If you’re a teacher and moving to Doha in the coming months, then one of your most burning questions is probably: “what’s the accommodation like?” Considering it’s where you’ll live for the next year, it’s pretty important. In this post, I’ll highlight the general package when it comes to accommodation and also share pictures of the accommodation I was provided with to give you an idea. I’ll also touch on living with your partner, as there seems to be big interest in that topic.

*The pictures that I attach to this post are from the accommodation provided by the school. It’s important to note that all of the furniture was bought by us and we completely transformed it! These items were not provided by the school.*

What should I be offered?

Schools usually offer:

• Staff accommodation.

Or

• Accommodation allowance (where you’ll go and find your own apartment).

Usually, in your first year, you’re not offered accommodation allowance and you’ll be put in staff accommodation like I was. I’m speaking from the experience of my school, but we were not given the option prior to starting our contract. It was a given that we would live in staff accommodation and luckily for us, that was not considered a bad deal.

(At my school) each person is provided with a two or three bed apartment to share. The apartments are huge and you can request to live with friends of yours or your partner (unmarried), providing they’re a teacher at the school too. If you’re married and your spouse is not a teacher, then obviously they can live with you too. If you’re emigrating alone and don’t have anyone to request to live with, you will be placed in an apartment with someone of similar age to you, where possible! The school used to offer a studio flat as accommodation also, but they were teeny tiny! As of next year, staff won’t be placed in these complexes (thank god).

Accommodation in Doha is expensive and moving to a new country is overwhelming, especially when it’s so different to back home. So for me, arriving in a country knowing my accommodation was already sorted was a relief!

What does the accommodation come with?

A question I would definitely be asking your school is whether or not the accommodation is furnished. If your apartment is unfurnished then I would definitely be buying any bed linen etc at home as it’s very expensive here! Fortunately with Newton, the accommodation is fully furnished and comes with everything from your bed (and new bed linen) right down to your kitchen appliances, such as a kettle and a toaster! It really was very welcoming and put our minds at ease, when we walked in and saw our new home. The furniture is basic and bland but everything is there when you arrive. There is no swimming pool or gym in our apartment block, but there are some in the surrounding areas to which you will need to pay membership!

Some places nearby that offer “teacher rates” are:

• The Radisson Blu Hotel
• Anytime Fitness

Downsides to the accommodation provided

My thoughts on staff accommodation are positive because I’m a single woman (as in not married) and don’t have children. For my partner and I, this apartment was much larger than we expected to get- so we love it. But for families, living in an apartment like this can have its downsides. For example:

• There’s no place for children to ride their bikes.
• You have to drive to the nearest park/play area.
• The surrounding area is not safe to walk for kids, in terms of traffic congestion and dust.
• The children can feel cooped up without a back garden to play in or neighboring children to play with.

For families in Doha, I really believe that for quality of life for the children, a villa would be much more appropriate. But unfortunately the school will not provide families with villas. They will however, grant you living out allowance in your second year, where you can source your own accommodation to suit your families needs. The living out allowance doesn’t cover the cost of the most extravagant villas, but it’ll be enough to put you and your family in better area.

For single people like me, the downsides I can see are:

• Inability to go for a walk due to the area the accommodation is in.
• Furniture is very basic and bland.

That last point, I urge you to take with a pinch of salt, as some people might disregard that completely. In the grand scheme of things, it shouldn’t feature as a “downside” and it’s not really. But we removed every piece of furniture and bought our own (over the three years) to make it feel more homely! That was completely our choice but we really did make our apartment a home of our dreams!

The inside/layout of the apartment

I know was beyond curious to know what the apartment would look like! So for anyone coming to teach for Newton, here is a little peak inside our apartment.

Not photographed but also in the apartment:

• Two toilets
• One bathroom (shower and bath)
• Spare room (identical to the bedroom above)

Can you live with your boyfriend/girlfriend in Qatar?

This is something I get asked regularly on Instagram. Qatar is a Muslim country with strict rules. By law, you are not allowed live with your partner if unmarried. But lots of couples do live together.

Ways to live together:

• Speak to your school about it. Often the principal and vice principal are either American, British or South African and understand that you’re going to want to live with you partner. They’ll often offer you a solution, such as, allow you to live together in staff accommodation (like me). Or they might offer you both single accommodation and assume you’ll both live together in one of those apartments.
• Both of you apply for living out allowance. If granted, look for compounds where you can live together. Some that I know of are: Ain Khalid Compound, Ain Khalid Gate Compound and Y Village.

Remember, it is against the law technically and while couples do live together, I wouldn’t go shouting about it! Just go about your business like you normally would and you won’t come into problems. Before I moved to Qatar, I had people telling I’d have to wear a ring on my finger and pretend I was married…you don’t! I just would be cautious of who I told. Work colleagues and friends are okay to tell, but outside them, use your best judgement.

Should I know the details of my accommodation prior to arriving in Qatar?

Sadly, probably not! This was something that frustrated me very much. I didn’t know what kind of accommodation I’d have until I turned the key in apartment 305, and walked in the door. Now luckily, it was a pleasant surprise but it was something that stressed me out before I left Ireland. It’s quite common not to know these details before you land in Qatar, so try not to worry about it! (As best you can).

Any other questions, queries or comments on accommodation in Qatar, please leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

For other posts like this, check out:

• What I wish I knew before moving to the Middle East
• My Job as a Teacher in Doha: What it’s Really Like