About the Country- QATAR


Stretching 11,437 square kilometers and housing 1,307,229 population (May 2008 estimation), Qatar is officially known as the State of Qatar. The country is bounded to the south by Saudi Arabia for a stretch of 35 miles. Its capital city is Doha wherein it occupies a city area of 318, 500 whilst 550,700 in metro area and nestles on the east coast of the country. As they open its doors for foreign travelers, a new treasure has been revealed to the outside world. Tourists who travel in here will be blessed with jaw dropping sceneries including ancient rock carvings, sophisticated architecture and are accommodated in glitzy novel hotels.

Once a former pearl fishing center but now a thriving country that is ruled by Al Thani Family for almost 150 years since early 18th century. The official language of the country is Arabic but English is widely spoken and used in commerce and industry. Much of the country’s terrain is flat and barren covered with sands and gravel. The nation is of mixed ethnicities and inhabitants, around 40% are Sunni Arabs, the others are Pakistani (18%) and Iranians (10%). More or less, one-fifth of the population is native Qatari. The most widely practiced religion in Qatar is Muslim with 77.5% followed by Christianity (8.5%) and others with 14%.


Culture/Etiquette

The culture in Qatar is similar to its neighboring Gulf Arab countries. Majority of Qataris strictly follow the principles and practices of Sunni sect of Islam. For instance, women are not allowed to be a part of social gatherings and events except for westernized circles. Just like in Saudi Arabia, public separation of genders is observed- boys and girls go to separate schools. In Qatar, showing good etiquette is important. Hospitality plays an important feature in Qatari life, thus locals usually extend strangers or visitors with warm welcome.

Here are some cultural pointers that you should know to broaden your cultural horizons:

  1. If you are offered with refreshment, never deny the invitation and take note you should use your right hand either for drinking or for eating, as the left hand is considered dirty. Islamic tradition holds that left hand is used for toilet purposes.

  2. Generally, Qataris value the importance of greeting and addressing someone in correct way, thus you must use the appropriate term in calling locals. The formal address for man is “Sayyed” (Sir) and for woman is “Sayeeda” (Madam), then followed by the full name of the person.

  3. Do not forget to remove your footwear when you enter the reception room for guests.

  4. Be careful in talking about dogs because most of the Muslims feel they are dirty. In addition, if ever you will use the word dog in your reference of using metaphor/s, avoid it. It could probably be misinterpreted that you are comparing people to dogs.

Once you know better the Qatari culture and its etiquette, you will be surprised that they are more hospitable and friendlier than you thought.


CUISINE

Qatari cuisine has close links to Iran and Indian cookery and has been influenced lately by foreign dishes like from North Africa and the Levant. When you visit Qatar, you should never miss the opportunity in sampling their tasty local specialties. It is simply delectable especially the seafoods such as prawns and lobsters. The country is the perfect place to sample all Middle Eastern and Gulf fares. There are numerous restaurants dishing up these wonderful delights.


EDUCATION

Education is very important in the country, every child in Qatar is provided with free education from kindergarten to higher education. Regular education in Qatar started only around 1950 when Qatar Elementary School was opened. Basic education in the country is comprised of three stages, the Elementary Stage (6 years), Preparatory (3 years) and Secondary stage (3 years). The literacy rate of the country reaches to a percentage of 89.0 according to the 2007 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics census.

For non-Qatari residents who work in government agencies, their children are also provided with free education. There are also private schools in the country intended for different Arab communities and non-Arab sectors such as American and Indian.