LIFE IN QATAR... Accurate Information Please...No NONSENSE will be appreciated.

[nyc pilot]

Can anyone(preferably Qatar Airways Pilots) elaborate on general living conditions and standards in Doha. Is it comparable to Dubai? Is the general population friendly? Is it a safe place to live? For those who have spent time in the United States, would it be very difficult to adjust for someone from the U.S? We are definately looking forward to moving to Qatar but was just trying to find out more. Serious responses would be appreciated, Thanks:ok:

[Doors To Manuel]

Good points:
Hardly ever rains
Safe, hardly any petty crime
Great if you have young kids
Cheap help for everything from housework to fixin' stuff
Gas at 20cents a gallon!
Nice and hot
Good malls
Nice Corniche (4 miles of sea side walks)
Dune bashing in the desert in a 4x4
Lots of entertainment is free, including pro Golf and ATP/WTA tennis
Short commutes to work

Downside:
Can be quite boring once you have done everything a couple of times
Absolutely NOWHERE else to go except Doha unless you get on a plane
Cinema is crap and the locals talk and answer phones during the film
Drivers are crazy and if you get into an argument with a local you will lose...don't try it!
Basically a dictatorship, so don't kid yourself that as an American you have any special rights. Laws can are changed overnight, or interpreted to suit the locals

As for QR, I won't start! It's what you make it, so stay positive.

Good luck. If you last 2-3 years you will have done well.

Manuel.

[QatarA340]

Truthfully, Qatar is a very safe country with a very nice way of life. Qatar is a liberal country when speaking locally. Doha is itself comparable to some US cities; it has most of the American restaurants, foreign schools, good roads, and shopping areas.

Most families prefer the way of life in Qatar more than Dubai because Dubai is getting rediculously expensive by the minute. Even though Qatar is getting more expensive, Dubai by far leads the spending category. Doha is also considered quieter city--away from the hustle and bustle of Dubai.

We are friendly people by default and we dont like to cause trouble--and enjoy and welcome foreigners helping us in our country. :D

[nyc pilot]

Qatar340, This was very helpful. Thank you, its greatly appreciated. I hear so many people complaining about Qatar in the past forums that one loses sense of what is accurate and is total Bull sh!t. I know every airline in the world has issues to improve and resolve, thats part of our industry, I was getting worried because most people had negative comments about Qatar and Qatar Airways, so I wasnt sure if it was the right decision tojoin or not. I really think that the U.S. airline industry is in turmoil. Over the past few years our wages and pensions were greatly diminished. I think that Qatar Airways offers a very good compensation package, inshallah it is the right move. Once again, Thanks for a sincere response.:ok:

[6000PIC]

Nyc pilot , I hope you`re not going to move your career and your family to the Gulf over one positive comment on an anonymous forum.
I`ve got one question for you... , if , and I mean a really big if ,.... there`s another terrorist attack involving Islamic Terrorists sometime in the near future and well , say there`s a big loss of life - do you really want to be in the middle of all THAT ?? By going there you are basically leaving yourself in a potential precarious situation.
You`re country, The USA is at war over there and maybe you should lose those rose colored Ray Bans , `eh pardner ? Stay home.

[ArkPilot]

Haliburton must have thought it was pretty safe since they moved their home office to DXB!:hmm:

You can go through a list of cities that suffered terrorist attacks or natural disasters and avoid them all.:eek: Or, you can avoid the cities and areas that have not been struck on the rationale that they're next.:eek::eek:

Or you can do your homework, keep your eyes an ears open, and enjoy life.:ok:

Remember, if you run and hide, the terrorists win!

[nyc pilot]

All responses are appreciated, however, I dont like the word Islam and Terrorists together. Islam is a very peaceful religion, if people would interpret it correctly. :) Terrorism and Politics fall in the same group, I dont think religion has anything to do with problems in this world. Everyone should respect everyone elses religion.

[waves-dubai]

"We are friendly people by default and we dont like to cause trouble--and enjoy and welcome foreigners helping us in our country". :D


http://qatarsucks.com/.

I am not generalising, but read and draw your own conclusion.

[salamalikum2]

Qatar A340,with all my respect, When you mention "Doha is comparable to some US cities.." let me tell you that NO, US is not part of India....:ouch:
Let´s be serious 2 seconds...And NYC PILOT asked for NO NONSENSE....!:uhoh:

[QatarA340]

NYCpilot, your most welcome, and please visit this site to get more of an idea about Qatar. I know its not aviation-related or anything, but it will give you an idea of what Qatar looks like:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=559

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. In this site, it seems most people complain about everything. Look at QR, EK, GF(especially), AA, BA, ect... people complain and complain and complain. I wish you good luck on wherever you choose to live. :ok:

@Salamualaikum: Hmmm... I've been to the US before, and Doha is easily comparable to some of the cities there. The US is a beautiful country--but seems to be very difficult to live in. Doha is a much more easier üser-friendly, if you will, place to live in.

@waves-dubai: Come-on man, we all know that site is a hoax and not really a very good place to get information. I am a Qatari, and a direct source on living in Qatar. I dont need a site to tell me about my country. ;)

[Princess Layover]

"That Site" has been blocked by Q-Tel in Qatar.
Its not the only one.
Movies are censored. Well, the bits with chicks in bikinis are cut, along with anyone kissing, however violence and swearing is left in.
Magazines are regularly scribbled over with black texta. Or pages are torn out.
We were always told how safe it is here, but the staring and being followed around in supermarkets and tooted at by speeding cars makes it very uncomfortable for a single woman here.

[salamalikum2]

:ok:Princess layover...:D
Especially your remark regarding movies(had the same feeling),....violence and blood as much as you want in the cinema.....Not censored at all ..does it make sense....???
Not for me..!
Shooting each other it´s ok..., but kissing each other..no way....!:ugh:

Qatar A340..well ok.., everybody has different opinion.(me too have been to America...and India), but when i walk down the major street in Doha,when i drive on the street and hear every 15 seconds somebody horning(for no reason!), when i go to qatar airways office....i feel like i´m not even in Qatar, but in India...but ok,it´s just my feelling.....
Maybe i´m wrong...

[dash8pilotCanada]

Ive been actively following this forum for a few months now. I have learned alot of interesting help full things from everyone that post here.

But I have realized everyone complains about every airline in the middle east. You name it EK, GF, EY, QR according to everyone, all suck.. Yet everyone is still applying.. still taking jobs in the middle east all the time.

People in the middle east are not as organized as people in N.America or the US. Its a very tough adjustment. Life is much different. We've heard it many times: crazy drivers, late rosters, high rents ect. But if you are going to the middle east to earn money, then you have to make sacrifices. Nothing in life is free. People who go to N.America from the middle east also complain about the lifestyle. They often come to study in N.America where education especially at the university level is much better than the middle east.

Every thread starts of constructive on this site but after 2-3 replys becomes a bashing thread and derails from the topic at hand.

Can we not tell NYC something positive, encouraging??

[Cpt. off the hook]

Obviously NYC pilot is a Muslim fellow. Therefore whatever we say he will only naturally feel closer to ME than anything else. Lets face it most of the pilots in QAR are either from Muslim countries or ethnic Arabs for whatever reason the second place goes to Indians. Very few pilots from Canada, Europe let alone US unlike EK. That's the reason we don't read that much about Qatar Airways dear NYC pilot. Let me give you a friendly warning, if I may, you might be a bit delusional for the time being about your feelings and quite disappointed once you came here cause you will find people with all the negative and positive features, not angels and sometimes appreciate the high level of organisation in the US. Doha is quite a safe place though.
Good luck to ya...

[phenix]

Some people seem to be missing the point. NYC Pilot was asking about living in Qatar. So please keep the anti Indian, Islamaphobia or Local slander to your self. Qatar is a safe city and is improving by the day. It is cosmopolitan and colorful. It is an Arabic and a Muslim state with a conservative culture which should be appreciated and respected. Princes Layover, years ago I went to the Vatican, we where turned away because my girlfriend was wearing a vest top and this was not modest enough and did not comply with the rules. If you flash your flesh people will look whether you’re in Doha, Paris or LA. Qatar Airways as a company also has good point and bad points. I can only speak for myself and that is my family and I, are very happy here. If you look for problems you will find them! NYC ask your self this, all the people complaining are not forced to live in Qatar so if they are so unhappy, why stay?

[Ranger321]

Can anyone tell me the B777 Capt pay? Also, what about the "extras"? Do they pay for kids in private school either in Doha or outside the country if the kids remained in their home country(EK does this)? How about Medical and Dental coverage? I would also appreciate any information about Rosters? Being if I went I'd be on the B777, does anyone know what the flying will be on that equipment? How they work, seniority for DEC's and the bidding process, vactions? Please, for anyone who answers?

[Princess Layover]

I never, ever, 'flashed my flesh', and I take HUGE offense at that remark.
Typical attitude from men there, however, I think that you have just proved my point. Women who are not covered up are asking to be treated with such disrespect? So honk your horn and flash your lights and follow us around in the market because you can see my hair and hands.
Shame on you.
Why do people keep coming here?
Probably, like me, you are told in the interview, Qatar... just like Dubai just a bit smaller.
You think, "I will take the money and run".
Well don't. You could pay me a gold rolls royce every month and I wouldnt come back to Doha.
"Colorful and cosmopolitan city" my well covered backside. Ha ha ha.

[ironbutt57]

Qatar is safe as long as you either stay off the roads, or drive an H-1...

[Spirit]

...or an M-1

[PIPE RIDER]

yes itis very similar to a city in the US, San Francisco cause men hold hands and kiss public in the street and men are really affective one to the other:yuk:

[nyc pilot]

First off, thanks to all for the information, I would like to add that most problems mentioned here about Qatar also exist in the United States, I love living in the U.S(and have lived here my entire life) but fairly speaking, violence, traffic, etc...exist everywhere. From a career standpoint, compensation at Qatar Airways far exceeds that of any U.S major airline. The only ones that come close are UPS or FEDEX and they are still behind substantially. I currently fly as a first officer for one of the big three majors in the U.S and can fairly say that working conditions here are not all that rosy as well. Our CEO was paid $40 million U.S. dollars for his sh!tty performance while the employees of the our airline lost their pensions and took huge paycuts. Secondly, here at my current airline, the most junior Captain has been here for 14 Years!!! Thats a narrowbody captain. Our B777 captains earn less(after taxes) than a starting first officer at QR!!! As far as cost of living, I dont think Doha is more expensive than living in New Yok City or any other major U.S city. Anyway, once again, thanks for the info and I hope its the right move.;)

[nike]

Regarding asking for advice about expat jobs......

But I have realized everyone complains about every airline in the middle east. You name it EK, GF, EY, QR according to everyone, all suck.. Yet everyone is still applying.. still taking jobs in the middle east all the time.

duh! The complaints aren't coming from the outside!

Of course people on the outside are still applying. (and asking what it's like).

I find it funny that these type of threads have a caveat usually to the tone of..."no nonsense, or no negativity".
When in reality what is being asked is...."please say only good things so I can justify my decision to go, I need reassurance".

Which isn't such a bad thing other than when this doesn't come about, the 'reality posters' get bagged.



On another note...
Our B777 captains earn less(after taxes) than a starting first officer at QR

Think about that for a moment.
What do you think would be the outcome if pay was the same?
Pisspoor example for justification, pay NEEDS to be higher away from home.

You'll learn that one after your expat life begins.




Now my caveat: I have never lived in the middle east, nor know anything about Qatar, however being an expat, my comments are regarding threads relating to the question of should one become an expat or not and the responses therein.

[ironbutt57]

Not Qatar-specific...but you need to look at how many days your 777 capt works to earn his less money...betcha it's a lot less. Looking through the AA portal, your 777 capts are making much more than a qr (or anyother airline) over here, when adjusted for "time at work" figures lie...get the whole picture straight

[knotaloud]

I didn't realise until NYC told me, that AA 777 captains earn less than the captains here do! You mean less than $7,700 per month because that's what you get here? Then you add the flight pay. ONLY, after you check out and not while you are on vacation. So, at $33 an hour at 70 hours per month (10.5 months a year) that equals about 24,300 plus 92,400. Total per annum of around 117,000.

With no pension plan and most importantly, no sick leave to speak of. Get sick here and after 2 weeks you're on half your basic salary and after 4 you're on nothing for a bit before they decide whether to continue with your employment.

And, OK, gas is cheap. But this is a place where a bag of torn lettuce leaves is 10 bucks American.

On the positive side, the airline has a bunch of nice people working for it and the equipment is very shiny. Destinations are good and there's a reasonable chance if you shine in the sim, you'll get the left seat after 4 years.

Qatar is OK. But if you're used to doing something on your days off, forget it. And the roads, well....

Don't come here for the money.

[Da Do Ron Ron]

Done Doha - place is a dump, drivers are totally mad, boring as hell and even the Ramada gets boring after a while (wink wink)

Give me Dubai anytime, still like living in a car park in the middle of a building site, drivers just as mad but far more wink,wink establishments :p

[larssnowpharter]

I am not a QR pilot but a Brit working for a US company here in Qatar now for over 6 years.


THE GOOD

Probably cheaper than the UAE in most respects. However, accommodation becoming pricey.

Even if traffic can be a problem you are not too far from anywhere. Better than UAE.

Most ‘things’ available. Shopping (so Mrs Lars tells me) is good. Rather more European perhaps the US style.

Excellent golf course

Good climate except for Jul/Aug

Safety not really an issue. Petty crime rates low.

Good liberties compared with, say, KSA

THE BAD

Doha is not the most exciting place in the World and – for a Westerner – is a bit of a cultural desert.

The standard of behaviour on the roads is abysmal. Qatar has the highest death rate per capita on the roads in the World. Recent installation of speed traps all over the place, along with swinging fines, may improve this but…..

THE UGLY

You will see many of the poorer expat communities (Nepalese, Filipino etc) ruthlessly exploited by local employers.

[MCTMAN]

Da Do Ron Ron,
Maybe we dont all need the "wink-wink" establishments to visit when we are bored.............

[loc22550]

At least you guys from US you are the most lucky people here, due to the fact that qatari riyal is link to the U$, you are not loosing money every week like us as the U$ (and so the qatari riyal) is sinking every week more deeply and more deeply VS other major currencies:{

[CEO PITA]

USA pilots are welcome to QR its just Doha is place where avrige American women cant enjoj and if you want her to have good time you have to put youre hand deep in pocket and in this case you have same money like back in USA !

[a330flyer]

nyc pilot, are you nuts man? Or did you skip all of your history lessons at school...? Religions are the main sources (if not the real only one source) of conflicts in this world!

Besides that: do your thing, come to Doha and try it out. You don't need any positive tickling on pprune for that decision!
Like this you won't regret it later. But be aware of one thing: stay out of the sun and away from the heat! Have a boring uneventful normal life without problems, cause if one day you have a problem or you open your mouth too much... you'll get burned or even fired.
Cause at the end of the day you're not one of them, so your expected to shut up and smile.

However, if you share the same believe like the local folks you'll have a little bonus ...if you're lucky. Nothing to do with religion? Q.E.D. :uhoh:

[hairy plotter]

However, if you share the same believe like the local folks you'll have a little bonus ...if you're lucky. Nothing to do with religion? Q.E.D. :uhoh: :D:D:D In other words if you like "he is a nice guy but bloody useless..." You will be in a perfect environment. The main criteria over here seems to be BE NICE everything else doesn't matter at all. Is that why we see so many guys kissing in the dispatch? So just keep on smiling and be eager to kiss and you will be fine. Flying qualities of yours don't matter cause its always someone else's fault. Just get used to that.

[Black Stain]

I think you are a perfect candidate for long term employment with The Goat NYC Pilot. Good luck with the interview. To be sure of a slot, remember to kiss and take dates.

[411A]

Done Doha - place is a dump, drivers are totally mad, boring as hell and even the Ramada gets boring after a while (

Yep, about sums it up.
The first time I was there, it reminded my of JED...twenty years previously:yuk:

[Desert Diner]

However, if you share the same believe like the local folks you'll have a little bonus ...if you're lucky.

Sometimes, if you are not a local, that can be a negative.

[otbd34]

Well NYC PILOT, All I can say is come and see it for yourself.
You would be shocked in what you see.
Then you will know the truth. If you are from the US, you are in for a big surprise and thats a promise.

As you know alchohol is not freely available. However the way the locals drive, it feels its all over. Or may be a cup of coffee makes them drive all over except the road. Road accidents are normal almost every day. Innocent people killed.
No regard for human life.
New rules and fines have been enforced, if you had seen the paper write up of all the wrong doings, I bet you gonna hit the ceiling.

So good luck when your driving from the airport to your accomodation.
:rolleyes:

[loc22550]

But NYC..the good news if your are a non smoker, is that Qatar has implement a non smoking rule in all public place a few years ago...:).the bad news..is that as usual here nobody respect it and NOBODY cares even the staff of those outlets....!:\result: you can barely enjoy your coffee in your favorite coffe shop without being intoxicated..
The only rule that has to be respected here is islam.
Cheers.

[cnic]

With all the talk of people being fired who is taking their place? I have read here talk about the new management, are they going to make a difference or just plug a sinking ship.

[CuitoCuanavale]

Hi nyc Pilot;

I am not a pilot, but a South African ATC that has lived and worked here for just over five years.

The bottom line is attitude, nothing more. For the first six months or so that I was here you could more or less say that I walked around in a foul mood. A little bit of introspection brought me around, that being, why am I here in the first place? Staying focussed on that issue alone essentially made me realise that everything else was my interpretation of events bench marked against my entire life in S.A.,…..and that obviously would lead to certain frustration and levels of disillusionment.

In reply to some of the more negative comments in his thread,….my wife has been propositioned twice in the malls here by Qatari men, ….the effect on our life here?...none what-so-ever….why……..having been fortunate to have travelled quite a bit,…..not only my wife, but I have been propositioned in Paris, believe it or not, both by men!!??....the effect on my life?.....none. It happens.

Driving around Manhattan and LA I have had far worse driving experiences than I have had in Qatar, the difference in Manhattan and LA is there was the very strong possibility of the other fellow hauling out a 45 and waving it me,…..pretty similar to what happens to this day in my country.

Yes, there are certain arrogant elements here in Qatar, but have you ever quite innocently tried to get someone to explain something to you or give you directions in English in Paris??? I still have indentations on my forehead from saliva missiles after asking one rather over-patriotic French dame the location of the Virgin Megastore……

There are many levels of frustration, however, view them on a broader scale and the chances are you will see minimal differences in comparison.

I have my family with me in Qatar, and can honestly say, staying focussed on the reason why I am here makes your life very simple indeed. Life in Qatar is not unbelievably great, similarly it is not horrifically traumatic and gut wrenchingly uncomfortable,…..it is,…well,…just life. Quite a bit to do, when bored, do it again,….if not,…..find something,….or just do nothing. Have lived and worked in places such as DRC, Mali, Ivory Coast, USA, France, Cape Verde Islands……..Qatar measures up pretty well, not perfect, but then what country is?

[Viliamu]

Cuito,

Thanks for bringing some much-needed perspective back to the post. :ok:

V

[a330flyer]

Great post Cuito!
And you said it so right. Stay focused on the reason why you are here/there (in Doha, that is), the reason why you left home. Though since you obviously manage to do that you certainly don't work for Qatar Airways.

Cause in Qatar Airways the reason for being with this airline can vanish within seconds...or more precisely just after one of the frequent mood swings of the allmighty "small man with dishdash, who shall not be named on this forum cause he's paying lawyers big bucks to keep this forum clear of his name", in short AAB!

And that's the big issue down here!

That's why all the guys who came from countries where the quality of living is relatively low (e.g. Sudan, Algeria, Libya, South Africa etc.) don't mind to be treated like dirt in Qatar Airways, cause they don't have any problem to focus on the reason why they are in Doha (mostly to have their kids grow up in a safer environment). For them AAB is just a side effect but living in Doha still somehow better than living back home.

As for people originating from a country with standard to high quality of living: be sure that whatever you're focused on, AAB might feel like spoiling it all, maybe some years down the road, just a couple of days before you think: Yes, this upgrade is what I came here for....:{

Good luck! :ok:

[B. Bonga]

As for people originating from a country with standard to high quality of living:

Out of curiosity which countries might these be ? And why would somebody from these so called high quality of living countries be doing in the sandpit ? :cool:

[loc22550]

well simple Bonga..:
Some of us have decided to give up their hight quality of live(private life: insurance,protection,pension,health care,freedom,respect,lovely country,nature and weather: all those small things wich give you a good quality of live....) for what they thought a better professional live, after having been lured during the interview.

[B. Bonga]

That's fair enough. But since you were obviously "lied" to during the interview and there's definately no smell of grass or a "great" private life in this part of the world what are you still doing here when your expectations have not been met ? :confused:

If l were you including SOME unhappy dudes from countries which shall remain nameless, l would pull up a bucket and shovel and build myself some sand castles with the rest of us who are making the best of our choices.............:ok:

[looseobject]

I am wondering how can you decide that quality of living in the countries you cited is below average.
Have you ever been there, how can you declare that people originating from there accept to be treated like dirt.
seems to me some kind of racism there.
Just a question at 1 buck how many westerners from the so civilsed countries are working for QR and dealing on a daily basis with your AAB

[CuitoCuanavale]

Anyway nyc Pilot, as you clearly can see, never really a dull moment. Coming for a pre-emptive visit is good advice, but ultimately living here,i.e….going through the day to day routine and life will reveal to you whether you are going to stay or return home or otherwise. That is why I stated that attitude; at least a positive one that is, is what will help in placing matters in perspective for you.

You can be assured of one thing though; life will be different here, both personally and professionally. However, again, and without beating a dead horse so-to-speak, if I moved to Togo or the UK, I am mature and experienced enough to know that life there will definitely be different and that even though it might eventually not be exactly what I expected, a large part of my future happiness there will be up to me. I can stay and if I am unhappy and prone to be a habitual whinger and whiner, I know that all too soon I will be disseminating that poison amongst the people close to me, more importantly my family…..a sure sign that I must either change or leave. I hate to oversimplify it, but that is essentially what is required of all of us………

B.Bonga and Looseobject, I wouldn’t pay much attention to the comments posted by 330 and others. My experience in my five years here has been that those who blow a lot of hot air both in sites such as this and behind their bosses backs (Qatari’s) about similar sorts of things as discussed here,…….inept management, abuse etc, etc………they are normally the ones that when in the company of their bosses are meek and mild and cow-tail to every whim placed before them, while just hours prior stating with beautiful language just how they will handle certain Qatari’s if they ever dared tell them what to do!!.....................nothing new, every work place has a couple, it just wouldn’t be the same without them really, a sort of entertaining distraction really.

Nyc Pilot, visit as many websites as you can about Qatar, both good and bad, get in touch with buddies here or fellow countrymen and ask as many questions as you can, basically carbo-load your brain on as much material on Qatar as you can. Once here, always remember that YOU are the one who came here, this not your country and even though you are a guest here, there will without doubt be certain issues that will be viewed as more than challenging to you. That is the point when you will have to realise that a lot now depends on how you approach life here.

[a330flyer]

quality of living can be measured objectively and is depending on things like:
-quality of public schooling
-safety in public
-offer and quality of public transportation
-civil rights
-personal freedoms
etc.

If you want to know more about it, consult the research conducted yearly by Mercer Consulting. Last years number 1 and 2 were Zurich and Geneva.

As for quality of life, well that's a very subjective thing and some people might even find a great quality of life in Doha. That purely depends on your own perspective of things.

EXEMPLE:
personally I think South Africa has a great quality of life. But as for the quality of living...if you want your kids to grow up in a safe environment and earn some good bucks to afford sending them to a private school, well that changes the picture. Fact is that a lot of South Africans living in the Middle East have no desire whatsoever to return to their home country WITH their kids because of the ever decreasing quality of living down there. But of course they are nostalgic about the quality of life they left behind.

So, chill out, relax, don't start screaming "racism" at any occasion and go back to my original post. Maybe you see more clearly now!

and still, all this doesn't change the fact that Qatar Airways doesn't really help you to stay "focused"! Maybe ATC does, but QTR definitely doesn't! Over and out!:ok:

[B. Bonga]

So the million dollar question is what are you still doing here a330flier ? Guess you are also from a "poor quality country" or you hate the good life in Zurich and Geneva. As long as you are here chill out........and learn a few words of the local lingo. Masalama.:}

[loc22550]

Bonga..Are you able to ask any other question Than "what are you still doing here....."? to anybody who dare to raise some (true)critics about Q.A.?

If you forgot, let me remind you that if today you can barely cope with the high cost of live in Doha, and the inflation,the highest in the gulf:13%, it´s because Q.A. raise twice the salary the last 3 years, why you think? Because Q.A. love you, and want you to make more happy...NO way! just because a lot of critics has been raised(not from you probably), people were resigning or simply refused to come...).
So before coming again with your traditionnal question:don´t forget one important thing:critics can be sometime constructive as well...!
Cheers.:ok:

[Qatari515]

Bonga man....


Your question is starting to sound so old and used, it is becoming rediculous!

What he still is doing here does not matter now does it?

What I found out in my +6 years here is that guys, who always repeat this same question "what are you still doing here if you do not like it ", are guys still in their honeymoon period.

So please.....think of something else!!!

[B. Bonga]

Qatari 515, just like l figured you have no idea what you are still doing here even after 6+ years. :ugh:You must be in that group that continuosly whinges all the time and yet stick around for a lifetime. Once in a while you go to a public forum looking for other whingers (loc22550) for a group hug. Shame on you and you.............Go home guys. Meanwhile back to the original thread, come to the sandpit with an open mind and you will make it through some of the challenges here.

In the meantime l'll go enjoy the rest of my "honeymoon" in the sandpit...:ok: and unfortunately have to do it once in a while with a small number of cry babies:{

[ELSANTO]

Hey NYC pilot, do you want the true, don't come here to the ME is not good; specially for people like us that we came from america i use to read this forum all the time before coming here and i use to think why people complain, and now that i am here i can see why peole complain, does guys are not crying, they are giving you and advice, is like when the people tell you don't married, and u said can not be that bad, and you are in love the first year and all that BS, 10 years later u will said what a FU.... i get married i should listen the other guys, is the same here people will tell you don't come here but some they will tell you is the best is the nicest "honey moon man" not good; but at the end is your decision, but remember all this post we are warning you OK

[Qatari515]

So so,

Bonga man figured my life out! He must be a genious!

Dude,

in case you would not have figured this out yet, whining is different from being observing and critical about a place and a company!

People here ask for info, and thats what I try to give them. Objective pieces of information.

That means good as well as bad things.

You, with your pink colored sunglasses, are not helping at all! People, when they arrive here, tend to defend their decision cost by cost. If this means convincing other people to make possible wrong decisions based on lies, than they will do exactly that!

After 2 years the truth settles in mate, just wait and see.

And maybe you are one of the happy few here who like the place. Good for you! I am pretty happy here myself.

But that should not mean you hiding the truth for others!

[arcticflyer]

For those that dont like the Company or the working conditions and dont want to make any positive contributions...Please leave the ME region to some greener pastures....and let everyone else get on with their job without having to read all this moaning ! :)

[a330flyer]

Since I do believe in the freedom of choice I assume that nobody forced you to read anything on this forum, not even the "moaning".

But since I believe in the freedom of choice I also believe that no suitable choice can be made without getting the big picture.

And the big picture is not full of sunshine whereever you go!
As you might have realized, Qatari 515 and myself were/are reasonably o.k. with our choice to come here to Doha. But Qatar Airways is not for everybody.:ugh:

And again, the life you will live in Qatar as pilot for Qatar Airways and the company environment make it extremly difficult to focus on the reason why you came here! So if you cant take a lot of BS until you're fed up with a place, stay out of here. Even though the pink sunglasses might help in the beginning!:cool:

Take care and if you feel like misunderstanding Qatari 515 and my own quotes, don't hesitate to add your own oppinion. :ok:

But don't tell us we forced you to read our junk! For the ones who have doubts about coming to Doha, this junk might help to make a decision! Positive or negative:ok:

[_FL600_]

arctic flyer ...---... :ok:


This thing just never ends, does it?! Ok, now that we know all the bad things about QR and Doha, can we focus on the good stuff?!?!

[arcticflyer]

My point exactly.....:ok:

[Black Stain]

CuitoCuanavale.... Hey... you and I both know you are not going anywhere. Not everyone else must accept ****e as chocolate.

Go and smoke another Bong B.Bonga.

Captain or FO, Goat is a crap job. Dont even think career!!

PS: Appologies to the descent guys out there caught in the snare. There is life after the Goat

[cavelino rampante]

Deary...Deary....

[arcticflyer]

Your name handle says it all.......good luck to the outfit that hires you...they might just need it. :sad:

And by the way I dont even work for QR...if that is what you were eluding to in your post and as far as medical coverage, I have one that I am happy with, that works fine all over the World.....and I mean ALL OVER.

OVER....

[cnic]

Have read in another forum that QR have changed allowances and conditions promised once you arrive in Doha. It seems that the english contract is not legal and if you have not signed an Arabic version you do not have a leg to stand on, is this true? It appears he was offered a 3 bedroom apartment in the english contact but the new arabic one said 2 bedroom, health insurance was changed from allianze to Qatar public hospital and education allowance halved. I have just been offered a english contract with them and I now have grave concerns that all is not as it seems, is QR worth the risk? Also what is being done to protect your salary from the falling US dollar, if it continues against the Aussie I can earn more at home then in doha even if it is tax free. Is the middle east worth it now? or would you say it is best to stay home.

[loc22550]

I wish i could have a protection for the fall of the U$(and so the Qatari riyal), but here in Q.A. Nothing...!No protection.:{
I think Emirates has some kind of protection(as they have a little bit more consideration for crew as well).
Cheers.

[Black Stain]

The excessive rant has been modified. But the point remains: people who have accepted, come to terms with, rationalized, a crap job because they have little choice to go elsewhere are hardly the ones to be giving realistic advice on quality of life issues.

I didn't sign up with a night freight outfit, but somehow I managed to do 11 Back of the Clock night duties last month. Last 4 in a row! Now that is meant to be illegal, but this company is expert at finding all the loopholes to exploit you. Rosters, training, accomodation, sick leave, personal travel, duty travel. If you come here be prepared to be lied to and messed around at every turn.

And so the multitude of joys (?) about which others above refer are difficult to appreciate when you are always tired and pissed off.

[a330flyer]

Hi cnic!
They probably haven't sent you a contract but an offer of employment in English. Well if you sign and join, this will be the last "contract" you'll ever see. They will never draft and sign a real contract but base your whole employment on this offer of employment.

The problem: the day you run into a dispute with the company and you refer to your "contract" (which is in reality only the signed offer of employment), they pretend not to know what you're talking about and they let you know that you obviously mis-interpreted the terms of employment. It all happened to me and it wasn't fun to deal with the whole issue at all.

But of course, if you decide to join Qatar Airways, you join an arabic company and the arabic version will always be the valid one unless the relevant document only exists in English. Like you're offer of employment. But then again, this is legally speaking not a contract...

In short: if you look for legal security in the life, take a big avoidance heading around Qatar!

Good luck with your choice!:ok:

[RnR]

Hi cnic,
regards the contract i can't say much about..
but the allowances remain the same i've been made to understand..
an all the new guys there are gettin villas (3-4 bedroom) for captains an apartments (2-3) bedroom for F/O's..
Hope this helps,,

Off To...

RnR.:)

[CuitoCuanavale]

Nyc Pilot, if you’re still out there, here are some sites I stumbled across that may provide a little demystification.

1) www.gallery.lifeonthespot.com (http://www.gallery.lifeonthespot.com/)
2) www.qatarliving.com (http://www.qatarliving.com/)
3) www.qatari.************* (http://www.qatari.*************/)
4) www.qatar.usembassy.gov (http://www.qatar.usembassy.gov/)

These sites essentially deal with family and personal experiences in Qatar. I chose them because they do provide objectivity, with one family having already left Qatar.

The US Embassy site also covers Qatari Labour Law…..read carefully.

Naturally the nay-sayers have already proffered this site earlier I think, that being www.qatarsucks.com (http://www.qatarsucks.com/). I only recommend it primarily because of the old adage that ‘where’s there’s smoke there must be fire’. In addition to that it probably has been linked to other sites whose primary objective is to intentionally denigrate certain countries, so the chances of you ending up at that site are pretty good anyway.

I have visited it fairly regularly (don seem to have much of an access problem as stated earlier) and yes there some shocking cases annotated there, of that there is no question, however, again, take cognizance of the fact that this site is actually mandated to denigrate Qatar (It states so clearly in the Banner Openings), so review with an open mind.

Having stated that, I am a fairly long standing member of Amnesty International and Children’s Hope, and I can assure you, whatever truth there is in that site it is miniscule and I mean miniscule on the world stage when viewing Qatar as a developing Country. It goes without saying that obviously this does not negate the severity of certain cases, but for example, factor in the following, Countries such as USA, France and the UK (All categorised First World Countries) have all within this year had very similar scenario’s reported. Now, in these First World Counties the processing of such cases is dealt with relatively expediently and unless it involves extraneous deaths, the publicity surrounding it is minimal. In addition to that remember the size of the Country in relation to its population and draw a direct parallel with Qatar and the size of its population….abuse report cases irrevocably take on a larger dimension.

Happy Surfing.