Philippine Embassy in Doha, Qatar St. No. 860, Zone 68, Jelaiah Area P.O. Box 24900 Doha Qatar

Telephone (+974) 4 4831-585

Telefax (+974) 4 4831-595

E-mail [email protected] [email protected]

Website www.philembassy-qatar.org

Head of Mission Mr Crescente R. Relación, Ambassador

Embassy of The Philippines currently at St. No. 860, Zone 68, Jelaiah Area Doha, Qatar. Contact: Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) Trunk line (+974) 4488-4485; 4486 1220; 4486 8001

The cost of petrol in Qatar is cheap – just one QAR per litre – which adds to the intense love affair people have with their cars. It may also explain the country’s nearly non-existent public transport system.

There are plenty of car rental companies in Qatar, many of which offer better rates the longer the lease period. A small car, such as a Nissan Sunny, will cost around 3,000 QAR per month, while a larger four-wheel drive vehicle will cost at least 5,000 QAR a month.

If purchasing a car, buying new is not a problem; however, because of the high turnover rate of expats, very good deals on used vehicles can be found. To buy a used Nissan Sunny (2012) can cost less than 40,000 QAR, while the larger four-wheel drive Pathfinder (2012) would come in at about 85,000 QAR, depending on mileage.

The public transport system of Qatar consists of buses and taxis, and is run by a single company, Karwa. Both modes of transit are good value, taxi fares start at  4 QAR and increase by around 2.20 QAR per km (more in the evening), while bus fares start at 3 QAR. Buses only run the main routes of Doha, and taxis can only usually be found in a handful of ranks around the city or in shopping centre car parks.

Health insurance is normally organised by employers, and the standard of care in Qatar is good. If health insurance is not included in your payment package, highly subsidised health and dental care with Hamad Medical Corporation can be accessed with the purchase of a Hamad Card (100 QAR).

Alcohol is expensive, can only be purchased from one warehouse and requires a permit . The cheapest bottles of wine are around 40 QAR, while many perfectly decent vintages can be found for around 75 QAR. A six pack of beer is about 70 QAR, while a bottle of spirits (1.5 litre) is at least100 QAR. Drinking out is more expensive, with a bottle of wine costing about 250 QAR, a bottle of beer 40 QAR and an average cocktail at 60 QAR.