Thinking of moving to Qatar

[Dr Who?]

Me and the wife are seriously thinking of moving abroad, and as my wife is a teacher she can pick up work quite easily. There is a job coming up in Qatar and she is going to apply for it, and it is something we have always talked about. We would only want to go for 2/3 years and then com back.

 

Pay is good, and I will study and work part time, where she brings in the full time tax free pay. We have worked out we will be so much better off, and clear all of our debts after 2 years.

 

What do you lot think, pros and cons.

 

We will come back quite often for Saints games

[Jonnyboy]

what will the pay be?

[Dr Who?]

Good and tax free. Full accommodation paid for.

[Kingsland Codger]

Dr Who - my thoughts - consider your personal circumstances; don't answer any of these questions here on the forum, but how old are you and your wife and do you have children - and if the answers are youngish (say, under 35) with no kids then go for it.

 

I moved abroad (Japan) in 1978 for what was intended to be only a short period and it was a life changing experience, such that Japan remains a major part of my life over 30 years later.

 

It sounds like quite an adventure; might you kick yourself for ever after if you decide not to go?

[Sheaf Saint]

My brother is currently living and working in Doha - he reckons it's a sh*thole.

 

In all seriousness though, these opportunities don't come up all that often so you should take them when they do. I moved to Sheffield for work in 2004 initially for a year, and I'm still here. Not quite as adventurous as Qatar admittedly, but so many things that I take for granted in my life now are all as a result of making that decision

[buctootim]

I can understand why people move all kinds of places - culture, experience, nature, beaches, weather, fun etc. imo though the only reason for moving to places like Doha, Dubai, Jeddah etc is for a huge pile of money with the intention of living modestly, saving like mad and getting out after a couple of years. Just dont get sucked into living long term in a place you dont want to be just for the money.

Edited 30 March, 2012 by buctootim

[stu0x]

My wife's cousin currently lives in Doha, she has been there about 18 months since her husband got a job there. Although she is English, her husband is Australian and they have lived in Australia since they were married (about 10 years ago), to the point where she now has an Aussie accent. They have 3 kids, 7, 4, and 10ish months.

 

I don't think they particularly enjoy it. For a start, everyone leaves during the summer months, as it is simply too hot to stay, so the place is a ghosttown June-September. But even during the other months, they find the heat oppressively hot, and that is after living on the east coast of Australia. Like most westerners, they live in a purpose-built 'compound', and it is soulless. Their accommodation is much smaller than what they're used to in Australia. They have also encountered a not inconsiderable amount of racism. They have stopped going to the local park with the boys as within 5 minutes the local Police/security will pitch up and tell them it is no children allowed or that they are not allowed to ride their bikes or kick a football (in a park??), whilst the local kids do exactly that 20 yards away. I think they feel quite lonely and isolated out there.

 

As far as they are concerned, the main advantage is that they are now much closer to the UK, so get to see her family a lot more often. But I get the impression that, even though it was only ever going to be a 5 year thing, it will likely be less than that now.

 

If you don't have any dependents, have a definite short-term timescale, and there will be a considerable monetary gain, then I would say go for it, but do so with your eyes open. It certainly won't be the most exciting time of your life, but if it serves as an enabler for the future then I guess it would be worth it.

[dellboypete]

just make sure she gets an ample supply of world cup tickets written into her contract - assuming you will be there for that long!

 

Go for it - Doha may not be the coolest (rofl) place on earth, but living in the middle east can be really handy - access to far east is dead easy, africa etc etc. Lived inthe ME for 10 years and loved it (just ask EoA etc)

[Supersubpuckett]

Go, you'll regret it in the future if you don't. My bro-in-law had similar opportunity to go to Dubai a few years back and he did - loves it. If nothing else its life enriching and you never know what it will lead to. Sure it's hot but thats what air con is for.

[thefunkygibbons]

Spent 3 years in Abu Dhabi in the 90s and it was life changing

 

Sure there are pros and cons, but life is what you make it

[Suomi Saint]

I live in Doha and it is not a dive, but you should be aware that it is light years behind, say, Dubai. If you are a married couple with no children, have your accommodation paid for, then there is very little risk here. The one downside to Doha is that there are not enough schools, but this will have to be addressed by the Qatari Govt. if they want to proceed with the scale of development required for the Olympics/World Cup. This may offer further opportunities for your good lady in the future. If you get bored of Doha then Dubai is only 45 minutes flight away. Good for a weekend visit, but of course you will need an exit visa. I have been here 8 months and have had no problems whatsoever. Life will be what you make it, and teachers here get a lot of time off. More importantly, Saints are shown on Al Jazeera Sport sometimes, and next year, hopefully, on Abu Dhabi Sports if we make the Premier League.

[This Charming Man]

My mates brother worked over there as a teacher. Said the pay was brilliant and the house they were given was amazing. Though they hated it and toughed it out for 2 years purely because of the money. They couldn't wait to move back to America though.

 

They were a young couple with a baby so didn't mind up-rooting for a couple of years as they always knew it would only be a temporary thing.

[Ken Tone]

Me and the wife are seriously thinking of moving abroad, and as my wife is a teacher she can pick up work quite easily. There is a job coming up in Qatar and she is going to apply for it, and it is something we have always talked about. We would only want to go for 2/3 years and then com back.

 

Pay is good, and I will study and work part time, where she brings in the full time tax free pay. We have worked out we will be so much better off, and clear all of our debts after 2 years.

 

What do you lot think, pros and cons.

 

We will come back quite often for Saints games

 

Teaching abroad can be good or bad. I know of many who disovered the job was nothing like they thought it would be, or indeed like what was promised. Do your research very thoroughly. Also it is not always easy to get back into mainstream teaching back here after a spell abroad. ..the longer time out of the uk, the harder it gets.

[CB Saint]

My brother is currently living and working in Doha - he reckons it's a sh*thole.

 

In all seriousness though, these opportunities don't come up all that often so you should take them when they do. I moved to Sheffield for work in 2004 initially for a year, and I'm still here. Not quite as adventurous as Qatar admittedly, but so many things that I take for granted in my life now are all as a result of making that decision

 

This - I would not live there, irrespective of how much cash they flung at me

[buctootim]

Find somewhere else apart from Doha. There are international schools all over the place now, most of them in places with more going for them than the middle east. My ex taught in Bangkok for three years. Getting paid UK salary rates but tax free goes a very long way when the cost of living is perhaps a third of what it is here.

[Whitey Grandad]

It's a long trip back for home games.

[dubai_phil]

Doha is not Dubai. You will be bored to death. Going out for a dinner with a bottle of wine will cost you a fortune (as it does here)

 

As mentioned, in the summer you go nowhere apart from a Shopping Mall, but as a teahcer it is no issue as you can get the hell out

 

Dubai is best described as a City with no Soul. Doha is trying to catch up by growing very fast, BUT in all the years that it was sitting there, it had ONE huge advantage over Dubai in that it had a "proper" sense of community. The Compound living while some could find it suffocating others found it gave you the "social life" - endless dinner parties etc.

 

It is "more strict" than Dubai and has wobbles over it's policy (recently removing the Alcohol permits at a major development for example) so the culture was far more stay at home to drink than go out.

 

You will think the pay is good with accomodation provided, but then you will collapse in shock at the Utility Bills (3 or 4 times the UK) for a 4 bed villa you can get hit with 600 pound A MONTH electric bills in the summer. There will always be another "Fee"

 

BUT because you will be "doing the summer exodus" this gives you the problem of where do you stay in UK at Xmas, Summer etc. You have to consider how you will accomodate yourselves. Friends and family are very happy to see you back for a week or so....then it can get a problem so you bounce around and that increases your costs - could you REALLY spend 3 weeks living with your mother-in law?.

 

You will need a 4x4 yes partly to go off into the interior exploring at weekends in the winter but mainly to feel safe with the driving

 

MANY of the things you take for granted will be illegal so you have to have a listen and learn attitude and you HAVE to adapt. Do that and you will be fine. Go there being died in the wool Brit - you'll go nuts.

 

You won't be able to start a small business from home, you need liences and permits and offices and and and.

 

Money will seem good but it will be sucked out of you like you would not believe - making saving often VERY difficult (SO many people get into financial troubles down here you wouldn't believe it)

 

BUT. You will become an expat, you will see things differently, a weekend break will be a trip to Oman instead of Amsterdam, and a summer vacation into SE Asia will be cheaper than a flight home.

 

So advice has to be - the two of you need jobs, you can do that and then you should jump at the chance.

[Glasgow_Saint]

Didnt you once pass on an oppurtunity to live and work in Amsterdam? I think you regretted that? Youll regret this too if you dont try!!

 

BEHOLD THE TURTLE: HE ONLY MAKES PROGRESS WHEN HE STICKS HIS NECK*OUT!!

[Ohio Saint]

Before you make the leap, why not try a short stint somewhere closer to home that has a strange culture and even stranger people? Try a week in Portsmouth first.