LIFE IN QATAR... Accurate Information Please...No NONSENSE will be appreciated.
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LIFE IN QATAR... Accurate Information Please...No NONSENSE will be appreciated.
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
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Honestly?
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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Haliburton must have thought it was pretty safe since they moved their home office to DXB!
You can go through a list of cities that suffered terrorist attacks or natural disasters and avoid them all.
Or, you can avoid the cities and areas that have not been struck on the rationale that they're next.
Or you can do your homework, keep your eyes an ears open, and enjoy life.
Remember, if you run and hide, the terrorists win!
You can go through a list of cities that suffered terrorist attacks or natural disasters and avoid them all.
Or, you can avoid the cities and areas that have not been struck on the rationale that they're next.Or you can do your homework, keep your eyes an ears open, and enjoy life.
Remember, if you run and hide, the terrorists win!
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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.
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.
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"We are friendly people by default and we dont like to cause trouble--and enjoy and welcome foreigners helping us in our country".
http://qatarsucks.com/.
I am not generalising, but read and draw your own conclusion.
http://qatarsucks.com/.
I am not generalising, but read and draw your own conclusion.
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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....
Let´s be serious 2 seconds...And NYC PILOT asked for NO NONSENSE....!
Let´s be serious 2 seconds...And NYC PILOT asked for NO NONSENSE....!
Last edited by salamalikum2; 20th Oct 2007 at 06:03.
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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.
@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.
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.
@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.
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"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.
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.
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Princess layover...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....!
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...
Last edited by salamalikum2; 20th Oct 2007 at 10:41.
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complainers
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??
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??
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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...
Good luck to ya...
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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?
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Pay for Qatar
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?
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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.
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.
