Driving in Qatar

Read any expatriate discussion forums about working and living in Qatar and you'll find two hotly discussed topics.

1. The rapid rising cost of living in Qatar
2. The hazards of driving in Qatar.

It really depends on which part of the world you come from. If you're from mainland China or India sub-continent, you're likely to find Qatar to be a 'driving haven'.

If you come from USA, Europe, Australia, Singapore or Japan, you'll be horrified, terrified and petrified by the driving here.

There is little or no public transport system here. There is no subway and taxi and buses are few and far and certainly are way below capacity for it's rapidly growing population. Almost everyone drive.

Roundabout galore

Like most countries ruled by Great Britain once upon a time, there are an abundance of round-about instead of traffic junctions that divide traffic. Many newly arrived people are not used to roundabouts and they get nervous whenever approaching one.

Adding to the confusion for new comers is that some roundabouts are straight roundabouts, some has normal traffic lights, some have flashing traffic lights and some are controlled by traffic police.

Impatient drivers

It also certainly does not help that most divers in Qatar drive large fuel-guzzling big capacity 4WD SUV. Most people in Qatar are nice and patient people but the moment they get behind their steering wheels, they turn into another character altogether.

Horning and flashing at you at 140km/h on 80km/h speed-limit roads are daily affairs. If you happen to drive a 800cc or other small fuel-efficient car and fail to get out of the way in 1 second flat, expect these gigantic 4WD to come up to almost your bumper, fill your rear-mirror with their high-beam lights, and tail-gate you till you scramble out of the way.

Or you get drivers of pick-ups, trucks and buses that weave in and out of traffic at high speed thinking they are F1 wannabees.

Accident statistics

It is no wonder that it is acknowledged that Qatar has one of the highest accident rate in the world. Do a survey with your neighbour, work colleagues or countrymen. Do not be surprise that 2 out of 3 has minor or major accident experiences within a year of drivng here.

The roads in Qatar tend to be well paved. However, construction are everywhere in Qatar and it is not unusual for roads to have large pot-holes or not having signboards. Coupled with poor street lighting away from the main roads, it is no wonder that it can be stressful driving in Qatar.

Many people who are not confident of driving on Qatar roads end up hiring drivers instead of driving themselves even if it cost a good proportion of their salaries or allowance. I guess it's far better to spend the money and keep your safety and sanity...

Despite popular belief, there are no camels on Qatar public roads.
These camels are found only on racing tracks or the desert.

The Qatari Desert

You cannot come to Qatar and not see the desert.

Doha is the administrative capital of Qatar. Doha is a relatively modern city of about 800,000 population with all the amenities and facilities you can expect from a modern city. Once you are out of Doha, it's desert land.

Qatar is a relatively flat peninsula jutting out into the Arabian Gulf. The land is generally flat and mostly rocky desert. The entire country is well-served by highways and dotted with smaller towns but you can expect nothing but desert once you move away from the towns and highways.

Most days, the sun is strong and because of the flat terrain, you'll be able to see far into the horizon as you have never seen before. The sky is mostly a nice blue and you will find little or no cloud.

The desert is not all quiet though. It has it's own life too. There are wandering Bedouins, cattle and camel herds, desert shrubs and wildlife.

The desert is also the key industrial lifeline for Qatar's economy because of the various oil and gas plants dotted all over.

On weekend, the desert becomes the playground of Qataris and expatriates with it's myriad of social activities. Just remember to bring a hat, sunglasses, sun-tan lotion and lots of water...

4WD line up for some sand dune bashing fun

Falcon racing anyone?

Watch yourself riding a camel on large video screen

Getting a job in Qatar

The whole world is undergoing a recession today including even certain countries in the Middle East. Not Qatar... it is the one of the few countries that is still going strong and is expected to come out of the current economic gloom stronger than ever.

Some of you may even be considering getting a job in Qatar. Feel free to do so; afterall, almost 80% of the workforce are migrant workers from outside of Qatar and ranges from the top professional manager to the middle engineer to the lowest laborer.

There is likely to be a suitable position for you whatever background you come from because every kind of Qatari organisation, foreign or local, at every level of position will require migrant workers.

You can get a job by referring to the many on-line jobsites, international job agencies, Qatar newspapers on-line classifieds, industry discussion forums and professional magazines. The vacancies are there... just make the effort to hunt it down.

One word of advice; the immigration and labor laws in Qatar are pretty unique and may be quite different from the country that you come from. Be sure to research on your prospective employer and the applicable Qatari immigration and labor regulations before you sign on the dotted line.

While there are many happy stories of migrant workers and expatriates who have found good employers, there are also many who have suffered under bad employers. Do your research well...

Anyone wants to be an ice skating instructor in a shopping mall?

Spring is coming.

Unlike popular perceptions, it is not always hot in Qatar.

The last couple of winter months in Qatar has been relatively cool - with temperatures of about 18C in the day and dropping to as low as 8C at night.

People love winter in Qatar. Out come the fashion parade of sweaters, jackets, scarfs and even gloves to break the summer monotony. The low temperature also mean more BBQ parties in the courtyard, sand dune bashing in cool weather, long walks in the parks, occasional refreshing rain and blooming flowers.

Homes and offices in Qatar often have powerful air-conditioners but rarely have winter heating. Hence, when winter temperature drops a bit too low, gas and electric heaters become hot selling items in shops and supermarkets throughout Qatar.

Yes... you read correctly. It's true that gas and electric heaters can be a top-selling item in Qatar. So, manufacturers of heaters do take heed...

Even the birds know that spring is coming soon
(Migrating birds in formation seen over Al Corniche)

Family area and Family Day

Many restaurants have a "Family Area'
cordoned off for Woman and children only

In the Middle East, there is a strong reverence for the sanctity and privacy of the family, especially the female and children.

In many Qatari restaurants and playgrounds, there are areas cordoned off for females and/or families. Males are not allowed into these cordoned off area unless accompanied by a female or children.

Buses in Qatar has the front seats reserved for ladies and children only. If you are a male, you are not supposed to take these seats even if they are empty and not occupied.

Some banks has a women-only section so that women can do their banking transactions in privacy. All hair salons, beauty palors, tailors and even massage and spa palors are strictly divided into man or woman only establishments and it is not uncommon to see signs forbidding male entry into these premises.

Some shopping malls go as far as declaring Fridays as a family day. Men are to be accompanied by a woman or child in order to gain entry into the mall. Single or groups of males are not allowed into the malls on Fridays which have such family day. This include some of the largest and newest malls in Qatar.

If you are a scruffy Asian or African blue-collar worker dressed in your work-clothes, you are more likely than not, to be stopped and turned away.

Of course, if you are a well-dressed Arabic or Caucasian gentleman, the rule does not quite apply even if you are unaccompanied and the security guards tend to wave you through.

For many of us, we tend to question if this is 'Family Day' or 'Racist Day'.

There is an increasing vocal call on Internet forums to stop this blatantly racist policy disguised as a family day policy. I certainly hope it is a matter of time before the malls stop this policy and either stop implementing family day or make it a point to stop all single males from entering the malls regardless of their race.

Be fair to all or be fair to none!

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Qatar

Chinese New Year as known and celebrated in Asia or Chinatown in many parts of the world is a non-event in Qatar.

Nobody even know it is Chinese New Year in Qatar. It does not even get a mention in the local newspapers despite it being an important festival celebrated by more than a quarter of the world's population.

There is not a remote trace of Chinese New Year in Qatar even in the large shopping malls. No CNY music, no festive banners and not even a trace of red.

There is a small sprinkling of ethnic Chinese in Qatar. Many would have returned home to celebrate Chinese New Year but a fair number of mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, HongKongers, Malaysians and Singaporeans remain behind.

Most of these ethnic Chinese remaining in Qatar would quietly celebrate CNY in private home celebrations or have meals in the few available Chinese restaurants.

In the meantime, the rest of the Qatar's population go on with their daily lives.

Life goes on as usual on Chinese New Year in Qatar

Cultural Hiccups - 1

I am not a regular coffee person. However, even a non-coffee connoisseur like myself have heard of the famous Arabian Coffee or Arabian Roast.

There are Starbucks and Coffee-Beans in the shopping malls in Doha. Why would I want to try something that I can find at home or any other city in the world?

I ventured to the traditional Souk (marketplace) in the elusive hunt for age-old traditional Arabian coffee.

The guy in the coffeeshop is browsing wirelessly on a laptop, smoking a Seesha pipe and drinking Cappuccino. I looked for the most run-down, most shabby, most traditional looking coffee-shop to get a real taste of Arabian Coffee. After all, am I not in Arabian land? After some effort, I came upon this traditional looking coffee-shop. I ventured in. The shop-keeper was unable to speak English and I was certainly unable to speak Arabic. With some gesturing, it was established I wanted a cup of coffee. It cost US$0.80. The shop-keeper promptly proceed to make me a cup of Nescafe Instant Coffee - with extra sugar. I'm still trying to find out where to drink genuine traditional Arabian coffee. Even this old looking coffeeshop serves modern Nescafe

Does it rain in Qatar?

Some people believe that it never rain in the Qatar or for the matter, in the Middle East. That's an incorrect assumption.

It does rain. Especially between December to February of the winter months. The rain tend to be short and intense - 10 to 30 minutes at best.

Most people living here are happy for rain. Rain brings joy to everyone's face, washes away the dirt and sand, let flowers bloom for a while and add a snappy smell to the air.

Drivers though, do not really like rain. Qatari roads are not designed with proper drainage system for rain, even light rain, and they tend to flood quickly. Random potholes in the road add to the flooding problem.

In heavy rain, sand on the sidewalks and clogged drainage system draining onto the road quickly result in a quagmire of slush and mud and the roads become extremely slippery. The fast driving speed and unfamiliarity with wet roads of the local drivers often result in accident rates shooting up during raining days.

It does rain in Qatar

Roads flood quickly.
This is a typical road after 15 minutes of light rain.

People in Qatar

The Qataris are a minority in their own country. Less than 20% out of the estimated 1.2 million people in the country are Qatar nationals.

The Qataris and other Arabic nationalities form the majority of government officials and civil servants. The Americans and Europeans form the management, engineering and teaching professionals.

The construction industry, high-end retail, jeweleries and automobile showrooms tend to be supervised by Lebanese, Jordanians and Egyptians. (I may be prejudiced but Lebanese and Jordanian men and women seems to be preening their hair, clothes and accessories all the time.)

There are a sprinkling of Chinese, Japanese and Koreans who are here to build roads, bridges, highways, skyscrapers and petrol-chemical plants.

The Africans and Nepalese make up security guards and waiters positions.

Filipinos form the core of service, sales, F&B and technical staff. Even more than them are nationalities from the Indian sub-continent including Indians, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshi, Pakistanis and Nepalis who form the majority of IT, public transport, construction, cleaning and hard labour work force.

Seriously, without the Indians and Filipinos, the Middle East would not be a very happy nor hospitable place.

You're likely to make more friends in Qatar if you speak Tagalog, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali or Tamil than ever Arabic or English.

Even Qatar has a little India

Shopping malls in Doha

The Middle Eastern countries believe that big is good. Grand is even better.

The shopping malls in Qatar are large and grand. Not only in their physical size but also the importance malls play as a social glue for locals and foreigners alike.

The Qataris sees malls as an escape from the constant heat and perhaps to buy their next Rolex. The expatriates come to stock up for their kitchens and have their weekend meals. The blue-collar workers window shop as a break from their monotonous and tiring work. The children love the amusement parks and fast food restaurants.

All shopping malls in Qatar have large supermarkets as anchor tenants. Some have bowling alleys. Some also have cinemas. Some put in ice-skating rinks. Some decide that only a canal with Gondolas is the minimum they can offer to their shoppers.

Unlike the real Venice, the gondolier does not sing for you

Low crime rate

This is a Islamic country. It has plenty of oil and gas. It's rich as well.

There is little crime and the country boast a crime rate even lower than Singapore or Japan. People who have been here for a while tells me that you can leave your car unlocked, walk away and the car will still be there even if you come back 3 days later. I believe them.

Murderous crime in most countries are usually due to:

1. A desire for quick money
2. Crimes of passion

In this country, there is no shortage of quick money. You can also legally have four wives as long as you build four equal size villas in accordance to Islamic law of providing equally.

Alcohol can only be sold and consumed in hotels. Not anywhere else. That's good ...no bar brawls, drunkards in the streets, drunk driving accidents or alcohol addiction.

You can't find drugs here either. Since there is no drug, there is also little drug-induced crimes such as petty thefts, burglaries and fights.

And if anyone still think of committing any kind of crime, they will have these gentlemen to deal with.

Keeping the peace in Qatar

To work or not to work?

According to the Koran, the holy day of the week is Friday; not Sunday.

Hence, the work week in Qatar is Sunday to Thursday. Most companies will rest on Friday and Saturday. Some, only Friday.

Work hours for government service is 7am-1pm. Banks too.

It helps that these guys start work so early. These are the guys with hugh SUVs and MPVs and you wouldn't want to meet them during rush hours. Being horned or flashed at all the time is no fun.

Shops normally open from 8am to 12pm. Then close and re-open at 4pm to 7pm. Nobody goes shopping in the Middle-East during the hottest hours of 12-4pm where temperature can go as high as 45C. Unless it is in a sleek shopping mall with powerful air-conditioners.

The rest of us thankfully work normal 8am-4pm or 9am-5pm hours.

You'll get use to it after a while that sneaking out during lunch hours to run errands at the bank or Post office does not work because they would have closed by the time we reach lunch hour.

Thankfully, ATM machines does not close after 2pm.

Accomodation in Qatar

Most rich Qataris, CEOs and diplomats live in palatial villas. Professional expatriates tend to live in apartments or duplex houses in gated residential compounds. Most skilled or technician level workers live in shared apartments in low-rise apartment blocks. Blue-collar workers are normally housed in cramp dormitories.

Regardless of residential type, most of them do not come with facilities or amenities. You need to drive a certain distance to the malls just to buy a packet of milk or get a cup of coffee.

The high-rise or skyscrapers you see in photos are mostly located in West Bay, which is the new downtown area of Doha. There are some condominiums and serviced apartments in that area and more and more expatriates are choosing to live there because modern facilities such as shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants, laundries, swimming pools are within easy walking distance.

Otherwise, if you are not lucky enough to live in that area, you will either:

1. Be able to afford a car so that you can go buy a packet of milk
2. Stay at home after work and forget about ever drinking milk
3. Keep a cow at home

Typical low-rise residential apartment in a gated compound.
Note the ever brown, beige, white and gray color theme

Modern or traditional?

Qatar is both modern and traditional. You can drive past old Souks (traditional markets) and in the next minute, be driving along spanking modern skyscrapers.

You can buy local Middle Eastern products in the local Souks and the latest New York fashion in any of the large modern shopping malls. Arabian gentlemen in this country have a choice of modern Western clothes or traditional Arabic clothes; most choose to go traditional. Local and other Arabian ladies are dressed in black Abayas but they do not need to mask their face.

Tourists, expatriates and workers from other countries do not face any kind of clothing restrictions. However, ladies are expected not to wear spaghetti strap tops nor mini-skirts in public.

The Qataris are proud of their tradition and culture. There are many grand museums, theaters, art-houses and parks that collect or showcase local culture and tradition.

At the same time, they are also proud of building towering skyscrapers that zig-zag in mid-air.

From Al Corniche, Doha

Traditional dhows (fishing boats) with the modern Doha skyline in the background

First impressions - 3

If your impressions of Middle-East come from movies and popular literature, you will come gamely prepared in canopy-hats, sun-shades, T-shirts and sun-blocks.

Ha ... you will freeze your toes off. There can be winter in the deserts too and the temperature now in Doha, Qatar for January is about 16C in the day and 10C at night. The most popular item in supermarket cashier lines is an electric heater to make sleeping at night bearable.

Offices in Qatar also tend to keep their air-conditioner low because of the all-year heat. However, most offices forget to adjust the air-conditioner during the winter months and so, you have the winter cold plus cold air-conditioner breeze. Brrrrr.....

The Qataris and other Arabians are in their traditional headgear and clothes; which can be quite thick and make the winter cold acceptable. The rest of the foreign population are in a mixture of scarfs, hats, sweaters and jackets.

Welcome to the land of sun and sand! Except winter...

From Jan 10, 2009_3

Note that the Arabian ladies and gentlemen in traditional clothes are able to keep warm

First impressions - 2

Everything is white, beige, gray or brown. Well, almost everything - buildings, malls, walkways, cars, and signboards.

There are of course dashes of other bright colors - but the overwhelming color tone of Doha, Qatar seems to be white, brown and beige. Even the colors of vehicles on the road are overwhelmingly white, black, brown and gray.

Most people of Arabian origin seems to dress in white, black, beige or brown too. It is rare to see a red, blue, yellow or green building, car or person dressed in bright clothes.

See what I mean?
Haagen Dazs Ice-cream Palor decked out in white, gray, brown and beige.

First impressions - 1

This is obviously a modern and rapidly growing country. Qatar airways is new, modern and service-oriented. Construction is going on everywhere in Doha. Everything looks relatively new - roads, cars, buildings, malls, hotels...even people.

The roads, buildings, cars and even trees look new

Qatar Profile

Qatar is a peninsula of 11,437sqm located centrally along the west coast of the Arabian Gulf. The country has a moderate desert climate with hot summers and cool winter.

The ruler of Qatar is the Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, whose family has been in Qatar since mid-18th century. Modern Qatar economy evolve around oil and gas.

The official language of the country is Arabic but English is widely used. The population in 2008 is estimated at 1.4 million with more than half living in the capital of Doha.

Early Qatar revolve around fishing and pearl-fishing.
A large 'Pearl Statute' reminds Qataris of their roots

Doha, Qatar

I landed in Doha, Qatar on 2nd January 2009 to start a new career. For those who are not familiar with Qatar, here is a video from the Qatar Tourism Board that will give you a quick overview of Qatar. Enjoy!