Job offer in Doha for Al Jazeera

Tom,

Welcome to the strangest place on planet earth. this whole place is like Quantum physics... a giant mind **** :)

After living here you will learn a few things:

1- It is NEVER about money only

2- Taking a bath is a bliss for some and a nightmare for others

3- Fat chicks can be real picky in some parts of the world

4- There is either right or wrong but in here they can coexist together in the same time :)

Enjoy and always be positive!

Tom i am working in Aljazeera , its a good place to put on your cv , give it a try .

the salary is good as u can pay 7000 Qr for a nice one br fully furnished , you can use the car loan with the furniture allowance to buy a nice car , but don't think of Audi as the distributor here is not that good. the electricity and water are free for you as u r working in aljazeera, you can spend between 5000 to 7000 depends on your life style, go for it and if u need any support contact me on [email protected]

half of my country people are working for al-jazeera for free, which i am glad about it to spread our voice so i think your offer is much better :D

1 Year experience in M.K Trading Company In Bangalore, Karnataka India.

Ability to work with little or no supervision while effectively supervising the work of others.

Ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently.

your "package" is not a big deal. but obviously attractive for "travel" for 2-3 years.

And not too far from where he would work...

FS: Last post for a weeek I promise...

genesis, no I meant the NOC, with which he would be able to find another job if he lost the current one, and therefore would be able to pay off his debt before being able to exit.

Hello linc,

Thank you very much for your detailed analysis of what to do in Doha. It is really appreciated. I have a few of those perks that you mentioned, like the completion of contract bonus.

Got to rush so speak more soon

:)

An OK offer, but not great. This is from my perspective--North American expat with a family (but with plenty of single male colleagues from the US and UK) who lived in the UK for ten years.

A decent--and by that a mean a couple of years old and a reasonably safe size (small cars here are a death wish)--car will cost about about 30,000 to run, including loan payment, insurance, maintenance, etc. Leasing costs about 50% more than buying, but includes insurance, maintenance, etc. My car allowance is 2,000 a month, and does not cover the full cost of owning and maintaining a modestly equipped full-size SUV.

In the current downturn in the rental market, 84,000 will get you an OK place, but not great. Top apartments with great amenities and maintenance service (very important here if you plan to spend your time working rather than fixing cracked tiles all day) in good areas will run about 10-15k a month, but will include all utilities, basic satellite, internet, appliances, furniture, etc. Vegas is right that you can go lower and still be safe and comfortable. Best thing to do is to come out for a couple of days and look around at a range of places. It will be well worth the cost of a plane ticket in the end. You can also always opt for a shorter lease a more expensive place and then look around for something cheaper once you are here.

The salary is not bad, and once you sort out the real cost of housing and a car, your expenses will not be much higher than in the UK. Food is roughly the same; petrol is effectively so cheap it is free. Alcohol, while not is plentiful, is roughly the same price, too. So you are really just left with entertainment.

One thing you should also look at is health coverage. The medical system here is not unlike the NHS--good in cases of major emergencies, but overstretched for preventative care, routine procedures, etc. As a result, many companies provide supplemental private insurance (akin to Bupa) for use in the extensive private medical market. I have kids, which means constant visits to doctors for minor things, and I only I end up at the doctor about once a year myself. Anyway, something to think about. My guess is that Al Jazeera offers it to at least some of its employees, and it is probably worth negotiating to ensure you are one of them. I had not given it a great deal of thought before I came to Qatar, but I am forever grateful that my employer had.

Other fairly common perks for Western professionals--travel allowance (usually the cost of a business class ticket for each family member), communications allowance (to cover the cost running a mobile phone, etc.), completion of contract bonus (usually a couple of thousand pounds for each year of the contract period you complete). Not all places offer these (and they are not essential), but it never hurts to ask if you are in a position to negotiate.

Good luck.

I think what you meant to write , he'll need an exit permit. NOC is given to transfer jobs!

In his case, He'll be given paid multiple exit permits . In addition Aljazeera Human resources has a 24hr standby employees to settle any exit issues of their staff

I seen so many peeople get screwed...

Apt rates have come down...

You can get a nice apt for 5-6K now.

The one we were in before went from 8K to 5500

If your pay will double n no taxes it's a no brainer decision.

Haha I think an Audi is slowly slipping out of consideration then.... Maybe a three wheeler Fiesta from 1987 ???

avvid,

Hello, I am thinking this all the time. Basically with Al Jazeera on my CV I should be able to get a television job back in London or in the US a bit easier than if I didnt have them on my CV. They are a huge organisation so it can only be a step up in my television career.

nomerci,

That sounds quite scary!! Because of this I will not be taking out any loans at all now so I cant risk that happening..

The car loan Al Jazeera are offering is interest free and I'm sure I'll be able to pay that one back in time...

It is really exciting nontheless...

i wish i could this offer :P

Tom, also, IF you take out a loan, and something, god forbid, goes bad, you lose your job, can't pay the loan, quite frankly, you will 100% effed. You will not be able to leave the country, you will, unless your former employer gives you NOC, (No objction letter), which most likely they won't,not be able find another job, you are stuck. Has happened before, will happen again.

I am not saying this will happen to you, but it can.Taking out a loan here can be risky.

Research my friend, research VERY WELL.

Think about where you'd like to be in 5 years. Saving 1000 pounds a month may sound great. But what is this job going to do for you? How will it add value to you?

Unless you plan to take the $$ and start out on your own.

The package is great for someone starting out. As for rents, you can always share with someone. A 2nd hand BMW 3 is about 80000 riyals, so you can afford the car.

... you will need more like 800 Pounds a month!

And the resale value... bad.

You might as well invest in a 4x4 for that price which will allow you dune bashing and going out in the desert when the weather is cooler. You will find that is a much better way of meeting new people and making new friends.

Hey Nomerci,

Yeah have and will continue to research Al Jazeera ahead of the big move. Its quite a scary prospect leaving behind my life I have here and all my friends however I have to think about my career and the future..

Where would anyone recommend I live? I would like somewhere nice with good living conditions and other expats around me so I can make friends and feel comfortable in my new surroundings

Thanks people

ok Tom, if you double your money , good for you.

One more thing though, you might want to research Al Jazeera in depth too.....

If it's better than you have now and it's a step-up career move, welcome to Doha!

Mandi

Hi Tom,

Take the package and fly out to Qatar without double thoughts. You will be able to Save since you are getting house allowence/rent. Accomodation is the most expensive item in Qatar. Food is also some what in high price compared to UK. but over all it will balance out with Tax free package and NO VAT to pay.

I belive UK citizen do not pay Tax if they are working overseas. But U.S citizen do. so it's a win win situation if you can handle the weather :)

Hello Nomerci,

How are you? Hope all is well. Thank you for your feedback once again.

Yes I have learned that too from speaking to various people. The way I look at it is that although it seems a bit low it is still better than what I am on in the UK. It is also a fantastic career step for me to go on and achieve bigger and better things for the next ten years.

I am pretty much doubling current salary, and it will be tax free with a housing allowance towards where I live. I may have to dip into my own savings to combine with the housing allowance as I want to live somewhere where I feel comfortable as at the minute I live in a modern apartment in a city centre.

That is the fear about how expensive it is as ideally I would like to save money and be able to live a decent standard of living. Its very tough and its like tug of war in my head but the opportunity seems too good to turn down.

Especially being able to live in the sunshine for a change as our summer was over by the end of June!

Speak soon

Tom :)

:)

you guys werent missed on QL so you can go back from where you came :D

Welcome back Vegas

I think it's cheaper to eat out...

Tom, you have to understand something. Here in Qatar people are somewhat categorized. There are a lot of people from developing countries, who live very different from people from other countries. They are paid according to nationality, therefore the gap can be very big.

The people that say you will be fine, or even say your package(lol) is good, are usually from developing countries.

Qatar is relatively expensive, especially if you want to keep the standard that you are used to in the UK.

Just 40K USD is not that much...

And once you convert to the pound???

Hmmmm, some people say I cant save much, then others say I should be fine depending on how crazy I live. But I will be sensible with my money...

Its a great opportunity for my career however. But I hope I can at least live a comfortable lifestyle.

But I don't think you will be able to save much...

a corolla doesnt sound that exciting haha! I was thinking of using the loan then using some of my own money to put towards a car. For example how much would it be a month for an audi? £300/400 p/m?

this is an exciting prospect nontheless! :)

The salary is 12,000 a month... You will be able to buy a 4-year-old or older Corolla or something similar with a quite high mileage. You will have electricity, water and Internet bills. A beer in a pub costs you at least 30 Riyals. For 7,000 Riyals a month you will get a small 2-bedroom apartment. Furniture allowance is fine. You'll be lucky if you can save £1,000 a month and remember that the Pound is strengthening towards the Qatari Riyal.

hi, thanks again for your responses.

haha I like the www.expatwomen.com suggestion! As that was a worry I wouldnt meet many due to most ladies having to wear burkhas out there.

I am only 3 years into my television career as I only graduated from university in 2007.

I do all sorts over here in England. I work in sports media and I do various work like sutdio graphics, studio cameras, researching, a bit of producing, ingesting onto servers, floor managering and other technical duties. An all rounder so this is my next big step I suppose. And although it seems low, it is better than my current salary in England and its tax free..

Keep the responses coming, they are helpful :)

Salary seems low as per Al-Jazeera's standards...it also depends on your career level. For mid career, this package seems low.

Tom, please do yourself a favour and research this a bit more thoroughly.

although you are a guy, the girls on www.expatwoman.com will be happy to help you.

They may be able to give you a bit more realistic info, like mandilulur did.

Hmmm, your housing allowance is only 7,000 QR/month. That's a little low for a really nice apartment. And the car loan might buy you a used Corolla. The salary is OK, but you can compare that with the UK for yourself. It's GOT to be more than you're making or you don't want to bother to come.

Mandi

hello people!

Thanks for your responses! It is really appreciated. I wont be having a crazy lifestyle. I just want to live comfortably. I would like a nice apartment, a nice car preferably an audi of some sort. I like to eat out at nice restaurants a couple of times a week and maybe have a couple of beers on the weekend. I also want and need to save some cash too...

Is there much to do socially out in Doha? I have read various forums and people have moaned alot that there is nothing to do other than go to the shopping mall or the desert!...

Thanks! :)

get married soon and they will add you more!

good offer.

I think its a wonderful package ... but i dont knw wat kind of life style are u leading.... if u r leading a normal life style its worth coming here... here thr is worries of taxes and stuffs....it seems u ill b getting 20000/month wich is a good price..... according to my opinion 10000 qrs is enough for a bachelor to live a good life in qatar....