Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

I am also confused regarding Mike's post. I found Qatar to be incredibly cheap. That includes shopping in Carrefour in City Centre. The only expensive thing was alcohol in the 5* hotels.

(I can't believe I used to pay 33 QR for a Guiness)

[Atassi]

[ghost]

[MIKEBUCHAN]

As far as Bindar Dondat's (sic) response goes - somehow he omitted where he works, what his salary is and who he works for. And me thinks that Mr. Miser only buys grubs and beetles at the Food Palace and his family goes no where at all. Maybe TV is very big in his house? If he can save $20,000 a year, has this been done or is this only a projection for a future date?

[Stephen Jones]

Bindair Dundat's saving expectations seem fine for a salary of $35-$40,000, with accommodation and schooling included.

Nobody understands what you managed to spend your money on.

[QatarChic]

I agree, it's possible to save money here in Qatar without being a miser-I save between $1000-$1200 a month.......

[Bindair Dundat]

[lollaerd]

Confusion over visas continues
Confusion surrounding policies regarding visas on arrival in Qatar continues to reign, as some senior foreign diplomats confirmed they have been informed of delays to the introduction of new regulations, whilst others stated that they have yet to be officially contacted.

Following the planned introduction of new laws revealed by Gulf Times on April 1, Qatari government officials have reportedly been asked to allow countries more time to prepare for the possible introduction of a reciprocal relationship regarding visas on arrival.A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently announced that the plans, scheduled to be introduced on May 1, were being reconsidered and therefore the current arrangements remained unchanged.

Matthias Ohnemuller, deputy head of mission at the German embassy, confirmed that his embassy had been informed of the change in plans, describing the development as good news.

�We were informed that we are continuing the current rules and that the changes will not be made on May 1,� he said, adding �there was no time limit given and no date was set for when it will change. �This is a good thing for private visitors to Qatar, as well as businessmen as there are a lot of business delegations that come here,� he added. According to the British embassy�s website, they have also been informed of the change in plan.

�We have been advised by the Government of Qatar that the plan to remove � from 1 May � the provision whereby British passport holders can obtain a visitor�s visa on arrival in Qatar will not now go ahead. British visitors intending to travel to Qatar may currently apply for a visa on arrival in Qatar.� However, US embassy officials claimed not to have been informed of the change in the plans.
�We have not received any formal communication from the Qatari government on any delay in the application of new visa regulations,� said Alex Alves-Lallemant, the chief of the consular section at the embassy.
However, the embassy�s website is advising that the current regulations have been extended, stating on its visa page: �Please review this page carefully since visas upon arrival to Qatar has been extended until further notice.� The overriding response throughout the business and expatriate community has been that the delay is positive.
Many were worried about the impact of the new regulations, and held the belief that embassies abroad would not be able to cope with the resultant immediate increase in workload.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=357003&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

[lollaerd]

VIEWPOINT
Revised visa regime requires a fast and efficient system
Qatar Vision 2030 is an important document plotting the path towards future prosperity by way of economic and social development.
One of the principal aims is �the creation of a vibrant climate for business and a larger space for civil society�. Central to this, the Vision states: �Qatar has made good headway in developing a political and organisational climate that supports the business sector. But further steps to enhance competitiveness and attract investment will be needed in a dynamic and increasingly borderless international economy.�
Yesterday Gulf Times revealed that from May 1 citizens from countries that do not have a reciprocal visa policy with Qatar will no longer be able to obtain a visa on arrival at the airport. It is difficult to reconcile this move with the forward-thinking initiatives contained in Qatar Vision 2030.
As the country continues to grow rapidly in non-energy sectors such as construction, financial services, education, healthcare and information technology there has been a commensurate increase in business travel from overseas.
The frenetic pace of deal-making often demands that professionals in fields such as accountancy, law and management consultancy travel at short notice. Advisory firms may choose to send teams based elsewhere in the Gulf (most notably those conveniently located in the UAE) or perhaps from their headquarters as far away as the United States and Europe.
As a result of the new regulations they will no longer be able to hop an aircraft � they will have to wait for visa clearance.
The Qatar Tourism Authority has been at the forefront of attracting international conferences and exhibitions that have helped to establish Doha as a destination of choice for event managers. Again, the new visa requirements will necessitate the inconvenience of delegates acquiring travel clearance prior to arrival.
And, although mass tourism on the scale of the Dubai model is deliberately not encouraged, the number of leisure visitors is rising. For example, according to the British Embassy website 40,000 tourists visited Qatar from the UK last year.
The burden of processing thousands of visas will now rest with Qatari embassies in the originating country. It must be hoped that the systems in place are as efficient as, say, the user-friendly government Hukoomi website here in Qatar.
If so that assumes a printed visa similar to an electronic airline ticket will be accepted on arrival in Doha. Until now this process has not been clarified according to foreign diplomats contacted by Gulf Times.
Also, the new rule begins in just one month. With embassies only just beginning to update their websites there are likely to be travellers with planned trips after April 30 who will remain unaware of the new restrictions until the date of departure.
In such cases there should be a contingency plan to avoid one of the worst kinds of inconvenience.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=352563&version=1&template_id=46&parent_id=26