I Lived In Qatar Before The 2022 World Cup & Here Are 11 Things To Know Before You Visit

The work week is from Sunday to Thursday

Qatar and most of the Middle East have a different working week from the rest of the world. This is because of the Islamic calendar, which considers Friday to be a holy day.

On Friday, most Muslims go to the mosque to pray during the day, and because Qatar is a Muslim country, Friday is a day off. That's why the work week runs from Sunday to Thursday instead.

Only a small fraction of Qatar's population is Qatari

Qatar's population is just shy of 3 million people, which is only slightly more than the population of Toronto. That's not a lot of people compared to most countries worldwide.

However, you'd be even more shocked to learn that less than 15% of the population is made up of Qatari locals, according to the World Population Review. The rest are all expatriates living in Qatar for career purposes.

When I went to school, my grade had around 50 students, but only five were Qatari.

Many expats get free housing and education

While living in Qatar, most of my friends, who were expats like me, lived in their houses for free and went to their private schools for free.

This was because the companies their parents worked for covered those costs as fringe benefits to convince them to move to the Middle East from their home countries, reported Globalization-Partners.

Given all the cultural changes people have to adjust to when moving to Qatar, companies like Qatar Airways and Qatar Petroleum would offer such generous benefits, making it harder to turn down a job.

One thing I can tell you for sure: none of my friends' parents paid for rent or their school fees.

PDA is illegal in Qatar

Life is infinitely more complicated for pre-teens going through puberty in Qatar. You can't even hold hands with your middle school girlfriend or boyfriend without the fear of being penalized by the police.

Qatar is still a Muslim country, regardless of how many expats live there, so showing PDA is a big no-no, reports English Jagran.

It's considered unacceptable in Islamic culture, so if you get caught showing a public display of affection, you might have the police called on you, and it can even land you some jail time.

Flipping someone off can land you in jail

No matter how angry you might get at someone, I recommend you bottle up your anger because if you flip someone off, you might end up in jail, according to Dohapedia.

There are three men for every woman

According to the popular local blog Iloveqatar, there are three males for every female in Qatar, so if you're looking to bag a man, you may want to consider Qatar.

Even a TikToker made a video about the number of men vs women in Qatar, and the ratio is three men to every woman

Qatar is extremely safe

Qatar has been ranked as one of the world's safest countries in the world for as long as I can remember, but don't take my word for it. According to the Numbeo Safety Index by country, Qatar is the world's safest country in 2022 with a safety index of 86.22%.

According to the Numbeo Safety Index by city 2022, the capital of Doha is the world's second safest city, right after Abu Dhabi.

There's no tax

Qatar doesn't have any income tax and there's no tax on goods and services, so you literally pocket the entirety of your salary.

If you work for a company that covers your rent or your kids' education, then you keep even more of your income.

So if you want to make a bunch of money, I recommend packing your bags and moving to Qatar.

Gas is cheaper than water

Qatar might be one of the only countries where gas is cheaper than a bottle of water, because Qatari land has an abundance of the natural resource.

According to Doha News, Qatar is one of five Gulf countries where this is true.

Many people in Qatar are rich

Qatar is the richest country in the Middle East and has a GDP per capita of $122,789, according to the World Atlas. That means if you're living there, you're likely to have plenty of cash on hand.

It ranks as the world's fourth richest country, and it's thanks to its booming gas-based economy.

And yes, it's richer than the United Arab Emirates.

However, this is only true for those who are either local Qataris, business owners or skilled professionals in high-paying jobs.

Low-income professions, including labourers, housekeepers, drivers, servers, and retail workers, have a very different experience living in Qatar.

Many migrant workers who have helped build Qatar and carry out some of the most integral jobs to make society function are widely mistreated and have very few laws in place to protect them, according to Human Rights Watch.

According to The Guardian, over 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the country won the bid to host the World Cup, and this figure may even be higher.