Generally, my posts are told through rose tinted glass as I love living in Doha. However like everywhere, there are some down sides. While I hate being a negative Nancy or looking at things being “a glass half empty”, it’s not being negative if it’s the truth, right?

When I moved to Doha, over two years ago, I knew the country would be strict and different, but I didn’t know in what way. It’s so hard to know what to expect when you may have only seen life in the Middle East through those perfect Instagram photos or on those recruitment websites, where it all looks to be sunshine and rainbows. While it definitely can be a superb place, there is a different side altogether that you may not realise.

I hope this helps anyone thinking or planning on moving to the Middle East,  or perhaps at least opens your eyes to the truth behind the blue skies and piercing sun.

The streets (outside the main areas) are dirty

Don’t like seeing rubbish floating around your ankles in the evening breeze? Well prepared to get used to it, I’m afraid. Outside the main, “pretty” areas, the streets are gross! People throw their rubbish on the ground as quickly as they finish their crisps, sandwich or drink. Recycling? Nah, not really a thing here. Rubbish and plastic on the beach? You betcha! The glamour and wealth do not live on the outskirts of Doha (or Dubai or Abu Dhabi). Now with that said, the private beaches are SPOTLESS! The tourist areas are IMMACULATE! But the sheer volume of rubbish at the public beach, makes me sad to my core! Some expats have amazingly organized some ‘beach cleans’ and hats off to them, they’re fantastic! I’m hoping and praying that their care will pass on to many more here and ‘beach cleans’ will become a thing of the future.

It can be a frustrating place

Doha, while having its positives, can also be extremely frustrating. There is no such thing as post, going to the doctor can be a nightmare and doing something simple like renewing a medical card, can take an unnecessary amount of time. These are the little things at home that you take for granted. Posting items back home can be done through companies such as DHL and are very expensive. Ordering things online is a disaster as it can take months to arrive. Things just aren’t straight forward! You seem to have to jump through an unnecessary amount of hoops to get something simple (like exchanging a license) done. It’s very much a country where it’s all about “who you know”.

Fresh produce is PRICEY

One thing that really frustrates me is that it’s so hard to pick up fresh produce here. In Ireland (or any other country I feel), you stop in a small Tesco/Centra/petrol station, and you can find basic fruit/veg/milk in there. Well, everything in the stores here is of course, imported and because of the blockade, very expensive.  Getting groceries is terribly inconvenient, not to mention extremely expensive. Last week, I went looking for spinach, only to find it was 40QR for a bag…as in almost €10…for spinach. Count yourself lucky if you live by a hypermarket as they sell fruit and veg for a cheaper price, however, the quality isn’t always great! The cost of living has increased due to the blockade, there’s no doubt about it.

See more about the Qatar Blockade: here.

Women are generally seen as and treated as Second Class Citizens

If my boyfriend and I go for dinner, get a taxi, ask for assistance in a shop etc, he is always spoken to first, even if I am the one asking the question. It can be very frustrating and some men can be very disrespectful and dismissive of women. Sometimes, this trait can be passed on to their children and these kids can also treat female teachers with little to no respect. Luckily, I’ve not had this personally in my own class but I have seen it throughout the school, particularly in the older year groups. Also, a lot of the children have maids and nannies and seeing them being treated disrespectfully by the kids is disgusting.

People come to Qatar for one reason only

Having spent almost 3 years here, I’ve come to realize that everyone is here for one reason: money! That may and probably should have been obvious to me before I came, but not to this extent. Schools tend to be run as businesses rather than schools and there’s a high sense of taking in as many pupils as possible to get more money, rather than keeping the class sizes low for the sake of the children’s education. It can be very frustrating at the best of times, coming from a country where the children and their education are put first, but it’s just something that you have to get used to unfortunately.

Ill Treatment of workers

There’s lots of horror stories online of the treatment of the workers on the building sites here. Stories of them being promised X, Y and Z if they move to Qatar on a paid flight and then when they arrive, they’re forced into awful working conditions with crazy hours and no way to return home under the employer they’re with.

Alas, when you land in Doha, the goalposts have shifted slightly. This much becomes apparent when you’re handed a helmet and a high-viz jacket and told to present yourself at a building site at 6am the following morning. You’re not working as a clerk in an office, you’re building a football stadium. They’re not quite sure who told you the $400 a month figure, but it’s actually going to be $200, less miscellaneous costs. The recruitment fee isn’t $200 as you’d agreed, but $2000, plus the cost of your flight to Qatar. Your crisp new passport is confiscated. You cannot quit your job. You cannot leave the country. And before you have even clocked in for your first shift, you owe your employer the equivalent of two years’ wages.

Read more from this article: here.

Get a Qatari Driving License ASAP

Taxis are cheap! I repeat, taxis are very cheap! But the sheer convenience of having your own car is second to none!

My boyfriend and I went 2 full years taxin’ around the place and we ended up avoiding certain trips due to having to pay the taxi fare. Or if we wanted to stop off in the shops on the way home from school, that was two separate taxi journeys, then having to wait for a taxi while holding your shopping bags…no, no, no! Let me save you the hassle and encourage you to get your license sorted ASAP when you arrive. Petrol is cheap, cars hold their value when selling them on, and the freedom a car can bring you at the weekend is reason enough to get one! Trips to the desert especially!

€15-20 for a cocktail will be “very good”

A less important point, but just something I’ll add to the pile while I’m on a roll. Very recently, Qatar have introduced a “sin tax”, where tax on alcohol has risen by 100%. Yes, 100%. To have an alcoholic drink in a bar now is border line un-doable!

Luckily, as I’ve lived here for awhile, I know the places to go if I fancy a drink that won’t cost me an arm and a leg. Most bars and restaurants have taken “the hit” of the tax themselves and have increased the price by minimal amounts so to keep their business. So I guess there is ways around this “negative”, but again, just something you might like to know before you move over here.

It’s really as amazing as they say

Above all, the pro’s always outweigh the con’s here in my opinion. Yes, some aspects of the country are difficult to wrap your head around and understand but for me, it’s the best move I made. The thrill of travel or an interesting cultural event springs up on you when you least expect it and really makes it all worthwhile. While it’s a stricter, more expensive way to live, the return you get from the tax- free income and luxurious lifestyle is just priceless.