Safety

An addendum to the safety issue. Doha, like anywhere else, does have crime and safety issues. However, as the punishments are severe, and CID is well wired into the community - most crime is not violent, usually involving minor theft, etc. As a female in Qatar I have felt less safe here than in the UAE or Oman. I have been accosted by men from the subcontinent on a few occasions, one mas * * bating in his vehicle. I never experienced this in UAE or Oman. I do not walk around my neighbourhood (which is one of the more densely populated areas in Doha, many apartment blocks) after dark unless I am with someone else or I am expected at destination. But that's common sense everywhere. Most violent crime against females is directed at the Asian population who will not report such crimes (mostly) to the police. Some fear the police will not believe them that it was an illegal adulterous relationship gone sour, or it is cultural, not to lose face. BTW adultery here in the GCC is an intimate relationship of any kind regardless of your marital status or nationality. Both parties can be charged, jailed and deported - this rarely happens to Western expats and is not reported in the local press. One major employer here terminates and deports employees who fraternize without benefit of marriage. I know one couple who had to leave in December. Children as a general rule are treasured, but there are bad apples here too. Just take the same precautions you would at home and be aware that many people (men) are here without their families and rarely have the opportunity to go home to visit them so while your child may attract what would seem to us in North America as "too much interest", it is more likely they are remembering their small ones at home. edited by marycatherine on 30/01/2015 <em>edited by marycatherine on 30/01/2015</em>

Hi, We have been here just under 3 yrs and will be leaving this spring/sumner. Have never felt unsafe or had any issues in our time here. Everyone here seems to get along and it's easy to forget we live in one of the most volatile regions in the world. Having said that we do keep an eye on the news and receive the monthly updates from our embassy. The US embassy will have same thing, you just need to register with them. The travel updates are always shown on their respective sites and they inform you of any updates you need to be aware of. Hope this is of help.

The ultimate goal is to get them attested from the Qatari Embassy in DC, but in order to get them attested there you have to first attest them from your state, then the US State Department, and finally the Qatari Embassy. *Catching breath* :)

Prescription antibiotics are not available over the counter anymore although I believe there are some pharmacists who may bend the rules for old time customers. I doubt if your US doctor's scrips would be acceptable here for any controlled medications. However, I would still bring them to show a doctor here if you need them. You should also bring the scrip if you are travelling with the medication. There are a lot of OTC and prescribed medications used in the West that may not be permissible here. The Qatar Supreme Council of Health appears to have deleted their list but here is a link to the one for UAE that would be very similar to the rules and regulations in Qatar. http://www.uaeinteract.com/travel/drug.asp Also remember that poppy seeds (used for baking) are also banned as is vanilla extract in an alcohol solution. All hand and checked luggage is checked when entering the country. I've had to had second screenings several times because I had maple syrup or some freeze dried chives in my luggage. I use my Qatari phone no problem in North America - I can't really see it being a problem the other way around - lots of people order phones from the US and have them delivered here.

No problem RRTNICU :) Answers: - I can't remember how much in cash we carried with us because we still used our US ATM card here. And you can exchange them anywhere (as long as they are printed after 2000), but you will need a copy of your passport or RP. - Yes you can, we got ours done at AAA and used it till we got our RP, but once you do you HAVE to get your Qatari driver's license because driving on the international with an RP is illegal. - yes, I believe most drugs are available without prescription and I'm not sure if you can use ones from the US here. Just have your physician write you the generic name so you can get whatever is similar to it, in case the same one is not available here (I haven't seen any Tylenol for children here, but they have other pain relievers / fever reducers) - My husband's company had rented a car for us when we got here, but I believe you can rent a car using your international driver's license. - We use QNB and transferring money should not be an issue. You might want to keep a bank account open there so you can use your ATM card here. - before we got here we went to an Apple store and a couple of technicians there recommended that we buy them from Qatar, because some might work only on wifi (compatibility issues). It was honestly too technical for my understanding so we just took their advice and bought ones here. You can buy the phones here but you will need an RP (some companies here provide their employees with basic phones until they get their RP, then you can just transfer the number under your name). P.S., everything here is tile and brick (not wood like the US, so bring a heavy duty phone case. Otter is a good kind, expensive but worth it) Hope I've answered your questions, please don't hesitate to ask, it always helps knowing the little things before moving Where are you moving from, if you don't mind my asking? All the best

Thank you khokha2!:cool: Questions. Where did you exchange your money at for Riyals and how much did you bring with you? Can Americans use the international drivers license? I can get one of those if so. Drug stores/Pharmacies. Is it true you can get everything over the counter except for narcotics? Should I bring prescriptions from my Dr here in the states to give to the pharmacist(in Doha)? Is it hard to lease a car when you arrive? Or do I need my RP to do that? Can I bring an unlocked(my) Apple Plus 6 cell phone and use it in Qatar? Or should I just get one on arrival. Thinking of getting an account with Commercial Bank because they give you a cell phone when you use them. What bank do you use? Do you transfer money back to the states and is that ever an issue? Yes I have some questions don't I. But having an American who just moved a short time ago to answer my questions is great. Thank you.

Hi Gracegirl, We moved from the US in August. Safety is not an issue here. Schools are definitely safer, no fear of school shooting, drugs, or se***l harassment. Other places in general are safe too. For example, for the most part, people don't steal or mug, because it's either they don't need to or they don't dare to. Adjustments? Oh boy! 1- Driving, HUGE difference. People honking all the time, passing from the right, not using blind spot, and LOTS of roundabouts! Also, as a US citizen, you have to take a test. Some nationalities don't have to, but Americans do. 2- Turn-taking, waiting in line, and personal space. When you are getting some paperwork done it's not uncommon for someone to be so close to you that they are looking over your shoulder, and some will try to get in front of you. However, many places have numbered tickets so that will not be an issue everywhere. 3- Expect to have to make more than one trip to get something done. While in the US we used to say "today I'm going to do 1,2,3,4, and 5", here we are lucky if we can get 1 and partially 2 done. 4- Bring LOTS of passport pictures. I believe Walmart is the cheapest. 5- Do not bring any 100 dollar bills older than 2000, no bank will take them and you won't be able to exchange them. 6- Attest everything! Marriage certificates, birth certificates, schools report cards, etc. 7- Start contacting schools NOW! I hope I didn't sound negative. I was just listing the things that we found challenging when we first moved here. But in general, we love it here. The diverse cultural experience my children (I have 3 too) are exposed to here is AMAZING! People in general are nice and friendly, and best of all, NO SNOW ;) In a nutshell, if you keep comparing life here to life in the US you will never be happy here, but if you are willing to adjust and enjoy the best of this move, then you will have a great time. Hope that helps. All the best! :)

Hi Gracegirl, I'm not from the US but have some friends who are. Overall life here is positive and easy you just need to be tolerant and very open minded. We don't feel unsafe but do keep an eye on regional issues as you would anywhere in the world. Biggest problem here is the driving and traffic. Make sure you secure housing close to your chosen school as what seems to be a short distance can take over an hour. The driving here is a disaster just take a deep breath and dive in. As you are from the US you will need to take the Qatari driving test and I understand there is a bit of a wait for this. Taxis are easy to find just tell them to drive slowly and safely. Good luck with your adventure.