salaries and savings in qatar
As a mechanical engineer with MBA, I am currently working at a multinational company in India - Supply Chain Manager with over 10 years experience. I get a decent package of around INR 1.5 million per year (US$30000 p.a) in New Delhi. I would like to know what are the salary packages that are offered to professionals at similar managerial levels (say 8-12 years experience) in Qatar. Of course, it would vary from company to company and also person to person. But I just wanted to have a general idea on the prevailing job market scenario in Qatar.
- is the cost of living high in Qatar vis-a-vis salaries offered by private companies?
- what is the savings potential in Qatar? let us say, how much money can I expect to save in 3-5 years before returning back to India?
As of now, I want a change from the high pressure lifestyle in Delhi, security issues and other day-to-day problems which we face here in India. I am exploring options of moving out of the country for a few years and Qatar is one place which I am considering seriously. I would appreciate the inputs from people who have relocated there esp from India. It would be great to hear from someone who has experienced life in India as well as Qatar.
I am an Engineer(Instrumentation)with 5 years exp in gulf and india altogether. Want to get out of middle east and stay in India. Could you help?? I appreciate any input
stay in india and be contented with what you earn there rather than taking a risk with no assurance.
i stay in philippines, why do i have to go to other countries, i am already earning dollars here..
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I earn $500 a day!with proofs!
richdeeglam/-a-t-/gmail.com
bitsy.me/736
i earn $500 a day!
bitsy.me/736
did you join in Qatar? are you satisfied with the above comments?
Peace
Just stay in India.. but still the decision depends on you!
The bottom line is it all depends on the company or your sponsor. its how they treat you.
Dear Sra No thanks
I have my own contact In india for getting Jobs, not need any advise/helps also I know better than you how to look for job changes :), thank you.
Frustrated? yes I am Frustrated, but now you could not understand, so I suggest you have try to get a job over here and experience.
Also Iam living with family, not in a bachilor status.
Sorry if you feel I am discouraging/irritating.
ISHU369: thanks for the update. it is encouraging to hear on the positive side of living in Qatar. you have rightly summed up that savings are important for expats especially for Asians.
thanks everyone for contributing /replying to this post. i guess, just like everywhere else, life in qatar has its own benefits and challenges. i am trying to summarize what i could gather from the various responses from this discussion:
Positive aspects of living in Qatar:
1. Reasonable salaries (almost 2-3 times higher than India)
2. Tax free benefits
3. Good saving opportunities
4. Safe and secure place to live
5. large expat population (mixed cultures)
Negatives:
1. Poor work culture
2. Discrimination (esp against Asian migrants)
3. Expensive housing and children's education
4. Family Visa problem if salary is below 10k
Please feel free to add your own comments on +ves and -ves in the list.
ultimately, one has to figure out his/her own priorities in life , no matter where he/she lives and works. Thanks!!
i guess it depends on what company you are planning to join and what benefits you will receive. I understand your concern of security and being with my family here, I really love the peace of living we have comparing to my and my husbands home country.
However, I think you have to be careful and intelligent in choosing the job you plan to stay with. While I know that other comments are true, it will all depend on your needs. Just have an open mind on each options that come your way and then decide if it is suitable not only for you but for your family as well.
Good Luck!
you would definitely get more than what you make in india. and the place is pretty safe and tax free. savings is what every expats especially the Asians do expect to do.
the accommodation is bit expensive here and if you intend to live with family its going to cost you more. the schools are too expensive if your company dont provide education allowance.
GENERAL_DISARRAY: thanks buddy! i appreciate your practical update from a day-to-day reality perspective. although i have travelled to middle-east on short visits but never worked there. i have also heard about some of horror stories from expats in GCC (esp. from Asians). i always wondered if it is actually the situation or just a false propaganda. probably, you as a westerner might be getting a preferential treatment but being an Indian, obviously I can't expect the same...(hey! i do not have an inferiority complex..;)! but...let's face the reality which exists there!!! appreciate your honest feedback.
The locals will treat you like a steaming pile of garbage, so unless you are actually taking bullet rounds to your home/office on a daily basis in India, best to stay there.
Once they lock you into a contract, they will look for ANY possible way to screw you out of your pay or benefits. It's extremely common for non-locals to have their paychecks withheld randomly, promised bonuses not paid out, living accommodations MUCH worse than promised (might get thrown into a small apartment with 6-8 other strangers), etc. The GCC is quite often a nightmare for Asians of any kind. You're not allowed to go into the malls on Fridays either, simply because they don't like Asians mingling amongst the "elite locals" on their holy day. The locals will cut in front of you in store queues and on the road without a 2nd thought.
These are real problems here which are happening on a daily basis. I'm a westerner here with my family and not working for a GCC company.............and VERY thankful for that!
JOTHISH: ..;)!! from your reply, it appears that you are really frustrated with life in Qatar. if you want to come back to india, i maybe some help to you (atleast I can give some tips on how and where to look for jobs in india).
sorry, i couldn't understand your comment on '...IIT/IIM or Harvard'. personally, i have also studied at IIM-Calcutta but how does it make a difference?? do you mean that people with IIM background do not go to GCC? if you have a notion that every IIM student gets a million dollar package, forget it...!!it is more of a media hype. i know of so many classmates from IIM-C who are getting less than what i get. of course, some of them get exorbitantly high salaries (esp in top consulting and finance cos) but not every IIT/IIM pass out (unlike the general notion).
anyway, don't mind. the reason why i put up this post was to get a first hand experience from people who work and live in Qatar. apologies if i hurt your sentiments in any way... Take care!
taurusM: thanks for the update. you are right, apart from Qatar & UAE, the other good options are Singapore and Australia. with looming global economic recession, things are tight almost everywhere.
in India, for example, most big companies are going extremely slow on hiring plans for 2012. the worst hit are the US and european MNcs, mainly due to the tough economic conditions in their home countries. the indian companies are slightly better off due to domestic demand. but inflation in india is at all time high, especially food prices and real estate prices have broken all previous records. people with jobs are trying to hold on to whatever they have and those who do not have jobs are almost on the verge of desperation.
You are welcome, if you dont like to stay in India and want to rich
In GCC your life is blossoming,
your home or Car or Office everywhere is Fully air-conditioned. Cost of living is toooooooooooo low.
No tension, No pressure, working time is 10.30 to 2.30 every day , two days holiday per week. The weather is cool breeze always ( weather will not go more than 26 in any time when compared to Indian Hot weather)
All companies provide, 4 bedroom villas with security, maid, & Swimming pool. Land Cruiser to their employees, and two salary in a month and one paid holiday (apart from normal 30 days holiday)to other foreign countries, 5 months basic as bonous.
Company also take care of monthly food expenses, Children education and marriage expenses also.
And Foreign exposure in GCC countries are very high (if you joined any IIT/IIM or Harvard University you will not get the same exposure )
So putdown your paper today and catch evening flight to Qatar. We welcomed you
SRA904 : I empathize with you. Appreciate your long post. There is definitely savings potential here in Qatar. But depends on your family situation. A single guy or a young couple can save a lot of money. Private companies here have 6 day work week. So that is something to keep in mind.
You should definitely explore the possibility of venturing out for 2 years. Qatar and UAE are hot right now. Consider Singapore and Australia also.
Good Luck.
i do agree...living in one's own country is definitely better. But there are pros and cons of living practically anywhere.
after living and working in various parts of India for more than a decade, sometimes i do yearn to get out ...maybe just for a couple of years if i can afford. getting international exposure surely helps in your future career in some ways, apart from adding a bit to the savings kitty. i am not sure but obviously, things look rosy from a distance. the grass always looks greener on the other side. i do love living here in India but let me update you on the other side - some practical challenges and realities of day-to-day life.
1. if you have visited India recently, you know that it is no more the same it was as 10-15 years back. During the 90's, there was a huge gap in salaries in middle-east & India. now, salaries in GCC have gone down whereas the salaries in india have gone up significantly but so has the cost of living gone up esp in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, etc. personally, i cannot afford even a 2-bedroom apartment here without taking a bank loan.
2. despite rise in incomes in India, quality of life has gone down. primarily due to more traffic, more crimes, more inflation, more corruption, poor infrastructure, etc.
3. getting admission for children in good schools in Delhi is a nightmare. ask any parent who has gone through it...
4. due to increasing rich-poor gap, crime rates have gone up sharply in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, etc. safety, security and crimes remain a very big concern for us living here.
5. unless you are rich and powerful, even if you are salaried person with a decent income here, you will still have to struggle for the basic necessities of modern life - house, electricity, water, roads, etc.
6. as a salaried person, you end up paying almost 1/3rd of your income in taxes while many businessmen are able to dupe the law despite earning much more.
7. if you want a first hand experience of life, go to a govt office eg. passport office, driving licence. it took me almost a year to get my passport renewed despite having all relevant documents. finally, i was able to get it only after i filed a RTI case at the passport office. the normal rule is you should get your normal passport in 45 days and tatkal in 7 days. i wonder how many times does it happen in practical life?
of course, the intention is not to paint a bad picture of my country but to speak out the plain truth...life is not easy here for everyone. you have to 'fight' for survival and basic necessities everyday.
As a thumb of rule salary here is 3 times in India for a position.
Saving potential is also high, as there is no tax here, even though rents are a bit upside.
But your current salary (1.25 lakh/month) is quite enticing for an Indian at home, so ponder a bit over that too.
If I were you and If i have the same opportunity as you have in your country I rather stay.
Its really nice and comfortable working your own country rather than going out, There's no place like home.
hi Surinder, rightly said...i can't stop laughing on your comment on 'jealousy all over...'!! thanks!
stay in India
stay in India
You are absolutely correct.
Any way SRA904
If you are getting a good package and enjoying more than a decent life style , I suggest stay back in India and enjoy life with family as well friends.
In Qatar, May you can earn and save lakhs or millions or working in other GCC countries. But once you joined in a GCC country , get a job in India is very difficult.
Pressure and insecurity for jobs in Qatar too. Hear you cannot enjoy life without job pressure unless if you joined in a Qatar Q companies of Govt organizations.
Decision is upto you