I’ve have a few posts brewing in my big pot of ‘Working in Qatar’ posts but I’m just wondering if there are any topics that I haven’t covered that people interested in hearing about?
I’ve gotten a fair amount of comments over the past few months (I love them, keep them coming!!) which makes me think that there are actually people out there reading this blog!
So, is there anything you’d like to know about? Any burning, unanswered questions about working in Qatar that I can help you with? Just leave a comment and I’ll try my best to answer it…..
Hi, my name is Saada and I applied to Qatar University for the fall 2012 school year. I’m 17 and will not be 18 till next year. I’m a bit concern as to how to dress when I get there. Even though you already wrote about women and dressing, I felt like it was meant for older people but I want to how to dress as a girl my age. I also want to know what is there to do in Qatar? My uncle lives there but I was never really into QU until my dad thought I stand a good chance of getting a full scholarship to QU so I’m just concern about my social life even though I’m a pretty boring person in general.
Hi Saada,
I don’t think you should have any reason to be concerned about how to dress in Qatar. For my first trip to Doha I was quite cautious with my wardrobe but I really had nothing to worry about, Qatar is (relatively) liberal in that sense. As a woman, you will not be required to cover up and wear an abaya or a head scarf so you should just go with what is comfortable for you; jeans, t-shirts, cardigans, knee-length (and longer) skirts. As long as you aren’t parading around in a mini dress and tank top (this is a Muslim country after all) you should be fine. Having said that, there are no dress ‘rules’ that people need to adhere to although I do feel a certain amount of respect should be given and I personally always make sure my shoulders and knees are covered when I’m in public. In more western locations though (bigger hotels, clubs, etc) I might show my shoulders or my knees…but never both at the same time; that’s my personal preference.
As far as things to do, I wrote a post about this a while back and it’s here. Qatarliving.com is a good site to check out for happenings around Doha, as is Time Out Doha. And when (if?) you arrive you’ll also become more familiar with your surroundings and the shops, malls and parks in Qatar. Plus don’t forget, if you go to QU you’ll be meeting loads of people your age so social situations may presnet themselves to you without you even putting in that much effort.
Good Luck!
A.
Hi Alexandria,
Forgive the reply to your reply to start this conversation, but I can’t see a place to just add a comment – I’ve stumbled upon this blog via Google and created an account to ask you a question!
Where can I find information on work permit requirements for Qatar? There is very little information on the Qatar Embassy website, and the US Embassy in Qatar only gives information on Qataris wanting to work in the US.
I’m an American citizen who lives and works in the UK. I have a Permanent Residence visa for the UK. My UK company has offered me a position with our subsidiary in Qatar. The position is mine if I want it, but they weren’t sure what the requirements are for obtaining a work permit in Qatar (HR is checking now). I don’t want to say yes to the role (as it means giving notice for my current role) until I know for sure the Qatar government would accept my application to work there with my company sponsoring me.
For example, does Qatar have the same requirements as the US and UK as to skilled workers? Do I need a degree? I’ll be going over for a business development/marketing/writing role, for which I have a diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalist (UK professional accrediting body). My employers are concerned that the lack of degree education may pose a problem for the government accepting my application for a work permit.
Any advice you can give will be gratefully received!
Many thanks,
Meli
Meli,
It’s not really a matter of the Qatar govenment ‘accepting’ your application, there are no degree requirements or a points system here, it is just a matter of your company in Qatar providing all of the relevant paperwork and sponsoring you. Does the subsidiary in Qatar have any other employees? If so, then they should be very familiar with the process of obtaining Residence Permits (RP) for employees, and there should be no doubt that you could be sponsored. The process is not handled by the Qatari embassy, but rather the employer (or someone appointed by the employer who handles the paperwork). I would definitely try to get in touch with the Qatar subsidiary and find out what they usually do, they should know best.
A.
Heey Alexandria!
Loved your blog! Such a good experience, huh?
So, I’m a student and trying to get more information about Qatar for my semester project which is based on cultures.
Searching for ‘new’ cultures I ended up with Qatar, so maybe this one will be my inspiration.
Could you send me something like how people live, what that consume, blabla…? It’s really important to me to know it all. So, this could be a great design project.
Danke
Hi there,
I wouldn’t say that Qatar is a new ‘culture’ but rather a new ‘modern country’ as traditional Qatari culture has been around for ages.
Qataris make up the minority of the population so I’m not sure if you are interested in the traditional way of life (which is hard to come by these days) or the expat way of life. I could tell you how I spend my days but I don’t know if that’s what you really want to know. The residential areas of Qatar are mostly urban and expats who reside here live their lives as many people in cities do; they eat and dress as they normally would because that’s what they’re used to and the majority of comforts can be found here.
You could have a look at QatarLiving.com, QatarVisitor.com, the Lonely Planet website, Time Out Doha, ExpatArrivals.com or do a search for Qatar-based blogs as they may give you the best representation of how people go about their daily lives. I could answer specific questions but they would strictly be from my point of view.
Hope this helps,
A.
Hello Alexandria!
Thank you so much for being a voice from lady expat in Qatar.
I am a lady from Thailand and considering an opportunity of education in Qatar for Qatar Foundation is very famous being gratitude to HRH Sheikha Mauza.
This is a case for my young friend from Bangladesh who is continuing his undergraduate degree.
Since he has to support himself for education, I think it’s a great opportunity for him to study in a loan program and pay back after graduate while working in the professional environment there. He is interested in medical science or nursing science.
But he is very reluctant to live in this country for the negatives he claims he knows.
He said he would rather study in the countries A., U., or E. (English natives).
I told him that now even these countries are heading to the Middle East region, and ME is sophisticated and English-oriented.
I would be much appreciated your comments on education opportunity for foreign students.
Yours sincerely,
Pat
Pat,
There are many opportunties for foreign students at the university level in Qatar. The Qatar Foundation has a well established Education City where several overseas institutions are based. In addition to this there is Qatar University and the College of the North Atlantic (if I’ve omitted any others, please let me know!).
Excluding Qatar University, who have recently begun teaching many classes in Arabic, these universities are all English-oriented. I’m not sure what you mean by the countries A, U or E but most of the institutions I’ve mentioned above are based in English speaking countries so many of the individials teaching the courses have English as their native tongue.
You really can’t force your friend to do something he doesn’t want to do but I wonder what he claims the negatives of Qatar are and where he got these ideas from?
All the best,
A.
I’m a dentist moving over to Doha soon, enjoyed reading your blog, keep it coming!
Thanks!
Hi Alexandria,
I’m so happy I’ve come across your blog!!! I have recently applied for a teaching job in Al-Jazeera. I was wondering if you knew what the area was like. Is it quite busy? I was looking on google maps and I can see that it’s close to a market. Also (hope this is not a silly question) I am allergic to diary. I was just wondering if it’s easy to get hold of soya milk or coconut milk or even rice milk?
Thank you!
Maryam
Maryam,
If you are referring to Al-Jazeera Academy, that is on the outskirts of Doha but fear not, the main city of Qatar is quite small and compact and you won’t really be far from amenities. Is it busy? Well, Doha is very much urban and so pretty much all areas are busy. There are the wholesale markets nearby and they sell everything from fruit, veg, plants, live animals and fish. I have been once, they are quite an experience.
I am also happy to report that the main supermarkets do carry soy milk (unsweetened, sweetened, vanilla, chocolate), coconut milk and rice milk in Qatar; I think you can even get oat milk some times and lactose free dairy milk. It is more expensive though, but it’s all imported to that’s to be expected.
Hope this answers your questions,
Alexandria
Hi;
Just wanted to know what sites to check for job opportunities in Qatar.
Thanks
I just did a quick search and found the following…
http://www.bayt.com/qatar
http://www.monstergulf.com/
http://www.gulftalent.com/
http://www.gulfjobsites.com/jobs/Qatar/
You could also have a look at QatarLiving.com and this site here for some pointers. Depending on your profession you could try the Qatar Foundation website or hospital websites or some oil and gas companies or the universities at Education City.
Good Luck,
A.
Hello. I am from America and I am thinking of taking a contract job for 30 days to assist with self defense tactics for a prince’s body guards. I’ve been doing some research and I am a little worried about the “employer signing your exit visa”. Is this something I should be concerned about? Advice?
Hi,
I don’t think you should be too concerned if you are only here for 30 days. If that is the case, you will most likely only get a visitors visa which is valid for 3 months; your employer probably won’t bother with sponsoring you for a Residence Permit. With the 3 month visa, you won’t need an exit visa and you will be able to come and go as you please.
Go for it.
A.
Hi are you sure the visitors visa is 3 months and not 2, interested as am coming in march for 3 months and I think I need a family visa
Thanks in advance
Hi,
Might sound silly, but what’s the desert weather like? Is everything airconditioned? Do you have a hard time going around town in the summer? I’ve been to Arizona in 122 heat and it was like an oven. Though I will take that over rain, gloom, clouds of Paris any day. And do you find adequate places to swim there? Like swimming pools, beaches? (I guess there aren’t many lakes or rivers).
Sandra,
Desert weather is hot hot hot!
Qatar starts to heat up around April and then it doesn’t really let up until well into October. During the summer months (June-most Sept) it is almost unbearable and the majority of people stay indoors unless they need to be outside (at least during the daytime). Everything is air conditioned (almost too much), and the main way to get around town is by car so if you’re not driving yourself, then you’d get a taxi/driver.
Almost all compounds have pools, as do the bigger apartment buildings and hotels. With the hotels, you can either subscribe to a yearly membership to use their facilities or buy a day pass and sit by their pool (some even have beaches). There are no lakes or rivers in the country but Qatar is a peninsula so is surrounded by water on 3 sides!
A.
Thanks for your reply. Very interesting!
So is the water around Qatar swimmable? Like is that one of the main ways of cooling off? I don’t know why but I don’t picture the typical beach goers like the in US. Is the sea water warm or cool?
The water around Qatar is totally swimmable! The water now is very warm because it’s so hot out but in spring and autumn it is more refreshing; it’s probably much cooler in the winter but I’ve never been swimming in the winter.
There is one public stretch of sand/beach in Doha but this is not very pretty and it gets very crowded. All of the other beaches are attached to 5 star hotels and you either need to be a guest of the hotel or have membership to use them (you’d also get access to the pool and other facilities). Other than that, people mostly hang out by their apratment/villa pools to cool down, or stay inside, there is no real ‘beach cluture’ in Qatar.
Outside of Doha, there are miles and miles of coastline with both easily accesible beaches and some stretches that you’d need a 4WD to get to. These are all just where the sand meets the ocean though, there are no facilities to speak of.
A.
Again, very interesting! I enjoyed hearing about this! I recently had a small project for a Qatari customer/business. This “piqued” my interest of Qatar. Thank you for taking the time to write about it.
Hi Alexandria,
I have read your blog and I think the advice is brilliant. I have few concerns regarding the women development at work in Qatar. I work for the aviation industry and been surrounded by man at work has never been a problem. However, competing with them is not easy and often people think that I am a personal assistant rather than an engineer or manager (please forgive me anyone who thinks this comment is not appropriate). I have recently applied for a job in Qatar and I just wonder if I am going to get there the same professional development as I am getting now in the UK. Basically I would like to know how easy is to climb up the ladder comparing with the UK or the US and how difficult would be to manage a team of male workers.
Hi,
I don’t know what kind of professional development you have in the UK but I think that if your profession is male dominated elsewhere, then it will be the same in Qatar, if not more so as there is definitely a larger proportion of men here.
I don’t know how easy or difficult it is to climb the ladder in your field in the US or UK but I would say Qatar is comparable. I also think that managing a team of male workers here would not be much different to anywhere else. Sorry I cannot give more details but I don’t have much experience with this (and don’t have any friends who do). I do know a few women engineers here (another male-dominated industry) and I have never heard of them having any problems.
Hope this helps a little.
A.
Hi, just wondering if there is any jobs for counsellors or social workers in Qatar ? Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance
I don’t know what type of social work/counselling you do, but I can imagine there might be opportunities in some schools. Have a look at the jobs post I wrote and maybe that might help, or try searching for some schools in Qatar to see if they had anything available. You could also try looking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site here and looking at some of the links on the page. Your best bet would be to phone, good luck trying to get some info.
A.
Thanks a great help!!
I want to come to qatar,I don’t know anyting about the country.please I need information about there work,accomodation and there way of life!
Seriously?
I wonder why you want to come to Qatar if you don’t know anything about the country.
If you want to know more, I suppose you could try reading the blog that you just posted a comment on, or something really radical like googling ‘facts about Qatar’.
A.
Hi
I’m a British and i’m looking for a job in a supermarket as manager i have 7 years experiences in supermarket field now i’m working as a deputy manager . I would like to find out is it possible to get a job in Qatar , how much the salary will be and what are the allowance they give such as accommodation and travelling ?.
Hi there,
Yes, it is possible to find a job in Qatar but I cannot tell you what the salary is as I am not your employer, only your employer can tell you what the salary is.
Most jobs come with an accommodation and trasportation allowance but again, this will depend on the job and the employer.
A.
thank you for details if you can find out more please let me know thanks ones again
Hi Alexandria,
My name is Waseem Khan and i am from Jammu & Kashmir. Presently i am working in BPO as a Quality analyst from last 4 Yrs and now i am in search of a job in Qatar. Regarding my edu.Qualification i have done my Bachelors in Computer application from Kashmir University. Kindly suggest me something good for me in QATAR.. Below mentioned are my Contact details if possible kindly contact me.
Ring@ +91-97979797-54 or +91-9622-183-555
E-mail: dj_bluejeans45@yahoo.in or djbluejeans45@gmail.com
Thanks & Regards
Waseem Khan
I am not a recruitment agent.
Please have a look at my ‘Looking for Work in Qatar’ post and good luck.
A.
Hey Alexandria,
Thank God i found your blog..So here is my problem.My sister is an M.Sc Biotech and now completed a course on Clinical Research.She has found a job in Qatar as clinical research co-ordinator , but the post requires her to be a resident of Qatar.She will be coming here in tourist visit visa from Maldives.Can she apply for the job?Do companies generally help in change of visa?
Please reply asap.God Bless you
Hi,
All employers are required to sort out work/resident permits for their employees. If your sister applies for the job and gets it, the employer should take care of the legal side of it.
A.
Hi Alexandria,
First of all, thank you very much for doing this. It is a very good source of information not posted on Qatar websites.
I have an employment related question, I read above that someone already asked if a degree is required to work in qatar, it was dated Aug 5, 2012, and you answered that a degree is not required and that there is no point system also.
Has this changed over the past month? If a job is for a web developer or technical administrator, will a degree be required?
Thanks in advance for your help.
More power to your blog.
Sincerely,
Raphael
Raphael,
Every job is unique so you would have to look at the job description and personal specification to see if a degree is required. There are definitely jobs on offer in Qatar in which a degree is not required but whether or not they are the ones that you want to apply for is not for me to tell you.
A.
Thanks a lot for the reply.
I actually have an offer letter already. The job is for a Technical Administrator, but when they were applying for a VISA, the employer said it was rejected because a degree was required. Is the degree requirement determined by the government? What I had was a technical diploma, transcript and certificates. I didn’t complete my university degree.
Thanks again. Hope to hear from you again.
Hi
I am considering a job in Doha. Is there much of a nightlife? I know in the hotels etc. in Dubai you can have a a drink and party etc. Is it similiar in Doha?
HI SO GLAD I CAME ACROSS YOUR BLOG. MY BROTHER AND HIS FAMILY VERY RECENTLY MOVED FROM THE UK TO DOHA. MY BROTHER IS A SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHER AND GOT A JOB IN AJA. THEY ARE SETTLING IN WELL. HE IS INVITED MYSELF TO THINK ABOUT APPLYING FOR NEXT YEAR TOO, I’M A PRIMARY TEACHER ALSO WITH A FAMILY. MY QUESTION IS DO U THINK THAT CHILDREN CAN ADAPT TO THE CHANGING CLIMATE AND IS SCHOOL LIFE VERY DIFFERENT TO THE UK? ALSO AS A CAREER MOVE WILL IT BE IMPRESSIVE ON MY CV WHEN I COME BACK TO THE UK AFTER WORKING IN DOHA FOR SOME TIME OR DOES IT NOT MEAN MUCH HERE?
I’M MAKING MASSIVE DECISIONS RIGHT NOW HOPE U CAN HELP.
Hi Alexandria,
I am considering a job role in Qatar. I would eventually be moving my wife and one year old child over should I accept the role.
Are you aware of what sort of quality of life is available for a family with young children ?
Thanks
Roy
I have many friends with small children and they all say that Qatar is a great place to raise a family, the quality of life would be very good. Qatar is very safe and there are many activities for kids for most of the year (activities may be a bit thin during the summer as lots of people leave).
Good luck!
A.
Hello,
I was wondering if you can tell me who I can speak to in order to land a job in Qatar. I’ve applied to over 500 positions with no success and have attempted to locate work there for over a year now. I know I have the qualifications because I currently hold a Regional Director position for one of the largest Fortune 500 Companies in the U.S. This seems to be an almost impossible attempt at this point and is very discouraging. Is there any feedback or advice that you can give me that could help??? Or is there anyone I can reach out who can truly help me with this issue???
Thanks,
Tanya
hie Alexandria
My name is Rashid from Zimbabwe and I am planning to apply to Qatar University for petroleum engineering. Is it easy to get a job after graduation as a foreigner especially black. Are degrees from Qatar accredited in the world, also are part time jobs available to students. Thank you.
Hi Alexandria,
Thank you for your informative blogs. I’m going to read one by one till I can decide to move to or not to move to Doha for a new job.
I’ve been searching for everything abt living in Qatar since last week. Up to now, I’ve got a general concept but some below questions which I could not find in any forum.
Please kindly let me know if I can use a pair of black long socks with skirts and dresses higher or a little bit higher than knee. Is that common in Qatar? Could that be considered/acceptable as I follow the rule as long as I cover my legs.
I understand that the main color of traditional clothes for man is white, for woman is black? Is there any problem if I wear colorful clothing on street?
And is there any preconception of whom has tattoos? of cause I’ll try to cover, just in case ^^
Many thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Hi!
I would kindly like to know if you have any idea if I can apply and work as IT Engineer or IT Technical Support Engineer in Qatar if I hold an Advanced Diploma in Information Technology? I have worked in one of the best IT Companies in the Gulf and would like to find opportunities in Qatar. I have six to seven years of experience in my career and I hold multiple professional certifications from Microsoft namely Microsoft Certified Professional, Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate and Microsoft Certified IT Professional. I was also awarded with the highest distinction back in College. Am I eligible to work and to be given a work visa in Qatar? If yes, what kind of working visa? I have all the necessary school documents, professional certifications and training certificates authenticated. Hope you can share me some information. Thank you so much.
Hello, I recently have taken a job in Doha for a large company. It’s now been 2 weeks since joining and I have to say that I am not impressed with the company structure, the politics and the environment where one is not able to make decisions.
My dilemma now is that I have a very good offer from Dubai which I want to consider however I’m not sure how I should handle my current employer in Doha.
Can I just submit my resignation and leave quietly? Will there be repercussions?
What if I just leave without giving any notice and go to Dubai? What will happen?
If I leave now without cancelling my Qatar RP will it automatically cancel after a certain period of time?
Since I’m on probation for 3 months can I just leave without any repercussions?
I’m concerned because technically I’m not yet on the companies visa… I’ve had the blood test and x-ray with blood group test however I’ve not had the finger prints completed yet.
What shall I do?
Ali
Hi A just wanted to say I think your blog is great it’s funky fun and very informative, indeed am loving it cheers!
Hi Alexandria Lipka
my wife is English teacher in South koere and now we are planing to move Qatar so how can my find job there?
i saw some agencies but i want to know that if my visit there and find job our we can do from south korea?
thanks