Arriving in Doha can be very daunting, especially if it is your first experience of a Middle Eastern country. Driving from the airport to your house or hotel can be a scary experience and may leave you wondering what you are doing in this crazy country. The standard of driving is atrocious; there is no lane discipline, especially at roundabouts where drivers haven't quite grasped the concept of staying in the correct lane all the way around and they cut across any number of lanes and exit from any lane, leaving the less experienced driver feeling as if he is about to be squashed. The best advice is to start driving as soon as you feel courageous enough, as it doesn't seem so bad when you have control of the vehicle yourself.

You may be permitted to drive on your existing valid driving licence for one week, after that you have to obtain a temporary licence from the police department . Luckily, Doha isn't that big, so you can get from A to B in a relatively short time. Although the volume of traffic isn't too bad at the moment, the closure of a number of roundabouts in the future may change that (for the worse!)

The process of getting your residence visa will be the next hurdle you need to face. It is generally quite straightforward to get a work permit as the employer usually sorts out all the paperwork. However, rules change on a daily basis, so don't be surprised if the company asks for different documents than what they requested originally. A family residence visa can take more than a little time and patience, in fact a number of people have had to wait for as long as six months before their permits were granted. If you consider that one has to exit the country after 28 days, most families are forced to do a 'visa run', which involves traveling to a neighboring country and then re-entering Qatar with an updated visa. However, this becomes expensive and tedious, especially for families with young children.

Setting up home will be a considerable, but enjoyable, challenge. Finding a house can be time consuming, although some of the larger companies have a number of houses allocated for their employees, making it much easier for them. There are many real estate companies that can help you find a place you will be able to call home. Most families prefer to live on one of the numerous compounds as it makes socializing with people a little bit easier. However, getting a compound house isn't as easy as it sounds - most of the more popular compounds in Doha have extensive waiting lists even though, at first glance, there seem to be more than enough to go around.

Once you have your residence visa, your company will probably help you apply for your home telephone lines. it is a good idea to ask them to apply for an internet connection at the same time. Phone lines can take a little while to get, especially if you live in an individual villa or a new compound. Qtel is the exclusive telecommunications provider in Qatar so anything 'telephonic' has to be done by them. If you want ADSL you may have to wait an extra week after your lines are connected. It is worth noting that the technicians may not make an appointment to come to your house but just show up, so if you need to go out remember to make alternative arrangements so they can still access your property.

It is good to be aware that what you might perceive as unfriendliness on the part of the locals may just be a language barrier, and that friendliness and courtesy on your part will help overcome this. Speaking of friendly, most expats are more than willing to help newcomers sort out problems - after all, they know only too well how you feel, so don't feel shy to ask for help. 50, although the first few weeks can be very challenging, if you keep your sense of humour and have lots of patience, you will sail over the obstacles and never look back!

finger. All persons applying for residency must have this done, no matter what age - needless to say, young children really don't like this part very much! Your company will arrange for the application form to be typed in Arabic and then you are ready for the next hurdle - your medical test. Most companies will send someone who knows the procedures to show you the ropes, but if they don't, these steps should help you through the maze. You will need the following: an application form, a copy of your passport, two passport photos and QR 100.

The Medical Commission carries out these medicals and is situated towards the industrial area. It is an easy building to find as it stands alone. This facility has opened fairly recently and is a vast improvement on the previous location. Unfortunately, areas are not very well signposted, so follow these steps:

Firstly, try to remember that standards of hygiene may differ from your home country. Accept their methods as far as possible, but if you find you have strong objections, make your request known and it will probably be granted, although not always with good grace and a smiling face! Men's and women's sections are in separate areas of the building - men's to the back and women's to the right. Go to the counter number one where they will check your documents, enter them into the computer system and relieve you of QR 100. Women who are pregnant do not have to have the x-ray done. You will then need to go to room number three, where they will again check your paperwork and where you will have your blood drawn for the test.

Room number four is the x-ray room and may be the most distressing, especially for women. You will be asked to undress and put on a gown, although if you wear a plain white T-shirt you will only need to take off your bra. You will be lined up, waiting for the x-ray machine. If you have long hair, remember to tie it up or they will do it for you with someone else's hair clip!

Before you rush out, take time to check in the office on the side of counter one that you have had all the necessary tests done - you do not want to have to come back a second time.

About a week after surviving your medical, you will be asked to go for compulsory fingerprinting. This is done on Suhaim Bin Hamad Street, opposite Blue Salon, beside the Law Offices and is a relatively easy process. The building is not well signposted, but is well known, especially to police officers.

Your company will supply you with the relevant paperwork to hand in. Individual fingers and full hands will be inked and printed, so it is advisable to take Wet Wipes to clean your hands with afterwards. Once your prints are taken, a form will be typed in Arabic (for a fee of QR 10), and then all that is left for you to do is to go to the Immigration Department a week later and collect your visa.

Children are not required to have either a medical or fingerprints.

No labour cards are issued in Qatar. If you have a work permit, it is noted on your ID card. Your ID card will be renewed with your residence visa. If you have entered the country on a family visa and you then decide to work, you will have to go through the process of fingerprinting again in order to apply for a work visa. You will then be issued with a new ID card, which states that you have a work visa.