Life and living in Doha

I've not been here long myself but I'll tell you what I know... I think there is only one school here who claims to be british montessori and the fees are here http://www.doha-montessori.com/assets/file/Admissions/fee_schedule_2010-2011.pdf They start at preschool, which is for age 3 and the fees/registrations/etc are a little over 20000QR/year which is over $5500/year or £3500/year but I think that most companies pay at least 50% of school fees although I have heard that some companies only pay starting age 4 which would be reception I think that this cost is on the low to average side. I think that all of the school websites have their fees on them. Accommodations - our housing is included in my DH's benefits so we do not pay for that and I do not know much about that here. I just know that everything is negotiable! Also, if the company offers housing they may also offer you a housing allowance find your own housing but I don't think it is a lot and in my opinion certainly not worth the hassle until you have been out here awhile and know what's what! DH's company used to offer 6000 QR but they do not anymore even so I don't think we could find anything for that. DH's company paid for a certain amount to be shipped but the contract stipulates that it has to be shipped by air on the day of arrival, meaning it has to come with you and not be shipped by a shipping company etc. He's still disputing this one with them. Sorry I am not the best person to answer these but there are plenty of people on this forum that know more :-)

Hi ccdoha! I need some help with costs for a family of 3. Their daughter is 3 and goes to a Montessori school. Do you know what kind of accommodation they can get and the rental price? What would they expect to pay for school fees? Do companies relocate or would they have to foot this bill? Thanking you in advance!

About the discrimination...my colleague is from the Phillipines and she says she always dresses and acts just a little more professional (than the rest of us) because if not people will treat her like she is "the maid" - which is not very good here for some. Like everyone else here, she puts up with the annoyance of this because her husband works for one of the big oil companies and they are like everyone else here - saving money and working towards the "bigger picture". I also know a couple of ladies from China that won't go to certain night clubs/bars because they feel that they get mistaken for "working girls". Yes it's wrong, but again, it just depends how sensitive you are to it. I personally don't think that it is a big issue here but I would not want to minimise the impact this has on someone because I cannot comment on how it feels. :( edited- when I said "the rest of us" - I meant it literally as the rest of the people at work, regardless of race/colour, etc. <em>edited by ccdoha on 08/02/2011</em>

Highly disorganised is an understatement! I would definitely get everything in writing and then still cross your fingers that it is upheld. I think Doha can be great if you can stand all of the little let downs along the way or if it is going to seriously boost your career. If you are comfortable where you are and have a future, I would honestly say give it a miss. I don't think it is an experience that you need to have if avoidable. It would really be a pain for your company to not offer housing for you and for them to offer you the housing allowance and you try to find somewhere. I have read on here that you can get a 1 bdr in the Pearl for maybe 9000 or so and other than something that comes highly recommended, I wouldn't go through the hassle. As for figures - We shop conservatively at the expat type grocery store and we easily spend 700 qr a week for 2. If we go to the local place carrefour we only spend about 400-500 qr I have heard all kinds of stories about electric, it depends on whether your building pays for the a/c costs. if not, it can be a flat rate of 500 qr for a/c and then whatever you use for electric. Cars (to own) and petrol are cheaper than they are in the UK. It cost less than 20 GBP to fill up your car! :) A reliable car service to get you to and from work while you get sorted cost about 40 each way. To rent a decent/safe car is about 2000 qr/month and up. Cocktails - about 45-60qr for a mojito Your company should pay to ship some of your things. We have a store similar to Tesco's so you can buy everything to set up house on the cheap. Your accommodation usually can be fuly furnished for you with the basics. There's no ikea here :( Traffic is most unenjoyable Don't be embarrassed to ask people about your salary. The worse thing is getting here and find out you went too low or could have asked for more benefits. Ask for a housing allowance, transportation allowance, of course RT tickets each year, etc. Some of the bigger companies here guarantee a loan so you can buy a car and some companies do not so you have to pay an extra 2500 qr just to have a car loan! Make sure you know what will happen when you get here, if they are providing housing, get the exact location in writing. I know that some companies put you in crappy temporary housing until you get your paperwork sorted when you first get here and that can take up to 3 months! Even though you are still working! If they do not provide housing or they say you will be in a hotel... If I were a single female coming here, I would INSIST on 2 months guaranteed hotel accommodations and car service. It will take that long to get stuff sorted out. My husband took a promotion and we are here enjoying short working hours with a decent wage and decent accommodations all provided for. We bought a fun car that we would not be able to afford in the UK. We are enjoying the slow pace and the sunshine for a few years while we save and then hopefully return to the UK. I can't imagine that I would enjoy this place if I were younger and single unless I needed a boost in my career or my bank account ;(

you can get a decent apartment for 12,000 qar per month, maybe less, as prices have dropped lately.

I'n my experience it takes at least a week to get a contract together here, HR what HR? Re: discrimination, I know our Pakastani friends (male) have complained that they need to be wearing a shirt and dress pants to get let into the malls on Fridays and salaries, housing allowances for similar positions are often different depending on nationality.

I can chime in on the discrimination point... DH has a co-worker that was hired at the same time as him. She was staying in the same international hotel as him for the same 7 months that it took to get housing sorted. Very close to everytime she entered the hotel (she is of mixed Asian/European heritage) she was grilled to make sure that she was not a woman employed in the oldest profession. You would think after 7 months they would figure it out... but no. It certainly became a bit of a joke as she handed out business cards time and time again.

Pandababa, trust your instincts when it comes to working with your employer. I've found many HR departments to be highly disorganized. It's like they deal with hiring a person for the first time, every time. Don't assume they will treat you appropriately, get it in writing about your salary, accommodations, health care, etc. If you want to rent an apartment of quality to what you might expect in the UK, you should a) ensure that your employer will provide an appropriate housing stipend or salary or b) if they provide accommodations ensure that they are of your standard. Medical facilities..are adequate; if you're willing to shell out or have insurance, then you can have access to high quality care. Food prices: they've gone up in the last few months; I would say the prices are comparable to what I was paying in the US if not a little more expensive. Also, food imported from the UK or US is quite expensive, so if you're missing something from home, you'll have to splurge a little bit. Exit permit: Yes you need one to exit the country; your employer has to provide this, unless you are being sponsored by your family in which case, no worries. Discrimination against south asians? The majority of laborers and construction workers here are from South Asia; There is a fair bit of discrimination against them, I would say. Does that apply to you as a professional? I have no idea.

All your other questions aside....I would not advise you to accept a verbal offer without anything in writing. For the other questions it may be good to clarify them a little. How many bedrooms are you looking for? How man people in your family? Best of luck with the decision.