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For those who have left the UAE for Qatar...
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turtlepi1



Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 94

PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:17 pm    Post subject: For those who have left the UAE for Qatar... Reply with quote

I was just wondering if it ended up being the right move for you?

I know everyone's reasons are different and what is fantastic for one is torture for another but on balance how did it work out for you?

I'm in Abu Dhabi but would much rather be in Fujairah. Just as that became a possibility I am being recruited by CNA-Q. In the end I assume I will stay at HCT but at least on paper the CNA-Q package looks a lot better. (The real draw for me is the mixed classrooms as it ties into an area of research that interests me.)

(I've read the threads about the problems at CNA-Q)

Who the heck thinks recruiting after all of the other institutions have given out contracts is good practice. Wink
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biffinbridge



Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 701
Location: Frank's Wild Years

PostPosted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:35 pm    Post subject: my 2 bob's worth... Reply with quote

I left Qatar in 2003 after 3 up and down years there. I had a married status, direct hire contract at QP, which was a good deal if you could put up with those students without becoming a navel gazer. I left because I got divorced, but that's another story.
I've heard that Qatar is really, really expensive now and because the Riyal has nosedived, I think it's hard to save vast amounts. I had a nice time in my first year there and liked the place. My second and third years were kind of clouded over by the tempest that was my ex. RE the OP, I don't regret leaving. In fact I think the Gulf is an awful place to stay long term as you have to make too many compromises with people and systems that don't make any sense. The second issue I have is really financial. Are you better off earning 4 grand a month in Qatar or 2 grand a month on an all in gig in Libya with 18 weeks holiday a year?
Rotations are the way forward for me, but that's my choice. I think the Gulf experience rarely makes anyone a better person. Looking back, most of the expats I met there were a**holes, myself included. I spent a while teaching in Saudi/'socialising' in Bahrain last year...it was the same there too.
Right now in Doha you pay 10,000QR to rent a small flat, 2000 to rent a car and then you're left with what? 2000 GBP. All swings and roundabouts really.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could go and stack supermarket shelves in Tesco. Or TEFL in the UK for minimum wage.
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biffinbridge



Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 701
Location: Frank's Wild Years

PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:58 pm    Post subject: if things keep going the way they are......... Reply with quote

If you're prepared to work really hard, you can make good money in Eastern Europe once you've been there a while and made some contacts. My last job in poland paid me 7,500 Zloty net a month with a free flat and driver thrown in. As there are now just over 4 Zl to a pound, (there were nearly 6 not too long ago)....that's about 1,800 Quid or 3,600 Dollars. A mate of mine was making over 5,000 U.S. a month in Russia before he quit. The downside is that there's loads to spend your money on whether you are married or single, but especially if you're in the latter situation.

Is dull Gulf life really worth it anymore if you can't save much? I mean 14-16,000 Riyals basic a month after housing, ain't that much....some gigs pay a lot less. Drinking Fosters at 6 quid a pint in a 5 star hotel bar listening to Flips singing Tina Turner songs is only funny the first time. Dune bashing is fun for a while but expensive and the water sports are outta the window in the summer months. The expat scene can hardly be described as 'bouncin' in Doha.....'offshore trash' as they like to call themselves, EFL teachers and Dinacorps contractors. I remember the buzz of Ridges opening just before I left...and how krap was that?

If the costs keep going up out there and the wages don't keep up then you'll be damned if you do leave as your Riyals won't be worth much and damned if you don't because your standard of living will be deteriorating.
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lall



Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 358

PostPosted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:31 pm    Post subject: Biffinbridge Reply with quote

Hey, Biffinbridge,
At the outset, let me say that I'm sorry for a tongue-in-cheek remark that I made, pursuant to your post, on the Saudi forum. No offence. I just put forth my views on my belief in the grammar "gramma".
Emphatise with you reg. your recent divorce, though (being fairly a newbie on fora as these) I'm not sure whether emphatising on personal issues on public fora is considered acceptable.
Alla best!
Lall.
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Little_Cannon



Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 7:03 am    Post subject: Re: Biffinbridge Reply with quote

lall wrote:
Emphatise with you reg. your recent divorce, though (being fairly a newbie on fora as these) I'm not sure whether emphatising on personal issues on public fora is considered acceptable.


I wouldn't hold out much for credible information from this guy. I've been trying to unmask this braggart, tracking him down to Qatar now.
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sylva



Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Posts: 7
Location: S.Korea

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 9:12 am    Post subject: Biffinbridge Reply with quote

Just quickly.....

May I ask, how do you like Libya? how is it for women? I am a single woman...I really like Oman, but just in case our recruiters loose the contract, I should like to consider Libya...

Any recruiters you would prefer to others? any addresses? if I may ask...

thank you,
Sylva
p.s. I could give out my contact if you prefer/
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biffinbridge



Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 701
Location: Frank's Wild Years

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 9:30 am    Post subject: Hi Sylva Reply with quote

Only too willing to help you...so please pm me on this subject.
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Hannibal_the_Conquerer



Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 21
Location: Doha, Qatar

PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2008 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Turtle,

Your question seems to have been hijacked, but I have moved over to Qatar from the UAE (from Fujairah, actually) I do really miss the emirates, but Qatar is ok, I guess. I'm not sure how I'd feel if I moved from Dubai or AD, but from Fujairah, it is different enough to have made it ok. I do miss the beauty of Fujairah, and if you had told me 8 years ago I would ever have said that, I'd definitely have laughed.

I work at the CNAQ, and I am happy here. The problems here are mostly just Gulf problems, to be honest, and you get them at every place you work out here, HCT included. They do change things around alot, but I just try to go with the flow. The money is good (albeit, not always fairly or logically alotted) and the holidays are really good, so all in all I find it worth it.

But as you can see, it's not for everyone...
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rocketchild



Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 96

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2008 10:27 am    Post subject: the dollar and all GULF currencies are linked Reply with quote

Cool
have to agree that the extremely low dollar has made staying in the GULF in general a poor decision.

unless you have a great accomodation paid for, and can afford recreational activities which you need to maintain your sanity.

then re-think the Gulf in general.

If lifestyle matters to you in anyway, you will spend your savings in the Gulf. It is not a bargin anymore, not like it was 5 years ago.

25 dollars for a pasta dinner without drinks, at a moderate priced restaurant.

Eating 'local' can only be interesting for so long, I have met very few teachers who enjoy eating shwarma every day for 3$.

Health club memberships, very high in a good clubs.

petrol, rising.

food rising.

your salary, not rising.

its rather depressing really


Rolling Eyes
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boundforsaudi



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 243

PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's $3 USD for a shwarma??? From a street vendor?
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Stephen Jones



Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124

PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 11:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

$3 is the cost of a plate of shwarma, not a sandwich.

Whatever the expenses of living in the Gulf, food isn't one of them.
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qatarwatch



Joined: 03 Dec 2007
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:26 am    Post subject: Food and other four letter words ~ Reply with quote

I feel the need to weigh in on this issue of food costs.

First of all, shawarma - plate or sandwich - is 'fast food'. And in the fast-food courts of Qatari shopping centres, a shawarma (sandwich) goes for QR 10-12 ( about $3.25). This is not expensive by 'Western' standards, and is comparable to the cost of a double cheeseburger. A shawarma is also in the same nutritional league as a double cheeseburger, and as such cannot be considered a 'staple' in any healthy diet. These items have not increased as much in comparison to other foods, primarily because they are in the highly competitive 'fast food' market, and as such cater mainly to lower-income workers here in the Gulf.

The cost of food has indeed been rising here in Qatar. This isn't surprising given that it's a global trend, and the fact that Qatar imports almost all of its food products. A simple google search will turn up plenty of evidence of this. Overall inflation in Qatar was more than 17% last year, with the average cost of food rising more than 10% in the first quarter of 2008 alone. * see: www.gulfnews.com/BUSINESS/Economy/10190349.html)

In any case, perhaps an even more important aspect of the whole 'food' equation expats should consider when choosing where to live and work is that of its variety and quality. In my humble opinion, Gulf cuisine cannot hold a candle to the healthy, robust and savory cuisines of any East or Southeast Asian country. So if you are currently enjoying the many fabulous (and affordable) dining experiences possible in one of these places, and place a high value on healthy, whole foods, why would you even consider moving to the Gulf?
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Rob Taylor



Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most were Canadian. Few appreciated the UAE so Qatar must be a blast.
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biffinbridge



Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 701
Location: Frank's Wild Years

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:38 am    Post subject: UAE v Qatar Reply with quote

UAE: expensive, hot, traffic jams, Gulf expats, krap hotel bars, shopping malls.
Qatar: expensive, hot, traffic jams, Gulf expats, krap hotel bars, shopping malls.
Bahrain: (see above).

Same, same saddiq.
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