To me, it doesn't add up saying "the country is a bit of a dump, seems like you could make it work as a place to live though". In reference to
Wasnt there a suicide car bombing outside a school and theatre a few years back? Killed people I recall
Car bombs explode here and there and in some places are a daily life routine. You get used to it. Through the years, I have been more exposed to
insecurity in Beirut, Cairo, Amman, Manila, Delhi and Bangkok, among others, than in the Gulf. Certainly, Doha is not Kabul or Baghdad. Bahrain, Saudi and Kuwait have had some security issues. The UAE and Oman have not, but one never knows, really. Follow
skya320's advice and you should be ok. Suggest you move here single
to see things first hand. Good luck!