Mike Licht/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Reduced speed limits, pedestrian crossings and other safety features will soon be added to more than 200 schools in Qatar to help reduce road traffic accidents, the nation’s Public Works Authority has said.

Some locations will also see the installation of roundabouts, designated pickup areas and speed bumps to improve traffic flow as part of Ashghal’s School Zone Safety Program.

In a statement, the authority said a number of schools in need of the extra safety measures have been identified by the Ministry of Interior and the Supreme Education Council. It did not list them by name.

Curbing accidents

So far, improvement works to the roads surrounding 19 schools have taken place, while temporary measures have been undertaken around 11 more schools pending the completion of final works.

Redevelopment of the roads system around a further 10 school zones is currently in the pipeline, Ashghal added.

The program, which the authority aims to roll out to all schools in Qatar, is a key part of the nation’s 10-year National Road Safety Strategy, which was launched two years ago with ambitious targets to cut the number of road deaths and serious injuries.

Supplied

Paramedics rush to the accident site outside Doha College West Bay.

It also comes in the wake of a number of accidents that have taken place outside schools in Qatar.

In October 2009, five-year-old Dana Sakr died after she was struck by a car as she crossed the road outside the Lebanese School in West Bay.

And in October last year, a primary school student at Doha College West Bay was struck by a driver as she walked to school with her mother and younger sibling.

Safe roads

Under the schools’ safe zone program, the SEC or schools themselves can ask to be included, and Ashghal meets with head teachers to understand their needs.

Summerbl4ck / Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Among the measures that can be put in place are:

• Creating 30kph maximum speed areas around schools, which are clearly marked with signs;
• Installing speed bumps;
• Building raised pedestrian crossings and traffic warning signs at school entrances and exits;
• Creating safe drop-off and pick-up points;
• Installing raised medians and mini roundabouts to improve safe traffic flow; and
• Putting down rumble strips on the approach to schools to slow down traffic.

Creating footpaths around schools, building safe entrances and exits for schools on main roads and creating new car parks can also be put in place to help improve safety.

Going forward, these safety measures will be incorporated in all schools that are currently under construction and those scheduled to be built in the future, Ashghal said, adding:

“The program aims at ensuring the safety of students and parents upon their arrival or departure from schools and at easing traffic congestion which is seen next to schools and which exacerbates due to the lack of parking spots and due to lack of sidewalks and footpaths.”

Reducing deaths and injuries

Qatar’s National Road Safety Strategy aims to significantly decrease the number of deaths and serious accidents that result from crashes in the next seven years.

The targets include cutting the number of deaths to six per 100,000 residents, and getting to an absolute figure of 130 fatalities a year by 2022.

While still high, the number of deaths as a result of road accidents in Qatar does appear to be on the decline. In 2014, there were a total of 222 fatalities – down from 246 in 2013.

Muhammad Kamran Qureshi/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Adjusted for population inflation, this equates to approximately 9.93 road deaths per 100,000 residents in 2014, compared to 12.2 per 100,000 residents the previous year.

The nation also aims to cut the number of serious injuries in half, to 300 a year. However, as a total figure, this has increased. There were 671 cases of major injuries resulted from traffic accidents last year, up from 642 in 2013. Still, per 100,000 of the population, this shows a slight decrease –  30.02 cases per 100,000 in 2014 and 31.84 in 2013.

The strategy’s ultimate target is to reduce this rate to 15 per 100,000 by 2022, although it adds:

“In the future it is suggested that greater emphasis should be placed on targets to reduce the actual number of killed and seriously injured people in Qatar rather than on improved rates. This will lead to greater focus on the reduction of human pain and suffering caused by road traffic crashes.”

Other road safety measures that are planned as part of the strategy include installing new pedestrian crossings and overpasses, better street signage, creating crash barriers in road medians, construction of additional road lanes to ease traffic congestion and better design of road intersections.

Thoughts?

(The post Ashghal to boost Qatar school safety with new speed limits, crosswalks is from Doha News.)

Lawrence Wang/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

With winter officially over and temperatures now climbing past 40C in Qatar, residents of all ages are being encouraged to keep fitness levels up and keep walking through the “Step into Health” campaign at local malls.

The program, run by Aspetar, aims “to encourage each person to walk 10,000 steps and more a day (through) a non-competitive, recreational and social approach,” the sports medicine hospital said in a statement.

This weekend, temperatures are expected to reach between 39C-42C, according to the Qatar Meteorology Department.

Starting Friday evening, strong northwesterly winds will cause horizontal visibility to fall to less than 2km in some areas, due to blowing sand and dusty conditions.

Tony Alter/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

These weather conditions are expected to last until Monday afternoon, and will likely keep many people indoors over the next few days.

The campaign also hopes to reduce the high rates of obesity and diabetes in the Gulf country.

Qatar has among the world’s highest rates of obesity, and nearly a quarter of its population struggles with diabetes, which is often blamed on bad eating habits and lack of activity.

Events

As part of the campaign, health events will be held for the public at four malls in the next few months, including Hyatt Plaza Mall on April 25; City Center mall on May 2; Ezdan Mall on May 16; and Lagoona Mall on June 13.

Peter Kovessy

City Center Mall

The first event at Hyatt Plaza will run from 8:30am to 10:30am, starting at Gate 3, according to the group’s Facebook page.

The specific timings of the rest of events will be determined closer to the dates and additional malls could be added to the campaign’s events in the upcoming months, an Aspeter spokesperson told Doha News.

As part of the event, walking route and checkpoints will be set up across the mall for the event, encouraging participants to walk for more than 20 minutes.

This amount of exercise equates to around 2,300 steps and burns around 140 calories. Many free services will be offered to participants, including measuring their Body Mass Index.

There will also be a 30-minute educational session on physical activity, in addition to one hour of physical activity sessions for kids by professional trainers. Raffle draw winners will receive “symbolic” prizes as well, according to the Aspetar spokesperson.

Courtesy of Aspetar

The Step into Health campaign aim to improve the fitness levels of Qatar residents.

Last year, 320 of Qatar’s residents participated in the Hyatt Plaza event.

At Ezdan Mall, two walking routes are expected to be set up on two separate floors like last year. Each route challenges participants to walk 1,600 steps, which is equal to burning 90 calories.

As part of the initiative, Aspetar will launch the Ezdan Mall Walking Club on May 16.

The club offers participants free monthly health checks by Aspetar nurses, information sessions, gift vouchers and pedometers on the last Saturday of each month.

The first Walking Club was launched in 2013, in Hyatt Plaza Mall.

Other health activities

Aspetar’s walking campaign was first launched in 2012 to encourage residents to stay active.

The initiative “Walk more … Walk the Mall” was first launched last year.

It aims to spread mall-walking culture more widely by “encouraging shopping centers to adopt the concept to provide a safe and comfortable environment for summertime physical activity,”said Abdulla Saeed Al-Mohannadi, a health promotion researcher at Aspetar.

Booths were previously set up in several malls across the country, including Villaggio, City Center, Ezdan, Hyatt Plaza, Landmark, Dar Al Salaam and Al Khor. Organizers distributed flyers with health tips and route maps for walking in the mall, alongside information on the number of steps and calories burnt during the walk.

For example, in Villaggio, the 30-minute route mapped out by the campaign includes 3,000 steps and would burn around 150 calories.

Lora Rajah/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

In Ezdan Mall, the 17-minute route proposed on each floor includes around 1,600 steps, which burn around 80 calories.

The flyers offer advice for beginners, including stretching before and after walking, starting slow and easy, keeping one’s back straight, maintaining a steady pace and taking long even steps as well as drinking plenty of water.

The flyers add that studies found that the health benefits of walking briskly for 30 minutes includes lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, decreasing stress, better sleep quality as well as reducing one’s cholesterol levels, the risk of high blood pressure and some cancers.

The campaign also offers free pedometers to measure one’s steps for those who sign up.

Others who prefer to use their smart phones can download free apps from the campaign’s official website that help users track of the number of steps taken daily and as well as one’s intake of calories.

Do you plan to lace up your trainers and head to the mall this weekend? Thoughts?

(The post As temperatures soar in Qatar, malls launch walking for fitness campaign is from Doha News.)

Doha Festival City

Rendering of Doha Festival City

In a change of plans, the region’s first Angry Birds theme park and several other entertainment options will open in Qatar next year at Doha Festival City (DFC), not Mall of Qatar as previously announced.

Speaking at a press conference about the status of the QR6.5 billion ($1.8 billion) DFC, officials said that when the mall opens next fall, it will also be home to a space-themed role play zone, an e-sports gaming arena, F1 and flight simulators and a snow park.

The 433,000 sq meter mall, which so far hosts IKEA, is expected to be one of Qatar’s biggest commercial centers, with 244,000 sq meters of gross leasable area, according to the CEO of BASREC, the mall’s owner and developer.

Mall of Qatar

Mall of Qatar

Previously, rival Mall of Qatar had said it would open an Angry Birds theme park, Juniverse and Virtuocity.

Explaining the switch, an official said the group responsible for bringing the entertainment options to Qatar felt it would fare better at DFC.

Luay Darwish, managing director of ADabisc Future Qatar, said on behalf of the company’s partner Talal Bin Mohammed Trading:

“We had enthusiastic discussions with Mall of Qatar and we tried very hard to make it work there, but due to a lot of technicalities we both agreed that the project will not be as successful if it happens at Mall of Qatar.”

The change in plans raises the question of what will fill the gap at Mall of Qatar, a $824 million mall on Dukhan Road that was originally scheduled to later open this year.

No one at the mall was immediately available for comment.

Entertainment zones

Qatar’s Angry Birds theme park will be the only one in the region and the world’s flagship park at 12,000 sq meters in size. It will have indoor and outdoor attractions with 35 rides and characters that interact with visitors.

Doha Festival City

Juniverse

Meanwhile, a space-themed role-play “edutainment” zone called Juniverse is being set up for children aged 5 to 15 years old. The concept is based on a fictitious city floating 400km above Doha and is set in the year 2030. Situated on a space-ship, it will allow children to pretend to do the kinds of jobs that they might be undertaking when they graduate from university.

They will also be able to go on space travels, leaving the spaceship and visiting other planets or traveling to other periods in time, ADabisc’s Business Development Director Dominic Mulroy said.

The zone will be staffed by teachers and will link to school curriculums. It will be a “sealed zone,” enabling parents to safely leave their children for several hours, Mulroy added.

Doha Festival City

F1 simulator in Virtuocity

Aimed at teenagers and young adults, Virtuocity will build on social media and gaming to create a competitive, interactive digital theme park.

The zone will include the world’s first 200-seater e-sport gaming arena where participants can compete with each other and with gamers regionally and internationally.

It will also have motor sports simulators, with up to 15 custom-built F1 cars on motion platforms and which are networked, so participants can race in “real-life” surroundings against one another.

Aviator will be life-like flight simulator which includes 220 degree views and has cockpits fro F-16 and F-35 fighter jets. Also networked, “pilots” will be able to go on simulated air races and military exercises, Mulroy said.

Meanwhile Enigma will provide “escape the room” challenges, where competitors have to solve mysteries and puzzles to get out of a simulated locked room.

Chris Sampson/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

In addition, there will be a 4,500 square meter indoor snow park that is inspired by a folktale when a cold snap froze an Arab town, according to mall officials. Activities will include snow slides, sledding and culturally-appropriate snow play activities. While there will be some basic skiing for children, it will not have a full-sized ski run.

These newly-announced activities will be in addition to other “action” activities including a water zone with river rafting, climbing wall and reverse bungee.

There will also be an as yet unnamed five-star hotel and convention center, the latter with capacity for 1,400 people, which will be linked to the mall, car parking for 8,000 vehicles and a 19-screen 4D VOX cinema which will allow viewers to experience sensations such as  rain, fog, wind, bubbles, scents and vibrations – depending on what’s happening on-screen in addition to visuals.

The hotel and conference complex are not expected to open until mid-late 2017, BASREC CEO Kareem Shamma added.

On schedule

According to Shamma, 90 percent of the mall’s 550 outlets will be ready to open their doors to the public in Fall 2016.

Shamma said that at least 80 percent of the mall’s tenants had been confirmed, and the management was currently signing deals with eating establishments.

Peter Kovessy

DFC construction, November 2014

There will be approximately 100 restaurants, cafes and food court outlets. Key stores will include a full-size Monoprix and upscale UK-based department store Harvey Nichols, which confirmed at the end of last year that it will open a few months later, at the beginning of 2017.

Among the stores already confirmed at DFC are Qatar’s first Pottery Barn, as well as branches of Debenhams, H&M, Mothercare, Pinkberry and Shake Shack.

In addition to attracting local customers, the mall also aims to become a destination, drawing in more tourists from the neighboring GCC region and beyond.

Construction of the mall began in 2012, and its first tenant – IKEA – opened a year later in March 2013. Doha will be the third complex in the Festival City brand, which is owned by UAE-based Al Futtaim. There are existing Festival City malls already open in Dubai and Cairo, and one is under construction in Oman.

Thoughts?

(The post Angry Birds theme park flies to Doha Festival City from rival mall is from Doha News.)

All photos by Chantelle D’mello

Thousands of crazed fans gathered at the D-Ring Road Lulu Hypermarket in Qatar yesterday to catch a glimpse of film star Kareena Kapoor, one of Bollywood’s most familiar faces.

The actress made her first visit to Doha last night to attend the inauguration of one of the largest Indian jewelry franchises, opening the sixth Qatar branch of Malabar Gold and Diamonds.

Kapoor is one of the brand’s newest ambassadors, and comes from a country where film stars are often put on a pedestal by their subcontinental fans, many of whom live in extreme poverty.

Analysts say that the $4.5 billion film industry has diversified its movie offerings in recent years, but still nets the majority of its profits from peddling fantastical and escapist cinema full of action, grandeur, and colorful musicals.

For those in the diaspora – including many of Qatar’s 700,000 Indian expats, the Gulf country’s largest demographic group – Bollywood serves as a tether to their homeland, acting as a sort of “binding element” to their native culture and traditions, according to one film house executive.

Cheering and screaming

Chantelle D'mello

Kareena Kapoor visit

Fans, some of whom had lined up almost six hours prior to the actress’s arrival, waved printed pictures of Kapoor and brandished autograph notebooks as she sang, danced and took pictures with the crowd.

“Thank you for all the love that you’ve shown me. It means a lot. I didn’t expect such a huge turnout…I won’t forget this,” Kapoor said in English.

Several dignitaries, including the Indian Ambassador to Qatar and his wife, also attended the opening, speaking to the actress after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The visit comes several days after Kapoor’s well-attended visit to open another branch in Abu Dhabi.

The occasion also marked the first sales of several of the brand’s collections, most of which feature handcrafted gold, diamonds, and other precious stones.

Did you catch a glimpse of Kapoor? Thoughts?

(The post Qatar residents gather in droves to see Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor is from Doha News.)

Sam Agnew

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

In the latest sign of spending restraint in Qatar, several major oil and gas firms have hit the brakes on leasing new apartment blocks and villa compounds in Doha, a local real estate firm has said.

But high demand from other industries, including the growing hospitality, healthcare and construction sectors, will keep rental prices up through the rest of the year, DTZ officials told reporters yesterday.

Plunging oil prices have prompted Qatar’s state-backed companies to scrap or postpone billions of dollars worth of mega-projects, namely Industries Qatar’s Al Sajeel petrochemical plant and, more recently, the al-Karaana petrochemical facility planned by Qatar Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell.

In tandem, rumors of unofficial hiring freezes in the energy sector have circulated in recent months.

Meanwhile, there has also been a noticeable decline in requests from energy firms for new employee accommodations and office space, industry observers say.

“They are a big player … (and) there’s no new demand,” said Johnny Archer, an associate director in DTZ’s Qatar-based consulting and research department.

Rents to keep rising

Still, weaker demand from oil and gas firms will likely not spell any short-term relief for residential tenants, DTZ said.

TaxRebate.org.uk

For illustrative purposes only.

Qatar’s surging population growth, combined with corporate expansions in other sectors such as transportation mean that housing costs will continue to climb in the coming months amid a shortage of affordable rental options in popular parts of Doha.

“We’re seeing new supply, but it’s barely keeping up with demand,” Archer said.

DTZ figures suggest that residential rents in Doha have increased between 5 and 10 percent over the last six months, a trend that Archer said would continue through the remainder of 2015.

Demand is particularly strong for mid-range apartments in central neighborhoods such as Al Sadd as well as four and five-bedroom villas across Doha, DTZ reported.

Outside of Doha

To cope with demand, Archer said many local developers are constructing new mid-range homes in areas outside of Doha such as Al Wakrah and Umm Salal where land is cheaper.

“We’re seeing more development on the periphery (of Doha),” he said. “It’s part of the evolution of any big city.”

Stewart Lacey/Flickr

Newly open Souq Waqif in Al Wakrah

As Qatar’s capital has become increasingly congested, government planners have been encouraging more residents to live outside Doha, enticing them by constructing more schools, retail space and healthcare facilities.

However, some residents are learning that the country’s rapid pace of development means that this isn’t always a long-term solution.

For example, many residents of Barwa City were attracted by the low rents that were initially offered when the area, located between Mesaimeer and the Industrial Area, was relatively undeveloped.

But as new services and amenities began to appear in the vicinity, some tenants started to receive notices of large rent increases that their landlord said reflected the area’s growing popularity.

Elsewhere, DTZ said it expects up to four residential towers – containing some 700 units – in the Pearl-Qatar could be completed and be available for occupancy by mid-year, provided the buildings receive Civil Defense approval.

Office, retail and hospitality

Slower spending by oil and gas firms is also having an impact on other segments of the real estate market.

Office leasing has been sluggish so far in 2015, DTZ said, noting that government bodies and energy firms have occupied some 65 percent of the office space that has come onto the market in Dafna/West Bay in recent years.

On the retail front, the firm said there are currently a dozen new shopping centers in either the planning or construction phases. These include mega-malls such as Doha Festival City and Mall of Qatar.

Once all are completed,the amount of shopping center space in Qatar is expected to triple, and bring about “dramatic changes” to the country’s shopping scene, Archer said.

UN Studio

Doha Metro rendering

He added that the sector could evolve into a two-tier market with several premium malls commanding higher rents than older shopping centers that lack the same quality tenants, parking and connections to the Doha Metro.

In the hospitality sector, DTZ said the strong occupancy figures posted by local hotels have been driven by a surge of tourists combined with, until very recently, a lack of new hotels opening their doors.

However, thousands of new rooms are expected to be completed in the coming years as Qatar increases its supply of hotel rooms to meet its obligations as host of the 2022 World Cup.

DTZ said hotels will face challenges keeping those rooms filled outside the tournament.

“Everyone has concerns about how sustainable that will be,” Archer said.

Thoughts?

(The post Oil and gas firms pull back spending, but rent in Qatar keeps climbing is from Doha News.)

Chantelle D'mello

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

As part of ongoing work to convert Al Rayyan Road into an eight-lane highway, Qatar’s public works authority has announced two sets of traffic diversions that take effect today.

The project falls under Ashghal’s ambitious Expressways program, which aims to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion across key roads in Doha.

This specific work involves the renovation and expansion of the artery road that runs from western Doha through a number of popular residential areas in Al Rayyan, and past the southern side of Education City to eventually connect with the busy Sports Roundabout.

Starting today, the first diversion affects Dukhan Road East from the interchange opposite Al Wajba Palace to Garrafat Al Rayyan (Qatar Academy) roundabout, effectively closing Bani Hajer roundabout, which is located to the west of Education City.

Ashghal did not specify how long the detours for this part of the project would be in place.

But the diversion will likely mean delays and more congestion in the area as commuters traveling along Al Rayyan Road who wish to head north or west at Bani Hajer are instead forced east to the roundabout in front of Qatar Academy, before making a U-turn to head west.

Ashghal

Diversions around Bani Hajer roundabout

According to a statement issued by Ashghal, diversions will take motorists to a three-lane alternative road south of the existing Dukhan Road.

The detour will also include introduce a U-turn on the alternative road, heading north of the existing Dukhan Road toward the interchange opposite Al Wajba Palace, so that vehicles do not have to use the interchange.

Al Rayyan Road has been closed in both directions from Bani Hajer roundabout to Al Wajba roundabout (also known as Qtel roundabout) which has been converted to a signal-controlled intersection.

Traffic traveling from the interchange opposite Al Wajba Palace towards the Bani Hajer roundabout must use the alternative route to reach Garrafat Al Rayyan (Qatar Academy) roundabout.

New underpass works

Ashghal’s second diversion, which also took effect today, involves a minor, 800m detour on Al Rayyan Road between the roundabout that connects the Expressway and Sports roundabout.

Ashghal

Diversions on Al Rayyan Rd by Sports Roundabout

Traffic traveling eastward, towards Sports Roundabout, will be diverted onto a parallel and adjacent three-lane road that reconnects with Al Rayyan Road just before Sports Roundabout.

As such, no significant delays are expected there during the works, which will last 18 months.

The diversions are to enable the construction of an underpass beneath Al Rayyan Road as part of the upgrade and construction of the road project, which should improve traffic flow in the area and reduce congestion at the busy Sports roundabout and also the roundabout by the Expressway.

Once completed, the underpass would allow traffic coming eastbound on Al Rayyan Road to access Jassim Bin Hamad Street without having to drive to Sports Roundabout.

The underpass would also allow vehicles heading southbound along Jassim Bin Hamad Street to reach Sports Roundabout without having to pass through the Expressway roundabout, Ashghal said.

A similar diversion is expected to be in place in the near future on the westbound carriageway, heading away from Sports Roundabout. However, Ashghal said the works were not expected to cause delays.

Road upgrade

Overall, Ashghal is upgrading nearly 10km of Al Rayyan Road to expand it to four lanes in each direction, with signal-controlled intersections, underpasses, flyovers and a central median. Side roads and service roads will also be revamped of the program.

Ashghal

Al Rayyan Expressway project

Announced in January last year, the project has been divided into two phases.

Work on the first section, which includes the 2.9km portion of road between the Bani Hajer Roundabout at Al Luqta Street in the west and the New Al Rayyan Roundabout at Furousiya Street and Huwar Street in the east started in early 2014.  That upgrade is expected to be complete by fall 2016.

Meanwhile, Al Rayyan Road Eastern portion takes in the 5.3km stretch of road between Sports roundabout near the Women’s Hospital in the east and the New Al Rayyan roundabout in the west. It is set to be finished in 2017.

Thoughts?

(The post New Al Rayyan Road diversions likely to cause delays for Doha motorists is from Doha News.)

Mohamad Alodaima/Flickr

Dust storm in early April

Another heavy dust storm is expected to hit Qatar tonight, according to local meteorologists.

The combination of strong winds (up to 74km/hour) and poor visibility has the Ministry of Interior cautioning residents to stay indoors if possible:

Northwesterly wind with speed up to 40 KT per hour to affect most parts of the country. #MoI_Qatar

— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) April 24, 2015

Dust storm expected to affect different parts the country by 7 to 8 pm. All are advised to return from sea and other trips at the earliest

— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) April 24, 2015

The inclement weather is the latest in a series of sandstorms that have hit Qatar over the past month, some of them causing health problems and flight and school cancellations.

Speaking to Doha News, Steff Gaulter, senior meteorologist for Al Jazeera English, said the worst of the sandstorm should pass tonight, but that it will still be dusty tomorrow.

According to the Qatar Meteorology Department (MET), the storm moved toward Qatar from Saudi Arabia:

بدء تحرك الكتلة الغبارية من وسط وشمال السعودية ،ومن المتوقع أن تؤثر على معظم المناطق خلال الساعات القادمة. pic.twitter.com/hcZxaVwqna

— أرصاد قطر (@Qatar_Weather) April 24, 2015

In a statement, the MET added that visibility may drop below 2km in some places, with sandy conditions persisting until Monday.

What are your seeing in your part of town? Thoughts?

(The post MOI warns Qatar residents off roads, sea ahead of impending sandstorm is from Doha News.)

Omar Chatriwala

Villaggio Mall

Renewing a pledge he made after a deadly fire in Qatar that killed 19 people in 2012, Qatar’s Emir has said that he is “utterly committed to making sure those who are responsible will be held to account.”

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani apparently reiterated that promise to New Zealand’s Prime Minister this week, following a meeting in Istanbul.

John Key asked the Emir about the fire on behalf of New Zealanders Jane and Martin Weekes, parents of triplets killed in the blaze. The New Zealand Herald quotes Key as saying:

“He absolutely assured me he wanted to see justice done, that he is personally following the situation and is committed to seeing justice completed for the family. I hope the Weekes family can take some heart from that.”

Sheikh Tamim, who was Heir Apparent when the fire happened, met with several of the victims’ relatives shortly after the fire, promising swift accountability.

Abdelmasseih Antonios, who lost his two-year-old daughter Evana in the fire, previously told Doha News:

“The Emir of Qatar had promised us justice and that the power and wealth of any of the defendants would not obstruct it. We are still waiting. The fire that killed our children is still burning in our hearts and only justice can extinguish it. The most painful thing is that we feel that no one cares anymore.”

State of the case

During the lower criminal court proceedings, safety officers testified that Villaggio Mall was fined repeatedly since 2008 for using a highly toxic, flammable paint in its decorations.

Omar Chatriwala

Day after the Villaggio fire.

The court also heard that sprinklers, which would have stopped the smoke, didn’t appear to be functioning at the time of the fire. Civil Defense officials added that Villaggio officials did not respond to requests from the fire alarm and sprinkler system companies to perform much-needed maintenance on the mall equipment, as recently as the week of the fire.

There was also a long debate about Gympanzee, the daycare where 13 children, four employees and two firefighters suffocated. Documentation showed that it was licensed by the Ministry of Business and Trade for six business activities, including as a playroom for children, rather than as a nursery.

Shabina S. Khatri

Lower criminal court in Doha

Drawing on this evidence, a Doha court convicted five people of involuntary manslaughter about a year after the fire.

That included two mall officials, a government employee and the owners of Gympanzee. The convicts face five to six years in jail, but remain free as they appeal their sentences.

Over the past two years, that appeal has been moving at a glacial pace, much to the frustration of the victim’s relatives.

During the latest hearing last month, Raghda Kabbani, who lost her three-year-old daughter Hana in the fire, ended up leaving the courtroom mid-session in frustration.

“It started getting difficult for me to breathe, and I decided to walk out and leave court knowing that the mockery of justice will continue at the hands of lawyers,” she told Doha News.

In a statement this week, the Weekes thanked their prime minister for speaking to the Emir about the case.

They also called for the removal of Gympanzee co-owner Sheikh Ali Bin Jasim Bin Thani Al Thani from his post as Qatar’s ambassador to Belgium, which he has held since before the fire.

The couple said:

“While the Weekes understand that Al Thani and his wife are entitled to appeal their convictions, they do not believe it is appropriate for a person convicted of killing their children to be serving in a prestigious diplomatic post in the meantime.”

The next hearing will be held on May 10.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar Emir promises ‘justice’ over Villaggio Mall fire deaths is from Doha News.)

Ashghal

Doha Zoo rendering

In a step forward for the upcoming new Doha Zoo, Qatar’s public works authority has awarded a QR45 million (US $12.3 million) contract to a local company to demolish the buildings and facilities that are currently on site.

Aswan Trading and Contracting Company will spend the next 14 months preparing the site for the main construction, as well as preserving and maintaining the “trees and natural environment” during excavation works, Construction Week Online reports.

The award comes more than a year after Ashghal first floated tenders for the demolition of the existing zoo, which is located opposite Aspire Park and Villaggio Mall and closed in August 2012.

tnts3000/Flickr

Monkey at old Doha Zoo

The first phase of the new zoo development is scheduled to open to visitors in late 2017, and is expected to be more than seven times the size of the previous, 30-year-old facility.

Ashghal has also reportedly finally awarded the tender to design and construct a temporary housing facility for animals in Rawdat Al Faras.

Under that QR73 million ($20 million) contract, Medgulf Construction Company will spend one year building the accomodation, which will include residences for caretakers and a veterinary clinic, Construction Week said.

Previously, the authority said zoo animals were being moved to farms and shelters in the Rawdat Al Faras area as construction on the new Doha Zoo gets underway.

Zoo details

In 2013, Ashghal signed a $63 (QR230) million contract with an architectural and engineering firm to prepare detailed plans for a new zoo.

KEO International Consultants is serving as the project’s design and construction supervision consultant.

Ashghal

Doha Zoo rendering

It will work with HHCP+PJA, which was hired in December 2012 to prepare the concept master plan that includes some 3,000 animals in themed zones such as “Africa Safari,” and “Asia Woodland.”

Three hotels are also expected to eventually be built on the new zoo site: a “seven-star” treehouse hotel” with only four suites; a 60-room, five-star “rain forest hotel;” and an 100-room, four-star family resort.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar makes headway on Doha Zoo plans with awarding of new contracts is from Doha News.)

UAA Justice Center For Students

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

A Qatar court has reportedly sentenced a resident to a suspended one-month jail term and a fine of QR1000 ($275) for attempting to “smuggle” a dummy hand grenade into the country.

The grenade was found by customs officials at Hamad International Airport in the middle of the defendant’s son’s clothes and toys. It was deemed “safe” because it did not contain any gunpowder, according to Al Raya.

However, the defendant, who was apparently of Arab origin, had failed to declare the item with customs, and was thus accused of attempting to smuggle it in, the newspaper added.

The customs department had demanded that he pay a penalty of QR150,000 ($41,204), but the court opted to fine him QR1,000.

By John Keogh/ Flickr

For illustrative purposes only

The defendant said that the grenade was merely a “toy,” adding that one of his son’s friends put the grenade inside the bag.

He said that empty grenades are sold at very low prices in the European country he arrived from and that he wasn’t trying to evade paying the customs’ charges.

On Amazon, dummy grenades are sold from around $10 (QR36) to $12.69 (QR46).

According to Shop & Ship service Aramex, however, toy weapons and fake grenades are not allowed to be shipped to Qatar.

Customs law

However, Qatar’s Customs Authority makes no mention of rules and regulations regarding toys weapons or empty grenades in its traveler’s guidelines.

Still, it does prohibit passengers from flying with weapons, ammunition and explosives of all types.

Additionally, alcoholic beverage, drugs and “indecent material” in all forms, including books, magazines and movies, are also banned.

Personal luggage and gifts of up to QR3,000 ($824) are exempted from customs fees, in addition to up to 400 cigarettes, a personal laptop, or a camera.

A unified GCC law regulating customs’ rules and regulations was issued in Qatar in 2002.

Thoughts?

(The post Expat fined QR1,000 for ‘smuggling’ empty hand grenade into Qatar is from Doha News.)

Via Oxfam

Nepal Earthquake

With more than 2,000 people in Nepal already declared dead following yesterday’s devastating earthquake, organizations throughout Qatar are coming together to raise funds and provide crucial assistance to those on the ground.

Following news of the disaster yesterday morning, Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) launched an emergency appeal to collect QR12 million, and pledged QR1 million for emergency relief operations.

That aid will go toward meeting immediate needs such as healthcare, shelter, water and sanitation, as well as restoring some communication links to help families connect, QRC said in a statement.

QRC

Earthquake aftermath

The earthquake, which registered 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck just before midday in the capital of Kathmandu (shortly after 9am Qatar time), with the epicenter located between there and the country’s second largest city, Pokhara.

The country’s worst earthquake for more than 80 years flattened large parts of the cities, and aftershocks were felt in Bangladesh, India and Tibet.

Some 17 people were killed on Mt. Everest by avalanches, while the earthquake also destroyed UNESCO world heritage sites and popular tourist attractions, including the 100-foot Dharahara Tower, which was a Kathmandu landmark.

Nepalis in Qatar

Qatar is home to around 400,000 Nepalis, making it the second-largest expat community in the country, which has a total population of 2.34 million.

Yesterday, the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent condolences to the President of Nepal Ram Baran Yadav, Qatar News Agency reported.

Qatar Red Crescent

QRC emergency center

QRC said its emergency operation room was formed 30 minutes after news broke of the incident, which was declared a national disaster and which prompted Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam to appeal for international humanitarian aid.

In a statement, the charity added that despite scarce early assessment reports of the situation, caused by the destruction of telecommunications and the destruction of roads and other infrastructure, the Nepalese government outlined several priorities.

They included healthcare, water and sanitation services, shelters and food provisions in addition to kitchen and hygiene kits, blankets and food packages.

As rescue efforts to find survivors in the rubble continue, media reports say that hospitals are struggling to cope with the demand.

Contacting families

Many Nepalese living in Qatar and around the world have struggled to contact friends and family back home, Kumar Karki of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Qatar told Doha News.

Karki, who is from Morang in Eastern Nepal and who has lived in Qatar for 10 years, said he had spent the last day trying to help other Nepalis get in touch with their loved ones.

“My family and friends are all ok, but I have been trying to contact the families of other Nepalese back home. It’s very difficult as the mobile network has been very bad.”

He said his organization was working with the Nepalese Embassy in Qatar and would be meeting this afternoon, along with representatives of other community groups, to plan their response.

“We are all in a very sorrowful moment. It is a big disaster, with people in Qatar desperately trying to contact their relatives and friends to see if they are ok,” he added.

Several online tools have been set up in an attempt to help Nepalese find their friends and family. The Nepal Red Cross Society and International Committee of the Red Cross is operating Family Links.

QRC

Nepal earthquake

It allows for a search of missing people and people who have reported they are alive, families and friends to register for those with whom they have lost contact.

Meanwhile, Google’s Person Finder currently has a database of around 2,900 records and has options to search for missing people or to upload information about individuals.

Following the earthquake, Qatar Airways announced online it had canceled its flights QR646 and QR650 from Doha to Kathmandu, which were due to depart yesterday as the airport in the capital was closed.

However, according to the airline’s online tracker, flights to Kathmandu resumed this morning. Update: Due to ongoing aftershocks, the airport appears to be closed again until this afternoon:

Just in: Kathmandu airport shut down till 4pm local time following fresh quake in Nepal, says government.

— Gulf News (@gulf_news) April 26, 2015

To make a donation to Qatar Red Crescent’s appeal, go to the charity’s website here.

(The post Qatar groups rally to collect funds, aid for Nepal earthquake victims is from Doha News.)

Omar Chatriwala/Flickr

Popular tourist destination Souq Waqif

As Qatar works to reposition itself as a key tourist destination, a number of local hotel officials have urged authorities to make it easier for visitors to come here on holiday from emerging markets such as China and South America.

During a recent hospitality summit held in Doha, managers running some of Qatar’s leading hotels expressed concern about the restrictions some visitors face when trying to come to the country.

While there is a visa-on-arrival system in place for citizens of 33 nations, the list does not include some key emerging tourist markets such as China, India and South American countries.

Visitors from these areas and several other nations must apply in advance for permission to come to Qatar, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

This can be either be done through a friend or relative already living in Qatar, or through a hotel based here that is accredited by the MOI.

Calls for reform

Speaking at a panel discussion at the Hotelier Middle East Qatar Hospitality Summit last week, a number of people in the local hotel industry said that easing of current restrictions would attract more visitors to Qatar from emerging markets.

Hotelier Middle East’s website quotes Zeinab Hammoud, director of sales and marketing of Governor West Bay Suites & Residences, as saying at the discussion: “From China, there are a lot of people that want to come and Brazil is really growing, but visas are not easy to get.”

One proposal to tackle the issue included creating a separate visa categories for tourists, the website reports Safak Guvenc, general manager W Doha & Residences, as saying.

Jun Ong

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Last year, the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) unveiled its new strategy to attract up to 7.4 million annual visitors to the state by 2030.

That’s more than twice the number of tourists who currently come to Qatar.

Some 2.83 million visitors made the trip here last year, up 8.2 percent on the previous year and nearly double the number who visited in 2009, according to figures released by QTA in February this year.

There was also a 20 percent increase in visitors from Asian countries, who at 782,904 people made up the second-largest segment after tourists from GCC countries last year.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar hoteliers call for easing of tourist visa restrictions is from Doha News.)

Video still

Several Qatar residents danced along to Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” last year to mark International Workers’ Day.

Qatar’s high living standards, life expectancy and a lack of corruption make it one of the happiest countries on the planet, according to a new international index.

The 2015 World’s Happiness Report ranks the Gulf country 28th out of 158 nations, a spot that Qatar has more or less maintained for the past few years.

The document is published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which is affiliated with the United Nations. It placed Qatar ahead of Saudi Arabia, which ranked 35th, as well as Kuwait, which came in at number 39.

Kerwin Hernandez/Flickr

Burj Khalifa fireworks in the UAE on New Year\’s.

However, the UAE continues to be the happiest GCC country, ranking 20th in this year’s report.

According to the authors, the UAE government’s commitment to making happiness a “national policy goal” is one of the reasons for its strong showing.

In December 2014, UAE prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that “the first objective for the Dubai Plan 2021 is achieving people’s happiness,” the report stated.

He also addressed an open letter to all federal government employees, reminding them of their core mission to provide world-class services to the people of UAE with the goal of contributing to their satisfaction.

The highest-ranked countries in the world hailed from northern European countries, with Switzerland coming in first place, followed by Iceland and Denmark.

The unhappiest countries were located in Sub-Saharan Africa and included Burundi and Togo.

Syria, which has experienced violence, civil unrest and political turmoil since 2011 rounded out the three unhappiest countries in the index.

Report in numbers

To come up with its conclusions, the report surveyed at least 2,000 people in each of the 158 countries, evaluating each nation on a scale of zero to 10.

Omar Chatriwala

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Countries that are the least happy had a score of 3.4 or less, while those that are the happiest came out with a score of 7.4 or more.

Qatar ranked close to the happiest countries at 6.6 points, coming just behind the happiest GCC country, the UAE, which got 6.9 points.

The ranking of happiness was based on six main factors:

• GDP per capita;
• Healthy years of life expectancy;
• Social support (as measured by having someone to count on in times of trouble);
• Trust (as measured by a perceived absence of corruption in government and business);
• Perceived freedom to make life decisions; and
• Generosity (as measured by recent donations, adjusted for differences in income).

According to the report, GDP per capita was 25 times higher in the top 10 countries than in the bottom countries.

Previous reports

In the 2013 World’s Happiness Report, Qatar placed 27th from the years 2010-2012. Meanwhile in the first World’s Happiness Report issued in 2012, Qatar stood at 29th.

Richard Messenger/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Saudi Arabia dropped only a couple of spots from 33rd in 2013, and the UAE fell to 20th from 14th, but still maintained its position as the happiest country in the region.

Most of the countries in the top and bottom 10 are the same as in the World Happiness Report 2013.

Qatar is part of 36 countries that didn’t witness any significant change in happiness in the last few years, while 53 countries saw significant improvements, and 41 grew significantly worse.

The report states that these differences appear to be based on the different reactions to the economic crisis, the quality of governance and social support. It continued:

 “Countries with sufficiently high quality social capital appear to be able to sustain or even improve subjective well-being in the face of natural disasters or economic shocks, as the shocks provide them an opportunity to discover, use and build upon their communal links. In other cases, the economic crisis triggered drops in happiness greater than could be explained by falling incomes and higher unemployment.”

In early 2012, a Misery Index from the Economist also named Qatar the “least miserable” place to live in the world, given the low levels of unemployment and inflation here.

But in the same year, Qatar was given a rank of 149 out of 151 nations by Happy Planet for its negative environmental impact.

Thoughts?

(The post UN report: Qatar remains one of world’s happiest countries is from Doha News.)

With May just around the corner and temperatures in Doha already surpassing 40C at times, widespread discontent about the weather is just beginning.

Grumbling aside – and reviving our Sunday photo feature – several local photographers have captured some gorgeous shots of Qatar’s searing sun in the past few weeks.

Here’s a selection of them, as shared in our Doha News Flickr Pool.

Thoughts?

(The post PHOTOS: Qatar, on the bright side is from Doha News.)

Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

A government official faces a one-year jail sentence after being found guilty of “gross negligence” following the death of a five-year-old boy who fell down an uncovered manhole in Qatar.

Speaking after the verdict, the father of the child appealed to Qatari authorities to introduce stringent safety rules so that other families could avoid having to “share this sort of pain.”

Mohamed Sirajudeen’s son Fahim had been walking just ahead of his parents as they left the fish market in Abu Hamour at 7.30pm on Sept. 10, 2013 when the boy suddenly disappeared.

He had fallen down an open sewerage maintenance hole, which he hadn’t seen in the dark.

He was eventually rescued by workers from the fish market, who brought a ladder. But because Fahim had been at least partially submerged underwater and without oxygen for several minutes, his brain suffered irreversible damage.

He was rushed by ambulance to Hamad Hospital and was declared brain dead by his doctor. Six days after the incident, he died of heart failure.

Court case

Sirajudeen told Doha News that over the following 18 months, court proceedings were brought against two defendants for their involvement in the incident: a senior official at the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP); and MK Transport and Construction Company, which was a contractor working for MMUP at the market at the time.

The verdict was issued last month, on March 31, but the family only received it in written form yesterday.

According to court documents shared with Doha News, the first defendant, named in the court papers as Abdullah Mabrouk Al Mass Abdullah Al Saady (Abdullah Al Mass), was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay the family QR200,000 in blood money as well as QR20,000 in fines to the court.

The second defendant, which was contracted at the time by MMUP to suck out sewage water from the sewers and put the lid back on afterwards, was acquitted by the court.

Grave negligence

Al Mass was the head of the MMUP’s sanitary and sewerage department and had been charged with negligence.

Issuing the verdict, the judge and head of court Abdullah Ali Al Emadi, found that Al Mass had neglected to make sure the sewage facilities in the Central Market were safe.

Shabina S. Khatri

Lower criminal court in Doha

According to testimony from an MK Transport and Construction Co. employee, the sewer’s lid at the market was “old, light, not fixed on the sewer, corrosive and had rust around its edges.”

A worker for MMUP said that he had taken pictures of the lid in its bad state and notified the head of sanitary and sewage department at MMUP (Al Mass).

Because Al Mass did not forward the concern to maintenance, his “grave negligence” in doing his job led to the death of Fahim, Al Emadi said in his judgement.

The judge added that Al Mass should have undertaken routine checks on the sewage facilities to ensure they were safe and operating well.

When questioned, Al Mass said he “didn’t remember whether the MMUP worker notified him” of the problem or not.

Family reaction

Speaking to Doha News following the publication of the verdict, Sirajudeen said he was “satisfied” that action had been brought against Al Mass.

“Everyone is human, but they should know that whoever they are, if they make a mistake then they should be punished,” he said.

Sirajudeen, an accountant from India, said he had attended around seven hearings at Qatar’s lower criminal court. But because court sessions are held in Arabic and were without translation, it was difficult for him to follow proceedings.

“After 18 months of court hearings and all of this, we are glad it is over,” he added.

Moertl/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

However, he added that no verdict could take away the pain and suffering that he and his family continue to endure following the loss of their young son.

“What we have lost we can never get back. My wife cries every single day. There is nothing, nothing which can compensate for what has happened to us.

I never want something like this to happen to another family. I never want to share this sort of pain with another family.”

Sirajudeen, an accountant from India, said he wanted to highlight the facts in his case, however painful they are for his family, to raise awareness of the problem and to appeal to the Qatari authorities to ensure tough safety measures are put in place around buildings works and particularly holes in the ground.

“I want to spread awareness of the problem. I want the government to do something. Qatar is the richest country in the world. Their safety procedures should be perfect,” he said.

He added that simple measures such as putting barriers around the open hole and making sure the area was sufficiently lit could have shown up the open hole, and saved his son’s life.

“After this happened, people told us we weren’t looking after our son properly. But he was right with us. The area was dark – there were no lights at the time. We couldn’t see the hole,” Sirajudeen added.

Past accidents

Fahim’s was the third case of a child falling down an uncovered hole in Qatar in less than a year.

In November 2012, a three-year-old Jordanian boy fell into an 8m (26-foot) hole outside of an Al Sadd hotel, falling into a coma for three weeks before eventually passing away. That area had also been poorly lit.

And one month later, a three-year-old Omani girl was killed after falling into an open manhole near her home in Al Wakrah. Municipal workers conducting a cleanup apparently did not notice she had fallen in and secured the manhole cover before leaving for the night. She was found during a search of the area by neighbors.

Thoughts?

(The post Doha court: Government official guilty of negligence in child’s death is from Doha News.)

Peter Kovessy

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Prosecutors in France have agreed to open a preliminary investigation into claims that construction company Vinci has been mistreating laborers in Qatar.

The move comes after Paris-based human rights organization Sherpa filed a legal complaint in France alleging that workers on Vinci-related projects here were subjected to “forced labor.”

France-based Vinci’s Construction Grands Projects division owns 49 percent of QDVC, one of Qatar’s most prominent developers. The other 51 percent is owned by the Qatari Diar, the real estate arm of the country’s sovereign wealth fund.

QDVC

Sheraton Park

Sherpa said that last year, it interviewed workers on various QDVC projects, including Sheraton Park and the Doha Metro’s Red Line South, as well as several subcontracted employees.

Some laborers told the group that their employer had confiscated their passports – which is illegal under Qatari law – and threatened them if they complained about their living and working conditions, or asked to change employers.

Vinci told Doha News last month that the housing conditions workers complained about had been temporary, and that the company built a new labor camp that opened in Al Khor in January.

A spokesperson added that the workers’ previous accommodations did not have individual safes to protect documents. Thus, passports were collectively kept in a master safe, with the signed permission of each employee.

“At any moment, at any time, if they wanted to get their passport they could go to the camp manager and get their passport,” the spokesperson said. “We were not happy with that system, but there was a (shortage of) worker’s housing in Qatar.”

Long road

Though prosecutors have agreed to investigate Sherpa’s claims, the inquiry will likely take several months, the Guardian reports.

And speaking to Doha News last month, Sherpa said that an investigation does not necessarily guarantee that charges would be filed or that Vinci would be found guilty.

Adam Bermingham/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

For its part, Vinci has filed a defamation lawsuit against Sherpa and some of its employees.

If the company is successful, the human rights group said it could be hit with €405,000 in legal fines, compensatory damages and publications of the decision. Two of its members, Laetitia Liebert and Marie-Laure Guislain, would also have to pay €203,000 in penalties.

Despite the lawsuit, Sherpa said in a statement on its website:

“We are delighted that Vinci’s complaint gives us another opportunity to open up public debate on the respect of workers’ fundamental rights on its construction sites in Qatar.

Our actions have already produced results because Vinci’s spokesmen have been obliged to answer for their practices and above all have reported improvements to working conditions on their construction sites in Qatar since the enquiry and in the future. We hope that these declarations will be followed up with concrete and tangible improvements in the living and working conditions in place there.”

Thoughts?

(The post French judiciary to look into allegations of worker abuse in Qatar is from Doha News.)

Teilhard Scott

For illustrative purposes only

For the first time, hotels in Qatar will not be allowed to sell alcohol in their bars and restaurants in the nine days leading up to Eid Al Adha this fall, as well as the first day of Eid itself.

Several hotels confirmed to Doha News that they received a circular from the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) earlier this month, informing them of the change.

While the dates for Eid have not yet been formally fixed and are dependent on the sighting of a new moon, Eid Al Adha is estimated to fall on Sept. 23. Thus, the ban would cover the 10-day period starting from approximately Sept. 14.

This would be in addition to an existing prohibition on the sale of alcohol during the month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin around June 18 this year. The first day of Eid Al Fitr is estimated to be July 18.

Hotels in Qatar also do not sell alcohol on the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed on Jan. 3.

Hajj season

A number of five-star hotels confirmed to Doha News that they had received the latest QTA notification, which is not expected to affect Qatar’s sole off-license QDC.

A representative of one hotel said that during the week or so leading up to Eid Al Adha, restaurants and bars would not be allowed to serve or sell alcohol, and minibars in guest rooms would not be permitted to stock it.

However, it is understood that guests would be able to order alcohol through room service, as long as it was consumed in private in their rooms.

Omar Chatriwala

Pilgrims at Mt. Arafah during Hajj

The new rules cover the period known by Muslims as the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah, which is the twelfth and last month in the Islamic calendar.

During this time, Muslims from around the world travel to Makkah in Saudi Arabia to undertake Hajj (pilgrimage).

Even for observant Muslims who are not performing Hajj, the first 10 days of this month are believed to blessed days to undertake good deeds.

It is also a popular holiday time for many Qataris and nationals in the Gulf region, according to some hotel managers.

One added that her hotel was usually busy in the period leading up to Eid Al Adha and over Eid itself, particularly with families from Qatar enjoying “staycations,” as well as visitors from neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Hotels contacted by Doha News that they would comply with the latest directive, but were still unsure whether they would close their restaurants and bars entirely, or just not serve alcohol.

A representative of one popular five-star hotel who asked not to be named, said:

“When we opened in Qatar, we knew that there are certain rules and procedures when it comes to religion here.

This period is Hajj season, which is a very holy month for Muslims. We respect QTA’s decision and of course we will abide by it as we stick to the customs and traditions of the country. If this rule is being applied to all hotels in the city, then we just have to follow it and live with it.”

Alcohol debate

The debate over alcohol sales in Qatar has been raised several times in recent years, as the nation struggles to hold on to its conservative Islamic culture amid rapid development and growth.

Brian Candy/Flickr

Pearl Qatar

In late 2011, for example, restaurants on The Pearl-Qatar were ordered to stop selling alcohol. Many complained of tumbling sales following the ban, and some even ended up closing their doors for good.

The prohibition remains in effect today, but does not include the recently-opened Marsa Malaz Kempinski hotel, which is licensed.

Meanwhile, in November 2013, new restrictions were introduced that stopped hotels from selling alcohol in public areas, including their lobbies and at their beaches and pool bars.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar hotels told not to sell alcohol in run-up to Eid Al Adha is from Doha News.)

Courtesy of Andrew Petersen

Ruwayda

In an effort to find out more about one of the country’s earliest urban settlements, researchers in Qatar have been using drones to photograph and map more than 220 acres of ruins in the northern tip of the country.

Archaeologists say the ruins being unearthed at Ruwayda, located some 10km southwest of Al Ruwais, have been helping to advance historians’ understanding of the various settlers who inhabited Qatar in recent centuries, and could ultimately lead to the development of a significant tourist attraction.

Mohammed Ismail

Al Zubarah

So far, two mosques, a series of warehouses, large courtyard homes, a palace and pottery from China, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been unearthed. Archaeologists have also uncovered what is believed to be Qatar’s largest fort, which is thought to date back to the 16th century.

In comparison, the better known coastal town of Al Zubarah flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, according to UNESCO, which designated it a World Heritage site in 2013.

History

The ruins found at Ruwayda suggest the area was trading hub, and a settlement with a relatively sizable population.

This indicates that it was likely a town or even a city, rather than one of the smaller villages found elsewhere in northern Qatar, said Andrew Petersen, a professor of Islamic archaeology at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

Courtesy of Andrew Petersen

Ruwayda

Speaking to Doha News, Petersen said there was little to no historic information about the site until archaeologists began excavation efforts some six years ago, at the invitation of Qatar Museums and its head of archaeology, Faisal al-Naimi.

“It’s quite unusual in archeology to work on a site that is this big but with very little known about it,” Petersen said.

Courtesy of Andrew Petersen

Ruwayda

Archaeologists began unearthing the site, which stretches along a 2.5km stretch of beach adjacent to a shallow bay, in 2009. After a one-year hiatus, they resumed work in 2011 using traditional tools of their trade, namely pickaxes, shovels, spades and hand trowels.

Last year, however, researchers returned with a more high-tech piece of equipment: an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, that’s already snapped more than 6,000 aerial images of Ruwayda.

Drone usage

The images have allowed Petersen and his colleagues to produce detailed three-dimensional maps, which give archaeologists a wider visual context of the site.

The drone has also been outfitted with a thermal imaging camera that shows structures beneath the surface that have yet to be uncovered, almost like a X-ray. This assists archaeologists by allowing them to focus their digging on areas of high potential.

“We’re peeling back the rubble,” Petersen said.

Don McCullough/Flickr

Drone outfitted with GoPro camera for illustrative purposes only.

But Petersen is hoping the drone will serve as more than a valuable research tool. He said the images could also generate more interest in Qatar’s archeological history among residents and visitors.

The drone initiative was financed by Qatar Foundation under its “Visualizing Qatar’s Past” project, which aims to explore new ways of presenting the country’s history.

One example under consideration is turning the 3D images of Ruwayda into a large-scale model, an initiative being worked on by a team at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar.

“Archaeologists often think what they do is self-evident … (but) often can have challenges getting their findings across to people with either no interest or no background,” Petersen said.

“It’s important to think about how we communicate (the results of our work) and generate an interest.”

Ottomans

Petersen admits he was somewhat underwhelmed the first time he visited Ruwayda, which means “grazing area” or “little garden area” in Arabic.

“When I got to the site, all I saw was a few bumps, surrounded by rubble. In one sense, it didn’t look very promising at all.”

Peter Kovessy

Prof. Andrew Petersen

However, the size of the site as well as the volume of pottery shards on the surface quickly piqued Petersen’s interest, he said.

The archaeologist said he also hoped Ruwayda could hold clues as to whether the Ottoman Empire ever actually occupied Qatar in the 1500s, which is a matter of historical debate.

When the Ottomans came to the region in the 1800s, they claimed to have some jurisdiction over Qatar, Petersen said. This was based primarily on 16th century documents that included Qatar in one of the Ottomans’ administrative districts, he said.

However, whether the Ottomans ever actually maintained a presence in Qatar is not clear. Petersen theorizes that the large fort in Ruwayda will not contain evidence of an Ottoman settlement in Qatar.

Instead, he believes the fort was initially constructed by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

Answers in the fort

One of the primary indicators of this is a solid, round tower on one of the fort’s corners that faces the sea. Building such a tower, which could support a cannon as well as deflect barrage fire, was a European fortification technique of the time.

Courtesy of Andrew Petersen

Ruwayda

“Whoever built it likely had access to heavy artillery,” Petersen said, adding that this would effectively rule out Arabs from the period. Additionally, the design doesn’t match Ottoman fortification techniques from that time.

According to what’s been unearthed, the fort appeared to have been expanded in the early 1700s to include a garden, two wells and a small palace. The new outer walls were relatively thin, at less than a meter thick, and featured rectangular guard towers.

Curiously, there is evidence that the fort was subsequently reduced in size in the late 1700s or early 1800s. Some of the walls were knocked down and the material reused to make the remaining walls thicker.

Despite containing imitations of an Ottoman architectural style, Petersen said that once again, the evidence points to a different group.

“If the Ottomans came here as soldiers and conquerors, I don’t think they would have built something so grandiose, such as a garden,” he theorizes. “It would have been more functional, and the style of the building would have been much stronger. They wouldn’t have built these flimsy walls.”

Petersen said he hypothesizes that migrating Arab tribes from Kuwait found a fort abandoned by the Portuguese and repaired it before expanding it.

While the reasons behind the later retrenchment remain somewhat of a mystery, Petersen speculated that Ruwayda’s inhabitants may have felt threatened and needed to better fortify the settlement.

The site appears to have been abandoned in the 18th century, around the same time that Al Zubarah was founded some 15km to the southwest.

Future plans

Petersen said he believes that five more years of work by archaeologists should uncover a sufficient amount of material to make Ruwayda of interest for visitors.

Omar Chatriwala/Flickr

Bahrain’s Tree of Life

In the long term, he said he supports the development of the site in a way that is “sympathetic to the environment” and allows visitors to learn more about the piece of Qatar’s history.

As a model, he pointed to Bahrain’s Tree of Life Visitor’s Center. It shields a 400-year-old tree – the only major plant growing in the area – behind a circular fence that also serves as a walkway, which allows visitors to “contemplate the tree from a distance,” Bahrain’s Authority for Culture and Antiquities says.

Petersen said Ruwayda holds great tourism potential as a natural and cultural attraction. Its mangroves – which reflect the fresh water that attracted settlers in the first place – are calming and invite contemplation, he said.

“It is easy to get a feeling of what it would have been like to live there.”

Thoughts?

(The post Archaeologists turn to drones to unearth new chapter of Qatar’s past is from Doha News.)

Muhammad Kamran Qureshi/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

To make it easier for ambulances to get through congestion in Qatar and improve their response times, some 80 key intersections across Doha have been fitted with new sensors that override traffic signals, giving emergency vehicles priority, the public works authority has announced.

The Emergency Vehicle Preemption System (EVPS) allows ambulances and Civil Defense trucks to “speak” to traffic lights as they approach them, from up to 1km away.

Traffic lights fitted with special GPS/radio antenna devices receive the signals emitted by the emergency vehicles that they are approaching, and give them a green light at intersections, while safely stopping traffic coming from other directions.

Ashghal has been rolling out the system in phases, and is currently testing its impact on the surrounding traffic before expanding its efforts.

Results

During the first stage, completed in April last year, 30 traffic signals were fitted with the sensors, while 15 ambulances and 10 civil defense vehicles were equipped with remote controller devices that emit a signal, warning the traffic light of its approach.

Chantelle D'Mello

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

These were focused in areas of high residential density where officials believe the vehicles can have the greatest impact on response times. The first signals to be fitted with the technology were on C-Ring Road, Al Matar Street, D-Ring Road, the Corniche and Majlis Al Taawon Street.

Over the past year, a further 50 signals have since been added to the system to key routes such as Salwa Road, Al Waab Street and Al Jamiaa Street, although currently the number of emergency vehicles with the devices has not yet been increased.

An Ashghal spokeswoman told Doha News that the system is still being monitored and that more vehicles may be included in the future.

As the system is further developed, Ministry of Interior vehicles and some public transport vehicles may also be fitted with the equipment, Ashghal added in a statement.

How it works

The system is controlled through software that allows the performance of the sensors and units to be monitored. The software also assesses the knock-on effects to traffic flow across the capital, particularly during rush hour periods.

Ashghal

Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption System

Emergency vehicle drivers are also being trained in how to use the system and its effectiveness is being monitored by a committee of officials from Ashghal, the General Directorate of Civil Defense and Hamad Medical Corp. (HMC), which will also advise on how it can usefully be expanded.

Yousef Al Emadi, Director of Roads Maintenance at Ashghal, said in a statement that the system would reduce the time it takes to respond to emergency situations and reduce the possibility of emergency vehicles accidents.

In areas which do not have the new technology, emergency vehicles can often get stuck in lines of traffic, behind cars and trucks that are unable to move out of the way in Qatar’s increasingly congested streets.

Response times

Last year, HMC said it had had 70 emergency ambulances and 18 non-emergency ambulances in service at peak times. It also has two 24-hour helicopter ambulances and up to 22 rapid response vehicles staffed by, for example, supervisors and critical care paramedics.

Asghal

Monitoring of EVPS

HMC’s emergency services branch employs some 1,800 individuals, the majority of whom are front-line paramedics and responders, the local health institution said.

The country’s primary health-care provider said in early 2013 that the response time of its Ambulance Service has improved over the previous year, from 11 minutes to eight minutes within Doha city limits.

To further cut down on response time, HMC last year launched its “help us help you” campaign, in a bid to encourage more drivers to move out of the way when they see emergency vehicles approaching.

Thoughts?

(The post Emergency vehicles in Qatar get green light thanks to traffic sensors is from Doha News.)

By Ryan Russell/ Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Qatar’s Ministry of Environment has issued a decree banning several kinds of fishing nets, including bottom trawl nets and cast nets, as part of ongoing efforts to protect and boost its dwindling fish supply.

The use of pneumatic spearguns – which utilize compressed pressure – have also been prohibited, according to the new legislation, which Doha News was given a copy of by the MOE.

Certain types of equipment, including harpoons or spears, can now only be used at specific times of the year. They are banned from December to April, to safeguard the reproduction season for many species.

The decree will take effect once it’s published in Qatar’s Official Gazette next month.

Dangers

Several of the banned pieces of equipment have been used as a means of fishing throughout the world for centuries. But many of them, while successful at catching large amounts of fish, can also unintentionally scoop up “bycatch.”

For example, bottom trawl nets operate by dragging a large, heavy net across the seafloor to catch shrimp, cod and flounder.

But they also end up gathering deep sea coral, plants, endangered fish and other creatures that are later discarded.

According to the Marine Conservation Institute:

“This collateral damage, called bycatch, can amount to 90 percent of a trawl’s total catch. In addition, the weight and width of a bottom trawl can destroy large areas of seafloor habitats that give marine species food and shelter. Such habitat destructions can leave the marine ecosystem permanently damaged.”

Other fishing nets, like the three-layer trammel and the nylon monofilament, which is almost invisible underwater, have also been listed as part under the banned equipment.

John Reeves

Cormorants rescue

But an official at the Ministry of Environment told Doha News earlier this year that they are already illegal in Qatar.

The MOE official was commenting on an incident in January in which around 100 birds died as they flew inadvertently into 150m of vertical gill nets, in waters off of the Pearl-Qatar.

According to the WWF, gill nets can also inadvertently capture larger species.

“Gillnets are responsible for the by-catch related deaths of most threatened dolphin and porpoise species,” the group has said.

As a result, the United Nations has banned the use of large-scale (defined as greater than 2.5km) drift nets in international waters, and the EU has placed a ban on drift nets of any length.

Spearguns

Yousif Al Mulla/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

In terms of speargun usage, the MOE has said that the use of non-pneumatic powered tools such as banded spearguns is only prohibited to catch hamour during the reproduction season of April and May each year.

According to Brig. Ali Ahmed Al Bedeed, director of Qatar’s Coasts and Borders Security Department, foreign anglers who fish in Qatar have been putting hamour and other domestic fish stocks at risk.

He added:

“If we don’t protect our fish, in one year’s time there won’t be any fish left in the Qatari waters.”

The new legislation also sets criteria for legal fishing nets, stating that the height of a net should be between 8-100m, depending on its type.

Other efforts

Mindful of its dwindling supply, Qatar officials announced last year plans to establish a QR230million ($63.16m) aquatic research center.

The center, which will comprise of massive fish and prawn hatcheries, is expected to be ready by the end of this year.

In recent years, authorities have also required Qatari owners of fishing boats to accompany their employees on expeditions – vastly decreasing the number of fishing trips taken by these boats.

A couple of years ago, officials also announced that the government had stoped issuing new fishing licenses for the next decade.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar bans use of some fishing equipment to protect wildlife is from Doha News.)