General advice for UK family - what to expect
Hello - have been reading lots of posts on here - trying to build up a picture of what we might expect in Doha.
We are expecting an offer soon and will hopefully move this year - me, husband and 2 girls ages 3 and 1. I would be really grateful for any comments on the following....
1, We get accommodation so I am not too worried about that as potential colleagues have sent us photos etc - will be on a compound...any comments on this welcome we have been told we will get a 4 or 5 be villa.
2, The only thing we have to pay for is 30% of schools fees, car, landline for phone, mobiles and broadband..what sort of costs are involved in the above apart from school which we already have info on?
3, I aleady have info on schools and have read the countless posts about how hard it is to get into a school - we have added our daughters name to the waiting list for a number of schools so I guess not much else we can do. I have read lots of horrow stories on here so any positive stories of people getting in would be good -although I am prepared to be realistic!!
4, I have just read some posts about burglaries on compounds - obviously break ins happen all the time in the UK and thankfully not to us (yet) but is this something I need to worry about in Doha. We plan to get insurance and would always lock doors and secure house as we would in the UK so just wondering how much of a problem this is...? Do people have alarms etc installed?
5, I have read that we may have to do a driving test - is this correct?
6, What us life like for families - ou daughter is in a dance and swimming class at home so would like similar if we can find it. I imagine that there will be other families on the compounds and we are up for meeting new people and get involved etc
7, any other comments or useful info on what we should prepare for or expect? We don't expect it all to be perfect and are expecting a big change of culture and lifestyle and look forward to this but we want to know the real detail....positive and negative..
Thanks in advance..
I think she'll be OK in nursery. A friend's daughter just turned four in December and they didn't boot her out. :o) My son will be four in July and I haven't felt any pressure to move him out of his school (Starfish Lane II), but it's also still just February. I would recommend checking with the nursery to be sure, though. . .one never knows! And be sure to get them both on the waitlist now! My husband put them on the waitlist in April of 2008. My older child cleared in September and my younger one cleared in October or November - it can be a long wait :o(
My daughter will be two in August, by the way, so we have an almost-matched set of kids!
My eldest daughter is born August 19th so she is four in August this year...what do you think about nursery - I will start contacting some tomorrow and will also do the same for my youngest (2 in September) although at the moment we have no idea where we will live but I guess we can get on the wait list for some and see what comes up - if anyone can recommend any then great...
The schooling thing is my main worry really as I feel ok about everything else we have read and heard...
I will try and find out more about possible living location and also about the schools fees thing - I know they pay a fixed amount towards schooling but I don't know how that is affected by inflation so I will check into that - thanks for the tip...I am already finding this website great so thanks all!
When is your daughter's birthday? That could influence whether or not she is able to attend nursery - at least that is my understanding. If she is (or will be) a "young three" then I would recommend getting her on the waitlists at nurseries as well. If you know where you will be living then you will want to focus your nursery search in that area. Fellow QLers can point you to good nurseries based on the location of your home-to-be. Regardless, you'll want to get your younger daughter on the waitlists for nursery now.
The traffic here is a real drag. The distances are relatively short, but the roads are almost all built with roundabouts. At some of the lights you can pretty much expect to sit for two or three cycles, each of which can last four to six minutes. I've been at one particular light for more than 20 minute - several times!
Like Novita said, be sure to have the school tuition increases accounted for in your expat package. If you happen to work for a fairly large company, see if they can guarantee you a spot in a desirable school. It's a long shot, but who knows.
It is very easy to become complacent with respect to the crime in Doha. Traffic idiots aside, I feel like Doha is a very safe place to live. However, I always lock my doors - including the deadbolt - and I also lock my car. Leaving your purse in the car is not a bright idea because there are people out there who will smash your window to get it. . .no matter how safe you feel, it's not wise to get too cheeky.
I'm finding Doha to be a good place for families. There's not a whole lot to do, to be honest, but it's soooo nice to let the kids play/ride in the compound streets without being worried that they might be snatched or run over. I also love the fact that there are heaps of families in the compounds, so my older (3.5 years) child can easily have one or two buddies to play with at any given time.
That said, the infrastructure for children's activities is not particularly developed and finding things can be a real pain in the rear. Forums like QL are a godsend for "where can i find _____". You'll frequently find that there may be one place that teaches ___ for kids. . .and, of course, it will be on the other side of Doha from your home. It can be very frustrating.
In terms of hooking up with other expat families, I am part of a group called Doha Expat Mums & Kids http://www.dohaexpatmumsandkids.com We have all sorts of events for mums & kids - it's a great way to meet other mums. Check out the website and let me know if you have any questions.
Again, welcome in advance to Doha!
Expat Sueño
Thanks everyone - very helpful comments...so if we cant get a place for September for our daughter in school (she should start in reception then) do you mean that she could attend a nursery instead until a school place comes up - haven't looked into nurseries yet - had planned to do that in arrival as we have a daughter who will be 2 in September as she goes to nursery twice a week in the UK which I think she would miss as she loves all the kids - but its not as essential for us as the older ones schooling right now. If the older one can go to nursery until a school place comes up then maybe that will solve our problem...
We live in London so used to traffic - although I guess London roads are sometimes geared up for it so will expect worse...I imagine its the school run and rush hour that is bad eh?
1, Nice one!
2, car - depends what you want - new, second hand, saloon SUV. Prices are much cheaper than UK. landline for phone, ext to nothing. Landline to landline calls are free!
4, burglaries on compounds - very rare. I still lock up so as not to tempt opportunists, as you would in UK. I've never seen an alarm on a house yet.
5, Nah! Not unless you don't have a UK License.
6, Speak to Novi and Expat Sueno
7, Expect London traffic in Gretna Green. Driving standards are variable at best. Most foodstuff, prescrition drugs etc is available so no real need to bring anything
Theft is increasing in certain areas/compounds. TAke the ordinary precautions that you would take in the UK and you'll be fine - and do buy insurance on the very off chance you get "hit".
School fees may become an issue as there is a lot of competition for places in the more desirable schools - some companies offer to pay all tuition fees for 2 children at specific schools or in one not chosen by the company if there is no place at the first one. Can this perhaps be negotiated further? Worst they can do is say no and you're left where you are now.
Make the move , as long as you are not losing out on anything of any great value,,,,,,,,come away,,,,,. Life in the M,East is so educational for the kids ,,,AND you , expand your horizons. Best wishes.
Doha is safe, yes there is theft but it is rare, all the time I have been here; never locked my car or front door. Theft on compounds, I believe, is rare.
Schools are hard to get in to, but your kids are young so Nursery is the best option; just get your name down on the likes of Doha Montessori British School, Doha College and DESS waiting lists, they are the best in Doha and places are few.
Shopping is good, we have Marks and Sparks, although limited food from them, only 'dry' products. We have a BHS and some food shops sell Tesco and Waitrose stuff, although sometimes twice what we pay in England.
Good eating houses althogh the 'boze' (sic) is expensive.
We have good cinemas, ice skating rinks, bowling; although at the weekend they are booked with tournements.
There are some lovely parks for picnics; which are lovely in the Winter months. Summer sees us all inside as it too bloody hot.
Doha is nice and safe, apart from the driving and then that is a different ball game. Forget your excellent driving skills from England. The vast majority of drivers over here do not have a clue. Also there is the added problem of too many cars for the number of roads; rush hour is 'slow four hours'!
I think you will like living here. Good luck x
2. School fees going up min 10 percents EVERY YEAR. So have you calculate that with the increament of salary ???
5. If you have UK license you dont have to do the test, you can just convert your license to the local license.
6. There are few swimming club in Doha.
http://www.dohadolphins.com/
and another one there is H20 in American School, i am sure they have a website too.