Working in Qatar

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Driving Licenses
On arrival in Qatar you may drive for a maximum of 14 days on a foreign driving licence. After 14 days you must apply for a temporary Qatari licence. Reed Qatar will help you with this process, which involves a visit to the Traffic Department where you will have your photo taken and have to perform a very basic eye test. This licence is valid for three months or until the issuance of your RP, whichever is sooner.
Once you obtain a residency permit, you must immediately apply for full Qatar driving licence, as you will no longer be permitted to drive on a foreign or temporary licence.
Please note that driving on an International driving licence is not permitted.
A valid driving licence is your responsibility and you should not drive without one. You may not drive a company hired vehicle without a valid driving licence after day 14 in the country. If you do so you will be liable for all costs.

Accidents
Driving in Qatar is of a very low standard and, as such, minor accidents are commonplace. Should you be involved in an accident you are required, by law, not to leave the site of the accident. You should pull over to the side of the road, if it is safe to do so, and call 999. A Traffic Police car will then be sent to the site
of the accident. When the accident site has been assessed by the police you will then be required to
go to the local police station to complete the necessary paperwork, as without a police report it is not possible to make a claim on your insurance or to have any repair work carried out on your car. When at the police station you will be require to pay an administrative charge. If the accident was your fault you will be required to pay QR120. If the accident was not your fault, you are still required to pay a charge, but of QR20.

Driving Laws & Traffic Violations
It is important to remember that laws relating to driving in Qatar are likely to differ from those in your home country, and these laws change and are updated regularly, often without any notifications being made to the public. A few points to note are:-
• Only the driver & front seat passenger are required to wear a seat belt
• Children under the age of 10 are not permitted to travel in the front seat
• It is illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving (minimum fine QR3,000)
• There is a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude to drinking and driving (punishable by a custodial sentence of 1 month to 3 years and/or a fine of between QR10,000 QR50,000), usually followed by deportation.
• Do not make ‘rude gestures’ or use 'foul language' in situations of road rage you can be subject to significant fines, not to mention, the possibility of deportation. This could be for what you may feel is a minor infringement like 'flipping the bird'. This is an Islamic country so be respectful he their culture.
• Remain calm and composed and attempt to resolve any incident in a friendly fashion. Respect the locals in particular. As the law may favor the locals so remain controlled.
• Most people you may have an incident with are extremely friendly and once you leave the vehicle you are most likely to get a smile and an apology.

There are many speed cameras throughout the city, and be aware that they do not all look like a standard speed camera. Some look like boxes, some look like lights.
Some do not even ‘flash’, so you may not even be aware that you have been caught speeding. Please also note that the cameras positioned at traffic lights not only serve to photograph those who drive through red lights (fine QR6,000), but also as speed cameras! You have been warned!
Should you be caught speeding or driving through a red light, you will not be notified by the authorities, instead you must check online. You are advised to check regularly as it is not possible to exit the country if you have any outstanding fines against your name. Simply visit www.moi.gov.qa and enter your car registration number on the relevant page. Fines are payable online.

Buying/Renting a Car
There are many Car Rental companies in Qatar, should you not wish to purchase a car, however, it is considerably more expensive to rent than to buy. It is possible to buy a car from a private vendor or through a car dealership, but as a generalisation it is far easier to purchase through a dealership, who can arrange the appropriate paperwork for you. Please refer to your copy of the Marhaba for a list of all car dealerships, but as a general guide, the majority of the second hand dealerships are located on the Salwa Road. If purchasing a car with a loan here, it is the bank that will ‘own’ your car, and as such they have very specific requirements with regard to your purchase. Hence, it is vital that you refer to your bank for their specific requirements before you start looking for a car. Usually you will be required to provide three months worth of payslips from Reed Qatar before applying for a loan. Most banks will also require a deposit (of varying percentage of the value of the car) and most will not allow a loan for a car which is more than 3 years old. HSBC Premier can, however, offer car loans without deposits and can offer loans for cars up to 5 years old, however, this is subject to change!

Car Insurance
There are a few different Car Insurers in Qatar, but there is little difference in premiums, so it is usually easiest to opt for the insurer that the garage (if you are buying from one) suggests.
Insurance is based on the value of the car, and the insurance premium is charged as a percentage of the value. The premium is payable annually. Thankfully, there is no such thing as a ‘no claims bonus’ in Qatar, and it is the car that is insured not the driver. Typically a policy excess is QR500 but increases for sports cars or specialist vehicles to around QR5,000.

 
Safety
Aside from the roads, Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world. Crime is practically unheard of and you will regularly see cars left with the keys in and ignitions on. It would also be surprising if, for example, you left your mobile or wallet in a taxi and it wasn’t returned to you. People are extremely friendly and will regularly strike up conversation with you for no apparent reason. Initially it can be disconcerting, but there is no need to fear anything untoward, it is merely the way of life. This being said do not take this for granted and usual common sense should prevail so single women should not walk about in secluded areas at night etc....

Accommodation
It is advisable to start looking for a property as soon as you arrive in Doha, as your company provided accommodation is only available to you for one month. If, however, any problems or delays should arise with the processing of your RP, your stay can be extended within reason. If you choose to look through advertisements of the local papers (Gulf Times/Peninsula/Qatar Tribune) or on the internet (eg. www.dohamums.com) you will notice that many of the ads have simply the first name and a number of an independent agent. Please be aware that these are often ‘middlemen’ whose job it is to find tenants on behalf of agencies. It is not uncommon to see several of them showing prospective tenants around the same property at the same time, but more importantly, be aware that many of them will try to charge a hefty ‘finding fee’ at the point of signing the contract (usually one month or 6 weeks rent)! If at all possible it is advisable to deal with the agencies or Landlords direct (please refer to the Marhaba for a list of reputable agencies). Some useful websites are listed below, however, please note it is usually more useful to speak to the agents directly, as their websites are often out of date

www.mycoreo.com

 
www.mirageproperty.com

www.bhomes.com

www.remax-qatar.com

www.alasmakhrealestate.com

Another way to find properties is simply to drive around. Many properties have ‘For Rent’ signs with contact numbers for the Landlords/agencies, and if, for example, you find a compound that you like, it is often worth asking if there are any available properties even if there isn’t a sign. If there are available properties, it is likely that the guards have the keys and they are usually more than happy to show you the properties themselves and give you the number to the manager of the properties/the agent.