electrical and electronic stuff run on 220v and NOT 110v here so if most of your stuff is 110, better not bring them. Almost all of the major european and american brands of appliances are here anyway. Just bring the stuff that you really need.
3. DVD's are region-based here. I'm just not sure if Qatar is part of Region 3 or Region 2. But try going for the suggestion of Novita.
Wish you all the best on your arrival...
1. QR 15.000 you will only get an independent villa ... to stay in the compound you need to pay more.
2. Be careful with converter and stuffs here ... it is not safe. What the shop sell here 'cheapest is best'. We had our christmas light and one of our heater on fire in the main plug.
3. When you arrived in Doha ... you can get multi region DVD player. Places like lulu centre sell it. Strictly speaking it is illegal ... they wont advertise it ... but you clarify with the staffs that the DVD player you want to buy will play multiregion.