Pumping petrol in oil-rich Qatar

Qatar modern skyline

Qatar is sometimes a strange country. This is a country that produces one of the world's largest supply of oil and gas and prides itself on it's infrastructure modernisation program with sleek and spanky buildings and malls.

Many of the world's largest petroleum companies are here; think Chevron, Mobil, QatarGas, Shell etc either as an original entity or in some form of joint-venture.

This is also a country where almost every one drives. If you're a keen reader of automobile magazines, you might as well throw away your magazine and just check out the latest cars on the road. You'll easily find the latest sleek Porsche race car alongside luxurious Lexus SUV to workhorses like Honda Civics and Nissan Tidas.

For a country with all these conditions in place, you'll expect that Petrol(Gas) stations here will be classy showcases for the various big gas companies aptly suitable for the country's Porsche, Lexus, Mercedes, Audi and Cadillacs...

Old petrol stations

Nothing can be further from the truth. Gas stations in Qatar tend to be old, run-down, pot-holed and without convenience stores or auto facilities like workshops and tyre-shops. Most of them are gas station dealers that has been around for a decade or two and has not seen any upgrades for as long.

Most of the time, you do not even know what brand of gas you are pumping. Is it Shell, Mobil, Chevron or something else? You are more likely to see the individual station owner's name than the brand of gas - Abu Nakhla Petrol Station, Al Muntazah Petrol Station, Doha Petrol Centre, Rayyan Petrol Station, Umm Said Petrol Station etc

And instead of convenience shops, you're likely to find kebab shops, barbers, tailors, children toy shops, electronic shops and the occasional fast-food shop.

Gas stations are mostly old and run-down

Most of these stations look like they have freeze in time from the 70s and 80s... especially with their old looking petrol pumps, bi-directional pumping lanes, pot-holes in the lanes, petrol attendants and cash-only transactions.

European expatriates are amazed to have some-one pump the petrol for them, Americans complain about not being able to pick up drinks at the convenience store and Asians wonder why they can't fix their tyre at the same time...

Of course, things are changing and new petrol stations coming up seems to be following conventional worldwide trends; sleek pumping stations, large convenience store, auto car-wash stations, auto-repair shops etc

Until then, we'll just have to horn at each other as we meet head-to-head at the older petrol stations.

Land Cruiser Country

The Toyota Landcruiser is by far the most popular vehicle in Qatar. Almost every Qatari drives one. So do many expatriates who believe in bigger is safer; especially on Qatari roads.

Next in popularity are the Nissan Pathfinders. And Mitsubishi Pajero. And Hummers. And FJ Cruisers. And Tahoes. All the big, mean machines. Nothing under 4 liters will do.

Your first introduction to these vehicles is inevitably a set of flashing headlights in your rear mirror if you are driving. Especially if you drive a 1 to 2 litre puny sedan car. Especially if you're driving under 100km/h. Doesn't matter if it's a 80km/h speed limit road.

Get out of my way.

These vehicles have loud horns too. You'll find out exactly 0.1 second later at the traffic light if you do not move off after the lights turn green. That's how fast you'll get horned at for holding up traffic. Especially these big, mean machines.

Get out of my way.

Most of the roundabouts in Qatar are 3-lane. There is a 'lane protocol' here; outer lane for a 3/4 turn, middle lane for straight turn and inner lane for immediate turn. However, Landcruisers and Pathfinders do not usually care for protocols... it is not uncommon for them to cut from the inner to outer lane or vice-versa; right in the middle of a turning roundabout. This is where you'll hear screeching tires and smell burnt tire marks... simply because Landcruisers and Pathfinders are in a hurry.

Get out of my way.

The parking lots in Qatar are slightly bigger than most other countries. It needs to be bigger to accommodate these large vehicles. Yet, it is not unusual for these vehicles to take up a lot at such an angle that you can't park beside it. Does not matter if it is the last available lot in the whole carpark.

Get out of my way.

It is not uncommon to be caught in a jam in Qatar. Sometime it's just heavy traffic. Sometime it's construction work. Sometime it's an accident. Most of us patiently wait and sit out the delay. Not the Cruisers and Pathfinders. They will go up and over the traffic island. Or the sidewalk. Or the grass verge. Go a few cars ahead and cut back to the line. And so on.

Get out of my way.

You need to get use to these large, mean vehicles if you want to keep your sanity on the road. Otherwise, do not drive. Better still, get one of these vehicle below.

This photo was not taken in Qatar.
However, a couple of these vehicles has been spotted in Qatar.

Photocredit: www.jacked-up-truck.com

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!