Are the women who are working in Qatar glad they made the choice?

one more thing I just though of, about the language barrier. I was saying that I have no problems but that could be just me and my limited experience here.I am given to understand that there will be a lot of difficulty at govt depts if you don't speak Arabic. Getting your message across can be problematic.

You didn't say what you'll be doing over here, whether you are an entrepreneur and as such, will need to do a lot of running around and sorting things out by yourself. If you are with an established company or one which has been here for a few years and learned their lessons the hard way, then you'd have less to worry about. I wouldn't say nothing to worry about.. but less.

Sorry, to correct my post above - I'm happy living AND working in Qatar - the exit permit - helps in work related issues.

I am treated with respect in my workplace and I presume that women in Qatar generally are. The few govt depts, I've been to, it appears to be so.

General rationale for that can be quite simple. We are rare. And being meticulous and capable, we are even more rare. But I can't say the same for EVERY job here because I don't know. And I also can't say but figure that there are who take advantage of this protectionist policies to be lazy and unethical, etc. Hope you don't meet those scumbaggettes when you get here.

Hope that helps.

I'm not in my 40s or 50s and I have only been here for slightly over 3 months - thus, my answer will be qualified and may or may not be relevant to you.

Anyway, I am happy with my choice of living in Qatar. I'm reasonably conservative and as such, I prefer the quiet lifestyle that Qatar offers. I love socialising but I also love quiet times on my own. What I like very much about this place is that it is quite safe for women here. The laws and the enforcement of the same make me feel safe. Initially, I wasn't so sure about that.

There are some things which I hear other people complain about - the need for an exit permit - which I actually think is a good thing (provided the sponsor is not unfair and if unfair, there should be an efficient avenue for redress - I have no comment about this as I don't know).

IMO, I think the exit permit thing, while it can be construed as "slavery" and serious curtailment of freedom, but I see it as protective. People think twice before committing a crime as their sponsor may not sign the exit permit and offender is "in virtual jail", he/she cannot leave the country and will be located eventually to answer for that crime. It also helps in a management PoV - problematic staff have to behave till they leave the country. Many ways of interpreting problematic staff, we all hope we have fair employers and sponsors and in the event of a genuine problem, there should be a system to deal with genuine complaints. I haven't found that out as yet. 3 months is too short to discover Qatar and I'm too busy at work.

Language is generally not a barrier as most people I come across can speak English. Housing is extremely expensive, so might have to share, hence no privacy.

Corporate housing - furnished - mine yes, with just basic stuff and I'm fine with that. But it depends on your expectations. If you can live a simple austere life like me, then no problem. If you expect classy furniture, designer style homes, if you can afford it, you can get it but at a price. A hefty one, I might add.

Relatively easy to get furniture and appliances but again, it depends on your expectations. IMO, nothing like Malaysia. But it'll burst my kitty if I buy from home and ship it here. So, I'll just live with what I am given. When I can afford more, I'll buy more but until then... there are more important things in life, to me, than things.

Good Mornings Dear Amela ,

well Doha is nice , it takes time to fit in , manage and then live life to its fullest , dont rush into things .

It also depends on what kind of work ur doing and how much time u have to explore and spend time into living ...

If U r a slow rider then u have a plus

wish u good luck , realy Doha is nice once u get used to it .

Fortunately or unfortunately, I did not make the choice of working and staying in Qatar.. My parents did way back in 1979 when we moved here and I was just 5 years old. I grew up here and now working here as well in an esteemed organization. But now I think I have had enough that is why I am planning to shift to Canada as soon as possible.. But it is not a bad place to live if you have a family like husband and kids.. But for a single woman like me, it is not that much fun..

Firstly, im a guy of 28 but would still be able to give you an idea of what you may be trying to find about Qatar. I'd answer your questions the way you asked them and elaborate wherever necessary. One of the things i must mention is Qatar is a costly place w.r.t housing and accommodation. Public transport is woefully inefficient and one must've his/her own car. Qatar has muslim laws but hindrance or inconvenience to other communities don't exist. Although Arabic is largely spoken in public places(especially in Traffic and Police Deptt.), English is still the language used commercially here. Its an easy going place and one adjusts to this new culture and environment rather seamlessly. There is decorum and discipline to be observed w.r.t. dressing code in the open but then still women are at liberty to wear what they feel keeping in mind they're in a muslim country. Women are treated with utmost respect anywhere, may it be a workplace or in the open and thats one hallmark of muslim culture. Housing is just costly but comes with modern amenities and cool standards. Corporate housing comes fully furnished and perhaps with transportation too. If not, then appliances, furnishing, grocery, stationery is easy available in malls and supermarkets that are strewn all around. You may complain about far too less places to go around on weekends except lovely beaches, cinema, restaurants, bars, etc. Overall people usually don't regret coming to Qatar and you sure won't. Btw, I've been here since last 13 months.

Hello there.

I'm not in my 40s/50s, but 30s - so I hope that will do! I came to Doha from London about seven months ago. I don't regret the decision, but would caution you on a few things drawn from my own personal experience. If you're going to work in a firm of like minded ex-pat's and a good mix of locals - I'm sure you're going to be absolutely happy. If, like me, you're in an office of males with an average age of 55, all arab nationals, hardly any women - then it might be a bit of a challenge. I don't speak arabic and everyone else in the office does - but that isn't so much of an issue as industries here generally have to do most of their communications in the English language anyway. As for getting around - you'll definitely need a car! Taxis are hard to come by and you'll find you love it here more if you have that independence of driving. Free time, you can play golf, go to the cinema, QL site is great for letting you know about stuff going on. There are bars (mainly in hotels) nice restaurants - and great weather! Go for it! Best of luck.