As has been mentioned on other postings – Qatar is probably the best place in the world to ride out the recession. The economy is growing at a slightly lower pace, but still growing – even building projects are continuing as they are mostly funded by government funds, so not being hit as Dubai has been.

Jobs in Health, Education, IT and Environmental Sectors are growing and well funded.

If you can get an ‘Ex Pat Package’ – that’s the route to go – this should include a salary, housing allowance, set up loan and car loan, plus flights home once a year.

Rent is high, but this is rumoured to be coming down – there are plenty of rental properties available at the moment from fully furnished to semi furnished (white goods only) and everything from small flats to large villas are to be had

Eating out is very reasonable, especially if you avoid the big hotels – although they are good for the odd treat!

Most staff in shops, restaurants etc are english speaking, the majority coming from India, Pakistan and the Phillipines, so learning Arabic is nice but not essential.

The culture is more traditional than Dubai, so please take care of local sensitivities – but living and working here you will find yourself in a safe, friendly community

A good site to get more detail from – and a sense of the ex pat community – is www.qatarliving.com just about every question you have will have been asked already, so do use the search engine on the site first before posting a question.

Please post any specific questions on this thread