Qatar ranked tenth globally in the list of the best destinations to live and work, according to the results of the fourteenth edition of the annual HSBC Expat Explorer report issued by HSBC. It is a global survey of the opinions of more than 20,000 people who live and work outside their home countries. The results of the 14th edition of the annual HSBC Expat Explorer report indicated that the vast majority of expats surveyed in Qatar (80%) feel that their standard of living has improved since their arrival in the country. Also, more than two-thirds of respondents feel optimistic about the coming year, despite the global pandemic that has continued for the past 18 months. This feeling of optimism stems from the improvement of their financial conditions (85%) and their confidence in the economic future (59%), which was reinforced by the limited changes in laws, policies and regulations that could affect the financial recovery. Abdulhakim Mustafawi, CEO of HSBC Qatar, said: “The results of the annual Expat Explorer survey have been encouraging to us and have shown optimism about the improvement in living standards and financial conditions. This study helps us understand the needs of our expatriate clients and helps them increase their personal wealth. We have teams in the wealth management department who can design solutions that suit the needs of our expatriate clients and open up a world of opportunities for everyone. Many expatriates in Qatar appreciate the importance of work-life balance, and about 60 percent of those who participated in the survey stated that their standard of living had improved since they came to the country. Safety and security were one of the most important reasons for the improvement in the standard of living as a whole, with 74 percent stating that they feel more secure than in their home countries. The results indicate that expatriates prioritize personal life more than traditional relocation motives. Many of them expect to find more opportunities to travel in the next 12 months (46%), meet new friends (46%) and career development (44%).The study pointed to some of the challenges faced by expatriates during the Corona pandemic, as about half of them (63%) stopped traveling abroad on tasks related to their work, and most of them (90%) were unable to visit their families or friends in their countries of origin. On the other hand, two out of four (42%) reported that they were able to spend some time outside.