Jamie Hughes moved back to Qatar to escape the smog of Beijing in 2016 after the birth of his first son.

The country, says the principal of Compass International School Doha, has been home for over 10 years now and offers “the best of everything” - from “amazing weather” to tax-free wages and “incredible sporting events”.

Of course, it was hosting the Fifa World Cup in 2022 that arguably propelled the tiny nation into the popular consciousness, although it also shed light on the treatment of migrant workers in the country.

More recently, the country has been embroiled in regional tensions: Iran struck a US military base in Qatar in June, and then Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Doha in September.

It’s too soon to say what impact this will have on the international schools market there, which thus far has been growing consistently.

According to ISC Research, there was a 6 per cent growth between 2020 and 2025, from 206 to 219 schools, while teacher numbers rose 12.4 per cent. As such, fee income has risen 21.6 per cent, from $1.39 billion to $1.69 billion.

Tes speaks to four leaders about living and working in the country to find out what it is like.

Behaviour and safeguarding in Qatar

Sean Sibley, principal at Doha English Speaking School, which caters for pupils up to the age of 13, says he can “count on one hand the number of behaviour incidents I’ve had in 10 years”.

This is echoed by Hughes, who says pupils in Qatar are “wonderful”. He adds: “In every school, you get kids who are spectacularly clever, kids who struggle and find things difficult, or kids who struggle to abide by the rules.

“But, generally speaking, our teachers would say we are really fortunate to have fantastic pupils in front of us.”

Parents are well-educated and driven to make sure “their kids have a fantastic education”, Hughes continues.

His colleague, Abbie Goodson, head of secondary at Compass, which is part of Nord Anglia Education, says parents “pay a premium and expect a premium service and rightly so” - although this can put pressure on staff.

At the other end of the spectrum, she says, affluent neglect can be an issue. She explains: “A lot of children are brought up by nannies and drivers, and there is less parental involvement, so for some pupils we will struggle to access the parents.”

In a bid to combat this, she says, the government is now requiring parents to accompany under-18s to medical appointments. She describes this as “a good step forward”.

Affluent neglect is also raised as an issue by Kate Jackson, principal of King’s College Doha, who says that at times pupils can almost be too “passive” and “very compliant”.

Her school, part of Cognita, is now putting a big emphasis on character development and “soft skills”, she says.

It runs a programme for all pupils - from the youngest to the oldest - teaching “everything from how to cook to interview technique and confidence in social settings”.

On safeguarding, Sibley says there have been big improvements in terms of agencies schools can refer issues to in the past three to four years.

A decade ago, mental health was “a bit of a taboo”, says Hughes, but now most schools have counsellors, and there have been “huge strides” in supporting schools and families.

Jackson, meanwhile, says that while child and adolescent mental health services in the UK are often overwhelmed, in Qatar her school works directly with the doctors in the hospital if they have a case.

However, Goodson points out that most services will come at a cost: “At home, all these services would be on the NHS, but here it operates very differently because healthcare is not free, so we can’t guarantee families will be able to access the services we recommend.”

Recruitment and retention

In teacher recruitment, Jackson says when her school advertises a post, it is “inundated” with applications.

The “flashy lights” of Dubai can prove to be more of a draw for single teachers, she says, but Qatar is appealing to families with younger children because it is “very safe” and “very cosy” - at least until recently.

Meanwhile, Sibley talks about the tax-free pay and the fact that teachers in his school earn more than he did working as a headteacher in the UK.

When it comes to retention, Goodson says it’s not unusual to hear stories like hers of UK teachers who intended to stay in Qatar for a few years, but have ended up putting down roots.

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Goodson has lived in Dubai for a decade now - her two children were both born in the country. It is the “convenience” and “carefree life” she finds hard to contemplate giving up.

She explains: “Everything is so easy because everything is available at the touch of a button - you are just so spoiled.

“You go to the petrol station, and someone is there to put petrol in your car; at the shopping mall, someone packs your bags at the checkout. Even ordering groceries - you click the button, and they are at your door.

“I was speaking to a colleague the other day, and he was talking about using a shirt pressing service. It’s little things like that that make your life easier.”

Nevertheless, the school leaders talk about being rocked by recent tensions in the region. Sibley is waiting to see if there will be any impact on teacher recruitment.

In Qatar, “people were shocked”, he says, but adds that the bombings were “very isolated incidents” and says he still feels very safe.

Goodson says she was “frightened to death” when Iran targeted the US base - she remembers getting the message to stay home only an hour before the attack started, as she was driving her son home from football training. The next day, schools were closed.

Despite this, she says Compass continues to get hundreds of applications for every post advertised, and Hughes says no one chose to leave as a result of the attacks.

He says it is rare to see “any trouble in Qatar” and he has “never even seen a fight”, so the bombings “took everybody by surprise”.

Hughes says he continues to regard Qatar as “a very civil, friendly and, most importantly, safe country”.

Rules and regulations

Every day in Qatar, you are never quite sure what is going to happen, says Hughes with a smile. The Ministry of Education can introduce new initiatives with little or no warning.

“Some people find that frustrating,” he says, “but I’ve been here for 13 years now as a guest in a fantastic country, and that’s their way of doing things. I fully accept that and understand that’s how it works.”

For instance, around a year ago, it became mandatory for schools to put cameras in every classroom.

Hughes says international heads initially tried to argue against the move, worried teachers would find it “a bit like Big Brother’s watching”. However, when that was unsuccessful, they worked together “to figure out how to make it work”.

In terms of the curriculum, all schools in Qatar have to deliver three core subjects to pupils with Arab nation passports: Arabic, Islamic studies and Qatar history.

More countries in this Tes series:

• Japan: ‘It’s easy to see why some teachers never leave’
• France: A buoyant market - but Brexit still casts a shadow
• Kazakhstan: ‘A hidden gem’ that’s growing rapidly
• Vietnam: A growing market that’s home to 15,000 teachers
• Hong Kong: ‘An easy place for teachers to settle’

There is also a “code of ethics” in Qatar, explains Jackson, which details dos and don’ts - so shoulders and legs must be covered, for instance.

Recently, there has been a big emphasis on uniform, which has seen leggings banned for girls.

Sibley explains: “The ministry is saying, ‘We are an Arabic country - an Islamic country - so people need to be culturally sensitive.’”

Books in the school library also have to be closely monitored: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is out, as too is George Orwell’s Animal Farm - but Macbeth is acceptable, explains Jackson.

And while there is competition in the market, heads do work together. For example, many meet once or twice a month through the Qatar branch of British Schools in the Middle East - Sibley is the country representative.

They support each other when it comes to responding to changes to rules and regulations, they say, but also cooperate when it comes to more practical things, like staff training.

In terms of teaching staff, there are also agreements between heads that they will not poach staff mid-contract.

Lifestyle in Qatar

From the weather to the opportunity to “mingle with the stars” and attend big sporting events relatively cheaply, the school leaders are all effusive about life in Qatar.

“Every day you wake up and it’s sunny - it just makes you feel happy and puts you in a good mood,” says Sibley.

He talks about going to 18 games when Qatar hosted the World Cup in 2022, but also about the ease with which he and his wife, who is also a school leader in Qatar, can travel.

They’ve recently been to Japan for a week and often go to Dubai for the weekend. Then there are “wonderful” museums and art galleries in Qatar, as well as other sporting events that are priced “relatively cheaply”, says Sibley.

Hughes also talks about the affordable price of big events.

“Whether it’s an Ed Sheeran concert, the F1 or the golf - it’s next to nothing to be able to come in and participate,” he says, adding: “It’s work hard but also play hard because there are so many amazing opportunities outside of school.”

Jackson agrees that “the rewards are higher” in the country - not least the travel opportunities the region offers from its fairly central global location.

She says: “From Qatar, you have Sri Lanka just a couple of hours away, you’ve got Jordan and Petra - you can go to Zanzibar. People pop to the Seychelles for half term. It’s really well-positioned to have relatively expensive holidays really cheaply.”

Jackson also says that it’s a really good time to be a female leader - or an aspiring female leader - in the country. “Women in Qatar are absolutely on the rise. There’s a woman in charge of the Ministry of Education who has just been appointed over a whole host of men.

“And I’ve never been put to the back of the queue because I’m a woman, which is great.”

Goodson, meanwhile, says she “loves the lifestyle” and “feels very valued”.

She adds: “I’ve had so many opportunities that I just don’t think I would have had if I’d stayed in the UK. I’d highly recommend Qatar to anyone considering a post abroad.”