Job Discussion Forums

[smedini]

Hey all...

All things contract-related being more or less equal (good pay, benefits, job with management wrinkles included, etc), which country would you choose and why? I'm wondering about the countries themselves (more specifically Doha vs. a non-AD or DB location) in terms of things to do (for a family with young-ish children), cost of living, general environment/atmosphere, etc.

Sooo...

~smedini

[ghost]

Qatar is good, but much smaller, so there is less variety. UAE is larger with different locations, and more things to do. You have cities like Al Ain, right next to the Omani border, but still close to a big city like Abu Dhabi.

If you are a sports fan, Qatar is great, with some prestigious sports events, including football, athletics, swimming, table tennis, etc. They have world class sports people using Qatar as a base in winter for training, when temps are close to ideal. UAE is also good for sports with several world class marathons and half marathons.

For a family, based on what teachers have experienced, I think UAE would get the nod, based, once again, on more variety being available, and a larger area for recreation.

Many of the teachers in Saudi, move on to the UAE, fewer to Qatar, but then again, there are more universities to apply to in the UAE. If you work at Qatar University, travelling can be an issue, because of the traffic. Some teachers in Qatar comment that their lodgings may be far from their teaching jobs. Travel can be stressful in Doha at peak times in the morning and afternoon.

Ghost in Saudi

[smedini]

Hi Ghost;

Thanks for the input...it matches some of what I've heard from other sources as well. I've also heard the salaries can be higher in Doha, but that the cost of living is higher too...any thoughts on that?

Thanks again!

~smedini

[nomad soul]

Smedini, try this website for country comparisons:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=United+Arab+Emirates&country2=Qatar&displayCurrency=USD

Is it very accurate? I'm not sure, but it is rather odd that prices are indicated for alcoholic beverages when selecting uber-conservative Saudi Arabia for comparisons.

[veiledsentiments]

[millie18]

The Qatari monthly apartment rents are underpriced on the website (for something most of us would find fit to live in). The monthly fees for a gym are for those not attached to one of the 5* hotels - they run at least 8000 and probably more like 10000 riyal/year and can be significantly more if you are a single man.

The "freestanding" gyms mostly cater to males so it can be difficult to find one that has ladies only days/hours - except for the hotels and one gym in a mall I don't know of any co-ed facilities (at least at the same time).

A case of beer averages between 140 - 200+ riyals depending on the brand (lower end Tiger or San Miguel - higher end Sapporo). At the bars - lowest is around 30/pint to as much as 60.

Both the UAE and Qatar (like anyplace else) are what you make of them. UAE has more opportunities available for recreation and entertainment. I find the air quality poor in Qatar as we get lots of wind storms kicking up sand and the constant construction contributes to the dust.

[smedini]

Thanks all

Great feedback and good info...cheers!

~ smedini