A Guide to Ladies-Only Beaches in Qatar and Their Locations

Where to Donate Secondhand Clothes, Books, and Household Items in Qatar

The Essential Guide to Leaving Qatar for Good

You Can Now Apply For an Exceptional Entry Permit on the Qatar Portal

Rules For People Arriving In Qatar During the COVID-19 Outbreak

10 Fun Facts About Qatar

Volunteers Cleaned A Beach In Qatar To Show Support To The Environment

5 Crazy Things Residents In Qatar Do When It Floods

Your Guide to Al Corniche in Qatar

View All

Work

What is the Minimum Wage for Expats Working in Qatar?

NOC Is No Longer Required To Move Jobs in Qatar

Employee Rights Upon Resignation or Termination in Qatar

Qatar Labour Laws Every Working Mother Should Know

Process of Getting a Work Permit in Qatar

Qatar Approves Draft Law to Protect Domestic Workers

Changes to Qatar's Sponsorship Law You Need to Know

How to Get a Job in Qatar

End of Service Gratuity in Qatar

Employee Rights Upon Resignation or Termination in Qatar

An Expat's Guide to Qatar's Labour Law

View All

Events

UAE and Saudi Arabia Borders Reopen for Qatar: Here's What To Know

FIFA World Cup Confirms Qatar 2022 Schedule

Sneak Peak of Qatar’s First 2022 FIFA World Cup Stadium

5 Family-Friendly Outings for the Mid-term Break

8 Fun Family Activities in Doha

Top Holiday Destinations from Qatar in Under 5 Hours

Everything You Need to Know About the New Mall of Qatar

Qatar’s Old Souq Najada Is Getting a Makeover

In Pictures: Rain in Qatar is Both Disastrous and Beautiful

Qatar Offers Free Hotel Stays to Attract Transit Tourists

View All

Education

Qatar Government Schools to Open Registrations for Students of All Nationalities

Arabic Language and Islamic Education Are Now Compulsory in Qatar Private Schools

Meet NVIS' Founding Principal: An Interview with Sheldon Smith

Parents in Qatar Can Choose Between Blended and Online Learning

WATCH: Why School is Safe With The Hamilton International School

Universities in Qatar

How Qatar Students Will Return to School From September 1

Images: Supplied

How a Doha School is Embracing Distance Learning

List of All Schools In Qatar

School Fees in Qatar

The New Building of Northwestern University in Qatar Is Remarkable

Reasons to Learn Arabic

View All

Money

Sizing Up the Qatar Stock Exchange

Getting Out of Debt in Qatar

Tips for Banking Essentials in Qatar

The Importance of Wills for Expats in Qatar

Guide to Getting a Marriage Certificate in Qatar

View All

Home & Car

Image: Walt Disney Studios

Disney's New Raya and the Last Dragon to Stream on OSN Straight From the Cinema

AGS Is Your Ideal Partner For Quality Global Moving Services

The Essential Guide to Leaving Qatar for Good

A Guide to Getting a Driver’s Licence in Qatar

Pet-Friendly Places to Visit in Doha

A Beginner's Guide to Driving in Qatar

Guide to Housing in Qatar

A Guide to the Types of Trees and Plants Found in Qatar

View All

Wellness

Qatar Launches Less Intrusive Covid-19 Test for Children

First Mental Health Clinic for Pregnant Women Opens in Qatar

30 Day Ramadan Detox

View All

Offer Details--worth it?

greenkween1392653

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 September 2014 - 17:39

My husband has just received the following offer, would love some thoughts! We are trying to decide whether to accept within the next few days.

Basic salary is about a 6k bump (USD) from what he makes currently.

· Furnished Housing Provided

· Relocation Allowance

· End of Service Gratuity, which is a months salary

· Annual Airfare Allowance

· Group health and dental insurance for you

· Annual leave of 30 working days per annum, plus public holidays

· Mobilisation/ Repatriation flights
<em>edited by greenkween13 on 20/09/2014</em>

2nd_opossum

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 20 September 2014 - 00:48

Sorry to jump in, we are not in Qatar yet, but the husband is going soon, and we have made our decision after some careful research and preparing budgeting spreadsheets. It will really help if we know your exact current income for both you and your husband in GBP or USD, to make it clear. When you say you are currently on 65k, what currency is this in? I do not mean to discourage you in any way at this stage, but would really like to help you to make the best decision. Whether in GBP or USD (I am only guessing) your current salary looks very good to me and from what I have heard you will be offered a lot more if applying from abroad than if you are a 'local hire', as nataliep says. It does sound very strange that the same person with the same professional standing can get a much better offer when relocating from abroad, but this seems to be the fact of life in Qatar. Even if your husband's potential employer is covering accommodation, I would still ask them where it is likely (what exact location / compound) to be and what size, etc. You can the get advice from the forum on whether it meets your expectations and how it compares to your current situation. From what you told us so far, my over all feeling is that you will most likely experience a drop compared to your current lifestyle, if you rely on just your husband's income. Some things are cheaper here, but an overall balance from my research is that the cost of living is more expensive compared to our outgoings in UK (near London), but will be even more so in comparison to some parts in the US. This will very much depend on your current accommodation situation I.e whether you currently have mortgage/ rent commitment.

RATE IT

rubyblue

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 September 2014 - 15:49

Greenkween - was just thinking the same- please be really careful putting all your husbands details on here as marycatherine said - the company are monitoring social media and public forums regularly and won't be happy about contract details and offers being published - it is considered confidential information and there is no transparency and consistency in pay bands and benefits as we would be used to in europe- there is much more negotiation involved and you can generally improve on the first offer received ;)

RATE IT

marycatherine

1759

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 19 September 2014 - 15:33

Number 1, please be aware the major employers monitor sites like these on a regular basis. Depending on your questions and the answers they get - this may or may not be a problem. @Abby, if it's not in your contract it's not included. I have lived and worked in 3 countries in the GCC for close to 20 years and these items have always been part of the written terms and conditions. I would be very surprised if a major employer "accidently" omitted them. Generally, the rule of thumb for Western expats is that your Doha salary (not including the benefits) should be closer to 150% of your current gross. Otherwise, it's not worth it.

RATE IT

nataliep

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 September 2014 - 02:16

I think you need to first find a job for yourself before accepting your husbands offer. It is not easy to find a well paying professional job when you are in Doha. You will be considered as local hire and the pay will be much less than you earn now. Of course it will depend what your occupation is but as a general rule that is correct. Your pay cut may be much greater than the gain of 6K that your husband is getting.

RATE IT

abby86

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 September 2014 - 01:40

I also received my offer this week. It does state relocation costs of the same, but does NOT state mobilization and repatriation flights. I assumed that was a given, but maybe I need to have it in writing as in this contract. What position is your husband? <em>edited by abby86 on 19/09/2014</em>

RATE IT

greenkween1392653

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 September 2014 - 00:08

It actually does cover education for kids, but we don't have any and have no plans to for the time being. It's a 6k annual bump for him, but of course I'd be giving up my job and would probably need to find something there. My current job pays about 65k but the climate there tells me it's time to move on anyway. I'll be looking for a change whether it's in Doha or elsewhere. If we accept I'd follow him a few months later.

RATE IT

lalala10594

616

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 18 September 2014 - 18:32

Impossible to say without knowing your circumstances. Do you have kids? (There's no education allowance.) If you don't have kids are you planning to have kids (if so, does the medical include maternity). How does it compare to your earnings back home? Would both of you be relocating? It's not a jump up and down salary so it really matters what position you're in back home.

RATE IT