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.

Of course, all situations will be different, a family of four’s needs will not be the same as those of a singleton, and what people decided to spend their money on varies greatly, but I can try to make some generalisations.

Firstly, rent will probably form the bulk of your monthly expenditure, and rents are very high in Qatar.  Even coming from London, I found the price of accommodation extremely expensive for what was on offer.  Where I live, which is one of the more pricey areas, a studio apartment costs between 8000-9500 QAR/month, a 1 bed apartment between 10,000-12,000 QAR/month, a 2 bed apartment about 14,000 QAR/month and a 3 bed apartment about 16,000 QAR/month.  There are also villas (with or without private beaches) in my complex but I have no idea how much they cost….I can guarantee they are very expensive.

Apartments in other areas of Doha, like West Bay are comparable in price whereas apartments in Al Saad are cheaper, like 7,000-10,000 QAR/month for a 2 bed.  Villas are bigger (and probably better for families) and usually come with a minimum of 3 bedrooms.  Depending on the area and the facilities in the complex (pool, gym, tennis courts, shop, dry cleaners, etc), a 3-4 bedroom villa will cost on average between 12,000-20,000 QAR/month.

After accommodation, buying a car or paying for children’s schooling will probably be the next biggest expense.  New cars cost as much as they would in your home country but lots of very good deals can be found on used vehicles; gas/petrol is very cheap in Qatar.  As far as schools go, with very few exceptions, all are private and have fees.  These can range from 15,000-50,000 QAR/year depending on the school and grade level (I’ve just gotten this info from a quick internet search, I don’t have 1st hand knowledge of schools and fees).

After all this you have bills and most other things which can be filed in the ‘personal’ category like gym/club memberships, eating out, cable/phone subscriptions.  I find food to be very expensive here, my shopping bill seems to be twice as much as it was in the UK, and I’m not being particularly extravagant.  The same goes for alcohol, drinks are about double what they would be in the average London pub.

I find Qatar to be on the expensive side, generally, in all categories.  However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find deals here and there, you just need to know where to look…and that comes with experience, word of mouth, and getting to know the place over time.

An up to date, extended cost of living structure can be found here.

Anyway, Qatar’s summer is well and truly upon us now, I’ve given up driving with just my car windows open and have succumbed to air conditioning; daytime highs regularly hit the low to mid 40s.  The beginning of summer also means that my lease is coming up for renewal next month and I’m going to sign on for another year.  I’ve been very lucky in that respect as I found an apartment I really like, with great facilities, in an area not too far from work and a lovely landlord to top it all off.

Signing my lease for another year means handing over 12 post-dated cheques to my landlord, which he will cash when the appropriate time comes (the 1st of the month in this case).  This is the norm when it comes to rental agreements here and cheques are the gold standard in Qatar, you can get sent to jail if you write a cheque and it bounces.  Plus, my current account doesn’t have an overdraft, no one’s does.

Back in the UK I did nearly all of my banking on-line, I can’t tell you the last time I wrote a UK cheque for anything.  All of my bills and major payments were mostly done by direct debit and for everything else I either paid with one-off transfers or by card over the phone.  In Qatar, I’ve written more cheques in the past 2 years than I think I wrote in 10+ years of living in London.  As well as my rent, my bills are paid by cheque to the bank that the utility account is with.  Luckily my salary is paid by monthly direct debit as our finance manager specifically chose a bank in Qatar with internet capabilities…mostly because it’s less hassle.   Speaking of which, internet banking still leaves a lot to be desired, this is just the way things are here.  When all else has failed (and unfortunately, I’ve had a few mishaps concerning my account) the only option has been to go into a branch and speak to someone face to face; at least then the problem seems to get solved.

I’ve talked about Ramadan before, it’s significance and the impact it has on life in Qatar and the whole region.  Because Ramadan is based on the Islamic calendar, a lunar calendar, the date is not set and it shifts approximately 10 to12 days each year.  Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and it officially begins when the first crescent of the new moon is sighted.  This crescent must physically be seen in order to announce the start of Ramadan and so it can be a little bit tricky if you want to plan around it.

There are 2 Eid holidays each year and, although both are public holidays, the days that a person gets off from work may vary from three to five.  As with Ramadan, both Eid holidays are based on the Islamic calendar so the dates change from year to year.  Immediately following Ramadan is Eid al Fitr which begins on the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic calendar (Shawwal) and celebrates the end of fasting.  Eid al Adha begins on the 10th day of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar (Dhu al Hijjah) and it is approximately 70 days after the end of Ramadan.  Both holidays are marked by family gatherings and celebratory meals with people decorating their houses and exchanging gifts with relatives and friends.

The 18th December is National Day or Founder’s Day and marks the day, in 1878, that Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed al Thani succeeded his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani.  Sheikh Jassim worked towards bringing together the many tribes of the region into one unified nation. On National Day you can expect many special events, including parades and fireworks along the Corniche, lots of cars decorated with emblems and stickers, plenty of Qatari flags waving, and an enormous sense of national pride.

My mother finds it very surprising that I don’t receive any days off over the Christmas and New Year period but I keep having to remind her that Qatar is a Muslim country, so it’s very rare for expats to get traditional, Christian holidays off (Christmas, New Year, Easter).  You’ll still be able to find someplace to celebrate (brunch/lunch/dinner at larger hotels and restaurants) but most employers will not allot any time off so you’ll have to use your vacation days if you want to travel abroad, go back home, or just enjoy the holiday in Doha.

Smaller holidays and country-specific celebrations like Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, Bastille Day, Australia Day and the 4th July can also be found in Qatar but you’ll have to search a bit harder.  Sometimes events are hosted by a country’s embassy or various sports clubs dotted around Doha and it’s worth making the extra effort to find these as they are a great way to meet people and experience a little taste of home.

And I think I’ve mentioned before that the weekend in Qatar is Friday and Saturday, with Friday being the main day of religious observance. Some businesses may only work a half day on Thursday and then shut for all of Friday.  Smaller shops will either be shut all of Friday or only open after the afternoon prayer, while the larger shops and malls will only be closed for Friday morning.

Museum of Islamic Art

So, what is there to do for fun in Doha?  How easy or difficult it is to make friends in Qatar?

Life is what you make of it, as the saying goes, and this motto definitely holds true around here.  Doha is not New York City or London by any stretch, you will have to try a bit harder to find things to occupy your time, but Qatar is far from the desolate sand pit many people may perceive it to be.

Qatar hosts many annual and one off events like the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, the Qatar Masters Golf Tournament, Qatar Open Tennis, Powerboat racing events, Latin American festivals, Indian Cultural festivals, food festivals, kite festivals, Formula One motor shows, charity walks, cycle races and road races…..pretty much most things that you would expect to find in any other capital city, just on a smaller scale.  For a list of what’s on, it’s always good to have a look at Time Out Doha or Qatar Living.

There are also permanent fixtures in Doha like the architecturally beautiful Museum of Islamic Art, Arab Museum of Modern Art; Mathaf, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Doha Players and Sheikh Faisal’s eclectic collection.  You can visit one of Doha many spas, beaches or forts, go on a road trip to the west coast, see the camel races or take s desert safari.  You could also take advantage of living in the region and go for a quick weekend away to the UAE or Oman, or a mini vacation to Jordan, Lebanon or Egypt.  India, parts of Asia and the Indian Ocean are also very close.

If all the hustle and bustle gets a bit too much, take a walk along the Corniche, relax in Aspire Park, see what Katara has to offer or visit the mangroves in Al Khor.  If it’s summer and the heat is on, you can find some respite in one of Doha’s many malls, perhaps even have a go at ice skating to take your mind off the soaring temps outside.

And as far as making friends goes, how easy or difficult was it to make friends where you are living now or anywhere for that matter?  The expat community in Qatar is small and by simply putting in a small amount of effort, you could be greatly rewarded.  Join a language club, attend a fitness class or take part in a recreational sports team and you’ll find yourself meeting new people all the time.  My advice is to just talk to everyone, we’re all away from home and pretty much in the same boat so we might as well make the most of 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.

Lab Coats Must Be Worn

English is the lingua franca of Qatar so if you don’t speak Arabic, this should in no way deter you from considering a move here.  That is not to say, however, that issues with language don’t occur, in fact, I’d say a fair amount of information here gets lost in translation.

Meeting colleagues and doing business is not normally a problem, nor is driving, shopping or eating out because almost all signs and labels are in both Arabic and English.  All of our official business documents are in both Arabic and English, the smaller ones were translated by people I work with while the more lengthy documents like Health and Safety Handbooks and our lab signs (above) were done by professional services in Doha.  I’ve found that most sticky situations occur over the phone as this is the main form of communication in Qatar; people in this country are not big on emails or keeping websites up to date.

When miscommunications do occur, they tend to be more comical than annoying though.  I have a lovely driver from Kerala that I use sometimes when I go out so that I don’t have to worry about driving.  His English is a few levels above basic so I always try to keep my instructions to a minimum, like ‘my house, 7:15, tonight, 7-1-5’.  If we have to pick up some friends on the way or go via an ATM, I always save that for when I’m in the car and can speak to him face to face (I cannot tell you how many conversations I’ve had with him where I don’t really understand the point that he’s trying to get across; I just nod my head and say, ‘oh, yes’).

Nothing disastrous has ever happened but I have been gifted with several quirky anecdotes, like the time I called to make a restaurant booking…..

Man on the Phone: Hello, Grand Regency Hotel.
Me: Yes, may I please be connected to the Chopsticks Restaurant?
MotP: Yes madam……(puts me on hold)….I’m sorry madam, they do not open until 6pm.
Me: Ok, so may I make a reservation with you or should I wait and call back when the restaurant is open?
MotP: Yes madam.
Me: Yes I can make the reservation with you, or I need to call back when the restaurant is open?
MotP: Yes madam.
Me: Ok, I’ll call back at 6pm.

Doha is mostly urban and accommodation options for people moving here fall into 2 main categories; in a compound or in an apartment building.  Compounds are gated micro-communities comprised of villas (and sometimes apartments) and usually a gym and pool.  Some of the bigger compounds will also have tennis courts, a cafe, small supermarket, and maybe even a dry cleaners and hair dresser.  They can also range in size from a small crescent with 10 villas to a compound almost big enough to warrant driving from one end to the other.  There are also different ‘feels’ to compounds; some may have a very social atmosphere while in others, people may keep to themselves.

Apartment buildings are just that, and mostly situated in the Al Sadd or West Bay areas of town, the city bits.  Some apartment buildings will have facilities like a pools and gym, but many of the older ones often will not.

If you ask me how to go about finding a place to live, I really cannot tell you how to do it.  There is no central real estate website in Qatar advertising places to rent and  most of the websites that are out there are not up to date so of little use anyway.  There are a few forums and websites that most people look to for Qatar advice and where owners can independently list their properties; this is how I found my apartment.  Many things happen by word of mouth here and finding a place to live is no exception, especially when it comes to the more popular compounds with waiting lists.

I was lucky or rather I made an executive decision to only search at a new development called the Pearl.  The Pearl is a group of apartment buildings and villas structured on a series of artificial islands in the north end of Doha.  The Pearl is a bit secluded but I was drawn to it because of its proximity to my work, and because of the shops and restaurants/cafes that encompass the buildings at ground level; in a city where you need to drive everywhere, this is one place where I can step out of my apartment and actually walk around.

I’ve been in my place for a little over a year and I really can’t complain.  Well, yes I can, the rent is high, but rent, in general, is very high in Doha.  However, I’ve got a gym and an outdoor pool so I don’t need to pay extra for any club memberships.  I feel safe living here on my own, I’ve got undercover parking, a nice balcony, a frozen yogurt place a stone’s throw away and a noodle house downstairs that delivers.

Camel Xing

For getting around in Qatar a car is pretty much your only option.  Most people own or rent their cars while some get by with having a personal driver take them places.  There is a good metered taxi service (Karwa) in Qatar, they mostly pick up from a handful of ranks and outside of the larger shopping complexes, and also a public bus service, which is cheap, but very limited.

I opted to go down the route of buying a car and driving myself around out here because I liked the idea of being free to come and go as I pleased.  I also liked the idea of not having to put my life in someone else’s hands; there are some crazy people out on the roads and you really need to be careful.  I actually remember reading on some forum about driving in Qatar that pretty much said, ‘just assume everyone else is an idiot’.  Great.

If you are a resident of Qatar (have a Residence Permit, RP), you must have a valid Qatari driver’s license in order to legally be able to drive, the license from your home country is not valid.  If you come to Qatar without a driver’s license you must, without exception, take the test in this country, which is completely understandable.  However, if you already have a license and are from, let’s say the UK or Australia (ie drive on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD as in Qatar!), all you have to do is go down to the Traffic Department with a letter from your employer and your RP, take an eye test and receive a shiny new Qatari license.  If you are American, like me, and have spent nearly all of your driving years on the right side of the road, as they do in Qatar, then you will have to take the entire driver’s test over again.

I’d read various accounts of the driving test and these ranged from, ‘this is the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do’ to ‘it is so easy it’s ridiculous’.  I also gathered that you needed to do 3 things; Signal (signs) test, Parking test and Road test, and that most people who were going to do this test usually did a driving course beforehand.  I opted to just do a direct test 1) because I know how to drive already and 2) even the short driving course was expensive at around 1800 QAR (£400/$600) for 12 lessons.  Taking the test costs about 150 QAR so I figured that even if I had to take the test a few times, it’d still work out so much cheaper than a driving course.

I took my test at the Al Rayah driving school, along with about 100 other women.  They only test women on certain days and you must go to the driving school beforehand to make an appointment for the test and pay a 50 QAR fee.  When I paid, I was able to pick up a little road signs booklet that I dutifully studied the entire week preceding my test, which was scheduled for 5:30am (!) on a Wednesday morning.

Upon arrival I was instructed to go to a desk and pay 100 QAR which I think was for the rental of the car that I was going to be tested in.  I was then told to go to the Signal Test counter and get tested there.  This was, literally, a woman behind a counter with a laminated sheet of all the signs.  My turn came and I cannot even tell you what signs she made me list.  I think I got ‘Stop’, ‘Intersection’, maybe ‘No Parking’ and ‘Uneven Road’, it was quite easy, and before I knew it, my forms were marked and kept, and I was told to sit and wait.  About 10 minutes later I was called forward with a few other women and we were directed outside for the Parking test.  We walked out to the large lot behind the driving school and, one by one, we got into a car, drove it half way around the lot, drove up a hill, reversed down the hill, drove to the other side of the lot, pulled into a narrow parking space, reversed out of the space, drove back to the beginning, got out of the car, and went back into the waiting room in anticipation of the Road test.

The Road test was also easy, but very long and required a lot more waiting.  For this portion of the test, 4 buses showed up and we were divided amongst them.  Each bus set off behind a Learner car with 2 officials in it.  One lady from the bus would get into the car, drive around the quiet back streets around the driving school for a few minutes, pull over, get out and get back on the bus while another lady already on the bus got out, got in the car, drove around for a few minutes, pulled over, etc.  This process was repeated until Every. Single. Woman. on the bus had her chance.  When it was my turn, I got in the car, made sure my seat belt was fastened, made sure I checked my mirrors, used my indicators, drove around in circles for a few minutes and pulled over when the officials told me to.

Once all of the buses and paperwork were back at the driving school (and we’d waited a fair bit longer), everything was signed and catalogued and names were called, numbers were given, lines were formed, fees were paid and licenses were issued….mine included!