Dear Ahasnain,

The shortage of school places in Qatar is a perennial theme on QL. It does not seem to make much difference whether you want your child to go to a Canadian school or an American school or whatever. The reality is a waiting list, a longer waiting list and a "closed" waiting list. That does not mean that it is impossible to find a school place for your child. It probably does mean that you won't find one straight away, at your first choice school.

Many people in Qatar are not Muslims because there are a lot more expats in Qatar than there are Qataris. Qatar is more relaxed than Saudi Arabia, on the one hand, but in some respects it is a bit stricter than Egypt. I know a few "Muslim" ladies in Doha who don't wear abayyas and like a drink or two with their boyfriends.

If you are going to be on a compound with plenty of American or Canadian expats, then my guess is that you and your wife will love it here. I am afraid that I cannot help you with Sharia inheritance law, just in case you were thinking of dying or getting divorced. My advice would be to stay alive and married, so that this problem will not really affect you.

Yes, the awful rumours about the traffic in Doha are TRUE. The Qatari drivers are a menace, of course, but the bad news is that a lot of expats soon pick up the local bad habits. (My taxi driver this morning was trying to talk on TWO mobile phones while driving me to work. He is frm Pakistan.)