” One of the greatest memories I have in Qatar would be that I found my life partner here. It has made me a believer of destiny. The opportunity to work outside Philippines came to me in June 2007. I was hired to work in Bahrain by a hospitality company for their properties in GCC. In March 2008, I was transferred to Qatar to work on pre-opening a property in West Bay. My first day in the job was also the first day I met my husband. But back then, it never crossed my mind that we would end up together since I thought I was not interesting enough for him. You see, I’ve never had personal relationships outside of my nationality, so I never really entertained the idea.
I was working in the marketing department, and he was in sales. Our office desks were just behind each other. He’d give me a hard time about his collaterals. My colleagues and I would see him heading out for coffee. Then in April a few colleagues made plans to have a night out. We went for it, and he didn’t let my hand go the whole evening. Before all this I had already made up my mind that I was resigning. I was tired of exiting between 2 countries, lugging around 40 kgs monthly. Not knowing if I would get another visa or where I’d be stuck, he did his best to keep me in Qatar.
While I was home, we tried our best so I could get back to Qatar. It’s destiny. Just a month and a half of being apart, in September, I got a job offer and was finally heading back to Doha. There were no hindrances; it was as if I was really meant to come back. My whirlwind love affair was sealed in February 2009.
Qatar has given us a great opportunity to grow as a couple and as individuals in our respective professional fields. We could not have reached the point we are in right now if we were not together. It has been 12 years and I look forward to a lifetime with him and our 2 boys. “
– Catherine & Mohamed (Philippines / Tunisia)