LIVING IN DOHA
Three Expat Women Talk Starting a Business in Qatar By Emma Morrell
L
ots of new people move to Qatar every year. The majority, of course, come to work in jobs across a variety of sectors. Their spouses, however, may arrive having given up lucrative careers elsewhere in the world and find themselves looking for something to do. Setting up a small business is a logical step for many creative expats, but unfortunately, it isn't always straightforward or easy. We talk to three female expat business owners to hear their stories.
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Faiza Nakib Dots and Curves Algerian-born Faiza has lived in Algeria, Egypt, Canada, and Qatar. With a PhD in Architecture, a busy career, and two children, she arrived in Doha in 2015 knowing she was ready for a change. That change took a while. In her first year, she defended her PhD thesis and gave birth to her third child before taking a career break. She realised that with her busy life, she needed to reevaluate her priorities and nourish her creative side. Faiza started painting. "At first, it was just a hobby," she says. "I didn't think about selling my work." Then, she participated in a popular local market and realised she wanted to do more.
