A word of warning about Doha ... it is probably the most boring place in the world to live. If you are happy to spend all your spare time knocking a little white ball around a golf course, then maybe you'll like the place, but the reality there is absolutely nothing else to do ... sorry, maybe sailing. But in any case, from June to September it is far too hot and humid to do either unless you're quite mad (mad dogs and Englishmen ...). If you saw the movie The Truman Show, it's a bit like that ... if you go very far you hit the wall at the end of the country ... and if you pay close attention to what's going on around you, you'll realise that you are constantly seeing the same small group of people.

Folks will say to you, have you seen the rest of Qatar? Believe me there is nothing else apart from Doha except for a few sand dunes and the odd nondescript small town ... and all of them look exactly the same.

I have been told by many people that as far as quality of life is concerned, Dubai and Bahrain vie for top spot in the Gulf. Abu Dhabi probably comes next. A long way further back is Doha with Kuwait and then KSA bringing up the rear.

Wohow Goldstone.....

Now that was a very valuable comment!

........jeezes!

4HP,

I didn't by any means think I was stiring things up. I read a post on it a couple of months ago in an EK recruitment thread and thought it might have some relevence as a reply to E.P's post. As I said, I wasn't sure the accuracy of what I wrote.

I apologise if I could have started something. I did not intentionally want to work up any folks that could be involved in what seems to be a very delicate matter.

To EP and all the other Australian folks looking for work. I hope something comes up for you guys soon. People have said that the HR department at QR needs a bit more staff, and with all the applications they get it may just be taking them a while to sort through the list.

I think Ive still got a lot to learn. Sometimes I write a post, get a reply and think "why the f**k did I write that." I think Im going to refrain from replying to topics where I do not have all the facts relatively first hand. I have spent a lot of time in the middle east, but unfortunately dont seem to know as much about the industry than I thought.

Good luck with your job huntng

BYB

Thanks 4 HolerPoler. BYB and Chevy-SS, please be very careful when discussing events that took place in Australia in '89 unless your are well informed, constructive and being pertinent to the thread.
Aussies in the Middle East, for the most part, are a happy and constructive lot. Some have been here for quite some time. Others are more recent arrivals. However most hold very strong opinions on the events you refer to but, quite correctly, keep those opinions to themselves. Let's keep it that way. Please!

While I'm convinced that some dispute pilots who have become embedded in the airlines in the gulf may in fact attempt to short-circuit the attempts of current ansett pilots to gain employment..methinks the main reason folks from some countries may be not preferable is due to their track record of longevity (or lack of)..(read americans...and I am one) so it is probably not as sinister as byb has inferred..by far the vast majority of dispute pilots i have encountered here in the gulf have put it behind them and gotten on with life...:cool: :)

sooo true
 

Goldstone are you me or am I you,its like looking in a mirror,strange on this forum when you actually describe what the airline and Doha is really like you get abused???The truth hurts I think,Bye Bye.

ironbutt57, what makes you so convinced? What do you mean by "embedded"? Surely you don't believe it was Elvis (or Harold Holt) who fired a shot from the grassy knoll before being abducted by aliens? Any "dispute pilot" who is in a position to hire (or fire) is a rare bird indeed and would hardly be unprofessional (or just plain stupid enough) to make decisions not in the best interests of his employer. I do agree with you that most of those in this part of the world who were involved in '89 have been wise enough to have put it behind them, at least in the public forum.
I say again, let's keep it that way.

Well, kenoco, I believe in telling it like it is. My views about life in Doha are shared by a number of people, others love it ... I guess different opinions make life interesting! But I've read quite a bit on various threads here about Qatar being a good place to live (safe ... true, people are nice and friendly ... mostly true, good shopping ... compared to what???) and I wanted to put on record a different view ... boring, uninteresting, horrendous summers, small-town living ... I would never actually recommend it to anyone unless they were desperate for a job and there was nothing else around.

don't know about elvis being on the grassy knoll...but some aspects of the warren commission's report are a bit questionable...anyway would as well find it hard to believe that a person's union afiliation or lack thereof is a factor around these parts..though it has been alleged by an unsuccessful candidate i am aquainted with..anyway..doesn't matter anymore anyway:)
guess established is a better word than embedded

Hey Goldstone

I actually quite liked living in Doha, always felt like I was home after returning from leave, probably being a bit of a nomad made me like it. Enjoyed going out to the desert, the islands and was probably the only mad fool who would sit by the pool in the middle of August and not let it bother me?? Yep must be mad now I come to think of it. But could always find my way home to Gulf Cinema after a good night at the 7th Heaven Marriott.

Will be coming back out to Doha for a little visit just after xmas hope to see some of you guys at the bars for a little drink or 3.

Happy flying GC

Does anybody know if QR have incremental pay scales like most companies and if so what is the bottom/top of scale and how many years of service does it take progress to top of scale?

Count

QR gave crew a pay rise back in 1997 on flight allowances and duty pay ie QR40 per day QR10 per duty hour then in Jan 1998 they dropped it to QR20 per day and QR7 per hour. Never had a increase on basic salary in the whole 3 1/2 years was with the company.

But they have been paying cabin crew extra allowances for turn arounds or for min crew onboard a/c

Hope that this might help sorry dont know if they flight deck crews ever got a pay rise either (doubt it) their allowances were the same as the cabin crew for day rate and duty hours

GC