Neil Francoeur, RN, MHA, relocated to Qatar in March 2010, to begin work at the Sidra Medical & Research Centre as a Clinical Planning Consultant in Hospital-Wide Quality. Neil was kind enough to offer the following tips and information to those relocating to Qatar:
1. Spend a lot of time researching the region in general, Qatar, and the Qatari culture and regional culture. There have been some folks who recently started and did not understand some basics, such as the Islamic religion and how Islam views alcohol. I think everyone experiences some level of culture shock, and sometimes it is an eye-opening and positive experience, and sometimes it is eye-opening and negative. My personal experience was a mixed bag.
2. Qatar is generally safe (with the exception of traffic), and there is a lot to do. There are groups for basically every sport or hobby you can imagine. Access to the Qatar Foundation's facilities is a huge benefit, as the pool and equipment are world class. I personally use the pool a couple times a week. There are a lot of competitive runs here or in the region if you are willing to do a short flight. Dubai and Abu Dhabi seem to have more in regards to the competitive running, such as marathons, etc. Some folks also play racquet sports, etc.
3. I personally have found my fun in learning to kite board, and I spend the day at the beach whenever the wind allows. There are many other water sports that are available, such as scuba diving, sailing. Volunteer groups are also available, such as assisting with research on the animals of Qatar. One group was counting hedgehogs, another was protecting the turtles during the hatching season, so they can get to the sea undisturbed by land cruisers, etc.
4. Regarding social events, I think every country’s embassy has some form of party, and I personally have attended the Canadian Ball and the Scottish Ball. I have also attended a party called the "Fur Ball," which is a fundraiser for animal rescue.
5. There are many sedate pursuits. If you like a particular art/craft, there is likely access to the materials needed to pursue whatever pleases you. There is no Home-Depot-type store, so one-stop shopping is not really possible, and therefore any major repair pursuit takes longer -- but with the satisfaction of completion just that much greater.
Shopping in Qatar is good, and many of the same products are available, but there are also some very different shops. The downside is that if you find something you really like, buy everything you can, because you never know when you will see it again.
Recently, I discovered an antique shop full of cool old radios, books, glassware, and jewelry. There are other countries in the region with possibly better shopping but Qatar is nice too.
6. In the winter, there is always a group going off to the desert to do a weekend camp trip. There are also organized overnight touristy trips (e.g., through Qatar International Adventures or other similar tour groups). You can do this on your own, but going with a group is probably more fun.
7. In the southern part of the peninsula, there are huge sand dunes to explore. Not exactly sedate, but if you can have one of the local tour companies take you on a Land Cruiser tour, followed by a nice Arabic meal. Very nice way to spend a day.
8. When new (single) people come to Qatar, I tell them to expect it to be tough for the first six months, due to assimilating all the changes and dealing with the loneliness you may develop before your network of friends grows. The plus side of this is that, because there are so many people in the same position, it is very easy to meet new people and build the network. Most people begin to find a groove within three months.
