THINKING OF MOVING TO QATAR FROM LONDON, UK
Hi, All
I am British and currently work in London, UK for a private equity US firm as an Accountant and looking move to Qatar or the UAE to gain international exposure.
I have a young family and don't want to make any rash decisions so would appreciate if you can give me an honest feedback on the following questions.
1. Is it best to secure a job before coming out to Qatar or can I just come out on a visit and apply while I am in Qatar? I have spoke to few agencies in Dubai and they all said employers are looking for people who are already based in the GCC region.
2. I have more than ten years of experience so what sort of salary and benefits should I be asking for ?
3. Which recruitment agencies in Qatar would you recommend for Accounting and Finance jobs?
4. From experience, do you prefer living in Qatar or the UAE.
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Cheers
Hussein
huss: you also need to tell us what salary are you drawing at the moment, before and after tax. That way one can calculate roughly the fair value.
Thank you
1. Get a job before you come out. Coming here with no job - regardless of experience - and looking for work will be a nightmare.
2. Get school places sorted for your kids. It's another nightmare issue long documented on Qatar Living.
3. Don't believe anything you are told. See with your own eyes because everything in Doha is a mirage.
Thank you all for your comments, really appreciated.
Londonlad, I haven't got big 4 experience but I would say i have a solid experience in different sectors, currently work in financial services. Held different roles from management accountant to finance manager and have managed finance departments.
Brother Hussein,
Come for holidays to see it around, but do not come here looking for a job. Serious waste of time, and you will be given lower offer (if any) as previously mentioned by other commentators.
10 years Accounts experience of number crunching doesn't really mean much. You need to expand a bit more to explain what level of seniority and experience you currently have in the UK? What salary are you drawing in UK at the moment? Do you have big4 experience? etc.
Only on that basis I or anyone else can reasonably suggest what kind of job offer you should consider (sort of like fair price).
DO NOT EVEN CONTEMPLATE MOVING HERE.....b4 u get ur children booked in2 a school!!! they are full & the waiting lists for Brit curriculum schools is around 1-2 years.
yes u wont get any valid experience on ur CV by working in the Gulf as they wanna learn from us!!
think hard & careful b4 u make this giant leap.....think outside the box, cover all angles, what u save in tax here will be spent on schools & living here is very exspensive compared to UK......however i do wish u all the luck & hope whatever u decide u will be very happy
If you come now, make sure you get a decent villa because u aint going outside with the kids during the day...stinking hot mate, enough to kill a cow. Oh, and theres a massive shortage of school places,also most teachers generally leave after 2years tops because thats what most folk can handle here....so therefor no continuity for your kids
Its a tough place mate, do your homework
I support dweller in that Qatar is good for family if you have good salary and interested in savings. However U.A.E (Dubai) is better for lifestyle but no savings. I am now in Qatar and previously lived in Dubai for 8 yrs.
Applying from within state will not be in your best interests. You could be treated as a local recruit with cut down benefits.
We enjoyed Qatar for 15 years although it wasn't as developed when we left in 1997.
Lived in Abu Dhabi for over two years and also enjoyed it as it had more to offer at the weekend. Dubai can get very expensive. We always considered Dubai as the option for younger people that wanted to spend and Abu Dhabi for those that wanted to save.
I strongly recommend that you get recruited out of country. In my experience, local hires tend to get much less compensation / perks. I did 6 years in London before coming here and have spent about 6 1/2 in Doha. Without a doubt, I would say London was much more enjoyable (quality of life, etc). Of course it all depends where you come from and what you are looking for. There are quite a few families that seem to enjoy it here.
I agree to aussiedd. Once you get 20K + Qatari Riyals Offer, grab it but make sure it can hold your lifestyle.
Wouldn't say 99% of brits are unhappy, there are a large number of people from the UK here, many have been here for many years.
I would move once you have a job. Ideally take a holiday to come and see both places.
Not sure what an accountant with 10+ years earns, but your 2 biggest areas of expenditure are your housing and kids school. On "average" for a 3 bed room villa in a compound you will be paying between 10 and 14K QR per months. You can pay and you can pay less, but that is average. Since you are from the UK then search the web for the following UK based curriculum schools, these are not the only ones, but a sample to give you indicative costs. DESS, Doha College, Sherbourne, Park House English School, Doha British School, International school of London.
As the first respondent say, QP, Qatar GAs, Ras GAS, Qatar Airways, Qatar Foundation are the better local employers in terms of packages, usually their packages includes accommodation, kids school fees, car loan and return air fare.
UAE is a more liberal than Qatar,and Qatar is more liberal than Saudi. I have not lived in UAE but visited it a few times, there is definitely alot more to do there, but I prefer Qatar having a family, but that is a personal choice.
HTH
99% of Brits have very negative opinion of Qatar , in Qatar living , Always unhappy of something..