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Comparing Qatar and Dubai

LMAO-DXB

576

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 01 September 2013 - 17:20

Hey ladies

I posted this on the Qatar board but as there's more traffic here, thought I'd post here aswell.

DH is seriously looking into a potentially very good job opportunity in Qatar and I have very mixed feelings about it. We currently live in Dubai and we love it here. We've been here for almost 4 years and this is now my home. My initial reaction when he mentioned a possible move was No way!! but it could be an opportunity we'd be stupid to turn down.

I visited Doha once a couple of years ago and to be honest, i really didnt like it. However, I was only there for a couple of days and wasn't well while i was there so really didnt give the place a proper chance or get to see it properly.

I know a few ladies here have lived in both Qatar and Dubai and was wondering if anyone could give me a comparison of the 2 places and where you prefer living.

We have a 1 year old DD and there's loads of things we can do with her here - parks, beach, soft play etc but I have no idea what there is on offer there. Also, do you find Qatar to be stricter or more restrictive than here? Did you settle in easily in Qatar? What are nurseries and schools like (we'd be looking for British curriculum) We also have a dog. How is the dog friendliness there compared to Dubai?

People keep saying what a nightmare the driving is there - is it really that much worse than here? Or just nightmare-ish compared to UK / US standards?

Just trying to get my head around things incase a move is on the cards as I know from our move here, if you can go in with the right mind set, thats half the battle won!

Looking forwards to your responses!
TIA! xx

LMAO-DXB

576

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 18:32

Hahaha!! just nearly pee'd myself looking at the prices on propertyfinder! Virtually everywhere that looked half decent and not in the middle of no-where was at least double if not triple what we're paying at the moment!!! Hmmm.....unless this turns out to be an amazing offer thats too good to turn down, I think i know what the answer is!!! Thanks for the contact details SalsB, will keep it in mind, just incase!

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salsB

2725

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 16:57

Kim from Nelson Park Real Estate helps us, she was really good, her number is 974 33 27 6905. HTH..

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pollydxb155762

4423

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 16:49

I never got the impression villa's are that expensive - especially compared to here. My Dad lives in Qatar and lives in a villa on his own, and has never made any comment about the cost. He did however make comments about his self serviced furnished apartment in West Bay when he first moved there!

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LMAO-DXB

576

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 16:39

Thanks for the replies! Im used to being barked at while im taking my dog out. i assume its my dog they're barking at....lol! The Pearl was one of the few places I actually managed to see when I visited previously and although its beautiful, I have a suspicion it will be somewhat over our budget. I dont think the employer will be covering our accommodation costs, or contributing to DD's education for that matter. Oh well, will see what happens. have been recommended a website for properties so that will at least give me an idea when doing the sums, then we can decide from there. Thanks for all your help, hugely appreciated!! :) xx

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busybee2559

4747

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 11:58

its more like old abu dhabi was

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pollydxb155762

4423

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 11:52

Forgot to say, we also have 2 dogs and if I go out of the compound, I'm stared & shouted at regularly! I've had people taking photos, stopping to ask if they can buy the dogs, and weve been barked at countless times through car windows! Suffice to say dogs are seen as a novelty here!! Good luck! Friends of mine moved from DXB to Qatar about a year ago. On to the Pearl, they love it, they have 2 dogs that get walked around the Pearl without any problem at all.

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chickadee2

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 11:49

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chickadee2

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 02 September 2013 - 11:45

I can't compare the living situation in both countries - we have only lived in Qatar and are shortly moving to Dubai however we have visited Dubai loads. We have older kids (10/12) and are moving predominately because of the lack of stuff to do for them - they are both really sporty and there is not the greatest selection of stuff here to do at that age. If your daughter is 1, there will still be loads to do for her here, I've always said that if we had younger kids, living here wouldn't be a problem-parks and pools are a plenty. Shopping here is far more basic than Dubai although I wouldn't know if sourcing certain things is still a problem in Dubai?? There are a few more malls going up here but for me, once you've seen one, you've seen them all - I'm not a big shopper but I suppose these new malls may bring more choice. I wait until I'm back in the UK to get what we need clothes wise and bring it all back! Roads in Doha seem far more congested as far as I can compare, we still have 2 lane roads that are a main route for lots of commuters that just can't cope with the amount of traffic and then chaos ensues-regularly!! Road rage is a major issue here for me - whenever I've been to Dubai it seems like the road system is finished and as there are more lanes, traffic seems to flow however here that is not the case!! I also feel like Doha is very 'unfinished' and presume with the footy coming in 2022 and rail network being started, it will feel like that for an awful long time to come. Dubai seems far more finished to me rather than the building site Doha feels like most days! On the whole though, if it were a choice for us of moving back to the UK or staying in Qatar, we would stay here. The kids have a nice life, it's just not the place I envisage there is an awful lot to do with teenagers, hence our move. Hope this helps.

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Kaydee589

144

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 01 September 2013 - 17:39

Don't know how much help I can be, as my children are now grown and I don't have pets, but I have lived in both Dubai and Qatar, so here goes: In my opinion, moving to Qatar after being in Dubai is quite hard. The driving is fine; if you have ever driven in the original part of Dubai you will have an idea of what it's like. The roads are smaller than Dubai, with many traffic lights and the volume of traffic is large. Doha is more restrained than Dubai; more old-fashioned really, a bit like Abu Dhabi. Shopping in Doha is quite limited as there are nowhere near as many malls and the older part of town is small. I found Doha to be very quiet and small and didn't really enjoy it, but it does depend what sort of lifestyle you are looking for. The Corniche is very attractive, with several parks along it, which is nice.

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