Sebastian Wilke/Flickr

Tornado Tower

Plans for an Australian Embassy in Doha will reportedly face additional political scrutiny following complaints over its projected A$20 million (more than QR52 million) price tag.

The public inquiry will examine the costs associated with the mission, which is set to be housed on a floor of Tornado Tower in West Bay/Dafna’s business district.

The 895 sq m office will be used by four diplomatic officials and 11 locally-employed staff, the Australian Daily Telegraph reported.

The initial fit-out plans were estimated to cost A$8.91 million (QR23 million), with a 10-year lease on the landmark tower earmarked at A$13 million (QR34 million).

This would equate to a weekly rent of A$18,000 (QR47,000), which is twice as expensive as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney, the newspaper added.

The budget was already rejected once by a public works’ committee.

At a Senate estimates meeting last month, the fit-out costs were revised to come in around A$7 million, The New Daily reported Kevin Nixon, executive director of the country’s Overseas Property Office, as saying.

At the hearing, Senator Alex Gallacher described it as “the most expensive fit-out in the history of the public works committee,” the paper added.

Security

The choice of Tornado Tower as a location for the embassy was driven by security arrangements, as well as what was seen to be prohibitive costs in constructing a new building.

Lachlan Fearnley/Wikicommons

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

A spokesman for foreign minister Julie Bishop said the decision had been made when Tony Abbott was prime minister.

“The Abbott government viewed there were strong grounds for an Australian Embassy in Doha,’’ the spokeswoman added.

The Australian government announced in May last year that it would open its first diplomatic office in Qatar.

The proposed Qatar office comes out of a QR285.44 million (A$98.3 million) federal budget dedicated to open new overseas missions in Qatar, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Mongolia and Thailand.

There are approximately 5,000 Australia nationals living in Qatar who currently receive consular service from the Australian embassy in Abu Dhabi, where ambassador Arthur Spyrou also represents his country in Qatar.

Spyrou declined to comment to Doha News on the public inquiry.

Boosting trade

The presence of an embassy often reflects two states’ trade relations, as can be viewed as a way to further improve ties.

“Two-way trade between Australia and Qatar was worth $1.75 billion in 2014-15, with Australian exports growing by over 20 percent. Over 80 Australian companies are present in Qatar and the football world cup presents a huge opportunity for Australian businesses,” Bishop’s spokesman added in a statement, The Daily Telegraph said.

The country’s keenness to boost ties with the region was on display last year when Andrew Robb, Australia’s trade and investment minister, visited Qatar and several other Gulf states.

“This will be my third visit to the Gulf in 12 months, which indicates the priority Australia places on further deepening trade and investment links with this dynamic region,” Robb stated at the time.

Meanwhile, the first Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Sydney will take off tonight, marking the third Australian destination for the local carrier.

The Boeing 777-300 will leave Doha at 8:10pm Qatar time and arrive in Sydney after a nearly 15-hour flight at 6:05pm local time the following day. The return trip leaves Australia at 10:20pm and lands in Qatar at 5:05am the next day, the airline said last September when it announced the new route.

Thoughts?

(The post Report: More questions arise over cost of Australian embassy in Doha is from Doha News.)

Richard Byles / @richbyronbyles

The Pearl-Qatar on Tuesday night.

With reporting from Peter Kovessy and Lesley Walker

Thousands of residents of the Pearl-Qatar are expressing frustration, confusion and anger over a lack of communication about the power outage on the island that continues from this morning.

The outage has left homes and businesses without electricity, with some saying they don’t have water, working elevators or hallway lighting.

It remains unclear when power will be restored.

However, the general manager of Lagoona Mall, whose A/C was temporarily affected because the Qatar Cool Plant on the Pearl is offline, said Kahramaa told him this morning that they hoped repairs would be completed within 24 hours. Qatar Cool has since installed a temporary fix for the shopping center.

One part of the Pearl that is functioning is the Marsa Malaz Kempinski. A spokesperson said the hotel is running off several generators and that all its restaurants remain open.

The hotel has electricity and had its water service restored around 9am, the spokesperson said.

However, the Marsa Malaz Kempinski’s main phone lines are offline. Those wishing to contact the hotel to make or confirm restaurant or room reservations are asked to call 7479-1034 or 7048-8883 instead.

This afternoon, island operator UDC said that Kahramaa has provided 16 generators to provide power to emergency areas on the Pearl. A spokesperson said this was for street lights by the roads and pathways and other public areas.

But in a statement on Facebook, UDC added:

“All residential and retail areas of The Pearl-Qatar will unfortunately remain effected until further notice, as Kahramaa continue to work towards fixing the electrical problem.”

Anger

Many residents have been sending messages to both UDC and Kahramaa to express their dissatisfaction with the outage and question why contingency plans were not already in place.

In tweets to residents, Kahramaa said the outage was caused by Al Shamal roadworks and that it was working to resolve the issue as fast as possible.

However, it also advised people to make alternative arrangements tonight if necessary.

Some people said they planned to stay with friends and relatives tonight, while others planned to check into a hotel.

The Shangri-La in West Bay told Doha News that it is offering Pearl residents 50 percent off for hotel rooms and 50 percent off buffet dinners at Sridan tonight.

For now, many questions asked by residents remain unanswered. For example, in a comment on the Pearl’s Facebook page today, Jörg Harengerd said:

Who will compensate for damaged food etc…? If not solved before night who can stay? How to reach 19th floor without elevator with small children… please provide solutions!

And Brigitte Robertson said:

“Please advise when are we likely to have our power back on. This needs a bigger team on the case. Can someone in authority advise us of a time scale. We seem to be pretty much left in the dark as we will be tonight. Totally unacceptable.”

For his part, when asked about potential compensation for residents affected by the outage, a UDC spokesperson said this would likely be an issue to raise with Kahramaa.

How are you handling the outage? Thoughts?

(The post Residents outraged as Pearl-Qatar remains without power is from Doha News.)

Burgeri/Facebook

Qatar’s only current food truck, Burgeri

This year’s Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) will include several new features such as a dozen food trucks, a market that sells special ingredients and a Chinese food pavilion to mark the Qatar-China Year of Culture 2016, organizers have announced.

The festival will be held from March 22-28 at the Museum of Islamic Art park, with Katara Cultural Village and the Pearl-Qatar serving as new satellite spots for the first time this year.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, more details about the seventh annual festival were unveiled by the Qatar Tourism Authority, which said that water taxis are being planned to transport visitors between different venues.

At the Pearl, the festivities will be held on Lido Beach in Qanat Quartier, where food trucks will be parked to give the QIFF an “urban feel.”

Other offerings

In a statement, QTA said the festival will have the following:

“A Snack Court which will feature popular eateries, cafes and restaurants. The Cuisine Court will include fine-dining creations by chefs from the country’s hotels, at prices ranging between 5-35 QAR, as well as High Tea by the Bay.

And, in the Culture Court, Chinese and Qatari cuisine will come together in an area dedicated to celebrating the Qatar-China 2016 Year of Culture. A new area dubbed The Market Court will be introduced in which delicacies and special ingredients will be on sale.”

There will also be organic food on offer and health checks and medical advice given at a “Health Court.”

The food festival will also be open earlier this time around to facilitate school field trips, organizers said.

Do you plan to go? Thoughts?

(The post 12 food trucks to usher in Qatar food festival this month is from Doha News.)

Ray Toh/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

People living on the Pearl are happily warming up their coffee makers and taking hot showers again after power was restored to the island this morning.

Not everyone has come online yet, but many in Porto Arabia, Medina Centrale and Viva Bahriya said they have power now.

Thousands had expressed anger after being without electricity and some without water since 7am yesterday after a cable was damaged, according to Kahramaa.

Crews from the utilities provider had worked feverishly for the past 25 hours to repair the cable, which is located under the Al Kharaitiyat Bridge near IKEA.

Joao Nuno Fonseca/Instagram

Pearl-Qatar power outage on Tuesday night.

For many, the lack of power was inconvenient, but livable with a few candles and takeout meals.

Residents of one tower in Porto Arabia that is managed by Al Fardan Properties were given food catered from the Kempinski.

But for others, especially those small children and people without water or working elevators, the night was more difficult.

Learning experience

Many Pearl residents chose to spend the night in a hotel while the power was still out. The recently-opened Shangri La hotel in West Bay had offered a 50 percent discount on bed, breakfast and a buffet dinner for all Pearl residents, and it quickly filled up.

The nearby Grand Hyatt hotel was also fully booked last night, a representative told Doha News.

Other residents stayed at the Ritz Carlton, although it did not offer any special rates for those affected by the black-out.

Matthew Walker

Kempinski Marsa Malaz

A spokesman for the island’s only hotel, the Marsa Malaz Kempinksi, said the building maintained power through the night using generators. The hotel’s main phone lines are also operating again, he added.

Now that the power is back on, many are hoping that management at the Pearl and elsewhere take this as a learning experience.

In a comment to UDC on the Pearl’s Facebook page, Erdal Yazicioglu said:

“Guys thank you. We still don’t have power but we know we will. This was a very bad risk management and I am really surprised that whole island is running on a single physical route.

Same applies for exit roads from the island. You should turn this unfortunate event to a opportunity. You need to listen residents to improve you services such loud cards, Unrespectful drivers, your emergency evacuation etc etc. Every thunderstorm is followed by a clear sky.”

What’s the first thing you did when the power came back on? Thoughts?

(The post Relief as electricity restored on Pearl-Qatar is from Doha News.)

Sunny Leone/Facebook

Sunny Leone

A Bollywood concert featuring a film star known for her racy resume has been canceled after intervention from Qatar authorities, organizers said.

Some 7,000 tickets have already been sold for Mega Bollywood Night at the Asian Town Amphitheater next weekend with comedian Sunil Pal, dancer Nirmal Tamang and pop star Himal for a 3.5-hour show in the Industrial Area venue.

The evening was supposed to be headlined by Canadian Sunny Leone, a former porn and reality TV actress who most recently starred in “erotica horror” film Ragini MMS 2 and 2015’s Ek Paheli Leela.

Organizers Arun Valley Entertainment said they had already secured the necessary permits from the Ministry of Culture before they started promoting the show.

However, they told Doha News that they were recently called into a meeting and told that Leone would not be allowed to be part of the program.

In a Facebook message on Sunday, organizers said they were pulling the plug on the entire show and that everyone who had already purchased tickets could receive a refund.

Project manager Ghimire Kalyan lamented the development:

“This is very bad news … We’re taking a huge loss,” he said. “I’m here in Qatar and follow the rules and laws … But (the government) had already given us permission.”

Atif Aslam concert canceled

Authorities in Qatar generally frown upon entertainment that contains explicitly sexual material and have previously banned screenings of movies, including Raaz 3 – a 3D Bollywood erotic horror film – in 2012.

Vox Cinema/Facebook

Photo for illustrative purposes only

However, event organizers previously told Doha News that there was nothing about the event’s program that would violate the Qatar’s norms or social values.

Kalyan said his goal was to give Qatar’s large South Asian population additional entertainment options.

Mega Bollywood Night is the second Asian Town show to be canceled in less than a month.

In mid-February, promoter World of Music scrapped a concert scheduled for Feb. 26 headlined by singers Atif Aslam and Shalmali Kholgade.

A spokesperson told Doha News today that it was due to “unforeseen circumstances” and that he was not authorized to divulge any more details.

World of Music declined to say how many tickets had been sold. The company said on its Facebook page that ticket-holders would receive a refund.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar officials pull plug on Sunny Leone concert is from Doha News.)

A Qatari man was executed in Saudi Arabia yesterday after being convicted of murdering a Saudi, according to AFP, which cited the kingdom’s interior ministry.

Mohammed Jarboui, was executed in the eastern region of Al-Ahsa. Four others were also put to death for crimes including drug trafficking. The newswire said that makes 69 executions in Saudi Arabia so far this year.

(The post Report: Qatari among five people executed in Saudi Arabia is from Doha News.)

Omar Chatriwala / Doha News

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Hitting yet another population milestone, Qatar is now home to more than 2.5 million people, a new all-time high for the country.

As of Feb. 29, official government figures registered a total of 2,545,000 people inside of Qatar, Gulf Times reports.

The Ministry of Development, Planning and Statistics (MDPS) has yet to update its website with the new numbers.

This is an increase of 9 percent or around 210,000 more people than at the same time last year, when MDPS figures recorded 2.34 million people inside the country at the end of January.

Jacque/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

The previous highest-ever population was marked at the end of November 2015, when 2.46 million people were recorded as living in the state.

The next two months after that were lower because of winter holidays and end-of-term breaks, when many people travel.

Trends

The population spike comes despite many reported layoffs in the energy sector following low global oil prices, which are also starting to have an effect on government entities.

However, the hospitality and construction sectors are still developing, as more hotels open and key infrastructure projects, particularly related to the World Cup, are gathering pace to meet their looming deadlines.

Peter Kovessy / Doha News

Khalifa Stadium, for illustrative purposes only.

Qatar’s population has seen enormous growth in the last decade, increasing by 40 percent (700,000 people) in the five years from 2010, the MDPS said last year.

The capital Doha has struggled to cope with the influx of new people, and the congestion, along with high rents in the city, has encouraged more people to live further out of town.

Ministry figures released late last year showed that two of the country’s densest districts – Doha and Al Rayyan – now house some 65 percent of Qatar’s population, down from 74 percent in 2012-2013.

According to MDPS official Frank Harrigan, the population is expected to peak by summer 2017, before starting to drop.

Does Qatar feel busier to you? Thoughts?

(The post Qatar population passes the 2.5 million mark is from Doha News.)

Chi Al Shaqab/Facebook

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Amazing stunts, coffee-related contests, an interactive concert that reprises music from video games and art that makes you think are all on offer this weekend in Qatar. Here are our picks:

CHI Al Shaqab

CHI Al Shaqab, a prestigious equestrian event in which riders compete in vaulting jumping, dressage and endurance, opened today at 10:30am and runs through March 5 at the Al Shaqab stables in Qatar Foundation.

“CHI,” which stands for Concours Hippique International, is the official title given by the International Equestrian Federation (IEF) to international competitions with three or more equine disciplines. The Qatar edition is the only certified event in the Middle East and Asia, and is being streamed live online here.

Sally Crane

Chi Al Shaqab 2014

This year, some 200 horses and world-ranking riders of all disciplines will compete in the event for some QR5 million in prize money. Qatar’s Olympic team who qualified for Rio 2016 Olympic Games will also participate.

For visitors, there is a separate festival area with pony rides, horse-carriage rides, a nursery and other activities. Food and beverages will be on sale.

On Wednesday and Thursday, day tickets cost QR20/adults over the age of 12 years old and QR10 for children over the age of six. On Friday and Saturday, tickets cost QR40 for adults and QR10 for children. Children five years old and younger and free.

Tickets are available online here and at the ticket booth in the Al Shaqab Spectator Plaza. Here’s the full program.

Coffee expo

Caffeine lovers are invited to the country’s first coffee expo, to be held from 10am to 10pm from March 3 to 7 at Katara Cultural Village’s esplanade.

“My Coffee, My Identity” is being held under the patronage of Sheikha Al Mayassa, chairperson of Qatar Museums. It was originally planned for November but postponed at the last minute.

My Coffee My Identity/Facebook

My Coffee My Identity logo

The event is free and open to the public and will include exhibitors showcasing different kind of coffee, coffee tastings, international coffee competitions, live entertainment and artistic displays of the coffee-making process.

A barista competition will also be held simultaneously at the event, where local baristas will be required to create one espresso, one cappuccino, and one cocktail drink. Here’s the full program. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.

Video games live

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is hosting an immersive concert on Friday, March 4 at 8pm at the Qatar National Convention Center.

The event will feature music from some of the “most popular video games of all time” that has been created, produced and hosted by Tommy Tallarico.

The QPO will perform with top orchestras and choirs around the world, alongside synchronized video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, well-known internet solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments.

Tickets start at QR150 and go up to QR500/person and can be bought online here. The concert is open to anyone over the age of six years old. More information can be found online here.

Qumra screenings

The Doha Film Institute will host the second edition of Qumra this weekend to support local filmmaking through creative master classes with budding regional talent.

The event runs from March 4-9 and includes three main components: masterclasses for filmmakers, industry meetings and public screenings.

The screenings include films made by this year’s Qatar Masters as well as movies from “new voices in cinema.”

DFI

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

In the Masters category there is The Look of Silence (2014) by Joshua Oppenheimer, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan; Russian Ark (2002) by Aleksandr Sokurov; The Mourning Forest (2007) by Naomi Kawase; and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001) by Ang Lee (who is not in town for the event).

In the New Voices in Cinema segment, the films include The Palm Tree by Jasim Al Rumaihi; Mediterranea by Jonas Carpignano; Roundabout in my Head, and Waves 98 by Ely Dagher.

All screenings will be conducted at the Museum of Islamic Art auditorium. Tickets can be bought online here.

MotoGP test races

Test races ahead of the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar will take place at the Losail International Circuit this weekend.

Losail International Circuit

MotoGP

From March 2-4, the MotoGP World Championship will spend their final three days of testing before the 2016 season gets underway at the same venue on March 20.

The event takes place from 4pm to 11pm today, tomorrow and Friday. Entrance to the grandstand is free for all.

@las exhibition

Qatar-based cartoonist Khalid Albaih will open his @las exhibition at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar gallery today. The exhibition will be run through March 21, with an official launch on Sunday, March 6.

Khalid Albaih/Facebook

“Prisoners”

Albaih, who became well-known for drawing the Arab Spring, has composed many cartoons about current events, technology, free speech and other developments in the region. The exhibition is free and open to all, and more information can be found online here.

Bonus:

• Jazz in the park: The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a free concert at the Museum of Islamic Art Park at 6pm tomorrow, March 3. All are welcome to attend.
• Qatar birds: Consultant ornithologist Neil G Morris will give a talk about “Discovering the Birds of Qatar” tonight (March 2) at 7pm at the Doha English Speaking School (DESS) in Madinat Khalifa South. Light refreshments will be served starting at 6:30pm and there will be a question & answer session afterwards.
• Latin American culture: A new exhibition called “Symbols of Latin America & the Caribbean” will open tonight (March 2) at Katara Cultural Village, Building 18 from 7pm to 10pm. It will feature photographs that represent 11 Latin American countries in five categories, including the capital of the country, the national animal, the national plant or flower, the national dish and historical monuments. More information can be found here.

What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?

(The post Six things to do in Qatar this weekend (March 2-5) is from Doha News.)

Qatar has joined its five Gulf peers in classifying Lebanon-based political group Hezbollah and all affiliated bodies as terrorist groups, QNA reports.

Hezbollah has a militant wing, and in a statement, GCC Secretary General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said the new designation was “due to hostile acts” carried out by its militia in Syria, Yemen and Iraq that included “recruiting youths of the GCC countries to carry out terrorist acts, smuggling of arms and explosives, inciting sedition and provoking chaos and violence in a blatant violation of their (GCC states’) sovereignty, security and independence.”

(The post GCC designates Hezbollah a ‘terrorist’ organization is from Doha News.)

Takahiro Hayashi/Flickr

Hamad International Airport

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport is among the best airports in the Middle East, according to the annual Airport Service Quality Awards (ASQ), which are based on the results of passenger satisfaction surveys.

The index ranked HIA joint second with Abu Dhabi International, while Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport topped the regional list.

At least 10 airports from the Middle East were in the running, including airports from Oman and Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Dubai International shared third place with Damman’s King Fahd International Airport and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion.

Chantelle D'mello

Passengers seated near the check-in area at HIA

The ASQ awards are run by the Airports Council International (ACI), which carries out monthly surveys at all participating airports around the world, allowing them to compare their performance with their peers.

The survey covers a broad range of areas, including check-in, security, airport facilities, food outlets and shopping opportunities.

To compile its latest results, ACI spoke to 550,000 passengers prior to boarding their flights at over 300 airports in more than 80 countries.

Overcrowding concerns

HIA’s ranking aside, concerns have recently been raised by passengers about long queues at immigration.

In January, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker – whose airline manages the airport – attributed the delays to staff shortages.

He added that the carrier and the Ministry of Interior – whose staff man the immigration desks – were “trying to resolve the issue as a team.”

However, the problem persists. This week, Al Jazeera’s Rageh Omar raised concerns about overcrowding at HIA on Twitter:

While staff shortages may play a part, airport authorities acknowledged last year that the number of passengers traveling through HIA annually has already exceeded its planned capacity of 30 million.

Work is under way to increase the airport’s capacity to 53 million passengers, but this project – which will see the existing passenger terminal double in size – is not expected to be completed before 2020.

Thoughts?

(The post Passengers rank Qatar’s Hamad airport second best in region is from Doha News.)

Ashghal

Dukhan Highway East works

The partial closure of 1.7km of the main road that runs past Education City and the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) will affect traffic heading in both directions starting tomorrow, March 4, Ashghal has said.

The public works authority announced last month that a stretch of the road would be shut for 22 months while it continues to reconfigure Al Luqta St., as part of its Dukhan Highway East project.

At that time, it said only the west-bound traffic, heading out of central Doha, would be diverted.

Ashghal

Road diversions on Al Luqta Street

But now, Al Luqta St. will be shut from the QNCC until the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) in both directions.

However, the roundabout at the junction of Al Gharrafat Al Rayyan Street will remain open to enable access to Education City’s west car park.

Traffic will be diverted through Bani Hajer to join back on to Al Luqta St. at the Bani Hajer eastern u-turn.

On Al Luqta St., three entrances for Education City will be open – gate 14 (near the u-turn), the west car park and gate 2 next to Slope Roundabout.

An entrance will also also be open on Al Huwar St., south of Slope Roundabout, Ashghal said.

The Dukhan Highway East project involves rebuilding 11km of the road from Bani Hajer to Slope Roundabout to create four lanes in each direction, upgrading the service roads and constructing seven multi-level interchanges to improve traffic flow on the route.

It began in October 2011 and is expected to take until next summer to complete.

Thoughts?

(The post Ashghal expands Al Luqta St. diversions to both directions is from Doha News.)

For the first time in at least six years, local consumer goods firm Al Meera has failed to increase its net income. The company’s net income fell 28 percent to QR162.34 million.

The firm said it sold a record QR2.45 billion in retail products last year, but that its bottom line was hurt by a QR31.46 million loss on its investments. Al Meera is 26 percent owned by the Qatar government and plans to open five new stores in 2016.

(The post Qatar’s Al Meera sets sales record but profits plunge is from Doha News.)

Michael J. Trifillis

Video Gaming Live on stage

An unusual combination of performers will take to the stage at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) on Friday for the Doha edition of popular touring production Video Gaming Live.

The global show – which is now in its 14th year – combines professional classical musicians and singers with composers and performers from the gaming music world, alongside synchronized video clips and special lighting.

The Doha show, which will be held at the QNCC at 8pm tomorrow (March 4) will be hosted by gaming industry composer and musician Tommy Tallarico, who has worked on more than 250 games including Spider-Man, RoboCop versus The Terminator and Pac-Man World.

Tallarico will also play guitar at the concert, alongside the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and a choir conducted by German soprano Felicitas Fuchs.

Irish composer Eimear Noone, who has worked on music for World of Warcraft, Diablo, Metal Gear Solid, Starcraft 2 and Zelda will conduct the performance.

‘One-of-a-kind’

Described as “an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience,” the show promises to incorporate music from “the greatest video games of all time.”

Tommy Tallerico founded Video Gaming Live in 2002. He told Doha News that the secret of the event’s success was its mixture of great music and special effects:

“It’s all the power and emotion of a symphony orchestra combined with the energy and excitement of a rock concert, mixed together with the interactivity, cutting edge visuals, technology and fun that video games provide,” he said.

Organizers promise that the show will be just as enjoyable for non-gamers as for fans.

Tallerico told us that the majority of correspondence they receive after shows is from non-gamers, and added that the show also introduced lots of young people to symphonic music:

“We’ll get letters from parents after the show telling us that they took their eight-year-old daughter to the show and she wants to start taking violin lessons so she can learn and play the music in our show” he said. “I believe pop culture can have very positive influences on other (and more classic) forms of art.”

Tickets priced between QR100 to QR500 are still available for the show from the QPO website.

All ticket-holders are invited to a “meet and greet” with the performers after the show, and for an extra QR500, fans can buy a “backstage experience” that includes a tour led by Tallarico.

Here’s what you can expect to see and hear at the performance:

Do you plan to go? Thoughts?

(The post Gaming music to be brought to life on stage in Qatar is from Doha News.)

Peter Russell / Flickr

For illustrative purposes only.

Qatar Airways has apparently sacked the pilots responsible for substantially damaging a Boeing 777 when it struck a set of runway lights during takeoff from Miami in September.

A preliminary investigation determined that the aircraft entered the runway at an incorrect intersection, rather than using its full length. This meant the runway was too short for the heavily loaded plane to safely take off.

As a result, the aircraft only became airborne at the very end of the runway.

QCAA report

Photos of damage to aircraft and approach lights in Miami

The collision with the approach lights – located approximately 60m from the end of the runway – caused a 46-centimeter tear in the fuselage behind the rear cargo door, as well as 90 dents and scratches and some damage to a metal landing gear guard.

At the time of the incident, there were four members of the flight crew in the cockpit: the captain, first officer and two relief pilots.

‘First and last’ incident

Earlier today, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that all of the pilots on the flight deck that day had been fired.

Qatar Airways/Twitter

Qatar Airways Sydney launch

Asked about their termination at a press conference this week, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said the incident was the “first and last” time something like this would happen.

He also did not dispute the claim about the pilots:

“We will not accept any kind of lapses by pilots because they have hundreds of passengers whom they risked,” he was quoted as saying to reporters while marking the carrier’s inaugural Doha-Sydney flight.

“(The pilot flying) was not asked to leave because he did anything by putting passengers at risk. What he did was he violated the company regulations on takeoff distance required by an aircraft, especially with the weight he was carrying on that aircraft.”

A spokesperson for Qatar Airways was unable to immediately clarify what disciplinary action the pilots faced.

Blame game

Al Baker has previously played down the seriousness of the incident. At a media event in the US in December, he was quoted as blaming Miami’s air traffic controllers for giving the Qatar Airways pilot incorrect instructions.

He had also said the entire affair “was only an unfortunate incident. At no time was the aircraft or the passengers put in any harms way.”

Others, however, have speculated that the incident could have resulted in a serious disaster had it occurred at another airport where buildings located at the end of the runway could have caused more significant damage to the plane.

Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority stated in December that its preliminary investigation was not intended to assign any blame.

Boeing

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

It attributed the incident to miscommunication among the crew, but also said errors were made by the captain.

The report suggested that the crew knew they needed to use the full length of the runway.

However, it added that they may have become confused because both the runway intersection as well as the temporary runway rating coincidentally shared the designation “T1,” even though the label meant different things in either context.

A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority told Doha News that a final report into the incident has not yet been released.

Thoughts?

(The post Report: Qatar Airways fires pilots involved in Miami takeoff incident is from Doha News.)

Local pay-TV network BeIn Media Group has purchased US film studio Miramax – known for its Oscar-winning films including The English Patient and No Country for Old Men – from the Qatar Investment Authority and a private equity firm, the broadcaster announced Wednesday.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. BeIn was spun off from Al Jazeera in January 2014 and operates 34 channels across 33 countries, according to its website.

(The post Qatar’s BeIn Media Group buys American movie studio Miramax is from Doha News.)

Omar Chatriwala

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

In the latest round of layoffs to affect Qatar, global telecoms provider Ooredoo Group has confirmed it is cutting around 100 local jobs as part of a corporate review to “optimize” its operations.

The group, which is headquartered in Doha, employs more than 10,000 staff world-wide and has operations in Algeria, Kuwait, Oman and several other countries. The latest cuts amount to around 1 percent of its global workforce, a spokesperson said in a statement to Doha News.

All the jobs affected are based in Qatar, however no Qatari nationals would be affected in this round of layoffs, the spokesperson said.

The announcement follows a management shakeup in November when Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani became chief executive, replacing Nasser Mohammed Marafih, who had held the title for nine years.

The reorganization also led to other changes in the company’s senior leadership team. Waleed Mohamed Al-Sayed was appointed deputy group CEO as well as the chief executive of Ooredoo Qatar. Meanwhile, Yousuf Abdulla Al Kubaisi filled Al-Sayed’s old position as Ooredoo Qatar’s chief operations officer.

This reshuffling came in the wake of several disappointing financial quarters.

Corporate review

Before deciding on layoffs, an Ooredoo spokesperson said the company conducted a “review of the organization and strategy” following the appointment of the new management team, which was described as “normal practice.”

“Following the review, we have recognized a number of opportunities to increase synergies across the Group and optimize our operations.

This will involve the phasing out of certain business functions at a Group level, particularly those that were created for the launch of the Ooredoo brand in 2013 and related support activities,” the statement said.

Employees affected will be given the chance to apply for other positions within the group as well as the organization’s local operations.

“As an ongoing review, we are rebalancing our skill sets and resources within the Group and local operating companies to better serve our customers and deliver better returns for our shareholders,” the organization added.

Group profits flat

The company’s confirmation of layoffs emerged as Ooredoo released its 2015 financial results this week.

Lesley Walker / Doha News

Ooredoo Qatar HQ

Within Qatar, the telecom firm posted double-digit gains in customers, revenues and earnings. Its net profit was QR2.14 billion last year, up 11 percent over 2014.

But Ooredoo could not replicate that strong performance outside of its home market. The company’s net profit attributable to shareholders was flat at QR2.12 billion, down 1 percent from 2014.

The company said its results were hurt by the security situation in Iraq as well as adverse currency movements in Indonesia, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Have you been affected by the layoffs? Thoughts?

(The post More layoffs in Qatar as Ooredoo Group confirms 100 jobs to go is from Doha News.)

Pinay Flying High/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

With reporting from Riham Sheble

Barber shops, beauty salons and massage centers in Qatar could be subject to tougher regulations in the near future.

A new multi-ministry committee is being set up to devise new rules for salons, the country’s health ministry reportedly said.

The move follows the temporary closure of a number of beauty salons across Doha this week, after spot checks found them to be using products that were past their expiration date.

Health officials are now responding to calls from the Central Municipal Council to tighten up safety and licensing procedures, Qatar Tribune reports.

MEC

Beauty salon in Bin Omran closed by MEC

A joint committee of representatives from the Ministry of Public Health (MPH), the Ministry of Municipality and the Environment (MME) and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) will be established to study and revise existing regulations, the paper said.

While licensing is a requirement in beauty salons, the rules seem to be more flexible with massage parlors.

Dr. Mohammed Al Hajri, director of health protection and communicable disease control, and Dr. Ibrahim Al Shaar, director of the Medical Commission, has now recommended that all staff working in such shops have professional qualifications from their home country.

They also suggested introducing mandatory training courses for massage therapists, based on international standards.

Full records should be kept of all customers and these should be referred to if a customer has a resultant health issue following a massage, or if there is reported “immoral conduct,” the experts reportedly added.

Closures

Inspectors from the MEC, which licenses salons, shut down La Forme Beauty Lounge on Mirqab Al Jadeed (Al Nasr) St. on Sunday and the Diana Beauty Center in Bin Omran on Monday.

The first shop in Al Sadd describes itself as “the largest, full service, privately owned salon in Qatar” on its website.

No one was available at the salon to comment on the closure.

But in a statement, the MEC said it had been shut down “due to the presentation and sale of expired cosmetics.”

It was closed for one month, in line with article 7 of law no. 7 of 2008, Qatar’s consumer protection law, the ministry statement added. This article says:

“Where a supplier displays any commodity for trading, he shall clearly indicate on the packaging or container the type, nature, ingredients and other information relating to the commodity in the manner specified in the executive bylaw hereof. Where the use of the commodity involves a certain risk, the consumer shall be clearly warned against such risk. The supplier shall be prohibited from describing, advertising or displaying the commodity in a manner that involves false or deceptive information.”

The ministry said the recent closures were part of an intensified campaign of spot-checks on salons across the country, adding that it “will be resolute in the face of all of negligent in carrying out its obligations on consumer protection and implementing the regulations.”

Violations of existing regulations will result in “appropriate action” taken to protect customer rights, it added.

Customers can report suspected violations through the MEC’s consumer protection hotline by calling 16001 or email info@mec.gov.qa.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar eyes stricter rules for beauty and massage parlors is from Doha News.)

King's College Taunton / Facebook

Students from King’s College Taunton

Two prestigious new British schools will open in Qatar this September, expanding British-curriculum education options for children here.

King’s College Doha, an off-shoot of King’s College Taunton in the UK’s south-west, and the Royal Grammar School (RGS) Guildford-Qatar, whose UK base is in Surrey, near London, have been allocated existing school buildings by the Ministry of Education that are currently being refurbished.

Both King’s College Taunton and the RGS Guildford are well respected, academically successful British private schools.

The two new schools are opening as part of Qatar’s Outstanding Schools Program, an initiative that has previously led to the opening of Sherborne Qatar and the International School of London-Doha.

King’s College will be located just off E-Ring Road near the old airport, while RGS Guildford-Qatar will be situated in Umm Salal Mohammed near IKEA.

Primary schools

RGS Guildford-Qatar will open initially to boys and girls ages three to seven years old (pre-school to year 2) in September, with the rest of the primary school slated to open in 2017.

RGS Guildford / Twitter

The RGS Guildford school building in the UK

King’s College, meanwhile, will open a co-educational primary school for children from ages three to eight years old (pre-school to year 4) initially.

However, it is also taking applications for children in years 5 and 6, with the possibility that it will open up further years in September if there is enough interest.

The school plans to have a full primary school operating by September 2017.

Secondary schools

Although both schools are focusing on primary education to start with, both plan to open secondary schools in Qatar in the near future.

RGS Guildford’s Bob Ukaih told Doha News that his school aims to open two separate, single-sex secondary schools – one for girls and one for boys – in Doha by September 2018.

“It will be two separate schools in two buildings close together, and they will do extra curricular activities together and share facilities. Our view is that we are experts at single sex education in the UK, and we want to give people who live in Doha the chance to benefit from that.”

King’s College, meanwhile, plans to open two secondary schools – one co-educational facility, and one for girls only – with a capacity of around 1,500 places in each school. It is also aiming for an opening date of September 2018.

Mike Licht/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Justin Chippendale, Head of King’s College’s preparatory (primary) school in the UK, told Doha News that the school was also in the process of opening a branch in India, and that its move to Doha was part of a plan to build its global reach:

“We know that children these days are growing up in a global village, and we want our children to see the world. We already have connections in Hong Kong, and with new schools coming in India and in the Middle East, we can offer potential students all of these choices.”

King’s College Taunton is opening the schools in India and Qatar in partnership with Edureach, a company that specializes in opening and running international schools on behalf of British private schools.

Fees

Both new schools have had their fees set by Qatar’s Ministry of Education, and cost QR15,400 per term, or QR46,200 per year.

This puts them at the higher end of British curriculum school fees in Qatar – popular British school Doha College, for example, costs upwards of QR11,966 a term – but on a par with fellow Outstanding Schools Initiative school Sherborne, which charges upwards of QR15,141 per term for primary school.

Håkan Dahlström / Flickr

For illustrative purposes only

Both schools will be academically selective. King’s College has just opened its admissions,  and places can be applied for via the school’s website here.

RGS Guildford Qatar meanwhile has told Doha News that it expects to begin taking applications for places toward the end of this month, and that it will be sending a team from the UK school to Doha in April to carry out assessments.

New places

The new schools are opening admissions just as the main application window for places in most existing British curriculum schools for the 2016-2017 year has closed.

This is good news for those who have recently moved to Qatar or are planning to do so in the next few months, as applicants in this position would usually be faced with long waiting lists.

sykodalistar/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Despite recent layoffs due to the knock-on effect of low oil prices, demand for school places in Qatar remains high, with many popular schools receiving far more applications than they have places.

A report published last October estimated that the country could face a shortage of some 19,000 spaces by 2022.

Real estate services firm Colliers International stated however that it believed there were enough British curriculum schools in Qatar to meet demand, pointing instead to a shortage of spaces in Indian, Syrian and Egyptian schools.

It did however state that demand for secondary school spaces in particular would increase in Qatar over the next decade.

Thoughts?

(The post Two new British schools to open in Qatar this year is from Doha News.)

Suzannah Newboult, construction specialist, in a Construction Week Online article about late payments in the construction sector, a common problem that only appears to be getting worse.

(The post “There remains a fear, within international companies at least, that they can only consider taking legal action against a government body if they accept that they are never going to work in Qatar again.” is from Doha News.)

Via Mostafa Kamar/Facebook

2015 Corniche accident

The driver of a truck whose load fell onto another car, crushing and killing a man last year, has apparently been fined QR10,000 by a Doha court this week.

The decision against the Nepali expat is in line with other court decisions in which road fatalities are punished with fines, rather than jail time.

The family of the victim, 54-year-old Derek Brown, has said it holds no ill will against the driver, but hopes motorists in Qatar will change their habits and prevent future tragedies caused by aggressive driving.

Brown, a Briton, had been driving on the Corniche toward the Ras Abu Abboud tunnel/Sharq interchange in May 2015.

Witnesses told Doha News at the time that a truck appeared to have just left the Doha Port when its load apparently shifted, causing the container to fall onto Brown’s vehicle.

Milaha

Doha Port for illustrative purposes only.

Brown’s eldest son, 29-year-old Andrew, told Doha News that he traveled to Qatar for one of the court hearings earlier this year where the prosecutor argued that the truck driver had accelerated to beat a red light, causing the shipping container to tip.

Andrew Brown said he feels no hatred toward the man who was convicted last week because he knows the incident was unintentional. But he also said that whatever sentence the court handed down “would never be enough.”

He added that the accident was avoidable:

“It’s shocking how dangerous it is on (Qatar’s) roads,” he said. “If people had more respect for other drivers, accidents like this wouldn’t occur as regularly.”

‘Heartbreaking’

Derek Brown was born in Manchester but later moved to the town of Whitworth in the UK, his son said. He accepted a job in Qatar to work as an electrical supervisor for HBK Contracting Co. in late 2011.

Having spent the better part of the preceding 25 years in England, he found the transition somewhat difficult at first, his son recalls.

“He liked being near his friends and family,” Andrew Brown said.

Brown family

Derek Brown, seen at his wedding in September 2014.

However, he said his father soon warmed to life in Qatar. He enjoyed his work and formed strong friendships with his colleagues, leading him to plan to stay for several more years, Andrew Brown said.

He left the country temporarily for his September 2014 wedding, which included a ceremony in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote, before returning to Qatar.

In addition to being a husband and father to three children, Derek Brown had also recently become a grandfather.

“He was made up to be a granddad for the first time,” Andrew Brown said. “He had all sorts to look forward to … it’s heartbreaking. We just miss him very much.”

Road safety

Incidents involving trucks and buses only make up small percentage of collisions on Qatar’s roads, but the consequences are much more severe because they involve large, heavy vehicles.

Richard Messenger / Flickr

For illustrative purposes only.

Between 2008 and 2010, trucks and heavy equipment drivers were deemed to be at fault in more than 70 percent of collisions involving large vehicles, according to Qatar’s National Road Safety Strategy (PDF).

The government has been working to reduce the number of trucks in central Doha by, for example, requiring drivers to use the Temporary Truck Bypass.

However, public announcements suggest the measures are driven by a desire to reduce congestion, rather than improve safety.

Meanwhile, the congested area around the Doha Port, near the Museum of Islamic Art where Brown was killed, is also seeing fewer heavy vehicles as shipping operations gradually shift to the new Hamad Port in Umm Al-Houl, near Mesaieed.

Brown was one of 236 individuals killed in motor vehicle collisions in Qatar last year, a slight decline from 238 in 2014 and 246 in 2013.

Supplied

Accident in Sailiya

Qatar’s road safety strategy aims to reduce the number of fatalities to 130 by 2022 through multiple measures including more driver education, encouraging greater seatbelt use, improving the physical design of roads as well as making traffic enforcement measures more visible and effective.

Residents have called for a greater police presence on Qatar’s roads for years. However, officers are rarely seen ticketing motorists.

Qatar’s top traffic official previously told Doha News that the situation will change this year as more officers are hired and trained.

Thoughts?

(The post Truck driver fined QR10,000 after fatal Corniche incident is from Doha News.)