Mr. White...
For a smooth transition to the middle east, a few suggestions...
1. Training is stressful and rigorous, but manageable! If you don't want to compound more stress on an already stressful transition, leave your family home until you finish training. Short family visits will help smooth the family transition.
2. If you have not applied to a school, you are already behind the eight ball. All the quality schools have limited space with long waiting list. Call the schools to inform them about your start date so you can start the enrollment process and get on their waiting list. Apply to as many schools of your choice.
3. After you arrive in Doha, you will have days off while waiting for the next phase of your training. My advice, use this time wisely to search for suitable accommodations. The link below is a good start to find something that may appeal to you and your family. Once you arrive, take the time to visit your selections. One caveat, it would be wise to choose a compound that is close to the school your children will be attending. Traffic during school opening/closing times are horrendous.
Qatar Properties to Rent | Rent Property in Doha & all over Qatar - propertyfinder.qa
3. As you already discovered, housing is not cheap! One word of advice, don't make the mistake going cheap! While you are traveling around the globe, your family will suffer in misery. Average quality villas will cost 15K an up. It is possible to find suitable accommodation for 14K, but keep your expectation in check! Balance your family needs vs their wants. Since you have kids who will be attending school, Al Wakra is not an option with Doha traffic.
4. Saving is relative to what you wan to save. But keep in mind, you will need to have a leisure activity budget for your family to keep them sane! Doha does not really offer much in regards to family entertainment.
After you arrive, their will be others with similar situation as yours. Get to know your group and collaborate on ideas that will help each other. Knowledge is power!
Good Luck!
