I'm not convinced that Al Waab is generally considered to be "better" than other areas, but there is a high density of compounds/homes in the Al Waab area.
Doha is different from many other cities in the world in that the expats are truly scattered throughout the city - there are few "prime" areas and few "bad" areas.
Generally speaking, I would say that Al Waab is closer to much of the shopping and a number of the schools. However, the congestion is quite often shocking. I live in West Bay and find that I won't venture over to Al Waab unless I have several errands to run; I suspect that the people who live in Al Waab don't jaunt over to West Bay unless they have more than one reason, too :)
At the end of the day, where you live in Doha comes down to where you work and/or where your kids attend school. . .and, of course, you try to fit your budget and preferences within those constraints.
Oh - and no, not all villas are on compounds. Many are free-standing, which is preferred by some and avoided by others. The compounds can vary in size as well; you'll find "compounds" with six villas and compounds with 300 villas/apts.
victor01 -
I'm not convinced that Al Waab is generally considered to be "better" than other areas, but there is a high density of compounds/homes in the Al Waab area.
Doha is different from many other cities in the world in that the expats are truly scattered throughout the city - there are few "prime" areas and few "bad" areas.
Generally speaking, I would say that Al Waab is closer to much of the shopping and a number of the schools. However, the congestion is quite often shocking. I live in West Bay and find that I won't venture over to Al Waab unless I have several errands to run; I suspect that the people who live in Al Waab don't jaunt over to West Bay unless they have more than one reason, too :)
At the end of the day, where you live in Doha comes down to where you work and/or where your kids attend school. . .and, of course, you try to fit your budget and preferences within those constraints.
Oh - and no, not all villas are on compounds. Many are free-standing, which is preferred by some and avoided by others. The compounds can vary in size as well; you'll find "compounds" with six villas and compounds with 300 villas/apts.
Good luck!