MOI Qatar/Facebook

Motorists who double-park their cars risk having them towed away and face steep fines, a senior traffic department official said as he announced a crackdown on a practice that regularly clogs Qatar’s streets.

Brig. Mohammed Saad Al Kharji, Director of the Traffic Department, said the tough measures against drivers were already being enforced by police in certain areas as a way to improve traffic flow.

That applies to districts that suffer from particularly acute parking crunches, such as Dafna, the old downtown, Souq Waqif and the areas surrounding Doha’s shopping malls during the evenings and weekends.

Previously, drivers who parked illegally only faced fines. However, Al Kharji said that this hasn’t acted as a sufficient deterrent, and so tougher action was necessary.

Idrees Ashqar/Twitter

Under the latest measures, illegally parked cars would be towed and the driver required to pay a release fee in addition to clearing all fines for any additional violations recorded against them. The misdemeanor will be recorded against the driver’s license for future reference, Al Kharji said.

An additional parking fee would be imposed on motorists who don’t collect their cars within 24 hours.

This is not the first time that drivers have been warned of towing, though Al Kharji’s latest statement in police magazine Al Shurta Maak (Police with You) implies that police are taking a firmer line on the issue.

“This violation is not something new, but it has increased recently by motorists who do not respect others’ rights. So we have been forced to take new actions to curb this annoying behavior,” the Peninsula quotes him as saying.

He continued:

“Earlier we used to impose fines on the erring vehicles. But some people don’t care about fines. They may have the capability to pay the fine and they tend to repeat the violation.

If we tow away the car and detain it for a few hours, they may realize the seriousness and this could prevent them from repeating the violation,” he adds.

Parking shortage

Over the past couple of years, Qatar has had to grapple with serious infrastructure issues, as the country’s population rises, and around 8,400 new vehicles a month take to the roads.

Coupled with construction in areas with empty lots that used to act as unofficial car parks, Doha faces a serious shortage of parking.

The situation prompts some to park their cars illegally, often double-parking and blocking in other drivers.

The Traffic Law (No. 5 of 2010) prohibits motorists from parking their vehicles in unauthorized places, or in a way that may create an obstacle or hindrance for other cars, and gives the traffic department the authority to tow the cars and recover transportation costs and applicable fines from violators.

While the fine imposed on a driver isn’t specified, a list of traffic violations posted by MOI show that parking-related citations carry a QR300 fine and three points on the driver’s record.

Other measures

Towing double-parkers is the latest attempt by the Ministry of Interior to improve roads conditions in Qatar.

Sam Agnew / Flickr

In the first month of this being introduced, 100 cars a day (the equivalent of 3,000 a month) were seized for illegal overtaking, the Traffic Department said.

And more than two years ago, the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning said it was considering a number of measures as it tried to improve congestion on Qatar’s roads.

Introducing parking charges at popular venues, building more multi-story car parks and housing people closer to their workplaces were among the proposals under consideration.

At the time, the MMUP also said it would require new buildings (for the public and private sector) to have an approved parking plan in place before commencing construction.

Would the threat of towing stop you from double-parking? Thoughts?

(The post Double-parked cars will be towed, Qatar’s traffic department warns is from Doha News.)

OCV Photo / Flickr

After 10 months of airing mostly classical music and community interviews, QF Radio’s English- and Arabic-language stations are launching a new show schedule.

The Qatar Foundation-funded stations have been in flux since December, after several of its programs were suddenly taken off air amid a shakeup that resulted in the firing of at least a dozen people.

Now, after months of discussion, the stations, which are on 91.7FM and 93.7FM, are back with a new community focus, and a mix of shows and music from all over the world.

One of the new programs, for example, is “The Debate Show,” in which Education City students discuss current events with a live audience. The program will air from 7 to 8pm on Sundays and is hosted by local comedian Hamad Al Amari.

Other new programs include:

• Connect, a weekly show about trending topics on social media;
• Creative Endeavors, in which students and faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar explore how creativity enriches lives through interviews, discussions and events;
• Inside Music, which will be produced and presented by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and educate listeners about the history of classical and world music; and
• The Silver Screen, which will explore cinematography of classic and newly released movies through interviews with actors, directors and others.

QF Radio

Laura Finnerty

QF Radio

Nabil Al Nashar

Each will debut in English and Arabic.

QF Radio is also re-introducing the popular afternoon “Drive Show,” which will once again be hosted by Nabil Al Nashar from 3:30pm to 4:30pm.

Additionally, the morning show “Rise,” which Doha News is featured in once a week, has been extended again to two hours, airing from 6:30am to 8:30am with hosts Scotty Boyes and Laura Finnerty.

Trying again

Many Qatar residents – especially those stuck in traffic – have long complained that English-language radio stations here leave much to be desired.

One reason for this may be a lack of competition.

Dave Clausen/Flickr

In 2012, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage pledged to award more licenses to private companies to launch radio stations, following the passage of the new media law. But that law is still under consideration, and licenses remain difficult to obtain.

That leaves residents with a handful of options, including listening to Al Jazeera English on the radio, or tuning into QBS Radio. French station Oryx FM also plays the occasional English-language song, as does US-based Radio Sawa.

Due to the lack of listening options, when QF Radio relaunched in February 2013, the station received a warm reception. At the time, “shows on innovation, technology, sport and current events” were promised.

But less than a year later, most of the shows were taken off air. QF Radio officials did not comment on the move, but employees at the time suggested that management wanted shows to focus more on QF itself.

In that vein, Mohammed Al Beshri, QF’s Media Center manager, said in a statement that this season’s focus would be “to plant and nurture strong traditional values within the nation’s youth,” and one way of doing this will be to teach students how to produce and present their own radio shows.

No Justin Bieber

Speaking to Doha News this week, Boyes said that he was excited about the changes, and expressed confidence that the programming wouldn’t have to be retooled again.

QF Radio

Scotty Boyes

“Of course, we’re all pretty nervous about how the audience will respond, but that just comes with the territory when you’re creating something from nothing and laying it out for everyone to judge…

The direction we are taking with the station is as a direct result of countless meetings and proposals with all concerned parties and QF management. I’m confident we are satisfying the vision of those involved in the decision making process and I think once the ball is rolling that QF Radio will be an asset to the community and to Qatar as a country.”

With regards to the music that will be played on the station, Boyes said that current pop hits wouldn’t be featured. He explained:

“You can expect a wide variety of music from around the world and various genres. For those looking for the latest Justin Bieber track, they will be disappointed….

But we are trying to strike a delicate balance of good music that is both entertaining and also teaches you something about the world, a people, and their culture. Ultimately, we are a talk radio station, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and keep people coming back for more with a wide variety of entertainment.”

Do you plan to tune in? Thoughts?

(The post QF Radio launches new programming, still won’t play Justin Bieber is from Doha News.)

HMC/Facebook

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

The vast majority of calls placed to Qatar’s emergency number 999 do not involve life-threatening emergencies, a senior Ministry of Interior official has said.

This is problematic because 999 is used in Qatar and around the world by first responders to discern who is in need of immediate, urgent care.

But according to Maj. Khalid Saleh Al-Ansari, the MOI’s chief of emergencies, only 10 percent – or 600 – of the 6,000 calls made each day to the 999 service fall into that category, the Gulf Times reports.

In an interview with Police Magazine, Al-Ansari said most calls received on the emergency line are about minor accidents, are made by children or have been dialed by mistake.

In other countries, such as the UK, fines are now being imposed for time-wasters and non-essential calls, the BBC reports.

And non-emergency lines have been set up in some areas there, to take the pressure off the 999 service. Additionally, repeat nuisance callers are prosecuted.

Too poor to pay

But it is not clear if such measures would work here.

According to one long-time emergency room doctor in Qatar, the 999 service is overused here because many expats cannot afford to seek treatment at the country’s private clinics and hospitals.

HMC

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

The doctor, who asked not to be named, told Doha News that recent moves to prioritize state-run primary health care centers for Qataris have prompted some expats to rely on emergency services for minor ailments, as government hospitals provide affordable treatment.

Expats in Qatar can now only access a few primary healthcare centers, which are often far from their accommodation or workplaces, and so busy that it can be difficult to get an appointment.

The doctor, who worked in Hamad General’s emergency room for seven years and now works at another hospital in Qatar, said Al-Ansari’s statement reflected his own experiences:

“Most of the patients who called 999 and who we saw were not emergencies. The hospital is open 24 hours and if you come as an emergency patient, you don’t need to pay. Many of the people I saw were poor and they needed treatment, but they couldn’t afford private care.

They couldn’t get an appointment at the local health clinics, so they came to us for treatment.”

Overloaded

But the situation creates a “huge load” for emergency doctors, he said.

“It is very frustrating. We are dealing with minor cases, so often just didn’t have the capacity to deal with the major ones which came in,” the doctor added.

He said the current system needed an overhaul, to release the burden on emergency services.

“There should be health centers and walk-in clinics for expats, so they can be seen properly by doctors and that would stop many of them having to go to hospital or call 999 to get treated,” he said.

OSU Medical Center

Workers in the Industrial Area have long complained about a lack of health and medical facilities nearby.

There is no 24-hour pharmacy, and no hospital in the district, although plans are underway to build three hospitals dedicated to single, male laborers in Mesaieed, Ras Laffan and the Industrial area.

Expected to open next year, these will specialize in trauma and injury, occupational health and physiotherapy.

Emergency services

Qatar’s emergency services line is manned in shifts, around the clock, by teams speaking languages including Arabic, English, French, Chinese, Tagalog and Urdu.

Once a caller dials 999, they are put through to the most appropriate service for their needs.

This may be one of Hamad Medical Corp.’s highly-trained emergency medical dispatchers, who are the initial point of contact for getting an ambulance to an ill patient.

Patients who arrive for treatment at Hamad General’s emergency department are then assessed and prioritized for treatment according to their condition.

Thoughts?

(The post Official: Only 10 percent of 999 calls in Qatar for ‘real’ emergencies is from Doha News.)

Speed Sisters/Facebook

A new documentary about the region’s first all-female motor racing team will debut at the Doha Film Insitute’s (DFI) second annual Ajyal Youth Film Festival.

The action-packed Speed Sisters depicts the realities of a war-stricken West Bank and illustrates how sport helps the racers escape the pressures and fears of life under Israeli military occupation.

The documentary, directed by Lebanese-Canadian Amber Fares, also challenges regional stereotypes, as the women compete to win championships and freedom amid social and gender challenges, community politics and political instability.

In a statement, Fatma Al Remaihi, festival director and acting CEO of DFI, said about the screening:

“We are absolutely thrilled to present the world premiere of Speed Sisters in Doha…

Our festival is dedicated to bringing generations together through cinema, and Speed Sisters is a wonderful example of a film that explores some of the questions and challenges faced by young people in our region around notions of tradition and modernity.”

Speed Sisters/Facebook

The documentary will open the festival on Dec. 1. It will be shown for one night only, although other film screenings will run until Dec. 6 at Katara Cultural Village.

Ajyal Youth Film Festival officials have confirmed that Fares would be attending the documentary’s screening, along with members of the cast and crew.

In a statement, Fares said:

“We have spent five years in Palestine bringing this story to the screen and I am very excited that Doha will mark the start of our festival journey. Speed Sisters is a story about five fiercely determined women and their drive to break through the obstacles in their lives in order to stay true to themselves and their dreams.

We felt it was a perfect fit to launch our film at this youth-oriented event in the Middle East in order to celebrate the energy, hopes and creativity of young people in the region.”

Speed Sisters was developed in part with a DFI grant, several international film funds and hundreds of crowdfunding backers worldwide.

One online campaign, set up by the documentary’s director, raised more than $46,000 (QR169,100), far surpassing its goal of $35,000 (QR 127,500).

Watch the trailer below, or see snippets of the filming here.

The festival

The Ajyal Youth Film Festival aims to leverage cinema as a tool to encourage discussion and new young filmmaker talent.

Although the festival is built around regional youth filmmakers, DFI encourages film lovers of all ages to attend screenings and then discuss them together, as the Arabic world Ajyal translates into “generations.”

Ajyal debuted last November as a new offering after DFI ended its four-year partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival, with a low yet diverse attendance.

The inaugural festival’s theme was Japanese anime, in a nod to Qatar’s growing local subculture of such aficionados.

This year, no theme has been announced. However, it has been confirmed that the long-awaited animated rendition of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet will make its Middle Eastern debut as part of the festival’s closing night gala.

A full program of screenings will be announced in early November, with tickets going on sale on Nov. 18 at 1pm, DFI officials have confirmed.

Tickets can be purchased on DFI’s website or at several box offices, including:

• Ajyal Festival Booth (City Center Mall) from Nov. 18 to Dec. 6, (Sat-Wed 2pm-9pm, Thu-Fri 2pm-10pm);
• Doha Film Institute Katara Drama Theatre Box Office from Nov. 18-27, (1pm-8pm daily);
• Katara Main Box Office from Nov. 28 – Dec. 6, (28-30 November 1pm-8pm, 1-5 December 1pm-10pm, 6 December 10am-10pm)

Over the six-day festival, a selection of international films, family days, exhibitions, an interactive digital playground and school screenings will be offered.

A Doha Film Experience will also be held, where hundreds of young people ages 8 to 21 years old can watch, discuss and decide on winning films will be offered, according to DFI officials.

Do you plan to watch Speed Sisters or attend the festival? Thoughts?

(The post ‘Fearless’ Speed Sisters documentary to premiere at DFI film festival is from Doha News.)

By Ammar Abd Rabbo

Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM) and sister of the Emir, has been named one of the world’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Art by a leading international art industry website.

Artnet News featured Sheikha Al Mayassa in the first installment of its female global power players in the art world this week, as part of a year-long celebration of women in the field.

The list, which is arranged alphabetically rather than as a ranking, also includes another leading Gulf woman in the sector - Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi, President of Sharjah Art Foundation.

Earlier this year, the website, which is a major reference tool used by those in the international art market, ranked Sheikha Al Mayassa as one of 25 Art World Women at the Top. At the time, the site said:

“By extending Qatar’s art collection and inviting international art players to Doha, she embodies Qatar’s cultural policy.”

Top titles

This ranking is the latest in a long line of accolades bestowed on Sheikha Al Mayassa, recognizing her leadership of QM and position in the global art world.

Sally Crane

Earlier this year, she was named by Time magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people and in 2012 the Economist dubbed her the art world’s most powerful woman.

During her 2012 debut on Forbes’ list of global power women, she was dubbed the “undisputed Queen of the art world,” and she regularly features in industry publications’ rankings of influential international players in the scene.

Since assuming the role of Chairperson of QM (formerly Qatar Museums Authority) in 2006, Sheikha Al Mayassa has rapidly developed and consolidated her position as one of the world’s biggest and most influential art buyers.

She has made no secret of her aim to make Qatar a regional hub for contemporary and modern art.

In a TED talk in 2010, she said:

“We are revising ourselves through our cultural institutions and cultural development. Art becomes a very important part of our national identity.”

Experts estimate her acquisition budget to be in the region of $1 billion a year, which she uses to buy up some of the world’s key pieces of contemporary art.

This includes apparently setting a world record by spending $250 million on Cezanne’s Card Players in 2011 – then, the highest-ever known price for a painting, and a reported $310m for 11 Rothkos, although this purchase remains unconfirmed.

Art agenda

QM has been spearheading a drive to bring a large volume of high-profile international art to Qatar in the last few years, both for the royal family’s private collection and for public display through the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and Mathaf (Arab Museum of Modern Art), as well as a number of public art installations.

However, at times the exhibitions have proved controversial. Last October for example, some nationals expressed dismay at Adel Abdessemed‘s “Coup de Tête” - a now-infamous 5-meter statute of two fighting footballers that was erected on the Corniche.

Though it was meant to be a permanent installation, the statue was quickly removed after critics said it was “unsportsmanlike” and offensive to religious sensibilities.

At the time, QM said it would be transferred to Mathaf, although it has yet to be publicly displayed there.

QMA

Meanwhile, QM has been undergoing organizational change over the last few years.

Earlier this year, its acting CEO and Director Edward Dolman, who was brought in by Sheikha Al Mayassa in 2011, quit amid disquiet among the national community about how QM spends its budget and the number of expat staff working there.

Although Sheikha Al Mayassa supported Dolman in a memo sent to all staff, in April of this year Dolman announced that he would not be renewing his contract with QM and left to pursue other projects.

Following claims of “corruption and nepotism” in the Arab media, QM said it would transform from a government organization into a “private entity for public good,” but this has yet to happen.

Thoughts?

(The post Sheikha Al Mayassa named one of art world’s top 100 women is from Doha News.)

Free Matt and Grace

An American couple facing three years in Qatar jail after the death of their eight-year-old daughter returned to a local appeals court today, hoping for the lifting of a travel ban against them.

But despite strong urging from the US, Matt and Grace Huang will remain in Qatar at least until their appeals verdict is heard on Nov. 30.

After not eating for four days, the Huangs’ daughter Gloria died suddenly in January 2013. The couple was arrested shortly after that and held for nearly a year, until a judge ordered their release pending a verdict in the murder trial.

The Huangs adopted Gloria from Ghana when she was four years old. Because she spent her early years in poverty, the child was fighting an eating disorder that caused her to binge on food and then refuse to eat for several days at a time, they said.

In March, the judge sentenced the Huangs to three years in jail for child endangerment, a sentence they do not have to serve until the appeals process is finished.

But progress on the case has been slow. This is the third time the couple has appeared in the appellate court over the past six months. However, today they had a translator, unlike in some previous sessions.

‘You lie’

This morning’s session, which was attended by a number of international and local journalists, was tense.

In an uncharacteristic outburst, Matthew Huang shouted at the prosecutor in the courtroom as the official outlined his case against the couple, saying “You lie! You lie!”

While the Huangs are seeking a dismissal of this case, the prosecutor has been pushing for the couple to be given a harsher sentence during the appeal.

In the past, the court representative has repeatedly accused the Huangs of trafficking Gloria and their two adopted sons in a bid to sell their organs. But today, an appeals judge instructed him not to raise the issue again, as it was not related to the case.

The judge also cut short the defense’s questions.

Also this morning, a forensic doctor who examined the deceased’s body was recalled to the stand. He reiterated testimony that Gloria’s body was emaciated, and appeared to be weak and dehydrated.

Shabina S. Khatri

He also contradicted previous forensic testimony, saying that Gloria did not have any water in her bladder or food in her intestine.

However, he did not respond affirmatively when the prosecutor asked if the child had been starved to death, saying it wasn’t his job to reach such conclusions.

Previously, a US pathologist who examined Gloria’s body when it was returned home questioned the validity of the Qatar-based examiner’s report, saying he found no evidence that tissue samples had been removed from her brain or major organs in Qatar, meaning no analysis could have actually been performed.

‘Kidnapped’

Meanwhile, no mention was made of the travel ban the couple has been under since Gloria’s death.

In a statement issued on Oct. 6, the US State Department urged Qatar to lift that ban, so the Huangs could reunite with their two sons:

“The U.S. Government strongly urges that the Qatari Government immediately lift the travel ban and allow Mr. and Mrs. Huang to return to the United States on a humanitarian basis to be reunited with their children and family, pending the completion of legal proceedings. We continue to call on the Qatari Government to bring the case to an expeditious and just conclusion.”

FreeMattandGrace.com

Reacting to today’s session, Matthew Huang said:

“We feel kidnapped and trapped. It feels like there is no end to this. This court is a sham. They did not even allow our attorney to cross-examine the prosecutors witness. The Qatar government is ignoring the calls of the US government for our release.

I believe that the Emir has a heart for justice, but this is the fault of lower level authorities who refuse to admit they made mistakes and instead have resorting to lies and fabricating evidence.”

Thoughts?

(The post Despite US urging, Huangs to remain in Qatar pending appeals verdict is from Doha News.)

Victor1558 / Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Reducing the number of expat workers in the Gulf is expected to be one of the key issues on the agenda of an upcoming meeting between GCC government ministers next month.

A team, headed by the UAE’s labor minister, has drafted an initial policy to “harmonize” recruitment practices throughout the region and phase in a program to cut the number of expats in the states’ workforce, Qatar Tribune reports.

The draft policy will be presented at the 31st session of the GCC Labor and Social Affairs Ministers, which will be held in Kuwait in November. The newspaper quotes Aqeel Ahmed Al Jassim, the director general of the executive bureau of the council’s labor ministers, as saying:

“The decision to stop the recruitment of expatriate workers cannot be taken immediately but there are programs and plans aimed at reducing the number.”

Other Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia have previously launched efforts to reduce the number of expats in the workforce.

However, initiatives in Qatar currently focus on reserving a certain percentage of jobs for nationals, rather than limiting the influx of foreign workers.

Expat reductions

The main focus of the GCC study will be on jobs that could be filled by Gulf nationals, Al Jassim said.

photologue_np/Flickr

GCC member states, including Qatar, have had in place employment nationalization programs for years, with targets and other incentives for public and private sector organizations to employ Gulf nationals.

In August, Qatar’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs announced its latest push in this area by setting up a new committee to further encourage private businesses to give at least 20 percent of their jobs to Qataris.

Currently, expats overwhelmingly dominate Qatar’s private sector.

According to a Labor Force survey conducted last year by the Ministry of Development, Planning and Statistics, Qataris account for less than 1 percent of the total private sector workforce. Additionally, only 5 percent of employed Qataris hold private-sector jobs.

The National Development Strategy (NDS) 2011-16 seeks to boost this figure to 15 percent.

Anecdotally, sectors such as human resources and administration are now said to be dominated by Qataris, delegates at the recent How Women Find Work conference heard.

Domestic workers

Separately, Qatar’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs is heading up a regional team to  look at issues facing domestic workers in the region, and will report on its findings the same ministerial summit.

Dimitris Papazimouris/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

A long-awaited unified contract regulating the recruitment and employment of domestic workers across all GCC states is one of the key issues expected to be discussed at this time.

This had been first proposed in early 2013, but then stalled in subsequent talks as member states failed to agree on clauses such as a mandatory day off and maximum working hours.

Earlier this year, Al Jassim said that another draft of the contract would be discussed in November.

The owner of a local recruitment agency, Hamad Mohamed Afeefa, told Al Raya that plans for setting up a permanent committee to examine issues around hiring maids would also be raised at the ministerial meeting.

Government officials and representatives from recruitment agencies would sit on the committee, which would have the power to set up GCC-wide agreements with countries to source domestic labor, the Peninsula said.

Agency regulations

Qatar has recently introduced multiple measures tightening restrictions on recruitment agencies, particularly those supplying manual and construction workers, and launched a month-long inspection campaign in response to a slew of complaints by expats and nationals.

Topping the list of customer frustrations are high agency fees, domestic workers who run away and agencies’ failure to replace women who choose to leave their sponsor.

Additionally, in July, MOLSA announced it would publicly name and shame manpower agencies which were found to have broken the Labor Law (Law No. 14 of 2004) .

The law bans agents from charging fees to recruit workers to Qatar and requires that all expats have a written contract signed before they enter the country.

However, a number of reports have found that some agents here and in the popular labor-sending countries do not follow these rules.

Thoughts?

(The post GCC mulls plan to cut number of expat workers in region is from Doha News.)

Patrick Gage/Flickr

A growing share of Qatar’s wealth is staying inside the country, rather than being sent abroad by expats, an analysis of government data shows.

Each year, the country’s foreign workers send billions of riyals in remittances back home. After a minor dip in 2012, remittances climbed 8.34 percent last year to QR40.55 billion (US$11.14 billion), according to newly released figures from Qatar Central Bank.

However, as a share of Qatar’s rapidly expanding economy, the amount of money leaving the country has declined over the last five years.

Peter Kovessy

Figures published by QCB and the Qatar Statistics Authority show that remittances totaled 5.48 percent of nominal GDP last year – roughly on par with 2012, but down from 7.26 percent in 2009.

While remittances are an important part of the economy for receiving countries, observers in sending countries often view such monetary outflows as a missed opportunity to grow the local domestic economy.

“Remittances (are) nothing but disposable income made in Qatar and spent outside in another economy,” researcher Engy Ziedan told Doha News earlier this year following the release of a Cost of Living Reports Middle East publication.

As such, the reduction is likely to be viewed as a positive development within Qatar.

Local spending

There are likely several reasons behind the decline in remittances relative to nominal GDP. For example, even though the local economy is growing, the salaries of many expats has remained largely the same.

This could be because the large numbers of Indian, Bangladeshi and Nepali citizens willing to come to Qatar as laborers reduces the pressure on local companies to raise compensation rates.

Additionally, Qatar’s rising cost of living means that residents are spending more money on housing and other essential items.

Peter Kovessy

The declining share of remittances could also signal a demographic shift in Qatar’s expat population.

While the country’s foreign workforce is still dominated by men who come to the country alone, some have suggested that it’s in the country’s economic interest to allow more families to move to the country.

This, in turn, would lead foreign workers to spend more money on goods and services locally, rather than sending their earnings abroad, especially as the number of retail and leisure offerings in the country increases.

Gulf comparison

According to separate data, Qatar ranks in the middle of its Gulf peers in terms of the amount of money leaving the country as remittances.

Figures published this month by the World Bank state that the largest outflows in the region come from Saudi Arabia, where remittances totaled US$34.98 billion last year. The second-highest figure was Kuwait, at $15.24 billion.

The World Bank added that outgoing remittances in Qatar totaled $11.28 billion last year, a slightly higher number than the figure published by the Qatar Central Bank.

Duncan Smith/Corbis

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

While the World Bank did not publish any 2013 figures on Bahrain, that country’s remittances were likely the lowest in the GCC. In 2012, the country’s foreign workers sent $2.07 billion abroad.

Notably, such statistics only capture the amount of money sent through official channels. The World Bank has previously suggested that foreign workers may pursue other means of moving money abroad to avoid paying transfer fees, which average 7.9 percent globally.

Remittances are an important source of income and foreign currency for developing countries. No breakdown of the most popular sending countries was given by QCB.

But worldwide, the largest remittance receiving country last year was India, attracting about $71 billion.

India was also the largest recipient of remittances sent from Qatar in 2012, according to previous World Bank data.

More than $2.29 billion was sent from Qatar to India that year. It was followed by Nepal at $1.99 billion and Pakistan at $1.23 billion.

Thoughts?

(The post Expat remittances rising, but more wealth staying in Qatar is from Doha News.)

Airbus

The first Airbus A350-900 will make its debut in January during a commercial flight from Doha to Frankfurt, Qatar Airways has announced.

The national carrier will be the world’s first airline to fly the A350 and has ordered 80 of the new aircraft in two models, the A350-900 being the smaller of the two.

In a statement, Qatar Airways explained its decision to focus on Frankfurt:

“The airline has chosen the European city for its first route for the Extra Wide Body service because of the significant capacity the aircraft provides for the comfort of its business and leisure travellers.”

Qatar Airways currently flies twice daily to the German city. The new A350 will be used for both flights, first with flight QR067/068, followed shortly by flight QR069/70.

Frankfurt is the hub of competitor Lufthansa, which began flying directly to and from Doha in 2011.

Last year, the German airline’s then-CEO said European carriers must rethink the way they do business to better compete with GCC airlines, including Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates.

At the time, Christoph Franz said:

“Let’s imagine – purely theoretically – a country in which nothing exists besides sand and a box of money. What do you have to do to develop this country economically? First you have to build a runway & establish a national carrier…”

Final preparations

After gaining European safety approval last month, Airbus said it is now working to get cabin furnishings ready for Qatar Airways’ first plane.

Airbus

This week, the extra-wide bodied plane successfully completed its maiden flight, and Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker recently told reporters that the airline expects to receive the first plane between Dec. 8 and 10, allowing for preparations prior to the plane’s launch.

The airline has confirmed that it expects to have eight Airbus A350s in service by the end of next year, one less than previously reported.

Previously, Al Baker told reporters that after the first A350 delivery, the airline expects to receive nine aircrafts by next year, followed by one a month in 2016 and two a month in 2017.

A350 details

Qatar Airways has ordered 80 of the new A350 aircraft, 43 of the —900 model and 37 of the larger —1000 model.

The latter model is not due to enter service until 2017.

The A350-900 holds 283 seats — 36 in Business and 247 in Economy — divided across a dual cabin layout in both classes, Qatar Airways have confirmed.

Airbus

Each A350-900 is estimated to cost around $277.7 million.

Airbus claims that the planes are more fuel efficient than their current long-range competitor, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and that high-precision air management systems ensure total cabin air is renewed every two to three minutes.

Although Qatar Airways has yet to confirm what other routes the new aircraft will take, the airline said it would be “very soon introducing this next-generation aircraft on many other cities offered on the airline’s extensive network.”

The national carrier added that it plans to introduce two new routes by the end of this year, taking the number of destinations to 146.

On Oct. 26, Qatar Airways will begin flights to Djibouti in the Republic of Djibouti and on Dec. 4 flights to Asmara in Eritrea will also be launched.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar Airways picks Frankfurt as first destination for new A350s is from Doha News.)

EverSoccer

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

A former senior FIFA official has said that he believes Qatar could still host the 2022 World Cup in the summer, but only if matches were played late at night.

Harold Mayne-Nicholls said that if the tournament took place in May or early June, matches could be scheduled at 7pm, 10pm and 1am Qatar time to avoid the worst of the heat.

This would mean, he acknowledged, that players and fans would “sleep during the day and work during the night.”

Manaf Kamil/Flickr

This is not the first time that night matches have been proposed. In 2012, FIFA’s Vice President Jim Boyce suggested match kick-offs at 10pm, to take advantage of cooler temperatures.

The later matches may also benefit TV schedules, catching late evening in Europe, early evening in the East coast of the US and early morning in much of Asia.

However, 1am matches are the latest suggestion put forward as FIFA tries to find a suitable slot in the calendar for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.

The Gulf country won hosting rights to the event based on it being held during its usual period of June/July, but the searing heat and humidity at this time of year have caused many to question this decision.

Night games

Mayne-Nicholls led FIFA’s technical team in examining the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and at the time warned about Qatar’s suitability to hold a World Cup in the middle of the summer.

The former Chilean football chief is considering challenging current FIFA President Sepp Blatter for the top spot during the organization’s 2015 elections.

This week, he told BBC Sport his solution for a summer tournament was to “play the first games at 7pm, the second games at 10pm and the third matches at 1am.”

“You’d change everything. It would be a couple of hours behind in Europe, and that would help TV. I know it’s not easy. We’d sleep during the day and work during the night.”

He also suggested holding youth tournaments in Qatar during May to see how the idea would work. Temperatures are already on the rise during that month, reaching the 40Cs by the end of May.

Blatter weighs in

Meanwhile, in an interview with French radio station France Info yesterday, Blatter reasserted his preference for the tournament to take place in November/December.

“For me, that is the best solution. We can’t play (the World Cup) in the summer.

The date which is most convenient is end of the year, because to play at the beginning of 2022 is when the Winter Olympics take place,” he said.

Chantelle D'mello

“We can lower the temperature in the stadium, but we cannot put the whole country under one roof,” he added, referring to Qatar’s plans to employ high-tech cooling systems in its stadiums, to combat the mid-summer temperatures which can hit nearly 50 degrees.

FIFA’s officials have already opened talks to decide on a date for the Qatar tournament.

Its first consultation with representatives from the six continental confederations, clubs, leagues and players’ unions took place early last month, and a follow-up meeting is scheduled for November.

Three options are on the table – the traditional June/July period, November/December 2022 and also January/February 2022.

Blatter had previously ruled out the last slot, over concerns it would clash with the Winter Olympics, which are traditionally held at this time of year.

However, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said that Blatter had contacted the IOC to reassure them that there would be no clash of calendars.

Meanwhile, the European clubs and leagues have long voiced their opposition to a Winter World Cup, which would mean introducing an eight-week break at the height of the football season.

Thoughts?

(The post Former FIFA official proposes 1am matches during Qatar World Cup is from Doha News.)

With reporting from Peter Kovessy

Dozens of shoppers and staff at City Center Mall were evacuated this morning after a small fire erupted on the third floor.

In a statement sent to Doha News, mall management said the fire originated from children’s play area Fun City, around 9:45am. It was caused by a fault in an electrical cable, and was quickly extinguished by first responders, the statement added.

There were no injuries.

One employee said he was working near Fun City when he heard the fire alarm go off. Security asked people inside the mall to leave, and first responders were on site to assess what happened, he added.

Peter Kovessy

Several shops on the third floor of the mall – including the food court adjacent to Fun City, but not the food court near the cinema – will remain closed for now during a safety check, management said.

A security guard on-site told Doha News that the shops were expected to clear Civil Defense approval sometime after 2pm.

On Twitter, residents who were inside the mall reported smelling something burning.

One woman who was attending a yoga class at the mall’s gym said:

The fire was on 3rd floor at Funville. Was on the 4th floor at the gym and we were evacuated. Smell of burnt plastic filled the air. #Doha

— Assia Amry (@Libyan4life) October 21, 2014

Team at @FitnessFirstME were really good about moving us out quickly. Their fire plan was executed well. #Doha

— Assia Amry (@Libyan4life) October 21, 2014

The most appalling thing is: they're still charging people parking to exit the parking lot….It's a fire, how about letting ppl leave?! #PT

— Assia Amry (@Libyan4life) October 21, 2014

Were you at City Center? Thoughts?

(The post City Center Mall evacuated after small fire is from Doha News.)

Elysia Windrum

With reporting from Elysia Windrum and Riham Sheble

A branch of the popular Turkish fast-food restaurant Marmara Istanbul has been closed for up to two months after several customers reportedly suffered food poisoning from eating there.

One woman, who was seven months pregnant, experienced severe stomach pains hours after eating food from the outlet in Bin Omran on Friday night, and had to be rushed to hospital, the Peninsula reports.

She prematurely gave birth to her baby on Saturday. The infant remains in an incubator at Hamad General Hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit, while the woman is receiving treatment at the Women’s Hospital Emergency Unit, her husband told the newspaper.

Marmara Istanbul has several branches across Doha and is popular for its affordable grilled chicken.

Elysia Windrum

The Bin Omran restaurant near TV Roundabout, opposite the Nissan Petrol Station, was shut by authorities over the weekend, following the food poisoning reports.

The eatery’s doors and windows were plastered with stickers put up by the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (Baladiya), which monitors all food outlets in Qatar, saying “This establishment is closed due to violating municipal laws and regulations.”

Another sticker said that the establishment was in breach of Qatar’s Food Law (No. 8 of 1990).

On its website, MMUP said the restaurant would remain closed for up to 60 days.

It also published photographs of the inside of the restaurant, showing what appears to be dirty and moldy chopping boards, unclean worktops, BBQ grills blackened with caked-on food deposits and food lying around the surfaces.

In recent months, the MMUP has been cracking down on food outlets that break the law, upping the number of spot checks on restaurants and shops to catch those who breach food safety regulations.

And in February this year, amendments to the food law gave greater powers to authorities to fine and close down venues that break the law.

The ministry has also started naming and shaming erring establishments, publishing details of them in Arabic on its website.

Reactions

Speaking to the Peninsula, Kunhali, an Indian expat from the southern state of Kerala, said he had gone to Marmara around 9pm on Friday night with his wife and two children, ages three and seven years old. He continued:

“I woke up next day with an intense nausea followed by diarrhea. My children also developed similar problems and my wife had to be rushed to the hospital following acute pain in the abdomen and had a premature delivery.”

His two children were treated at the pediatric emergency unit in Al Saad, while he was admitted to Hamad General Hospital and was discharged yesterday, he said.

He remains concerned about the health of his wife and newborn baby, he added.

Elysia Windrum

It is not clear how many people fell sick after eating at Marmara over the weekend. Management at other branches were not immediately available for comment.

And Hamad General Hospital would not confirm any details of the incident, or comment to Doha News on the number of people affected.

This morning, several passersby stopped to look at the shuttered restaurant and expressed surprise at what had happened. Speaking to Doha News, Ali Muhammad, a Pakisatani expat, said he was a regular at the restaurant. He added:

“Seeing these stickers is scary. It has really put me off wanting to eat at any of the restaurant branches. I won’t be coming back any time soon.”

And Mohammad Ahmadi, an Iranian expat who also regularly went to Marmara with his family, said:

“Now that people have been food poisoned after eating here, I am not going to come back here, at least not for a while. I’m not going to put myself or my family in danger.”

Food poisoning causes

Food poisoning cases are most prevalent in Qatar during the hot summer months, but can happen at any time of the year.

Omar Chatriwala

It usually occurs as a result of bacteria in food, which often thrive when food is not being properly chilled, prepared unhygienically, stored improperly or under-cooked.

Those particularly vulnerable to food poisoning are the young (those under five years old), elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health issues such as diabetes or who have immune-compromised diseases.

Earlier this summer, Hamad Medical Corp. issued tips for avoiding food poisoning, which you see here.

Thoughts?

(The post Marmara Istanbul restaurant closed in Qatar in food poisoning probe is from Doha News.)

Kamahl Santamaria/Twitter

An Egyptian court has agreed to hear an appeal in the case of three Al Jazeera journalists held in a Cairo jail there who have been convicted of spreading false news, according to the Doha-based broadcaster.

Al Jazeera Media Network said the appeal is scheduled for Jan. 1 – slightly more than one year after the men were taken into custody.

Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed were arrested in December 2013 and sentenced to jail terms in June on charges of spreading false news and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, a now-banned organization in Egypt.

The verdict was condemned across the world as an attack on media freedoms.

In an interview with Doha News today, Mostefa Souag, Al Jazeera’s acting director general, said:

“They haven’t committed any crime. Their only crime is doing their job properly, and that’s reason for praise, not punishment.”

Lack of evidence

Souag said the network had hoped the Egyptian government would simply free the men and dismiss the case, but Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reportedly ruled out that possibility this week, saying that he couldn’t interfere with the independence of the judiciary by granting clemency to jailed journalists.

Al Jazeera Turk/Twitter

Souag said he believed the conviction was politically motivated, arguing that “no serious, independent court would sentence people in this case.”

He added that the appeal would highlight the lack of evidence presented in court to support the charges.

Some observers have mocked Egyptian prosecutors for presenting footage filmed in Somalia as well as photos of Greste’s parents on vacation in Latvia as evidence without any explanation as to how it connects to the case.

“There was not a shred of evidence showing these people are guilty of these accusations … There was nothing really to show or even indicate the possibility of any violations,” Souag said.

He added:

“We are happy that the appeal was accepted, but we would be much more happier if they were released. And we are looking forward to that day … it will be a good way for the Egyptian authorities to start fresh and show the world that now that they are feeling a little bit more comfortable (in power) they can actually get back to the right way of building democracy.”

Relations between Qatar and Egypt have been frayed ever since el-Sisi’s backers ousted the previous Muslim Brotherhood government, which had enjoyed strong support from Doha.

Thoughts?

(The post Jailed Al Jazeera journalists granted January appeal hearing is from Doha News.)

Josh Hughes/Flickr

Qatar has been appointed to a new three-year term on the UN’s Human Rights Council, edging out Thailand by six votes for the final spot allocated to the Asia-Pacific region.

It’s the third time the Gulf country has held a seat on the 47-member body, which was formed in 2006 to promote and protect human rights around the world. The last term Qatar served was from 2010 to 2013.

Media reports say Qatar received 142 votes from the UN General Assembly’s 193 members. The other three seats reserved for the region were filled by India (162 votes), Indonesia (152 votes) and Bangladesh (149 votes).

Lance Cenar

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Qatar’s own human rights record has come under the international spotlight in recent years as activists use the attention around the 2022 World Cup to highlight the living and working conditions of migrant laborers, as well as the country’s restrictive sponsorship laws.

Joe Stork, the deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division, said in a statement that he’d like to see Qatar’s elevation to the UN’s human rights organization accelerate the country’s planned reforms:

“We hope joining the council will finally prompt Qatar to address the laws and policies that make its growing migrant worker population so vulnerable to trafficking and forced labor. Qatar should abolish its exit visa system, reform the kafala system to allow workers to change employers, and ratify the (International Labour Organization) domestic workers convention.”

Reforms

Recently, Qatar’s Emir publicly conceded that there have been “problems and errors” in protecting the human rights of migrant workers here.

In May, government officials proposed changes to the country’s sponsorship laws that would make it easier expats to leave the country and change jobs. The changes would also increase penalties for employers who confiscate their employee’s passports.

Chris Fleming / Flickr

Another change that’s being rolled out is a new requirement on companies to pay salaries electronically. This would help ensure wages are deposited into a worker’s bank account on time.

Earlier this month, Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce said it would support the planned reforms, raising the prospect that a new law could be approved by the end of the year.

Critics, however, have argued that the changes fall short of international human rights standards, as well as the recommendations of a report by law firm DLA Piper that was commissioned by the Qatar government.

Beyond its borders, Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee has recently raised the issue of individuals with disabilities, and called for more efforts globally to remove barriers that prevent their full integration into society.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar rejoins UN Human Rights Council is from Doha News.)

James Zach Hollo

Whether it’s listening to music in the park, cheering on teams at a robot-building competition, watching dozens of movies at an upcoming film festival or shopping for a cause, there are a ton of things to do around town this weekend. Here are our picks:

Jazz at Lincoln Center

Acclaimed local music group Jazz at the Lincoln Center (JALC), in collaboration with Jazz at St. Regis, will hold a community concert at the Museum of Islamic Art park tonight, Oct. 22, from 7 to 8pm.

The event is free and open to the public, and will feature award-winning jazz artists from around the world. Attendees are invited to arrive at the stage near the MIA Park Cafe at 6:30pm, and are encouraged to bring blankets, rugs and picnic baskets.

JALC/Facebook

This weekend, there will also be several other JALC-related events, including Journeys with Jazz featuring Tango Nuevo at the St. Regis from 9pm onwards on Oct. 23.

On Oct. 24, the same venue will feature Brazilian jazz artists in Journeys with Jazz: Brazil Carnival from 9pm onwards. Each costs QR100 per person, and includes a welcome drink.

Families are welcome to experience the music at the free St. Regis Family Afternoon from 3 to 5pm on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the same venue.

Katara used books library

In a bid to promote reading, Katara Cultural Village will launch its used book library on Thursday, inviting residents to come and check out titles for temporary use.

The library will be open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 4pm to midnight at the Katara Promenade until April 2015.

Books are free to check out, and cover different topics in different languages. Book donations are welcome.

National Robot Olympiad

Over 300 teams of elementary, middle and high school students in Doha will compete in the the National Robot Olympiad on Oct. 24 to 25 at the Ladies Sports Hall at Aspire from 9am onwards.

The event is a culmination of a year-long robotics program in local schools, and will see teams compete in three categories – Open, Regular and Gen II Football. Each team of two to three students is expected to build and program a LEGO Mindstorm robot in a race against time and their peers. For more information and the schedule of events, visit the Olympiad website here.

Diwali food festival

Celebrate the Indian festival of light with a hearty meal at Choices at the Oryx Rotana on Friday, Oct 24. Dinner packages cost between QR200 and QR425/person. For more information, call 4402 3333.

Jazz in the desert

JAD

Local band Doha Jazz consisting of Qatar-based professional musicians, will hold a desert concert this Friday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 9pm. Attendees have two options – pick up in Doha (at the Family Food Center on Airport Road) or at Sealine.

The options cost QR320 and QR280, respectively. Children under 12 are QAR150. Those who choose the former are expected to be at FFC at 3pm, while the rest are expected to be at Sealine at 4pm.

BBQ dinner is included in the price. Prior registration is required, and can be done by emailing hugconsultantsdoha@gmail.com or calling Muhammed on 3393 0385.

Al Jazeera Documentary Festival

The 10th annual Al Jazeera Documentary Festival will take place this weekend, Oct. 23 to 26, from 9am onwards at the Ritz Carlton Doha.

Omar Chatriwala/Flickr

Some 161 films from 60 countries have been chosen to be screened out of 910 submissions. These include 34 long, 51 medium, 45 short, and 31 new horizon films. Screenings are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the festival’s website here, or see here for a list of scheduled screening times. For a list of screenings in the New Horizon and Main category, see here. 

Charity auction for breast cancer

Yongjiet/Flickr

To mark international cancer awareness month, online fashion group Fashsquad, in conjunction with the Grand Hyatt Doha, is holding an auction today, Oct. 22. The event will take place from 6:30 to 9pm in the hotel’s garden.

Tickets cost QR100/person and include live entertainment, snacks and access to the auction. To book a ticket or reserve a space, email dohgh-marketing@hyatt.com or call 4448 1234. To view the lots on auction, visit the event’s Facebook page here. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Qatar Cancer Society.

Bonus:

• Handmade market: Local arts and crafts group QatART is hosting a handmade market this Friday, Oct. 24, from 3 to 10 pm at Building 19 in Katara. Handmade articles like jewelry, accessories, paintings, illustrations, graphic designs, craft kits, bags, clothes, home decor, cards, party supplies, and cake and food boxes will be sold at the event. The market aims to encourage residents to produce handmade crafts, and will include hands-on crafting activities for attendees to participate in. The event is open to the public, and entrance is free of charge.

• Rebecca Hathaway/Flickr

  Fall shopping fest: The Cat Assistance Team (CAT) is holding a fall shopping festival this Saturday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 7pm at the Riviera Gardens Clubhouse. The event features over 30 vendors selling clothes, toys, baked goods, home decor, pet toys and accessories, makeup and accessories, and “pre-loved” books and DVDs. CAT will also open a pop-up coffee shop featuring their own merchandise. All proceeds from the shopping fest will go to CAT, one of the five animal shelters in Doha that rescues Qatar’s feline population. For more information, email catservicedoha@gmail.com or visit the event Facebook page here.

• WISE Learning Festival: In a joint collaboration with Katara and the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), the Learning Festival 2014 will open this weekend, Oct. 23, under the theme “Creative takes on the use of technology in education.” The experience-based festival includes a photo exhibition, demos, workshops, performances, and pop-up events, and will focus on the use of technology in the classroom from around the world. The festival will be held from 5pm to 10pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and will run until Nov. 8. For more information, visit the website here.
• Social Entrepreneur Talk: Local networking and hot-desking center 7ayak Hub is hosting a talk this Saturday, Oct. 25 from 4 to 6pm by Mark Arnoldy, the CEO of Possible, and one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 social Entrepreneurs. The talk will focus on why creating a “for-impact’” culture is the most valuable decision an entrepreneur can make, and on creating and instilling such a culture in the workplace. The event is open to the public, and costs QR50/each, payable at the door. Interested residents can reserve a seat here.

What are your weekend plans? Thoughts?

(The post Seven things to do in Qatar this weekend (Oct. 22-25) is from Doha News.)

Elysia Windrum

With reporting from Riham Sheble

Several pre-packaged meat products have been withdrawn from supermarket aisles in Qatar because they lack paperwork relating to their halal credentials.

Sara Lee Cracked Pepper Turkey Breast, Ball Park Beef Franks and Hillshire Farm Turkey Lit’l Smokies were cleared out of stores this week.

The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (Baladiya), which monitors food products and outlets in Qatar, announced the ban yesterday, saying:

Products of (Hillshare, Saralee & Pallpark) were withdrawn from market for violating the provisions of "Halal Meat". pic.twitter.com/XSjoyITVUa

— Baladiya (@Baladiya1) October 21, 2014

In a statement, the MMUP said that a shipment of the food was “withdrawn to ensure they are safe for consumption and to protect the health of customers.” It also stated that the items violated halal slaughter regulations.

The products are usually sold in Carrefour, Lulu and Megamart, but appear to have been removed from the chiller cabinets of all three supermarket chains.

A spokesman for Megamart told Doha News that the company was waiting for its latest shipment, which is currently being held at customs because of the ban.

However, he said they were in talks with the MMUP and hoped to resolve the issue soon, and to restock with the products next month.

What is halal?

Ball Park Franks hot dogs are made by Chicago-based Hillshire Brands, which also produces Hillshire Farm Turkey Smokies and operates the Sara Lee brand.

On the companies’ websites, there is no mention of whether their products are halal.

The Arabic word “halal” means permissible, and in this case is used to mean food that Muslims are allowed to eat. Pork and carrion are not halal, for example.

The term is also often used to signify that the meat was slaughtered in a way that meets Islamic standards.

The process of Islamic slaughter involves cutting through a healthy animal’s jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe. All blood is drained from the carcass, and a dedication is read by a Muslim during the process.

In 2011, the GCC announced it was introducing new regulations on meat imports to the region, which would require certification that the animals were slaughtered in compliance with Islamic law.

However, the latest ban has caused some Qatar residents to question whether all the meat products they buy in Qatar are in fact halal.

@Baladiya1 those from western country's already knew these were not halal. I can show u other products in megamart & lulu that r non-halal

— Ahmed Dhorat (@ahmed_northern) October 21, 2014

US export rules

According to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, all meat products being exported from the US to Qatar require a certificate of Islamic (halal) slaughter.

These certificates can be issued from a member of an Islamic center or Muslim organization that is officially recognized by the Qatari authorities for providing this service.

Requirements include:

• A statement that the animals were slaughtered according to Muslim religious requirements;
• Labels on the products that state they are “halal;” and
• Certification of the statement by the Qatar consulate in the exporting country. This certificate must accompany all shipments.

The USDA also states that “processed products (such as deli meats) with halal label claims and raw materials used in processed products with halal label claims must be accompanied by an appropriate halal certificate.”

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar stores withdraw US deli meats over halal certification queries is from Doha News.)

Juanedc/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

One of Qatar’s largest property developers has revived plans for a massive new complex that contains used car showrooms, repair shops and offices for related government services off Salwa Road.

During a press conference yesterday, Barwa Real Estate Co. announced an agreement with Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP) to rent 115 hectares of land in Rawdat Rashid for its “Motor City” project.

Used car shops would encompass roughly one-third of the site. The rest would include:

• Car workshops;
• Maintenance centers;
• Used car warehouses;
• Auto rental businesses;
• Banks;
• Insurance firms;
• Driving schools;
• A race track;
• A hotel;
• Accommodations for workers;
• Offices for government branches including the traffic department, technical testing, Ministry of Interior, Civil Defense and the MMUP.

The entire project – including detailed design work and construction – is expected to take about four years, the company added in a statement.

Barwa previously said that it expected to break ground on the project in 2011.

Since then, the developer appears to have scaled back its plans, reducing the size of Motor City by more than 40 percent. The cost has also dropped from an estimated QR2 billion (US$549.21 million) to QR1.5 billion ($411.91 million), according to media reports.

Qatar has a robust used car market, driven in large part by the high turnover in the country’s expat population. While there are several pre-owned vehicle lots and service facilities across the country, particularly along Salwa Road, many are located considerable distances from one another and, according to Barwa’s top executive, lack indoor space:

“Many of the showrooms are exhibiting cars outside their shops, which is not the right practice,” Barwa Group’s acting CEO, Ahmad Abdulla Ali Al Abdulla, said yesterday, according to the Gulf Times.

Ambitious endeavors

Barwa has a history of proposing massive multibillion-riyal projects, but has been selling off assets to government-backed entities in recent months as part of an effort to reduce its debt.

It’s currently constructing the 10-tower Qatar Petroleum District in the southwest corner of Doha’s central business area. Originally conceived as the Barwa Financial District with global and local banks as tenants, the real estate firm sold the project to the state-owned resource firm in 2011 for approximately QR11 billion (US$3.02 billion).

Omar Chatriwala/Flickr

More recently, the real estate firm opened the first phase of its Barwa Al Baraha “Workers’ City” housing development earlier this year as well as parts of Barwa Commercial Avenue, a one-million-square-meter retail development near the Industrial Area.

However, as it wrapped up construction on the shopping area, Barwa was also finalizing a deal to sell its 95-percent stake in the project to Labregah Real Estate Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co.

The deal is part of a government bailout plan that requires Barwa to sell QR20 billion ($5.49 billion) worth of assets to the Diar and also included the developer offloading its share in Barwa Bank.

The Diar is the real estate arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and owns 45 percent of Barwa Real Estate.

The company said it swung to a QR42.48 million ($11.67 million) second-quarter loss earlier this year, compared to a QR38 million ($10.43 million) profit a year earlier.

However, it managed to reduce its liabilities by more than 16 percent during the quarter to QR26.27 billion ($7.21 billion).

Thoughts?

(The post Barwa presents scaled-back plans for used car ‘Motor City’ in Qatar is from Doha News.)

Ministry of Interior/Facebook

Qatar identity cards may soon include the residential addresses of their holders’, in an apparent bid to step up security in the state.

During its weekly meeting yesterday, the Cabinet approved a draft decision by the Interior Minister to determine the information on the ID cards for Qataris and expats, and the documents required to produce them, Qatar News Agency reports.

The news comes as the Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Nationality, Borders and Expatriate Affairs announced that during this week’s Milipol military expo in Doha,  it signed a QR9.9 million contract with Itqan Technologies for smart ID cards.

Details of the deal have yet to be disclosed.

MoveOneInc.com

Almost all adult residents of Qatar are required to have ID cards. They do not legally have to carry the ID with them at all times.

However, failure to produce an ID card when demanded by a law enforcement official (not necessarily on the spot) could lead to a fine of up to QR10,000.

Nevertheless, most residents frequently carry their ID cards with them, as they are often required to produce them to gain access to residential compounds, apartment blocks and some clubs.

MOI also undertakes periodic spot-checks around town, stopping cars and asking residents to show their ID cards.

Card details

Most residents are currently issued traditional ID cards, “smart” cards are also now available. These cards, which feature biometric data such as fingerprints and eye scans on an embedded electronic chip used to verify the cardholder’s’ identity, were introduced in 2011.

Smart cards can be obtained when residents register for e-gate – which fast-tracks them through passport control queues at Hamad International Airport.

According to the Peninsula, the idea to put home addresses on ID cards is one way Qatar hopes to improve internal state security, by making it easier for authorities to track down residents.

The newspaper added that all residents are already required by law to inform police of their most up-to-date postal and home addresses – although this is not strictly enforced.

“But from the interior ministry’s draft decision approved by the Cabinet yesterday it is obvious that it is now going to enforce the law quite seriously,” the Peninsula quotes local lawyer Mohsin Thiyab Al Suwaidi as saying.

Al Suwaidi added that the presence of addresses on ID cards would assist courts in summoning an individual relating to a legal case.

Including home address details on an official card is not unusual internationally, with many countries such as the US, Canada and the UK requiring this information on drivers’ licenses.

But the potential move raises questions about personal security. For example, if an ID card is lost or stolen, the holder’s home would be easy to find.

Also, as many expats move frequently, it could put a considerable administrative burden on the individual to inform authorities of the change, and also the ministry to issue new ID cards.

Address system

Al Suwaidi also cited safety reasons for including the physical address on ID cards, saying it would help many people who do not know how to describe to first responders where they live in the event of an emergency.

Qatar’s lack of a formal street name and house numbering system can lead to confusion about the precise location of a particular address.

The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning has been trying to tackle this problem by posting blue address plaques outside commercial, residential and public properties.

These list the building, zone and street numbers and serve as public addresses.

They can be used to navigate the country via an online service that helps residents locate places based on the information listed on the plates.

Thoughts?

(The post Citing security reasons, Qatar mulls law to put addresses on ID cards is from Doha News.)

Expert Infantry/Flickr

A Qatari man was among more than two dozen people sentenced to jail time by a Saudi court this week for plotting an attack on members of the US armed forces based here and in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency has said.

Qatar is home to the largest US Air Force base in the Middle East.

Late on Tuesday, it said 13 individuals – the Qatari, an Afghani and 11 Saudis – had been given sentences ranging from 18 months to 30 years in prison for crimes that included “joining an extremist group,” the name of which was not specified.

Reuters reported that the Qatari is accused of being the leader of the group, and was handed a 30-year sentence, after which he will be deported to Doha.

Tommaso / Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

On Wednesday, the news agency said a further 14 defendants were ordered imprisoned for terms ranging from six months to 23 years, but made no mention of nationalities.

Both groups of defendants were said to be among 41 individuals who were “working together to form a terror cell in Qatar with the aim of attacking the Kuwait-and-Qatar-based U.S. forces and other grave crimes,” Saudi Arabia said.

No details were provided on when the individuals were arrested or the specific nature of their plans. A spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment to Doha News.

Attack plans

However, news agency AFP reported that the men intended to attack American forces in Qatar with hand grenades, rockets and other weapons. Additionally, it said the organization planned to send an individual to Iraq to learn how to make vehicle bombs that could target foreign soldiers.

The personnel and equipment stationed at the US Air Force base in Qatar play a key role in the western country’s operations throughout the region.

Military personnel stationed at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base reportedly coordinated some four dozen fighter and bomber missions over Afghanistan daily as late as December 2013, as well as controlling US drone flying over Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2013, the US Air Force bolstered security at the military facility by erecting hundreds of 16-foot blast walls around the base.

In recent months, Saudi Arabia has rounded up and convicted dozens of individuals within its territory that it said were plotting violent attacks inside and outside the country.

After several Gulf states, including Qatar, joined a US-led aerial bombing campaign against ISIL targets in Syria, the US State Department warned that the organization and its sympathizers may launch reprisal attacks against its coalition partners.

AFP reported late last month that Jabhat Al Nusra, an armed group fighting in Syria, had threatened to launch retaliatory attacks against those countries that participated in airstrikes against ISIL.

Citing a video published online, AFP quoted a spokesperson for the group as saying the states involved in the mission had “committed a horrible act that is going to put them on the list of jihadist targets throughout the world.”

Thoughts?

(The post Saudi Arabia imprisons 27 for planning attacks on US military in Qatar is from Doha News.)

Chantelle D'mello

The room goes quiet when they begin to play. Heads bowed down, fingers deftly placing pieces on the board. The only sounds are the rattling of tiles in the bag, and the famed phrase, “Is that a word?”

The game is Scrabble, and the players are nine- to 12-year-old children in Qatar.

In a country that hosted the Asian Games and is gearing up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, mental games that test and hone educational skills are often less celebrated than more energetic sports such as football.

Chantelle D'mello

But for the past few years, the game of competitive Scrabble has begun to thrive in Qatar. The movement is fueled in large part by the efforts of one woman, Judith Britten.

The British expat, who has spent more than 20 years in the Middle East, first came here in 1993 and was one of the founders of the Qatar Scrabble League (QSL). The initiative, which began in 1996, went extinct in a few years, and was revived a decade later.

Speaking to Doha News, Britten explained how the group first came about:

“It was a group of us who decided to start up QSL, a place where we could teach and play Scrabble competitively. At our peak, we had around 100 members in one sitting. We would meet every Friday at McDonald’s, which was closed to customers in the morning, to play.”

Early successes of the group, which attracted a diverse expat following, included Qatar’s first international representation at the Gulf Scrabble Tournament and the World Scrabble Championship, both in 1997.

But the endeavor was short-lived. Bureaucracy, internal politics and Britten’s departure from Doha in 1998 contributed to the demise of the group in the mid-2000s.

New focus

However, in 2008, when Britten returned to Doha for work, a second attempt was made to revive the group, this time with a renewed focus on training children to play Scrabble competitively.

“The focus on the children strongly evolved when we received the invitation for Qatar to send players to the 2009 World Youth Scrabble Championship in (Malaysia) that took place in December…

The adult players whom I tried to encourage to act as mentors to the kids started to not appreciate it because they were only coming just for the fun and entertainment they got out of the game. So there was a divergent focus and as time went on and the kids were going from strength to strength, the adult players started to feel unhappy that the kids were beating them in their games.”

The majority of young scrabble players in Qatar now hail from the Stafford Sri Lankan School Doha (SSLSD). The school, which began a Scrabble club in 2008, currently has more than 100 players.

Chantelle D'mello

Speaking to Doha News, 9-year-old Minuki Satharasinghe, one of the SSLSD players, said:

“We meet every Tuesday after school to play, and learn vocab. We get worksheets with words to memorize, and play against our friends. It’s been great. I’ve improved my English, and my math, because Scrabble requires quick mental math to calculate your scores.”

Interschool competitions between SSLSD, the Delhi Public School, MES, the Al Khor International School, the Doha Modern Indian School and The Cambridge School Doha keep the spirit of Scrabble alive in between international competitions.

In addition to having fun, many students said they were happy to be learning life skills, such as efficiency, speed, multi-tasking, time management and quick decision-making.

Competitions

Qatar’s youth representation on an international stage began in 2009 and has continued since.

Last December, 16 children ages nine to 14 years old traveled to Dubai to compete in the World Youth Scrabble Championship.

Two students represented Qatar as part of the official “quota,” while the rest accompanied the team to play and better their skills.

Each player is given 25 minutes to complete the game, with an ideal score of between 250 to 300 points, before moving on to the next. Students are allowed to contest an opponent’s word by looking it up on an online system called Zyzzyva.

Back to back games total some eight hours, and often leave players exhausted.

“It was tiring and much different from our practices. No matter what, the practices that we did here were always fun. In the competition, it’s much more intense. It’s mentally stressful,” said Samuel Fernandes, a 16-year-old Indian expat who played as one of Qatar’s two quota players and placed 104th out of 136 players at the Dubai Championship.

While Britten doesn’t train the children regularly, she is in charge of whipping them into shape for competitions. Training includes mentoring sessions in the evenings and endurance games that last eight hours in one sitting, held over three weekends.

Each player is also tasked with learning all 124 two-letter words that exist in the English language, and the majority of the 1,130 three-letter words.

“It’s hard, but we have donuts,” said Meenakshi Sethupathy, 15, who also participated in the Dubai Championship and placed 52nd.

The 2014 Championships held in Colombo two months ago saw 20 Sri Lankan students from Qatar participate, to much better results.

Minuki won the championship in her age category (under-10s) and placed 52nd overall, while Ushara D’Silva, 12, placing 49th.

Other members of the team included Sahel Infas (9), Amna Cassim (12), Thareefa Ismail (11), and Yunus Ismail (12).

Challenges

While Scrabble continues to be a popular sport among children of Qatar’s South Asian community, there are numerous challenges hindering its growth, Britten said. She continued:

“There is a lack of awareness among the national population. We have no Qataris in our group, now or then. We want to be able to break through this and enable them to join in the game too.”

She added that the hesitation of adult players to play with children, who often surpass them in skill, is also a recurring problem.

“Adults don’t like to be beaten, so they don’t play with the children. But it’s important that children be exposed to adults, so that they get the hang of playing with someone much older than them,” she added.

Some people, unaware that competitive Scrabble is quick-paced, continue to believe in the notion that the game is a long, drawn-out process, and are deterred from playing it.

Chantelle D'mello

For now, Britten is looking to reintroduce Scrabble to the adult community, and to incorporate it into sports events around the country. Her goal is to restart the QSL and organize local games open to the public on Qatar’s National Sports Day early next year.

“It’s beautiful to see how much people, especially children, change during the course of the game. You see them not the way they first came. I have had kids who never spoke for a long time, and then in the middle of a game, they’ll randomly say ‘that’s not a word!’ or ‘your score is wrong,’ and the ice is broken. It gives children confidence, allows them to play in a team, and teaches them the value in reading. It’s amazing what it can do,” she said.

For more information on getting involved in Scrabble in Qatar, email Britten at judith.britten@northwestern.edu.

Thoughts?

(The post ‘Is that a word?’ Qatar’s youth gravitate toward competitive Scrabble is from Doha News.)