If you’ve just happened to find this blog or have been here before, I’d like to explain what this is all about.

This is a blog about living and working in Qatar which I used to update regularly when I was based in Doha, Qatar. I have now moved back to the UK but I still occasionally check in on the comments for this blog. This blog still regularly receives lots of questions so I thought I would try to address most of them here.

1. This is a blog about living and working in Qatar which I wrote in my free time; it was not my job to write this blog, I did not get paid to write my posts. This blog was written by me because I wanted to help people find more information about living and working in Qatar. I am NOT a recruitment agent, I CANNOT find you a job in Qatar, please DO NOT send me your contact details/qualifications/CV and ask me to find you a job in Qatar. Please see this post for guidance.

2. If you have received an offer of employment in Qatar, congratulations but please do not send me the details of your contract or salary and ask me if this is suitable for life in Qatar. I receive lots of questions like this and am not interested in answering them personally, everyone and every situation is different, this is why I wrote my ‘Cost of Living’ post so have a look there. There is also an up to date cost of living section on this site.

3. Everything in Qatar is linked to your Residence Permit (RP), which is linked to your employer (if you are working) or a family member (husband, wife; if you are not working). This is your working visa and what allows you to stay in the country. An individual cannot apply and pay for an RP themselves, it must be sorted out by an employer thus this is the reason why one cannot come to Qatar without a prior contract or promise of employment.

4. When I thought about the subject matter for my posts, I tried to think of the major questions that I had when I first moved to Qatar. If you have questions about living and working in Qatar, please go through all of my posts and see if your questions are answered there or in the comments. You’ll probably find your answer but if you don’t, please go ahead and ask a question.

As I mentioned before, I am no longer living and working in Qatar but this blog still sees a lot of traffic and, although I do think most of the major questions have already been asked, there may be a few things that have not been covered. I will try to check back from time to time, go through the comments and answer your questions as best I can but in the meantime, good luck and thanks for reading.

A.

*These are probably the search terms most people use you find their way here.

At work, I am finishing up one last collaboration and then that will be it from me…..for good. Dear readers I have some news, I will be leaving Qatar, permanently, at the end of August.

To make a long story short (and because I legally cannot go into details) my company is restructuring and I was made redundant. From this I have made the decision to not look for alternative work in Qatar but to call it a day instead and move back to the UK.

I stand by this decision and I am very much looking forward to the transition back to my life in London.

To sum up my time in Qatar in one blog post would not be fair so I’m not going to do that, nor will I get too sentimental here. The last 2 year and 4 months has been a crazy ride but I don’t regret making the decision to move here one bit. Hypothetically speaking and knowing what I know now, would I do it again? That’s difficult to say. Would I rule out a possible move back to Qatar in the future?  Well, never say never….

Anyway, if you’ve been lurking and have a burning question that you’ve been dying to ask, get it off your chest now or forever hold your peace. My last day at work will be the 16th August and I will try to write at least one more post before I leave (the repatriation process maybe?) but I can’t promise too much as I’ve got lots to wrap up before I go, furniture to sell, shoes to pack, contracts to cancel and several good byes to say.

I have very much enjoyed writing this blog and sharing my (ahem) wisdom over the past year, I hope you have enjoyed reading it. I like to think that I ‘ve answered some really important questions that you only find out once you’ve lived here for a while and I’m happy to have been able to share that with you. I hope I’ve helped some people find out more information about Qatar.

As of yet, I do not have a job in the UK so after over a year of fielding questions about working in Qatar and helping you guys out, I’m going to ask you a small favour; if you like what you’ve read here and know of anyone hiring or looking for a microbiologist/biochemist/molecular biologist with managerial and/or journalistic tendencies then by all means, let’s get in touch.

If you’re not based in Qatar and you’re looking to find a job here then the internet will be your  main point of reference (however, most of these points hold true even if you are based in Qatar).  One of the biggest Middle East job sites is bayt.com so I’d look there first.  Other job sites which may be worth looking at are Gulf Jobs Sites, Gulf Talent and MonsterGulf.  And you could just try searching ‘Qatar job sites’ and see what you come up with.

After the jobs sites, you might have some luck with the classifieds section of either the Gulf Times or The Peninsula.  Then there’s good ol’ qatarliving.com and a new site that I’ve just found, Qatar Classifieds.  There is a short list of some Qatar recruitment agencies here although, because I don’t have any firsthand experience with these, I can’t vouch for them and I’m not sure how current the list is but it could be a good starting point.

Moving on from there, you could try looking at the specific sectors that you are interested in and searching either job sites specific to these industries (oil and gas, biotechnology, health care, tourism, etc.), or specific company sites.  For instance, if you are interested in the tourism industry then try contacting Qatar Airways.  For the oil and gas industry, look at Qatar Petroleum, and with health care, try looking at Doha hospital websites, and so on.

As with many things in life, sometimes it’s ‘who’ you know and not ‘what’ you know so networking is key.  If you’re searching for a job in Qatar and don’t yet have a LinkedIn account, I would definitely set one up and start following some Qatari companies or companies with branches in the Middle East.  For all the ladies out there, I’ve also just become aware of the Qatar Professional Women’s Network who regularly host events and have some good advice for jobseekers on their website.

This list is by no means exhaustive and there may be many more options that I’ve not thought about or am not aware of.  If you’ve had some success elsewhere and want to share then please leave a comment.

Good luck!

And I do have to add this…as much as I enjoy writing these posts, receiving comments, and trying to help out my readers as best I can, please don’t ask me to personally help you find a job; I really don’t have the resources or inclination (I have got my own life after all!) to be able to do this.

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…..

I am constantly being asked about salaries in Qatar and, although they differ from job to job, salaries in this region are good and I think it’s safe to say that they are the main selling point for accepting a job out here.  Although they have decreased in recent years, many people believe they might begin to rise again due to a new-found interest in Qatar.

I always stress to those considering a move here that you must make sure everything is completely and clearly stated in your employment contract.  Almost every news story I see or article I read about Qatar emphasizes the fact that it is one of the richest countries in the world, but this does not apply to everyone.  Yes, there is no tax, but there is also no pension or social security system.  Healthcare is not free, you must purchase a (very reasonably priced) Hamad card to be entitled to highly subsidized services.  Most reputable employers (mine included) provide insurance packages that cover many, but not all procedures.  Yet, despite having insurance and the healthcare system being very good, I personally prefer to take care of all doctor/dentist appointments when I visit the UK.

Much has also been said about the free education system in Qatar…but no one seems to mention that it is only free if you are Qatari.  With rare exception, everyone else must pay costly tuition fees for their child’s education and oftentimes there are waiting lists involved for preferred schools.

Employment packages usually come with several allowances such as housing, car, phone, education and moving/relocation but again, it is very good to double check this.  Sometimes these allowances are given in one lump sum or are allocated monthly on a percentage basis.  Again, it is very wise to make sure this is all spelled out before committing or signing any contract.  While these allowances seem generous, you must also take into account the cost of living in Qatar which certainly was higher than what I was used to.  Rents are expensive, food is more expensive, and anything that is a familiar western brand will most certainly be more expensive.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone from thinking about a move to Qatar but it is absolutely essential that you do your homework beforehand  and know exactly what you’re signing up for.