Iowa/Las Vegas girl moving to Doha

Iowa girl

why did you said in your post that qatat is a desert ??

you are an american, people here respects european and american.

other nationalities they treat like animals, donkey and no brain.

(i am not talking in general, but i can say., most of them!)

~accept it, it's the truth~

You can't teach experience...

Welcome to Doha And wish to enjoy your new work .

Well I have been living here since 1996 almost 15 years ! The country is very safe and woman are saved very well and all thanks for her hinest Shieka Mozah ( princess of Qatar), so if any one treate you badly in public which is rarely faced .what you all need is to call the moral police and they come within 5 minutes .ALSO if any one come across your car or tried to follow you the law her for those people is gail. So here Women always on right .you would say for me why strat telling me about this .Well you have to know your rights before comming.Because most European have freek idea about arab women's and the way they are treated.

Also becareful about the way of dressing .in America you guys wear different than us to open ( you know what I mean ...short s, strapless .....etc).Here In Qatar its eligable to wear but you will notice that some ladies wear like this but be careful. I know one of the ladies called the moral police for another lady who was wearing in unrespectful way for culture ( offensive ).

Also you have to accept the crowd specially during the time between 12:00-2:00PM . During summer country streets are empty so enjoy it .

And when you come if you are interested to know about the cutlture call stenden institute they offer 4 classes for foriegners to now about arabic culture.So you can have a clear idea about the values .rituals and many other things .And don't forget when you arrive to ask about the direction of souq wakef so you can live the culture !!!!!

any thing you want please don't hesitate to ask :)

1. Initially when I came to Qatar I had a different opinion of the Qataris, I saw them as rude people, but getting to know them I found that the majority are nice people just with a different way of thinking. Like everywhere else you'll find good and bad people.

2.Living as a woman alone in this Country is not easy, specially if you come from a Country like yours, but luckily Qatar is not as conservative as Saudi Arabia, so coping with this cultural issue is easier. Sometimes you'll find people staring at you or following you in the supermarket, but this is because of demography. In Qatar more than 80% of the population are men.

3)The biggest shock in my opinion is the heat during summertime, it can reach up to 120F, but also the reckless driving, the language barrier in some places, not many things to do in the city, but the most important of all is that Qatar is a safe place, this is one of the things that money can't buy.

Enjoy

hi friend, a very good answer from you. yes we should respect their culture.

American Grill??

Qatar is such a nice place minus the heat. And Qataris are very nice and warm, they say sorry, they give way been here for one year and I haven't experience any bad locals. Hope you'll like it here. There is even an american grill here!

Been here 2 years, 20 years in the Middle East, easy living, great people, crazy drivers and lots to do if you are willing to go out and do things.

Doha definitely needs a showgirl or two,,,, :)

Sugardady,

I agree and what happened in vegas stays in vegas...lol

No really, people here over speed in a very narrow roads. I am starting to do the same so the other day I got a radar ticket...yaaaaaaaahoo

Hi and welcome to Doha, i will tell u something quick, i am Canadian, i have always thought the same way ur thinking now, but when i moved here it is so different than what u hear from others. It is a beautiful country to live on. Be happy that ur coming here and good luck.

Abaya= dress like a ninja, just dress conservative and properly don't need "NO ABAYA"! You are not Moslem, so ignore it.

I have been living here since August last year. I see this is a good and safe place to live in here. Everyone is so friendly. You might face problem in driving. I am comparing in how we use to drive in USA. Otherwise, you will enjoy it here.

That's their trap.. They are very nice to people till they land in Qatar and once you do arrive here, you will see a huge banner in the Airport, Gotcha ;-)

"Live with passion, Die with style"

be open to the culture and religion of the country that you are going to be in.

dress code is important,no short hems and plunging necklines.

learn the language.

and lastly learn from us here in QL,as we have been residing here for the logest time EVER...LOL

again,goodluck.

Once again, you all have been great. I apologize for not being able to respond to everyone right now. Just know that I've read everything that's been sent and I'm incredibly grateful for all the wonderful tips. I am already starting to see that I will not be without friends :) Thanks again and I'll talk to everyone soon!

Hi there - I've sent an IM personal message that I hope will be helpful.

And, as a rule, Baldrick is generally right.

Best,

M_t_M

Hey Iowa Girl!!

I have been 3 years in UAE and this is my second in Qatar.

You can tell your parents that Qatar is a very safe place with people from all oer the world.

Beeing an expat requires adjustments to culture and I am sure the girls would let u know about it mainly for Public Places.

Be nice, Be you, Be open, Be friendly and Kepp your eyes open!!

good luck

I will show you around if we will work for the same company.:)

Unfortunately, Oppa is talking out his bum! There's lots to do if you get off your backside and look for it.

To answer your points:

1) The only thing I've found that offends is - Don't overtake a Qatari in your car - they don't like it and will have to overtake you back to save face! ;o)

2) You'll be treated just fine. So long as you respect Islam, everyone will respect you.

3) There are no real shocks here. The driving can be scary (especially if you have to rely on taxis) and you will be disappointed that some things don't happen as quick as in the 'west', but after 18 years in the Gulf, I've just learned to live with it and go with the flow.

Whts the problem dear.

Ppl r living here and living there. it just depends on u that how could u adjust urself in any place.

Most of you talking about the dress codes..

I have seen lot of westerners (wement) joggging at Corniche without wearing moderate dresses..Has anyone dared to talk to them not to repeat so..I doubt! I think that is the cause for too many accidents on corniche street in the mornings..

Driving Qatar towards an intelligent future....

well i think all the comments before cover almost everything. It is nice to live here but you will have some difficulty getting used to the heat in the summer. keep your cloths simple, ignore men looks and everything will be fine.

good luck and welcome to qatar.

Been here nearly 4 years now after working in Saudi Arabia for 12 years! I, for one, would say Qatar is bliss after where I've been -- as far as restrictions go. Yeah, no need to wear the Abaya (the black cape-like thingy that goes on top of anything you're wearing). When outside your residence, you only need to be modest with what you wear (meaning show minimal skin & curves as much as possible) and you'll be fine. Stares-- well you've got light skin--light always draws the eyes. Just ignore them & go about your business. If someone accosts you (a rarity--tell your family there), just holler for the police even if there's none on sight -- people would immediately know there's something wrong & they'd come to your aid. The Qataris in general are very respectfull & polite people compared to most mid-eastern nationalities--that's my opinion anyway.

So yeah...come on over & join the fun!!! I think this is the safest place in the Middle East!

I've been living in Qatar since childhood and its a really nice and peaceful place. You'll find it a good experience living here. As everyone said, clothing will be a problem for you as the dress code here is a tad different from the west. You can wear western clothes here but not the revealing types. Climate wont pose much of a problem becuse you'll eventually get accustomed to it, besides there are A.C.'s everywhere. You'll loads of shopping to do here, nice beaches, duning, jet-skiing and much much more. E-mail me ([email protected]) if you wanna buddy to show you around. You just got your first friend here.....

Qatar is a safe place to live in, you don't have to wear Abaya either, I see people with shorts and tank tops all the time, no one bothers to tell them anything, but its better to wear long cloths.

Your biggest shock would be the way people are driving here, they drive very reklessly and mostly they have round abouts in the intersections which makes it very unsafe. When I got here 3+ years ago I got my licence in one day but now they require Americans to take driving classes.

It gets very hot here in summer, but I think it wouldn't be much worse than Vegas.

Good luck to you.

"I'd love to change the world, but I can't find a big enough diaper"

the big adjustment for you in doha! have no life... life here in doha its only work and house sleep eat.. thats it.. no night life and too much rules.. u better stay there in vegas maybe u just stay just a week or a days only here and go home.. if u really wanna go here read also about there culture../ goodluck..

Marycatherine- You have one of my favorite responses...not gonna lie, your "can't fix stupid" at the end made me laugh. I love Ron White. Thank you for your advice; it makes sense and I'll definately take it to heart.

EVERYONE- You've all been great. Thank you for such a kind a nd thoughful response. The humidity thing took me by surprise. Here I thought "I can handle the desert, I love the dry heat." But of COURSE there will be humidity. Oh well...I grew up with it, I'm sure I'll live :) Thanks again, everyone!

Stop watching (and keep your relatives from watching) CNN or Fox Spews. Neither of which give any real news about this region.

Are there "restrictions" compared with North America/Eurpean type living styles - yes. But if you cover your knees and your elbows in public, are as respectful as you would be meeting a high level public official (as you would a complete stranger - not in a bar) until you got the lay of the land. You'll be OK.

One big piece of advice, take any info from people who work together, travel to and from work together, socialize together and live together in the same compound/apartment building together with a big grain of salt. They have little to no concept of what life in the GCC is because they don't experience it.

Sit back, look around, listen more than you speak and you will be ok.

Signature line > "You can't fix stupid"

I'm here since 3 month and I feel good here

All Qatari people that I met here were very nice and very respectful, the bad thing is for me that you don't have lot of oportunity to meet some if you're not qatari yourself or if you don't speak arabic.

otherwise it's a very safe country and you can find whatever you need ( almost ;) ).

From my point of view (and it's very personnal) perhaps it miss some subversion in this society. Which is something that I understand regarding the absence of misery here, but I still miss it from my country.

the thing that I love in Qatar is the environment, specialy the desert. Being american I think you will have oportunities to find expat friends to bring you here. A great feeling when you're in the middle of the dune

regards

* be modest in your clothes (no minis, no sleeveless shirts/blouse and take care of your cleavage - although you will see other women who flaunts them)

* i feel safe. . . running by myself in corniche. . .grocery shopping. . .taking pictures (one time a Qatari couple even approached me and we have a nice conversation. . .really nice couple)

* the very first advise of my bro when I arrived here, don't make eye contact (especially to the men who stares at you. . . and you will have that a lot!!!)

and as postmodernman said above. . .the bureaucracy. . .you got to have patience. . .we / you can't make them rush (by the way, you can be on queue. . .but if a Qatari cut you on line, let them pass. . ."patience is a virtue" anyways)

best of all. . .enjoy Qatar =)

Come with an open mind. Meaning, forget the "in america we do this" mentality. its a different country, with a different culture. I love it here. They are open to other culture but they impose that we respect thier traditions and culture.

like any other place it has its positives and negatives, as long as you focus on the positive, you will be ok... a lot of us has thrived here and learned to love the culture and the place, humidity and all! :-)

I wanted to write pointwise but I saw "postmodernman" has already posted it alike.In nutshell, Qatar is safe place to live and work. People, in general, are polite (it also depends how you behave to them too).

The best part is, you can "feel" the WORLD here when almost all nationalities are here.

come and enjoy...you will love it

1) There are many excellent Qataris - but it's the impolite ones, especially the bad drivers who get all the press. I have had many excellent encounters with citizens.

2) Qatar is a very safe place, if you have to move to the Middle East, this is an excellent choice. Its safe, quiet and open to people of many cultures and faiths. Like any country, you have to be careful where you go, but even then it's not too bad.

As a woman, as long as you cover your shoulders, elbows and knees, you should be okay. Dress conservatively and you'll do fine. As a guy, i've had non-Qataris stare at me if I have my knees exposed, but that's their problem.

There are areas of town that are full of single men, you may wish to avoid them. The guys will stare at you openly, but they won't approach you or be inappropriate. They do that at home to!

3). Culture shock - the bureaucracy can be a nightmare to negotiate. Anything official has to have a stamp on it, they don't care what the document says, but if it's got a stamp it must be true! However, it's gotten a lot better in the past several years.

Biggest culture shock for me was realizing that I needed to have my sponsors approval to leave the country. But as long as you have a good employer, you should be fine.

We love it here, the lifestyle is great, it's close to wonderful travel opportunities and it's safe to live here.

welcome

Hey...u r welcome to new world....its way too different if u compare with USA....its kinda conservative and restrictive in many ways in qatar....but, if u respect local cultures and local laws.....its safe like heaven....first thing u shud do in qatar, is making many friends from different parts of the world.....so u will have good weekends in their company..otherwise u have no other option then to roam in malls and beaches and time pass....as there is not much to do here on weekends...

and, when u will come to qatar, it will be hottest time of the year...so be prepared...mentally...

dEV,

Bad is never good untill worse happens...

Glad to have you join us! Whitefeather has given good advice.

You can also check out the Qatar Guide for some more info. The section on Local Qatari Culture may be useful.

:)

Qatar is a very safe country...

Lots of Americans live here..single and family..

As long as you dress modestly (no mini skirts/mini shorts or low cut neck in public places)..and respect the culture you wont have any problem...not many clubs or night life..

It will a different experience for you...

Hi Iowa Girl,

Welcome to Doha.. its a good place, 5 months( Oct to Feb) the weather is good and the other 7 months (March to Sep )its hot. Its not a very busy place so you can have a lot of time for yourself,and about the locals , its the same like every country where you will find a mix of people and majority of them are nice people.

Come with a open mind i think you will able to adapt to Doha.

1) Just be polite ( obviously you are). (I'm Qatari)

2) Well here since Qatar is a Muslim country we treat women like they are supposed to be treated.

" Abu Hurayra stated, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The most perfect of believers in belief is the best of them in character. The best of you are those who are the best to their women.'"

3) The heat maybe and I'd say the staring from men. I'd strongly suggest when you get here to get yourself an abaya, it'll really cut down on those stares.