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MET: Qatar in for a week of high winds, swirling dust

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Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Jameel Riaz/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Expect the rest of the week to be a dusty, windy and hot mess in Qatar.

Starting today, local meteorologists are forecasting an increase in windspeed of up to 23 knots (43km/hour), thanks to the deepening of an Indian Monsoon front over the Gulf.

In a statement, the Qatar Meteorology Department has warned residents to expect winds to be particularly strong this afternoon, but decrease in intensity at night.

The windy conditions – which will be lead to dustier weather – are expected to last until the end of the week, the MET added.

Temperatures during this time will reach a high of 43C (109F) and a low of about 30C (86F).

As always, when it’s dusty outside, residents should take care to cover their mouths and noses to avoid inhaling harmful particles. Here’s a list of tips on staying healthy during dust storms.

Thoughts?

(The post MET: Qatar in for a week of high winds, swirling dust is from Doha News.)


Consortium to build Qatar’s largest power and desalination plant

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Wakrah power plant

Damon McDonald/Flickr

Wakrah power plant

Rapidly growing demand for power and water in Qatar has led authorities to commission the construction of a US$3.15 billion (QR11.47 billion) electricity and desalination plant in the southern part of the country.

Once completed, the facility in Umm al Houl – which is located south of Doha, between Al Wakrah and Mesaieed – will be the country’s largest, as well as one of the biggest in the Middle East, its proponents said in a statement on Monday.

The plan is for the facility to begin operating in stages between 2017-18. Once it reaches full capacity, the plant will produce 2,520 megawatts of power from natural gas supplied by Qatar Petroleum.

That’s expected to account for some 23 percent of the country’s electricity production, and is roughly enough power to supply some 2.5 million homes.

However, much of the electricity generated in Umm al Houl will likely be used to power the energy-intensive process of making seawater fit for human consumption. The desalination plant that is being built on the same site will produce 135.6 million imperial gallons of water per day – enough to fill nearly 247 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Unique case

This week’s announcement will likely be welcomed by those working in Qatar’s heavy industrial sector, following the shelving of several large-scale projects in recent months due to falling oil prices.

That includes the $6 billion Al Sejeel petrochemical facility, which Industries Qatar put on hold last September, as well as a $6.5 billion petrochemical plant scrapped by Qatar Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell in January.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Petras Gagilas/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

When these industrial projects were canceled, reports emerged that some of the utilities that had been planned to serve these facilities were also going to be put on hold.

But Qatar’s rapidly rising population – and the country’s growing thirst – may be contributing to authorities’ decision to move ahead with other projects, such as this energy plant.

Separately, the country is also building that mega-reservoirs to increase its supply of drinking water. Currently, Qatar is believed to only have a 48-hour supply of water, meaning a production interruption could quickly cause hardships for the country’s residents and businesses.

Earlier this month, a ceremonial foundation stone was laid at one of the five mega-reservoirs expected to be completed by mid-2018. The site, located off the truck route between the Industrial Area and Lusail, is one square kilometer and will eventually hold enough water to fill 500 swimming pools.

Electrical energy produced Water production

Recently released government statistics show that water and electricity production in Qatar both increased by more than three-quarters between 2007 and 2013.

The Umm al Houl plant will be designed, constructed and operated by a joint venture consisting of the Qatar Electricity & Water Co., Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Foundation, Mitsubishi Corp. and Tokyo Electric Power Co.

The power and water produced at the facility will then be purchased by local utility Kahramaa for 25 years.

Thoughts?

(The post Consortium to build Qatar’s largest power and desalination plant is from Doha News.)

Qatar court finds parents guilty of defamation over online insults

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Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Shehan Peruma/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Three expats in Qatar have been convicted by a lower criminal court in Doha of defaming their children’s principal and other school officials on Facebook.

The parents were apparently upset about tuition fee increases at the Philippine School Doha and vented their frustrations online.

However, the lawyer representing the school said their comments included false personal attacks against the principal that alleged he engaged in activities that are illegal in Qatar.

The incident took place in October 2013, but a verdict was only rendered this month.

Lower criminal court in Doha

Shabina S. Khatri

Lower criminal court in Doha

In total, five Filipino expats between the ages of 40 and 52 were charged under Qatar’s defamation law.

Three were convicted and each were handed a five-month suspended jail sentence and a QR1,000 fine.

Typically, defendants convicted of suspended sentences go on probation and avoid jail if their record remains clear for a certain period of time.

The case was also referred to Qatar’s Civil Court, which means the convicted parents may be forced to financially compensate the school and its officials for any hardship they caused.

Speaking to Doha News, Noura Sarhan – the school’s lawyer – disputed previous media reports about the case that the school’s tuition had been sharply increased. She said the school recognizes that parents may be earning modest salaries and watch tuition increases anxiously.

“It was not an exorbitant increase,” Sarhan said. She added that like most schools, tuition fee increases at the Philippine School Doha need to be approved by Qatar’s Supreme Education Council.

The exact size of the tuition fee increase that upset the parents is not known. The school’s principal could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon, and an official at the Philippines Embassy – which sponsors the school – declined to comment on the case.

Defamation in Qatar

According to Sarhan, anything said in public that would negatively affect the reputation of a person or cause emotional harm to their family is illegal in Qatar.

The country, like other GCC states, treats defamation as a criminal offense. These laws are at least partially a legacy of British colonial rule and were previously used to keep local populations in line, according to Matt Duffy, who is an expert on journalism and media laws in the Middle East.

For illustrative purposes only.

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Nevertheless, he told Doha News that threats of jail time are “pretty out of alignment with how many international courts are handling defamation these days.”

Duffy, who teaches media law at Kennesaw State University in the US, argued that it is more desirable to have an environment where matters of public importance can be freely debated.

In countries with criminal defamation laws on the books, a complaint could theoretically lead to an individual being arrested and held in jail before appearing in court, he said.

“That’s a huge encumbrance to speak freely,” he said.

He argued that justice could still be served by using the civil court system, which can still levy financial penalties large enough to dissuade others from making harmful, public statements about identifiable individuals.

“But if it is done in such a way (with) no chance of jail, we don’t necessarily squelch discussions of matters of public importance,” Duffy said.

However, Qatar and other GCC states have recently strengthened criminal defamation provisions by passing new cybercrime laws.

Qatar’s version, which was passed last fall, makes it illegal to spread “false news,” libel or slander a person online as well as publish any news, pictures, audio or video recordings related to the personal or family life of individuals that violate the country’s social value or principles.

While it’s not clear why the cybercrime provisions were not used in this case, many countries prohibit individuals from being charged under laws that were passed after the alleged offense took place.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar court finds parents guilty of defamation over online insults is from Doha News.)

Several health clinics, schools and mosques to open in Qatar by 2016

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Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Muhammad Kamran Qureshi/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Qatar’s ambitious plans to build a host of community facilities in the coming years appear to be bearing fruit, with six new health centers, a national laboratory complex, 12 mosques and three school buildings set to open in western Doha and its outskirts in the coming 18 months.

The developments are expected to help meet some of the country’s rapidly growing healthcare and infrastructure needs, public works authority Ashghal said.

Speaking at a community event yesterday, authorities offered an update on some of Ashghal’s many ongoing projects, saying that 11 mosques, two health centers in Al Karaana and Bani Hajer and the laboratory facilities in Mesaimeer would be open before the end of this year.

Health needs

The QR27.2 million National Health Laboratories will include facilities for testing for food safety and the safety and quality of medical drugs, environmental protection and emergency response, as well as supervising disease prevention campaigns.

The health centers are part of an ongoing program to update and expand existing facilities as well as to build new medical complexes across Qatar.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Phalinn Ooi/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

While they vary in size depending on local need, each one will provide main medical sections and specialized clinics, dentistry, emergency, radiology, pharmacies and labs, Ashghal said in a statement.

The Bani Hajer center, which will be in Al Rayyan area to the west of Education City, will be 9,744 square meters in size and will be one of a number of new community health complexes launched by the Primary Health Care Corporation that includes urgent care services.

Although the date for Ashghal receiving tenders to build the project only closed last week, that center’s completion date is scheduled for the end of this year.

This, along with the smaller Al Karaana health center, will  be among 19 new health centers planned by the PHCC to be open in the state by the end of 2018.

Those under construction and set to open in 2016 are being built in districts with  growing residential populations, reflecting Doha’s spread particularly to the west and south-west of the city.

Ain Khaled, Al Waab, Wajba, Muaither and Bani Hajer will all get new health centers next year, Ashghal added.

More schools

Meanwhile, a total of 11 new schools are planned for villages to the west of Doha, which are also growing in population. The schools will be in Al Oteiqa, Al Wajba, Al Karaana, Umm al Sanim, and Al Shahaniya.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Mike Licht/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Three are already under construction and will be completed next fall. Two schools and kindergartens are in the design phase in Al Meerad and Rawdat Rashed, and six schools are in the tender phase.

The schools are all being built according to Ashghal’s standard 9,159 square meter, two-story school design. Each will accommodate around 650 pupils in 25 classes and the school facilities will include a multipurpose hall, science labs and rooms for computer, arts, and language. The buildings are designed to be accessible by those with special needs.

Adjoining sports facilities will include football, handball and volleyball courts in addition to parking lots.

Meanwhile, Ashghal said a total of 12 mosques are under construction in the areas of Muaither, Rawdat Egdeim, Al-Aziziya, Al Sheehaniya, Industrial Area, Al-Meerad, Umm Sanim, Hazm Al-Markhiya, Al-Wajba and Al-Waab.

Eleven of them are expected to be complete this year, and the final one early next year.

Thoughts?

(The post Several health clinics, schools and mosques to open in Qatar by 2016 is from Doha News.)

Qatar Foundation staff arrested on bribery charges after police sting

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Qatar Foundation campus

Sam Agnew/Flick

Qatar Foundation campus

Two high-ranking Qatar Foundation (QF) employees accused of soliciting a bribe in exchange for renewing an insurance company’s contract began court proceedings this month, with police officers describing a sting operation used to catch the two men.

The director of payments and revenue at QF’s financial affairs department is alleged to have requested a “gift” from the regional manager of a French firm in the spring of 2014. The company had previously provided health and life insurance to QF since 2012.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

According to court sources, the insurance company manager testified that the QF employee, an Indian expat, first raised the subject following a meeting at a local coffee shop.

That was followed by another meeting in April 2014 at an Indian restaurant in Dafna, during which the QF employee asked for QR2 million (US$549,587) to facilitate the contract’s renewal.

The insurance company manager, a Lebanese expat, said that in both instances, he told the other man that his firm does not pay bribes.

“We’re an international company. Our expenses are audited. Nothing gets by,” he said in court.

The man testified that the QF employee encouraged him to think about the offer. Instead, he told his CEO, who called a QF executive who in turn contacted the police.

Sting operation

Members of Qatar’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) interviewed the insurance company manager and instructed him to continue meeting with his QF contact under their clandestine supervision.

The insurance manager was also told to insist that the QF employee’s boss, a Qatari who served as director of the financial affairs department, be present for the transaction.

The three men met at a coffee shop in the Pearl-Qatar in 2014 to finalize the arrangement in a conversation that was recorded by police. By this point, the QF employees had increased their requested amount to QR3 million ($824,335).

They then met in the lobby of a high-end hotel around 10pm on July 14, 2014 while being watched by undercover police officers. When they proceeded to the parking lot where the insurance company employee took a bag containing the money and handed it to the Qatari director, the police intervened and arrested the two men.

Previous cases

This is at least the second bribery attempt in Qatar in recent years that has been disrupted by a CID sting operation.

Last year, a Syrian woman was convicted of trying to bribe a Civil Defense officer in Qatar in return for a commercial building safety certificate.

Lower criminal court in Doha

Shabina S. Khatri

Lower criminal court in Doha

Her lawyer appealed the verdict and argued that the authorities entrapped the woman and encouraged her to offer the payment.

Despite the two cases, Qatar has relatively low levels of overall corruption, according to an international survey.

The latest Corruption Perceptions Index shows the country coming in at 26th in 2014, compared to 28th the previous year.

That means Qatar’s government continues to be among the most trustworthy in the Middle East, according to the report, which measures perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries/territories around the world.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar Foundation staff arrested on bribery charges after police sting is from Doha News.)

After extensive facelift, Al Khor park in Qatar to reopen this summer

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Former Al Khor park

ranil river/Flickr

Former Al Khor park

One of the biggest and oldest parks in Qatar will reopen in Al Khor within the next two months, an official from the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning has said.

The 240,000 square meter park lies west of Al Khor municipality, and has been undergoing a QR250 million renovation since June 2010. According to Al Raya, it was scheduled to reopen in the first quarter of 2014.

But its opening was delayed to ensure the park was equipped with proper safety and security features – including installing a fence around a hill that overlooks the children’s play area, the newspaper reported.

When it’s complete, the park will include a building that looks like a cave that houses different animals, reptiles and birds. There will also be horse and camel rides, a waterfall, a pond, museum and a miniature golf course.

The reopening of the park comes at a time when many residents are pining for more green open areas, as opposed to malls, to spend their free time.

Qatar is home to several parks, but most are usually packed with residents during the weekends in winter.

Other projects

This week, officials also announced several other plans for Al Khor, which links three other municipalities: Al Shamal, Al Tahgayen and Al Rayyan.

That includes an 840,000 square meter Olympic park with a museum, which aims to be open by the 2022 World Cup; and new residential buildings, according to Al Watan.

Al Khor coast

Peter Valcarcel/Flickr

Al Khor coast

Development of Al Khor’s coast and beaches is also underway, with authorities saying additional parking and amenities such as bathrooms and cafeterias will be added to accommodate weekend visitors.

When it comes to road development, all roundabouts in the municipality will be turned into intersections, officials added during a press conference this week.

Finally, the idea of a “recreational city” for workers was also raised. However, no timeline for the development, which would include football, basketball and baseball courts, in addition to supermarkets, barber shops and currency exchange shops, was discussed.

Tarek Al Tamimi, director of technical affairs for Al Khor Municipality, was quoted by Al Raya as saying:

“This will be a complete city where the worker can enjoy his weekend, and get what he needs, without having to go anywhere else.”

Meanwhile, a hospital is being built in Ras Laffan city in Al Khor to accommodate laborers in the area, as many of the patients in Al Khor hospital work in the construction sector.

Thoughts?

(The post After extensive facelift, Al Khor park in Qatar to reopen this summer is from Doha News.)

Qatar Airways CEO warns Netherlands against freezing expansion plans

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Amsterdam

Claudio.Ar/Flickr

Amsterdam

Weeks before Qatar Airways launches its first direct flight to Amsterdam, the national carrier’s CEO has warned Dutch companies that they may find themselves shut out of commercial opportunities here unless the airline is allowed to expand its service to the Netherlands.

Speaking at a press conference in the Dutch capital today, Akbar Al Baker told reporters that he’d like to add more passenger and cargo flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on top of the six weekly flights that are scheduled to commence June 16.

“We wouldn’t mind to come here double-daily,” Al Baker said.

The official’s remarks come after Dutch newspaper Financieele Dagblad reported this week that the Netherlands government has frozen the number of flights that Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad can operate to Schiphol.

The move is reportedly in response to ongoing allegations that the Gulf carriers receive unfair government subsidies that allow them to undercut their European and American rivals.

Al Baker did not address that freeze directly, but warned there would be economic consequences if the Netherlands moved to restrict Qatar Airways’ access to Schiphol:

“Netherlands, for centuries, has been a trading country … (But) I believe it is now your government policy not to give any additional (flight) frequencies,” he said. “If you don’t allow us to benefit in a small way by bringing additional flights to Netherlands, then you should also not expect a lot of commercial contracts from our government. It’s as simple as that.”

Like many countries, the Netherlands is hoping that its companies can profit from Qatar’s massive infrastructure building boom.

In a November 2013 speech at Qatar University, Henk Kamp – the Netherlands’ minister of economic affairs – spoke about how Dutch companies can help Qatar prepare for the 2022 World Cup:

“The Netherlands is a world leader in energy efficient construction, and we can put this knowledge to good use in major construction projects in Qatar.”

Philippines push

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

3dom/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Separately, Qatar Airways is holding talks this week with aviation regulators in the Philippines.

According to local media, the carrier is aiming to add 13 more weekly flights between Doha’s Hamad International Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The Manila Standard Daily reports:

“Once granted, the request would boost the services of the Qatari airline to 21 Doha-Manila flights a week, the highest frequency of flights offered by any Middle Eastern airline to the Philippine capital.”

It continued:

“Qatar Airways also flies seven times a week from Doha to Clark International Airport, a service inaugurated in 2013 after the Qatari airline reduced its Doha-Naia flights from 14 to 8 times per week in November 2013 to comply with limits set by the Philippines-Qatar air pact currently in effect.”

Competition on the Doha-Manila route will heat up for Qatar Airways this summer when budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air begins flying between the capitals on June 4.

According to the airline – the largest in the Philippines – the goal is to serve over 260,000 Filipinos in Qatar, which is home to the third-largest Filipino community in the Middle East.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar Airways CEO warns Netherlands against freezing expansion plans is from Doha News.)

Qatar motorist killed after transport truck crushes pickup in Sailiya

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Accident in Sailiya

Supplied

Accident in Sailiya

In the second serious vehicle crash this week, at least one Qatar motorist has been killed following a horrific collision involving a transport truck on Salwa Road in Sailiya yesterday afternoon.

According to photos and video of the scene shared with Doha News, the impact involved a Toyota pickup truck that toppled over on its side. Its passenger compartment appeared to have been crushed by the transport truck.

The body of a man could be seen several meters away, lying on the asphalt next to the tractor-trailer.

The video also showed a group of nearly a dozen men pushing the larger vehicle several feet backwards to separate it from the pickup truck.

The group then tipped the badly damaged Toyota back onto its wheels and off the motionless body of another man.

According to Al Sharq, both men in the pickup truck were Qatari nationals and died of their injuries. However, other reports say there was only one fatality.

Safety concerns

Yesterday’s collision in Sailiya occurred two days after a British expat was killed while driving on the Corniche when a large shipping container fell onto his vehicle.

The involvement of large transport trucks in both accidents has rattled some residents:

The exact cause of yesterday’s crash, as well as Sunday’s, remains unclear.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Sam Agnew

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

However, between 2008 and 2010, more than 70 percent of truck and heavy equipment drivers involved in collisions were deemed by police to be at fault, according to Qatar’s National Road Safety Strategy. It noted:

“Although such crashes account for a small proportion of all crashes, the consequences can be major in terms of the severity of injury and traffic disruption.”

Officials have also previously highlighted how the relative age of the country’s trucks pose additional risks:

“Heavy vehicles and buses are often less modern than the car fleet and lack important safety features – for example, side and rear under-run protection on heavy vehicles.”

Separately, government officials have attempted to separate truck and heavy equipment traffic from smaller vehicles by banning them from traveling through dense urban areas during peak periods.

Late last year, a bypass connecting Lusail with the Industrial Area was also opened to facilitate heavy vehicle traffic.

However, yesterday’s collision occurred well outside central Doha. The incident on the Corniche, meanwhile, involved a truck that appeared to have just left Qatar’s primary shipping port.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar motorist killed after transport truck crushes pickup in Sailiya is from Doha News.)


Qatar’s Sheikha Moza challenges western nations on Muslim stereotypes

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Sheikha Mozah

UN Geneva/Flickr

Sheikha Moza

Media coverage of Islam in the west is leading to the dangerous “dehumanization” of Muslims around the world, Qatar’s Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has warned in an unusually frank address at the University of Oxford yesterday.

During her speech, the Qatar Foundation chairperson and mother of the Emir accused western nations of employing “double standards” when it came to reporting on deaths of Muslims in violent situations.

“Why is it that apologies are offered when Europeans are mistakenly killed by drones but only silence follows when innocent Yemeni and Pakistani children and civilians are killed by the same drones?

Why do Muslim lives seem to matter less than the lives of others? If they matter at all. I believe this dehumanization is cultivated through a process of Muslim-phobia.”

She also compared the international condemnation that followed the Charlie Hebdo massacre in January, when 12 people were killed, with the resulting discourse after three young Muslim students were gunned down in their home in North Carolina the following month.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Popicinio/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

“Why is it that world leaders gathered to march in defense of Charlie Hebdo, while the Chapel Hill murders were shrugged off as a parking dispute?” she was quoted as saying in the Guardian.

She said that regardless of a person’s nationality, their identity was being defined solely by their religion, an action that “homogenized” Muslims as a single “other” entity, of which people had become fearful and distrustful.

“For example, a Muslim is first and foremost identified as a Muslim, rather than simply a human being. Whether they are Pakistani, Malaysian, Senegalese, or even British-born, their multiple identities are leveled under a constructed monolith of Islam,” she said.

‘Collective responsibility’

The prominent wife of the father Emir was speaking yesterday as she opened an extension to the Middle East Center, which was designed by Iraq-born architect Zaha Hadid.

While she regularly gives public addresses, these are usually in relation to health and education rather than international politics.

Sheikha Moza and Zaha Hadid at University of Oxford

QNA/Instagram

Sheikha Moza and Zaha Hadid at University of Oxford

During her speech, Sheikha Moza highlighted the use of the word “medieval” by media to describe the actions of armed groups in the region.

“It is a naïve refusal to accept our collective responsibility. Isis is as modern as Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib. They are all products of our age,” she said.

She also said Muslim countries themselves are to blame for practicing “Islamophobia from within” by creating fear and suspicion of all things Islamic in order “to solidify (their) existing grip on power,” QNA quotes her as saying.

Rather than suppressing demands for change, as has happened in the so-called Arab Spring, people in the Muslim world should engage in discussion, she added:

“It is evident that colonization leaves behind deep material, political, cultural and psychological scars, and gaping wounds. Debate is needed. Violent repression is not. Could this be a reason why we, as Muslims, have lost confidence in our ability to apply the universal and eternal Islamic values to our living traditions?”

Finally, Sheikha Moza called on young Muslims to take on the responsibility of showing that “Islam is a rich, living moral tradition that can offer solutions to universal challenges” in the future.

Emir’s comments

Her comments follow the recent publishing of an opinion piece by the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the New York Times in February, in which he said that extremists were driven by “hopelessness,” rather than any religious beliefs.

Emir Sheikh Tamim and US President Barack Obama

QNA

Emir Sheikh Tamim and US President Barack Obama

“I know that many in the West look at the terrorist threat and say that the problem is Islam. But as a Muslim, I can tell you that the problem isn’t Islam — it’s hopelessness.

“It’s the kind of hopelessness that abounds in the Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps, and in war-weary towns and villages in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Gaza,” he added in the column, which was published ahead of his first state visit to the US.

The outspoken statements come at a time when Qatar is facing heavy criticism in European and North American media for human rights and workers’ welfare ahead of hosting the World Cup, in addition to a perception that it supports armed groups that are active in the region.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar’s Sheikha Moza challenges western nations on Muslim stereotypes is from Doha News.)

Switzerland launches FIFA criminal probe into Russia, Qatar World Cups (updated)

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FIFA headquarters

MCaviglia/Wikimedia

FIFA headquarters

Updated at 14:35 to include more information about the US indictment.

Already besieged by criticism, Qatar’s right to host the 2022 World Cup faces its biggest challenge to date following today’s arrest of several FIFA executives and the beginning of criminal proceedings in Switzerland.

The executives were taken by authorities from a hotel in Zurich this morning and are being extradited to the US to face racketeering and other charges there.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, where FIFA is headquartered, said in a statement this morning that it had seized electronic data and documents from the offices of football’s governing body.

The move is part of its investigation “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering” in connection to the World Cup tournaments being awarded to Russia and Qatar.

The Swiss AG had first opened its probe in March on suspicions that “irregularities occurred in the allocation of the FIFA World Cups of 2018 and 2022.”

US charges

The Swiss AG said that while it was co-ordinating with US authorities, its investigation was separate.

Indeed, a lengthy statement from the US Department of Justice makes no mention of the 2018 or 2022 World Cups, although it mentions in passing a “scheme” related to the selection of the 2010 World Cup host country, South Africa.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Alain Bachellie/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

The US investigation primarily concerns more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks paid or agreed to by US and South American sports executives for media and marketing rights to international football tournaments.

The US Department of Justice said that nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives have been indicted on racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, “in connection with the defendants’ participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer.”

“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” stated Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.”

Two current vice presidents and former vice president Jack Warner – who denied the charges – are among those facing charges, but FIFA President Sepp Blatter is not on the list.

Most of the schemes alleged in the indictment relate to matches and tournaments held in North and South America. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, better known by its acronym CONCACAF, is headquartered in Miami, and several of its current and former officials are among those facing charges.

The Department of Justice said the South American confederation, called CONMEBOL, is also a focus of the indictment.

While the US charges appear to be unrelated to the allegations of bribery that have tainted Qatar’s bid to host the World Cup for years, some of the individuals targeted have previously been named in connection to the Gulf country’s efforts to host the tournament.

Mohamed Bin Hammam

Mohamed Bin Hammam/Facebook

Mohamed Bin Hammam

In March 2014, The Daily Telegraph reported that Warner received $1.2 million from a company owned by disgraced Qatar football executive Mohamed Bin Hammam in 2011. Warner was one of the 22 voters who collectively decided that Russia and Qatar would host the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

In today’s statement, US officials left the door opening to widening their probe.

“This indictment is not the final chapter in our investigation,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly Currie.

FIFA’s response

The investigation into FIFA comes two days ahead of the presidential election, which officials said in a press conference today would not be postponed despite recent developments.

FIFA spokesman Walter de Gregorio

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FIFA spokesman Walter de Gregorio

Fielding questions from reporters, FIFA spokesman Walter de Gregorio said the leadership had no prior warning of the arrests.

“We were as surprised as you guys were,” he said, later adding that FIFA has no plans at this time to rerun the voting process for either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups.

“This is what is the fact today. I don’t go into speculation what may happen tomorrow. The World Cup in 2018 and 2022 will be played in Russia and Qatar,” he said.

The Swiss AG noted that it had received a complaint from FIFA on Nov. 18, 2014, a point that de Gregorio underlined several times during his midday press conference.

“FIFA is the damaged party,” he said.

Thoughts?

(The post Switzerland launches FIFA criminal probe into Russia, Qatar World Cups (updated) is from Doha News.)

Six things to do in Qatar this weekend (May 27-30)

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Disney on Ice

Chantelle D'mello

Disney on Ice

From princesses to breakdancing to a screening of an American Idol-type competition in Dubai’s labor camps, there is no shortage of things to check out around town over the next few days. Here are our picks:

Disney on Ice

Everyone’s favorite childhood princesses are back on ice in a new show at the Qatar National Convention Center from May 27 to 30. The 2.5 hour Princesses and Heroes show features several Disney favorites like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White, in addition to new characters like the cast of Frozen and Tangled.

Disney on Ice - Elsa

Disney on Ice

Disney on Ice – Elsa

The show opens tonight with a 7pm performance, followed by two shows tomorrow at 3:30 and 7pm, Friday at 3 and 7pm, and three shows on Saturday at 11am, and 3 and 7pm.

The show’s organizers have just added another show at 11am on Friday, dubbed the “Family Friday Show.” More VIP and Royal seats will be available for this show, and families attending during this time are entitled to a 25 percent discount for Gold, Silver and Bronze tickets.

Tickets for the performances can be bought online here, and cost between QR150 and QR2,000. Children under the age of two years old are not required to have a ticket if they sit on their parents’ laps, and those under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

Champ of the Camp

The Doha Film Institute is hosting a screening of Champ of the Camp, a film that follows a group of migrant workers as they compete in a Bollywood singing and trivia competition held across Dubai’s numerous labor camps.

Champ of the Camp

Veritas Films

Champ of the Camp

According to DFI, which partly funded the film, the documentary is “at once funny, heart-wrenching, and full of beautiful songs, (and) alternates between the X Factor style suspense of the competition and the gritty reality of the labor environment, introducing us along the way to memorable characters who might be on their way to fame.”

Screenings will be held on Thursday and Friday at 7pm at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium. Tickets cost QR35 per person and are available from noon to 8pm and from 2 to 8pm on Thursday and Fridays at the MIA DFI Ticket booth, or online here. Both screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the film’s director Mahmoud Kaabour.

Red Bull breakdancing competition

Watch local breakdance enthusiasts compete for a chance at the Red Bull BC One Cypher world title on May 28 from 7 to 9pm at the Gate Mall.

Breakdancing competition

Red Bull/Facebook

Breakdancing competition

The event, which will be held on the 3rd floor of Tower 2, will see breakdancers compete in a one-on-one style dance battle. Winners from the Qatar leg of the competition will go on to compete in the MENA final in Egypt on Sept. 19.

Regional champions will then fly to Italy for the Red Bull BC One World Final later this year. Interested dancers should call 6600 4820 before 10pm tonight (Wednesday) to register. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here or the Red Bull BC Facebook page here.

From Broadway to Doha

The Doha Singers, Qatar’s largest amateur choir, will perform a series of Broadway show tunes from popular musicals like The Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and West Side Story tonight, May 27, from 8pm onwards at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Doha Singers

Doha Singers

Doha Singers

Tickets to the event cost QR100/person and can be booked online here.

The admission fee includes one complimentary drink, and the show is open to residents ages 21 and over. A second show will be held at 7pm on June 5 at the College of North Atlantic Qatar.

Salsa classes

Salsa n' Candela

Salsa n' Candela

Salsa n Candela

Local dance group Salsa n Candela is hosting a beginners dance session from 8 to 9pm this Friday, May 29, at the Hilton Hotel Eforea Spa.

The session costs QR60/person and is payable at the door.

For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page here.

Embrace Doha Session

Local cultural integration group Embrace Doha is hosting two sessions this weekend in an attempt to help expats in the country understand local customs and traditions.

The first, called Embrace Qatari Culture, is an interactive Q&A session with young Qataris, and will be held from 7 to 9pm at the Al Jasra Boutique Hotel at Souq Waqif.

Embrace Doha session

Embrace Doha

Embrace Doha session

Interested attendees can register for the event online here. Tickets cost QR150/person, are payable at the door and include a light dinner following the session.

The second event is a legal session with Qatari lawyer Meshal Al Sulaiti, who will field questions on local laws about property, tax and labor issues.

The event will be held on May 30 from 6 to 8pm at the Al Najada Boutique Hotel at Souq Waqif. Tickets to the event can be reserved online here, and cost QR200 per person. For more information and contact details, visit the Embrace Doha website here.

Bonus:

  • Dynamic Wood Workshop: Upgrade your craftsmanship this weekend at a workshop at the Katara Art Studios (Building 19). Sessions will be held from 6 to 8pm from May 26 to 28. The workshop costs QR400/person, and interested participants are requested to reserve their seats by emailing education@katara.net or by calling 4408 1357/ 4408 0233.
  • See My Doha Photography Exhibition: Popular Instagram feed See My Doha, which showcases the best submissions of local photography, is hosting its first exhibition starting today, May 27, at the Souq Waqif Art Center. The exhibition will feature winning photographs across several categories, and an overall winner will be judged by a panel during the opening ceremony today. The exhibition is open from 8am to 10pm daily.

What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?

(The post Six things to do in Qatar this weekend (May 27-30) is from Doha News.)

Dear Hana

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Hana Sharabati

Via Raghda Kabbani

Hana Sharabati

In May 2012, 19 people, including three-year-old Hana Sharabati, died in a fire at Villaggio Mall. Today, her family will mark the third anniversary of her death. Mother Raghda Kabbani shares with Doha News readers the impact losing her youngest child has had on the rest of her family.

Habibti Hana,

It never occurred to me before that I needed to write you a letter simply because I am always engaging in an ongoing conversation with you. But let me start off by telling you that your father, siblings, babysitter and I miss you sorely.

Our only consolation is that you are in a much better place than us and this makes us feel happier whenever the gravity of your absence takes its toll on us.

Hana, you have left a tremendous void in our lives and we are all dealing with it in different ways as best we could. The house is awfully quiet without you and I think we all miss your laughs and activity around home the most.

Let me tell you a bit about your siblings: Your brother Kenan has become quite irritable since you departed.

Hana Sharabati

Via Raghda Kabbani

Hana Sharabati

He finds it difficult to control his temper and for the longest time, has has refused to talk about you with anyone.

It is as if he carries you in his heart like a beautiful, sacred secret that he does not want to utter a word of. As for your sister, Lulwa, she complains about being the only girl in the family now. She channels all her longing and love for you towards other children your age in the extended family.

Deep down, she might be thinking of them as you. They remind her of her little sister who left terribly soon. Everything she cannot enjoy with you, she tries to do with them when she sees them.

Being the eldest, Abdallah is still protective of you and sees you as the prettiest girl ever. I was walking at a mall with him once and I pointed out a girl who resembled you. Abdallah gave me a stern look and said: “Hana was prettier than any and all of them!”

Daddy’s girl

With regards to your father, your passing simply devastated him. You know how you were the closest to him, the most pampered and the one who accompanied him almost everywhere he went.

After you left, he was silent most of the time as if to teach himself to speak again without calling your name. He wanted to leave Qatar altogether and when we couldn’t, he insisted on changing homes.

Hana Sharabati

Via Raghda Kabbani

Hana Sharabati

He could not carry on living in the same house whose every corner bore a memory of your playing, laughter, jokes or tears. Whereas I feel as if I am betraying you if I even drive near Villagio, he makes the conscious decision never to pass from there, not anywhere near that vicinity.

His fondest memory is still that of taking you on the bicycle behind him to go to Aspire, buy popcorn then come home.

And what he misses the most is the daily routine you two had, that one that you came up with when you finished lunch, went to the kitchen, grabbed chocolate and returned to sit on daddy’s lap for you two to share chocolate and Perrier.

Tina, your babysitter, says hello. She thinks the house is very boring without you and I often find her busying herself by sitting next to the small closet that you treated as your house and looking at a few of your toys that she still keeps and looks after. Told you that your absence has wrecked us all, sweetie, didn’t I?!

Apology

Before I tell you how much I miss you, I first owe you an apology and I want you to please forgive me. I looked and looked and looked before choosing Gympanzee for you as a nursery.

And when I did, I thought I was being a good mother for making sure I gave the best available option of a nursery I could find my daughter. I thought I found you a safe place in the most elegant and prestigious mall.

Children's artwork at Gympanzee

Gympanzee/Facebook

Children\’s artwork at Gympanzee

I wanted you to be close to the house so that if anything happened or if you needed me I could pick you up in no time. I had no idea that Gympanzee was not a licensed nursery and that the mall itself lacked in safety measures. When you ended up needing me the most, there was nothing mama or anyone else could do to save you.

At the beginning of the trial when our lawyer showed us some of the CCTV footage from the mall and I saw a shot of us walking into it together as I held your hand, I felt as if I was walking you to your demise and for that I pray everyday that you forgive me.

Now that I have attended one court hearing after another, I know that this tragedy was preventable and this is what still makes accepting it more difficult. With little effort, keenness on safety and the protection of people’s lives and good conscience, we could’ve all been spared the heart-wrenching pain and you and your friends at the nursery would have still been with us in the arms of your loved ones.

If only people had done their jobs properly, maybe things would’ve been different.

Perhaps our pain will be relieved if your and the other victims’ legacy is that all malls, nurseries and buildings in Qatar become safer. The least that could come out of this misery is that this tragedy is not repeated.

Mother of four

Hana, do you want to hear about one dilemma mama frequently faces? Well, whenever a stranger asks me how many children I have, I pause and have to carefully formulate my answer. I cannot respond spontaneously any longer.

If I say three, then I am betraying you. If I say four, I am probably creating drama for that poor stranger and letting them into a sad story that they have not anticipated when they asked that simple question. But do know, habibti, that mama will always be the proud mother of four, the eternally youngest of whom is you, apple of my eye.

Every time we fly back from a trip and as the plane touches down, a strange feeling takes over me.

Villaggio Mall vigil, 2014

Chantelle D'mello

Villaggio Mall vigil, 2014

I start thinking of the soil of Qatar you’re buried under and I cannot breathe. I have to close my eyes and think of you happy and peaceful in that beautiful remote place called paradise to know that you’re safe and then I am able to breathe again.

Although I desperately want to hold you and take wafts of you in, to see how longer your hair has reached and how bigger your hand has grown, I know I cannot.

But if you want mama to really feel better, then visit me in my dreams. I’ve been asking you for that since you left our world, but you’ve been playful and elusive. When you appear in my sleep, you don’t let me see your face.

I hear from others that you make it to their dreams and that you often look joyful and beautiful. One relative has recently told me that you visited her and said: “My mummy is very nice; I love my mummy.”

Do you have the slightest inkling how ecstatic that made me feel? I wanted to walk around and tell every mother I see shouting at her children or chastising them:

“You don’t know how precious it is what you have. Don’t ever take your children, their smiles, temper tantrums, nagging or bouts of illness for granted.”

I still remember your final day. It was a Monday and you had not gone to the nursery the day before because you had a rash and was not feeling well. I woke you up and asked you if you felt like going in and you said you did.

Kids finger-painting at Gympanzee

Gympanzee/Facebook

Kids finger-painting at Gympanzee

It was your first day back at the nursery after the graduation party they had held the Thursday before. I did not understand then that not only were you graduating from that nursery year, but from the entire life as we knew it.

I dressed you up, drove you to the mall, walked you to the nursery and we waited outside its door, as was your habit, until Ms. Shameega, your favorite teacher, came out to take your hand.

You refused to go inside without her escorting you. You two held each other’s hands and walked to a very remote place. This is how I remember you: smiling and skipping your way into heaven.

Love,
Mama


View the rest of the Letters to Heaven here.

(The post Dear Hana is from Doha News.)

Dear Maribel

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Louie Aban with his late wife and son, who now lives in the Philippines.

Via Louie Aban

Louie Aban with his late wife and son, who now lives in the Philippines.

In May 2012, 19 people, including 29-year-old accountant Maribel Orosco, died in a fire at Villaggio Mall. Today, her husband will mark the third anniversary of her death. Here, Louie Aban shares with Doha News readers his concerns about being a single parent, and missing the love of his life.

My Dearest Wife,

It has almost been three years since that horrible tragedy happened. Three long years, but until now I can feel the pain and sorrow brought by your untimely death.

Until now, I can hear your voice as you screamed into my ear on the phone begging for help in your final moments. Until now, I can hear your difficult breathing and the agony with which you told me you were letting go.

And until now, I’m still fighting for the justice that you deserve and that is still being denied by those responsible for your demise.

Now that you’re gone, I can’t but keep myself company by remembering all the memories we shared together, from the first time I laid my eyes on you up to that very sad end.

Louie Aban with his late wife and son, who now lives in the Philippines.

Via Louie Aban

Louie Aban with his late wife and son, who now lives in the Philippines.

How can I forget the sweet smile on your face and the happiness we felt on our wedding day?

Or the excitement and joy on the day that we became parents?

Our dreams and plans for the future; our carefree conversations and your relentless jokes; my longing for your tender embrace and your love all bring loneliness to my aching heart. They all make me miss you more and more every day of my life.

Now that I’m alone again, I don’t know how start a new chapter of my life and I’m afraid of what the future has in store for me and our son. All I know for the time being is that I need to be strong and carry on forward for him.

I know that someday he will long for you and will start asking questions about you just like I did to my father about my mother. He will undoubtedly feel the same thing I felt every time I saw my friends in the care and love of their mothers.

Soon, he will ask the same question as I did to myself: “What would be the feeling if my mother were still alive? How would my life be?”

It’s going to be hard and painful, but I promise you, I will be next to our son to tell him:

“Liam, your mummy will always be alive in your heart. She’s there, close to your heartbeat to keep you safe. Talk to her, she can hear you. And know that she answers back and you can tell what she’s saying if you listen tenderly and with the same love she has for you.”

I miss you so much; you are my life and my dream!

Love,
Honey


View the rest of the Letters to Heaven here.

(The post Dear Maribel is from Doha News.)

Dear Community

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Umar

Via Moeneeb Emeran

Umar

In May 2012, 19 people, including 15-month-old Umar Emeran, died in a fire at Villaggio Mall. Today, his family will mark the third anniversary of his death. Mother Zareena Solomon, who gave birth to a daughter 10 months after the fire, said writing a letter to her son would have been too hard, but wanted to share this message with everyone.

Umar’s yellow and red bike stands around the house, enjoyed by his youngest sibling, Maryam.

Just months ago, the thought of it coming out of the storeroom would be impossible to even suggest. Now I can look at his pictures daily, often with a smile, sometimes with a tear. And looking at him, I would say “we will meet again habibi, insha Allah.”

I so wish I can meet him in my dreams, I make this wish daily. It’s been a while since I dreamt of him. Alhamdulillah I am thankful to Allah swt for having had the honour of carrying him for nine months and spending one year and almost four months with him.

When I ask Maryam what her youngest brother’s name is, she blurts out “Umar!” It’s important to me that she knows Umar though she never met him. I wonder if she dreams of him? I hope she does.

Time doesn’t heal

It’s been three long years and three short years all in one. We remember meeting the triplets, seeing Zaina’s mum in the lift and of course, I remember Shameega Charles, who took an instant fancy to Umar when they met.

From that day on, they remained bosom buddies.

I told a friend the other day, that I don’t like the statement “time heals” – it doesn’t. Time makes me cope, time makes me appreciate time, time makes me reflect on lessons learnt since that day.

Umar

Via Moeneeb Emeran

Umar

I know that one day we will be united again as a family. I try to imagine it….but I don’t get very far, it’s beyond any idea I can fathom.

I’ve learnt that patience is hard, it’s exhausting, it’s painful, but it’s my test to accept and hopefully, insha Allah, to pass.

Umar came to change my life and that of his father’s and siblings. Death has taught us about life. We are thankful.

Umar is always remembered by many who met him and many who didn’t.

Just recently, my sister Zulpha ran the London marathon and honoured his memory with a poster with his pictures, titled “In memory of Umar Emeran.” Thank you Zulpha and my brother, Faeez for loving him.

My eldest sister, Fuzlyn, who continuously donates her time and books to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, all in Umar’s name.

Today, May 28th she has donated cupcakes to the hospital with Umar’s name. Sis, we thank you for loving him and your continuous pledge to keep his name alive through good work and helping others.

My message today is to you all reading, don’t forget our children, teachers and the two fire fighters. They died heroes and ambassadors for safety awareness in Qatar.

Umar’s mom, Zareena Solomon


View the rest of the Letters to Heaven here.

(The post Dear Community is from Doha News.)

Dear Evana

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Evana

Via Abdelmasseih Antonios

Evana

In May 2012, 19 people, including two-year-old Evana Antonios, died in a fire at Villaggio Mall. Today, the children’s parents will mark the third anniversary of her death. Here, Manal Murgus and Abdelmasseih Antonios share with Doha News readers their unabated feelings of grief, guilt and longing to reunite with daughter.

Our precious daughter, Evana,

Words continue to fail to capture our feelings. The moment of your departure never evades our memories. Although we can no longer physically see and touch you, we beseech you for your spiritual intercession on our behalf in the sky for our solace on earth.

We do not know why you left this life so swiftly. The only consolation on the day you left us was that we could envision your passage to your blissful and eternal abode in the company of Our Lord.

Our hearts still burn for your departure and tears still flow afresh, yet they are simultaneously tears of joy as we know that you are exultant in your new life in paradise amongst angels and saints.

Evana with her parents

Via Abdelmasseih Antonios

Evana with her parents

Please, Evana, do not blame Mama and Baba for your demise. When we chose Gympanzee for you you to spend most of your time every day from 8am to 6pm, we did not know it was going to be a death trap for you and your innocent friends.

You were all chosen as a sacrifice to expose the negligence of those with power and their indifference towards the lives of others. We are certain that even if your rights are squandered on earth, they will not be in the hands of the just God.

One day, we will see all of you, little angels, standing before those who deprived you of life and pained your families’ hearts, demanding that justice be served by no one other than God Himself.

Evana, pray on our behalf so that God may aid us to carry on with our worldly days until we reunite with you in His endless and undiminishing glory.

Pray that we do not weaken in the face of sadness that is eating away at our hearts like the fire that took your life away. We can only find ourselves crying: “The Lord gave, and The Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of The Lord.”

Mama and Baba


View the rest of the Letters to Heaven here.

(The post Dear Evana is from Doha News.)


Letters to heaven: Qatar families mark three years since Villaggio fire

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Villaggio vigil, 2012

Omar Chatriwala

Villaggio vigil, 2012

With reporting from Riham Sheble and Lesley Walker

Three years ago today, 19 people, including 13 children, four nursery employees and two firefighters, died after a fire ripped through Villaggio Mall in Qatar.

Five people were eventually found guilty of manslaughter after the blaze, including two mall officials, a government employee and the owners of the Gympanzee daycare where the children were being looked after when the fire happened.

Villaggio fire, three years later

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Villaggio fire, three years later

Those convicted face five to six years in prison, and have appealed their sentences. Closing arguments are scheduled to take place next month, although a verdict may not come until after the court’s summer recess.

Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, has repeatedly pledged to make sure justice is served in the case, and that those accountable are brought to justice.

Meanwhile, the families of those who lost their loved ones in the fire continue to struggle without them. In these letters, inspired by a piece written by Jane Weekes to her deceased triplets in March, relatives share some of the complex emotions they’ve felt in the 1,095 days since their lives changed forever.


The letters:


Villaggio fire ebook cover

Doha News

Ebook cover

For an in-depth understanding of the Villaggio fire and its aftermath, download our 57-page ebook here.


In 2014, the families affected by the Villaggio fire spoke about how they continued struggling to cope two years after the fire. See their video interview here.

(The post Letters to heaven: Qatar families mark three years since Villaggio fire is from Doha News.)

Qatar company fined for negligence in construction worker’s death

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Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Chantelle D'mello

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

In a rare criminal conviction, a Qatar court has found a local company guilty of involuntary manslaughter following the death of one of its construction workers.

In late March, both the firm and a crane operator were ordered to pay thousands of riyals in fines and compensation. Speaking to Doha News, the company said it is now appealing the verdict.

However, a spokesperson added that the firm will proceed with plans to financially assist the victim’s family.

What happened

The court verdict came after a Nepali man was killed on Jan. 5 while working on a sewer project in the Old Airport neighborhood.

Three of his coworkers testified in a criminal trial earlier this year that a crane was being used to move plastic pipes – each measuring about 12m in length and weighing some 700kg – when the incident occurred.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Gadget Dan/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Each pipe was supposed to be secured with a belt to keep it from tilting or falling from the crane.

But the men testified that the crane arm moved suddenly before they could fasten the belt, causing one of the pipes to fall and strike the victim in the chest. He later died in the hospital.

The men worked for a company named Daman, a subcontractor of Action International Services.

Qatar prosecutors opted to charge Action, as well as the three individuals working for Daman, alleging they were responsible for the man’s death through their negligence, lack of caution and disregard for safety laws and regulations, court records state.

Trial

After initially telling investigators that the accident was not his fault, the crane operator confessed during the relatively brief trial that he made a mistake that led to the man’s death.

The court also heard that inspectors from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs found several violations during their visit to the site after the incident.

Lower criminal court in Doha

Shabina S. Khatri

Lower criminal court in Doha

That included not properly informing workers about the dangers of their job, workers not wearing safety devices and proper clothing, inadequate supervision and a lack of emergency medical kits.

The court exonerated two of the individuals on trial while finding the crane operator and the company guilty. It levied fines of QR200,000 (US$54,946) on the firm and QR10,000 ($2,747) on the crane operator.

Collectively, the firm and the worker must also pay QR200,000 in blood money to the victim’s family.

In the Gulf, blood money is an Islamic provision that must be paid if a judge finds a person guilty of causing death or injury to another person, either accidentally or intentionally.

The next appeal hearing is scheduled for June 14, the Action spokesperson said.

Increasing accountability

Safety standards at the hundreds of construction sites across Qatar vary greatly, human rights advocates say.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Marco Zanferrari/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Many of the projects led by high-profile, international firms have instituted precautions such as notices and warnings at the entrance, but some – particularly smaller work sites – have a more lax environment, said Amnesty International research Mustafa Qadri.

Indeed, residents routinely report seeing construction workers on job sites wearing sandals, for example, or on scaffolding without safety harnesses.

In 2013, Qatar’s Labor Inspection Department said that nearly 30 percent of companies working in the country were violating safety standards, the Gulf Times reported. Most transgressions were minor and simple, officials said at the time.

Qadri told Doha News that he welcomed news of the trial, which he said shows that the authorities are holding some companies to account and investigating the circumstances behind tragic incidents. However, he said additional steps need to be taken, such as conducting more surprise site visits.

“This is one tragic case, but there are likely many other construction sites that the authorities need to proactively address,” he said.

Qatar’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said last week that it currently employs 294 inspectors and plans to increase the number to 400 by year-end. That’s up from approximately 150 in late 2013.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Peter Kovessy

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

While one local lawyer said this week that nearly 300 inspectors is “sufficient” for Qatar, Qadri said the figure is “obviously inadequate” given the amount of construction currently underway across the country.

He said the increasing the number of inspectors would have had a positive impact, adding that he’s aware of cases where inspectors have identified labor law violations and forced companies to change their practices.

However, he said this has yet to change overall attitudes towards construction site safety across the country.

“With the workers’ population (is) expected to (keep rising) in the next few years, unless steps are taken, there is a risk that these types of deaths will increase unless more steps are taken,” Qadri said.

Thoughts?

(The post Qatar company fined for negligence in construction worker’s death is from Doha News.)

You’re invited: Fourth Doha News community meet-up

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Meet-up

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Meet-up

Dear friends, fans and followers,

It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other, and we’d like to change that! So please come to our fourth annual community meet-up on Saturday, June 6.

During this “Summer Survival” event, we plan to update you on Doha News developments, offer some giveaways and gain feedback from our community.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Ray Toh

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

We also thought it would be a great time to discuss what to do in Doha now that it’s so hot out, offer some advice on those leaving for vacations, and discuss Ramadan, which is coming up!

The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha hotel in West Bay on Saturday, June 6th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.

The Marriott Marquis hotel is the official sponsor of the event and will provide free beverages and finger-food. If you’re an avid follower of Doha News, care about what we’re doing and want to have your voice heard, you should definitely come.

So we know how much food to provide, please register to attend via our Eventbrite page by Wednesday, June 3. We look forward to seeing you there!

(The post You’re invited: Fourth Doha News community meet-up is from Doha News.)

Mowasalat plans public transit expansion with more buses on Doha roads

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Karwa buses

Mowasalat

Karwa buses

With reporting from Nadine Armoush

Despite declining public demand and limited interest among parents in Qatar to send their children to school on buses, the country’s state-owned transportation firm has announced plans to massively increase its fleet size in the coming years.

That includes increasing the number of school buses 42 percent to 780 vehicles, Mowasalat officials said at a press conference yesterday.

To encourage parents to actually use the service, the company has been experimenting with a new smartphone app that would allow school buses carrying children to be tracked via GPS.

Speaking to Doha News, executive director Nasser Al Khanji said that some 80 buses from three schools would initially be outfitted with the technology as part of a three-month trial starting in time for the start of the new school year in September. He added that the GPS service would be rolled out to buses serving some 227 schools across the country.

Only about one-third of the roughly 200,000 school-age children here travel to and from school on buses, according to a 2012 report issued by the Rand-Qatar Policy Institute.

Many parents cite safety concerns including the high rate of road collisions in Qatar, among other issues, as the reason they rely on alternative forms of transportation.

Several tragedies in recent years have contributed to those perceptions. In an extreme instance, a four-year-old student at the DPS-Modern Indian School died in 2010 of suffocation after falling asleep in her school bus.

The driver didn’t notice her and parked the vehicle at the end of his shift, leaving it locked on a hot day.

Public transit

Meanwhile, with traffic congestion in and around Doha seemingly getting worse by the day, Mowasalat is pushing ahead to make public transportation a more attractive commuting option.

For illustrative purposes only.

Shabina Khatri

For illustrative purposes only.

The number of daily users has fluctuated in recent years, including a decline attributed to delays and congestion. Currently, about 60,000 people use the bus daily, officials said.

In an effort to boost ridership, Mowasalat said it plans to more than double its bus fleet from 120 to 250 vehicles by the end of this year.

CEO Khaled Nasser Al Halil said the transportation company will take delivery of the new vehicles in stages, starting with 40 additional buses this month. That will be followed by 30 more in June and an additional 60 buses towards the end of the year.

Mowaslat plans to continue to expand its public transit fleet by 150 to 200 buses annually until the 2022 World Cup, Al Halil added.

Mowasalat Old Ghanim bus station

Chantelle D'mello

Mowasalat Old Ghanim bus station

In response to a question from Doha News, Al Khanji said that passengers will soon see buses running more frequently and into more areas of Qatar.

He said some routes currently operating on a 60-minute frequency would be changed to between 20 and 45 minutes.

Additionally, Mowaslat’s route network and orientation is being rethought. Currently, most buses travel to and from Doha’s main bus station near Souq Waqif.

However, four new “semi-circular” routes  – No. 301, 302, 303 and 304 – are currently being run on a trial basis and are expected to be fully introduced next week in an effort to reduce congestion and travel times.

Additionally, there are plans to build five new bus stations across Qatar by 2018 to reduce the strain on the central bus terminal in Al Ghanim. Apart from one station in Asian Town, near the Industrial Area, the locations were not announced. However, the new terminals are expected to be integrated with the Doha Metro system.

Bus terminal safety

In recent years, the existing main bus terminal in Old Ghanim has been the site of several serious collisions, in which buses have rammed into passengers waiting on overcrowded platforms.

The scene of the crash at the Karwa bus station in Old Ghanim.

Peter Kovessy

The scene of the crash at the Karwa bus station in Old Ghanim.

That includes a March incident that injured at least five people as well as a horrific crash in December 2014 that killed four individuals and injured several more after a Karwa bus crashed through a concrete barrier and drove over several people.

Al Khanji told Doha News that additional safety measures have been put in place following the incident. This includes fortifying bus stops in the central terminal with very strong barricades that “are fixed one meter underground and go up to one meter above the ground to avoid accidents.”

He added that the pedestrian platform would also be reconfigured within the next five months to prevent passengers from dashing between moving vehicles to catch their bus.

Taxis and salaries

During yesterday’s media briefing, Mowasalat officials also addressed changes to its taxi design, to reduce the number of passenger complaints about drivers overcharging or refusing to use the meter.

Taxi meter

Mowasalat

Taxi meter

Al Khanji said a new system has been installed in some 80 percent of taxis of Mowasalat’s fleet that automatically activate the meter once the vehicle moves more than a few feet with an occupant in the rear seat.

The new cab meters are also outfitted with GPS that prevent drivers from picking up passengers without the company’s knowledge and keeping the fares for themselves.

Officials have previously said the changes have caused complaints about drivers tampering with meters or overcharging to drop by half.

However, drivers’ frustration over their pay has appeared to increase alongside the rollout of these changes. There have been several strikes held by taxi and bus drivers in the last few years, demanding better wages and treatment.

The compensation structure for drivers differs. While many pay a daily rental fee of more than QR200 to their employer and keep whatever they earn on top of that sum, others receive a monthly salary of approximately QR1,200.

Al Khanji said that the base salaries of the drivers in the latter category have not been increased, but that they receive bonuses if they collect a certain amount in fares. He didn’t specify the size of this commission, or the threshold.

However, he added that public and school drivers recently received a 20 percent increase in their salaries.

Meanwhile, Mowasalat said another new service will be implemented to allow passengers to order taxis through a smart phone app. However, no specific timeline has been announced for the rollout of this new service, which private companies like Uber and Careem already offer.

Mowasalat has 4,000 taxis in Qatar and aims to reach 7,000 by 2022.

Thoughts?

(The post Mowasalat plans public transit expansion with more buses on Doha roads is from Doha News.)

Ashghal announces diversions on Markhiya Street and in Al Khor in Qatar

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Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Chantelle D'mello

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

As part of an ongoing national road improvement plan, three separate sets of traffic diversions will be put in place this weekend, Ashghal has announced.

The first involves part of Markhiya Street. The area between Onaiza intersection (behind Qatar Sports Club) to Lejbailat intersection that connects with Jamiaa Street will be closed to traffic for two days, from Friday morning (May 29) until midnight on Saturday.

The closure only affects south-bound traffic, heading toward Qatar Sports Club and the Dafna district.

Markhiya Street diversions

Ashghal

Markhiya Street diversions

Drivers will be diverted onto Al Taqadom Street (after Lejbilat interchange), then onto Al Muhandiseen Street which leads to Independence Street. From there, they will be taken to Civil Defense roundabout after which they can make a U-turn to return to Onaiza intersection.

The road closure is to enable maintenance works, including repaving and asphalting, Ashghal said in a statement.

Traffic heading away from Dafna towards Lejbailat junction will not be affected.

Al Khor diversions

Meanwhile, work that is underway to reconfigure some of the road network in Al Khor to improve traffic congestion will mean changes to the roads leading to the Coffee Pot roundabout.

Starting this Saturday (May 30), work on the roundabout will commence to be converted into a signal-controlled intersection. During this time, the central island and road shoulders leading to the roundabout in all four directions will be closed.

Al Khor diversions

Ashghal

Al Khor diversions

Diversions will be in place for three months on the roads that lead from the roundabout to Al Thakira and also toward Doha, with the same number of lanes provided on alternative routes to enable traffic flow, Ashghal said.

Also, two lanes of Commercial Street, from the Coffee Pot Roundabout toward Nasser Bin Abdallah Al Misnad Street, will be closed for 12 months with traffic diverted to a two-lane adjacent street during the construction.

Diversion at Al Khor Sports Club

Ashghal

Diversion at Al Khor Sports Club

Meanwhile, there will be temporary diversions in place at the western entrance to Al Khor Sports Club also starting this Saturday, as access and egress to Omar Bin Abdulaziz Street will be closed.

Traffic will be diverted to the east entrance leading to Al Tawoon Street, and the closure will be in place for two months.

Ashghal is implementing these temporary diversion to complete phase two of the developments of roads and infrastructure of Al Khor Commercial Street.

The public works authority said this is part of a plan to redevelop the roads and infrastructure in the town to improve traffic flow and ease congestion.

New junctions with traffic lights, service roads and parking bays will be created, while access routes to residential and commercial zones will also be added.

Al Khor is currently undergoing a facelift, with one of Qatar’s biggest and oldest parks set to reopen this summer after years of reconstruction.

To encourage more visitors to the town, the area’s coastline is also being redeveloped, with the creation of additional parking lots and amenities such as bathrooms and cafeterias.

Pressure on roads

Qatar’s growing population and the thousands of new vehicles taking to the streets each month is placing significant pressure on the state’s infrastructure.

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Muhammad Kamran Qureshi/Flickr

Photo for illustrative purposes only.

To ease congestion, Ashghal has been working to overhaul the existing roads network, including adding additional lanes and replacing roundabouts.

In addition to tackling local roads, its Expressway program also aims to create new highways across the state.

In its annual report published at the end of last year, Ashghal said it planned to start more than a dozen major roads projects this year.

This includes a major overhaul of several busy routes, including:

  • Al Bustan Street, which runs north-south from Al Waab to Gharaffa (complete first half 2019);
  • Al Jamiaa Street, from Qatar University, heading south (first half 2018);
  • Al Markhiya Street, which runs from Al Gharafa, past Landmark Mall and into West Bay (second half 2018);
  • Al Furousiya Street, which runs on the Western side of Aspire Park to connect with Al Rayyan Road (second half 2019); and
  • Al Gharafa and Al Khafji Streets (first half 2019).

Thoughts?

(The post Ashghal announces diversions on Markhiya Street and in Al Khor in Qatar is from Doha News.)

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