Groups for Women in Qatar

Hi there: Qatar is a place with really well established social groups, particularly for women. There's everything from pot luck groups to embassy sponsored activities for women of various nationalities.

That said in either place you'll want to have a hobby or several in order to make sure you have enough variety in your days to keep you feeling fulfilled if you were working outside the home previously to coming to the Middle East.

Hi, I was an expat in the GCC for 18 years and know both Abu Dhabi and Qatar relatively well. Both have well developed expat social scenes. As an expat woman it's important to know that both are quite conservative but Qatar is more so than Abu Dhabi. This doesn't mean you have to cover up but it does mean that as a woman you should be aware of the implications of this. There are also a few social differences between the two. Pork is banned in Qatar. The purchase of alcohol for example is regulated in both Qatar and Abu Dhabi but there is only one place to purchase alcohol in Qatar as an expat with high tax. Now I'm saying this is the be all and end all but if you want a nice glass of wine with dinner or to entertain friends, it's important to know these things. Although Qatar has the expat social life, housing is very expensive, more so than the UAE - and you need to think about weekend breaks. If you opt for Abu Dhabi you can drive to Dubai in an hour but also you have the 100s of islands that are being developed aka Maldives off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Then there is Yas Island, Saadiyat Island with Le Louvre and Gugenheim currently being built. Ras Al Khaimah is about 2 hours drive away and there are a number of resorts there plus Oman is accesible by road and not far (a couple of hours) and Al Ain. In Doha, Qatar, you have Doha. And whilst there is much happening these days, you're choice is still limited. And then you've got the fact that you're a woman in a conservative country. So it depends what you are going there to do - if you want to spend a couple of years and save a lot of money - Doha would fit the bill, but if you want somewhere with more choice and happening, Abu Dhabi is great. Hope this helps. Emma

I ve lived half of my life in Qatar and the other in Abu dhabi, there is no comparison. Abu dhabi is much more developed and Dubai is just an 90 mins away, u I have a lot options in the UAE, while in Qatar life isnt as eventful, but people in both countries are welcoming and very nice. Best of luck