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.
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.