Doha Skyline
I have been living in working in Doha, Qatar for a little over a year now.
Why Qatar you ask? Well, why not? When the contract for my previous job in the UK was coming to an end, and I wasn’t having much luck in my job search, a colleague informed me about a position that may be available in Qatar. I thought about what she had told me for a moment and wondered if an offer would really materialise, and if it did, would I seriously consider it. The next thing I did, although I probably shouldn’t admit this, is Google ‘Qatar’ to see where in the world it was located.
An offer did eventually materialise and I did eventually accept it so this job kind of found me, rather than me finding it. I accepted the job because it was by far one of the biggest challenges of my professional career and definitely the most amazing opportunity that I had ever encountered, one that I certainly would not have gotten in the UK. Things in Qatar are advancing quite rapidly in my field of work and, although there is still a fair way to go for this little country, this job offer was too good for me to pass up.
Personally, I left behind a fiancé (now husband) and a flat in South London knowing full well that my move to the Middle East would not be a permanent one. I thought I’m young, with no children and not too much tying me down so if there was ever a time and a place for me to do something like this, it is probably now. My advice for people debating a move abroad for a job is to just do it (easier said than done, I know!), what have you got to lose?
Seriously though, the fact that you are debating (and not flat out saying ‘No’) means there is a sizeable portion of you that would like to take the plunge and live/work abroad. There are lots of websites that you can log on to and heaps of questionnaires that you can take to discover if such a move is right for you but ultimately, the decision is yours and no matter how many websites you visit (or blogs you read about living/working abroad) the final verdict rests in your hands (making a list of pros and cons really helps).
Everyone’s situation will be different and sacrifices will be made, you just need to make sure that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages (see making pros/cons list above). For me, my husband and our home remain in London, there is no chance of him finding work out here. Was it difficult moving to the Middle East and leaving him behind? Yes, of course. Do I regret doing this? No, this has been a fabulous experience, one that I will never forget and I am lucky enough to have a partner who understands this. This arrangement works for now and I know that it is not permanent, once I feel I have accomplished what I came to do in Qatar, I can always move back to the UK.
Hopefully I will be able give you some insight as to what it’s like living and working in Qatar, answer any burning questions you may have and possibly even convince you to make the first move and try something different. It hasn’t been the smoothest of rides, but then again, I didn’t think it would be; if moving abroad for work was so easy, everyone would be doing it.
Hi there,
I am so happy to have stumbled across your blog as it seems that if i did move to Qatar i would be in a very similar situation to you.
I am applying to a position with the emergency medical services of Qatar for 2012.
i am a single, white professional female in my early 20s and live in Cape Town, South Africa.
I have only two concerns about moving over there – firstly, how much of an issue is it being single? i have heard rumours about having to live in all-female compounds (the horror) and not being allowed to have men in my home etc. Do i need to resign myself to singledom in qatar?
secondly – south africa is an incredibly liberal place and i am very worried that i will become angry about the inequalities etc – my mother (who is the CEO of her own company) visited Dubai and experienced extreme sexism, so much so that men would not look her in the eye or encourage debate etc. this kind of thing would make me very upset! Working in the emergency medical field i am very used to being the minority and compete and work with almost only men on a daily basis. would this be a no-no up there?
as you so eloquently put – being young and seeing this as the best time to travel the world and challenge myself is really making me consider this move.
i am, however, apprehensive about what may happen when i have done it!
Regards, Robyn
Hi Robyn,
I’m glad you enjoy the blog.
The rumours you’ve heard about all female compounds are just that; rumours. I have never hear of such a thing in Qatar and everyone I know lives in mixed sex compounds or apartment buildings. As far as having men in your home well, as a single female you will need to remember that you are still in the Middle East and you will need to use some discretion. Having said that, I have a fair few single female friends living in Qatar and none of them have ever had any problems with making friends or socialising. The only reason you will have to resign yourself to singledom in Qatar is if you sit at home waiting for someone or something to come to you. Doha is like a small town with big city aspirations, you tend to run into people you see a lot. Making friends is easy if you put a little bit of effort into it like taking up a new sport, joining a club or learning a language.
I cannot comment on your mother’s experience in Dubai, only on what I have experience here in Doha and personally, I have never come across sexism in my job but my area of work is usually pretty mixed. The male to female ratio in Qatar is about 3:1 so there is a very good chance that you will still be working in a male dominated field; which sounds like it won’t really be a shock to you. Qatar, in general is a liberal place but making the move would still be a challenge.
Of course I am going to say that you should definitely take this opportunity to experience living and working in Qatar. You can only speculate about the apprehension you might feel if you move here but what about the regret you may feel a few years down the line if you decided not to?
Hi Alexandria,
Thanks so much for your blog posts. I have read through them all as I am doing my due diligence of looking into options of moving to Qatar. I am a 50 year old black american with a teenager in the 11th grade. My background is in telecommunications, teaching and project management. Is there a place for me/us in Qatar? If so, I will continue the search process. Is your company hiring? If not, I will seek other opportunities. I am currently not working but am ready and willing to move abroad. My military background has equipped me for easily adapting to change and Qatar sounds perfect; however, I would like a fair shake and would need a company to sponsor me. Sharing what you think the experience for me according to “my stats” would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Hello!!
My company is quite small and we are not hiring. However, Qatar is expanding quickly so there very well may be opportunities available in telecommunication, teaching and project management. Anyone considering a move to Qatar must be sponsored by their employer so if you are looking to relocate, you will most definitely need to find a job first. My advice is to keep looking, if you are willing to make the move and have the required skills, someone will notice your enthusiasm.
Thanks and good luck,
A.
Hi Alexandria,
I’m currently writing English language exams for the university of Granada, Spain and have been looking for authentic material to be used a reading texts. I read your blog and found it very interesting and would like your permission to use a part of it. The exan will not be commercialised beyond the university of Granada and the source will be stated.
Thank you for your attention
Dr. Diane Naughton
hi alexandria hope your doing well..i am a filipina who happened to have a work there in qatar and i am happy that it was a great previlage that i have read your blog here..i just have some question maam if u dont mind to help me i am checking out here if how or in what way should i do to get an opportunity to work in london from qatar do u have any idea for this??? can u please give me some advice pls..thanks and godbless
Rhea,
Although this is a blog about jobs in Qatar, I can tell you that if you would like to live and work in the UK, you will more than likely need to have permission to live and work in the UK. Most people have UK, EU or ancestral passports, or work permits which make this possible. Many employers will only hire people who have this permission. It is possible to find an employer who may help you to gain permission to work in the UK (work permit) but these opportunities are difficult to find.
I would suggest to you that you try and do some internet searching on the jobs available in the UK for your profession, and try to contact potential employers who may hire you.
Hope this helps,
Alexandria
Hi Alex
How are you? Hope all is well.
Couple of questions…I live and wprk in West London within the Construction Indisutry as a Document Controller (office based) and after comeing back from Dubai from visiting a freind that works there i was advised Qatar is not thst different from Dubai and jobs pay even better. Can you advice if this may be true?
Also, how hard is the job market? and i read you advice to find a job first then move? Is this mainly done by online applications or is there any recruiters that you recomment (within construction or oil and gas)
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sam,
Qatar vs. Dubai; it depends on what aspects you are referring to but I have friends who live in Qatar and have visited Dubai and they claim that they are not very similar…actually that they are extremely different. I have never been to Dubai but have visited Abu Dhabi and can confirm that it is nothing like Doha in many respects. I suppose that things like doing business and the weather may be similar, but those are the only connections I could find between the two. I don’t know much about the levels of pay in both areas but Qatar is booming and I know that Dubai had a bit of a hard time recently and may only be starting to recover. I guess it depends on the job, sorry I can’t be more specific.
Most people I know here in construction and oil and gas have either been transferred because their company has a location in Doha (like me), or they were recruited from overseas. The thing with getting a job 1st is that it is absolutely necessary that you have a Residence Permit (RP) in Qatar; this is like your ID/passport. RPs (essentially sponsorship and a work visa) are almost always given to people by their employers (exceptions being wives/husbands being sponsored by their spouse or children by their parents). Without an RP, you will not be able to open a bank account (and thus write cheques, rent a home, etc), get a driver’s license, buy a car, gain entry into bars, get a liquor permit….and the list goes on for any other official business in Qatar.
It is possible to come to Qatar on a 3 month tourist entry visa which you get upon arrival at the airport. I think the job market here is good…but finding info about it is difficult. Like I said, most people are recruited from overseas. I am certain that there are jobs available now but finding out about them is so much easier if you are physically in Qatar…I know, it’s a Catch 22 like you shouldn’t really come here without a job but you can’t really find out about jobs until you are here.
I did just google ‘construction recruitment Qatar’ and it came up with a few sites you could check out although I cannot vouch for their validity. I don’t even know if this response has been helpful or not but I’m afraid it’s all I know.
A.
Hi Alexandria,
I have browsed through your blog entries with great interest. I am a graduate student currently working on a major project on place branding, focusing on Qatar. I am, among other things, looking into on the one hand, the projected image of Qatar (i.e. how it is represented by Qatar Tourism Authority etc.) and on the other, how Qatar is perceived. I assume that this particular blog post was your first? I am asking because I have been searching online for hours and hours looking for something on which I can base my analysis of Qatar’s perceived image, as it were. Part of it will be based on Lonely Planet’s guidebooks, but I was looking for a blog or the like as well – perhaps from someone about to relocate to Qatar, their thoughts on/perceptions of Qatar, and the like. In fact, it could be anyone; I just thought it might be interesting to include the images held by someone who had not been to/experienced Qatar. Any ideas as to where I could look?
I hope it makes sense. Think I have been starring into the screen a little too long by now
Thank you and kind regards,
Anette
Anette,
I think doing what you’re doing and looking at blogs is probably your best bet because they will give a good, personal view of Qatar. I just did a quick search for some and there are plenty out there; my personal favourite is this one, hope you enjoy it.
A.
Hi Alex
What a fabulous site to have stumbled upon while doing the usual ‘google search’ on ‘living in Qatar as a single woman’ Initially I was going to ask you all about life as a single woman and whether its that frowned upon, and whether or not its difficult to meet people etc. But having read every entry, I think you have answered that. So I will move onto the next question for you
lol
I am in the Freight Forwarding/Importing/Exporting/Logistics field. Have been for many years now. At this particular stage, the offer is in its infancy stage, until the Company can check whether or not Qatar issue visa’s for single woman! So perhaps you can answer that one?
Also, in your opinion, what is the salary I should aim for? I have read so many sites and cannot seem to come up with a figure that makes sense. This prospective company and I have not discussed ,money yet, but I would like to be a little more informed for when they do. So in order to live a comfortable life, what in your opinion is the bench mark in terms of earning?
At the moment I live and work in the UK and of course, I earn a pretty good salary this side of the pond, but I have no idea of salaries on that side.
Alex, let me thank you in advance for taking the time to read this, and for any answers you send my way.
Take care and have a lovely day
Anita
Hi Anita,
So let’s clarify, Qatar, as a country, does not issue visas, it will be the responsibility of your company to sort out a Residence Permit (RP) for you and the fact that you are a single woman should not make a difference, single women are not restricted from gaining RPs.
Again, it is difficult for me to comment on what is/isn’t a good salary as I don’t know what you spend your money on, how much you want to save, where you want to live, etc. Plus, I think until you find out what the salary offer is from your company, you cannot really make an informed judgment. I recently wrote a ‘Cost of Living’ post so you can have a look at that to get an idea of what your money will go towards in Qatar, and there is a cost of living section here too, which is up to date and has a bit more detail.
As far as benchmark earnings, that is also difficult to answer as everyone’s situtaion is different. As in the UK, an entire spectrum of salaries is present in Qatar. How much do you need to live comfortably in the UK? I think you can probably take that amount, convert it to Qatari riyals, and be able to live a fine live here however, salaries are generally better in Qatar, that is the appeal of/compensation for uprooting and moving abroad.
To sum up, I think you’ll need to sit tight and see what kind of offer you get from your company and once that happens, you’ll be in a better position to think about figures.
A.
Hi Alex!
Thank you for this blog!!! I have a quick question!
Is it possible for an EU single mother with 2 kids to get a work permit and to move with her kids to Qatar??
Take care
M
Yes, it is possible for you to come here with your 2 children but you would need to find a job beforehand as it’s your employer who will be the one to sponsor you.
Alexandria
Hi Alexandria,
I stumble upon this blog and I must say this is the best I have read so far. I can really relate as I am in the same situation. I am single and currently engaged to be married late next year. But I was offered a promising opportunity to work in Qatar. I did had some hesitations due to some advises from friends about safety of women — most especially single women. Is this really true that women in the workforce are treated lower than men even if they hold a senior leadership role?
Please advise
These friends that have given you advice, do they live and work in Qatar? How are women in your home country treated in the work place?
It is not true that woman in the workforce in Qatar are treated lower than men.
A.
Thanks Alex! Appreciate the honest response.
Hi Alex
Thanks for these nice info, i am a qualified accountant working in london but not happy with job situation and becs of economy cannot see big jump in salary in future, planning to move qatar, what would be your advice should i come on 2-3 month visit visa to find job in qatar? how easy it will be to find a nice job?
Many thanks
You could definitely come here and get a feel for the place and try your luck at finding a job but I would suggest that you do some homework before you hop on a plane to Qatar and perhaps get some interviews or meetings set up first.
I don’t know how easy it will be to find a nice job in Doha, how easy is it to find a nice job in London?
A.
Can you advice me about qatar travelled
Not sure I understand this question……
A.
I am writing to know how i can secure a job in Qatar from my country of residence in Nigeria. i am y6oung and single and i enjoy multiculturalism a lot and i am equally good at learning languages. Please, if you can be of help, i would greatly appreciate any assistance you offer to me. Warm regards
Hi Alexandria,
Thank you for the good work you are doing on this blog.The information you have availed to us is very resourceful indeed.
I am applying for ICT jobs in Qatar & am currently working for a multinational company which I intend to quit after I get a suitable job in Qatar.My Question is will I be able to get an employer who will accept to offer me a job while am still pursuing for my postgraduate studies? I am thru with my course work and as from 2013 January I embark on my research project.
Hi Alexandria,
Great blog indeed! I was able to secure a job in Qatar Foundation general services department as Supervisor and will be on board by next month.
I just want to ask if you have ever encountered anybody from QF and what they say about the organization or how is the working environment there.
Thanks,
Oya
Hi All,
As well as Alexandria’s informative insight, I would like to give you all another perspective. I am a 28 year old British female who worked in top companies in the heart of London since graduating. I have been very fortunate to excel in my job so when the offer to work in Doha came up almost a year ago i took it. Yes i was apprehensive at first because I knew it was nowhere near as developed as Dubai and as a single female i was worried i would face some prejudice. nevertheless I saw it as a great opportunity and moved. If you can afford the lifestyle Doha is great and I’ve made some great friends however my fears were confirmed when i started facing discrimination in the workplace because I am a young woman working in a fairly high post for a local company. I work mostly with older men who are either from the region or around and I have never felt so inferior in my entire life, i have lost my rights an an employee and quite frankly as a human too and I’m now facing bullying and have to put up with sexual comments from senior executives. This has all made me realise how amazing the ‘free’ world is and how professionalism is so important so I will be moving back to London after a stint of travelling. Also where you live is important as a single person you want to be able to walk out and not get stared at constantly so you will need to get used to that. I am not at all slating Doha its been great and I’ve made lifelong friends but please if you are thinking about moving here as a single woman choose an international company or a very large company with international affiliations, don’t just make the decision to settle for any company regardless of a good job role and good salary as it may do you more damage in the long run.
Many thanks Alexandria,
I have gone through your blog and found them helpful,
I am a professional Petroleum Simulation Engineer currently working in my country but really want to move to Qatar for a change of environment still in the line of my profession in oil and gas.
How easy is it to secure a job in as an experienced professional in oil and gas in Qatar?