Moving to Qatar - The Low Down
Hi there everyone,
We might be moving to Qatar (Doha), and i have a few questions that i hope someone can answer for me.
- What should the average salary expectation be for an Project IT/ Office Manager be?
- What is the norm for inclusions in my package on top of the initial salary, IE: Housing, Schooling, Relocation, Medical?
- We currently live in a large 3 bedroom house(Villa) in our home country and i would like to have the same as a minimum in Doha, what can we expect to pay for a nice 3 bedroom villa in Doha?
- What are the good suburbs to be in, that are close to schools etc etc for a South African family?
- How esy is it to buy and finance a car in Doha? We would be looking for a medium size SUV/ 4x4 and then a nice run around car? (Pajero, Prado, Fortuner, Jeep Cherokee)
- How much would the above cars cost per month on repayments? Or where could i research this?
- What are the pitfalls, that no-one tells you about?
- What are the good things that we can look forward to?
- Any idea on where i would be able to ride my quad bikes?
- How easy would it be to bring my Quads into Qatar?
- What are the school systems like for Expats? I have 1 child who is currently in his first year of school(He is 6 and a half)
I guess i could go on and on and on so any insight into any of the above would be greatly appreciated.
Hey there,
Thanks for that, i have read up that housing seems to be a very costly thing, i cant believe the price of accom. I would deff look for a Villa, and i guess u r right, a compound would be the best bet.
Just on the salary thing, i currently in a salary in SA Rand, and the conversion into Riyals is 1QR=2SA Rand, so as an eg: are you saying that if i earn 10 000 rand, i would be be earning 10 000 QR? Or are u saying that i will earn 5000 QR (Rand/2)?
As you'll see elsewhere on the site, housing is expensive. Rents continue to increase, so it's impossible to say how much it will cost when you arrive.
As you have small children, you might think about living on a compound, which has safe roads for kids. This might cost you 15-20K QAR.
> What should the average salary expectation be for an Project IT/
> Office Manager be?
If you come from a high-tax economy, a good salary is probably the same as in your own country. Of course, because there's no personal taxation, your take-home pay will be much greater.
> How much would the above cars cost per month on repayments?
> Or where could i research this?
You won't be able to buy a car until you have residency, which might take a while. Expect to pay 2000QAR/month to rent a small family car.
> What are the school systems like for Expats? I have 1 child who
> is currently in his first year of school(He is 6 and a half)
You need to make a choice - British or US curriculum. To get your kid into a decent school next academic year, you need to apply now:
http://www.dess.org/Structure/s01_frames.htm
http://www.dohacollege.com/p_index.htm
http://www.asd.edu.qa/