Qatar Guest

2006-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Qatar Visitor

I am joining forces with another blog, and future posts will be put directly on Qatar Visitor blog. I will be moving some of the articles from here to Qatar Visitor, but they will still be available here.

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Buying fish on the Corniche

2006-10-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

Seven o’ clock in the morning will find boats pulling in to the Doha Corniche, the fishermen still pulling their catch out of their nets to sell on the sea front. Depending on their luck, you can find small sharks, hamour, sherri and other species. Surely there’s no fresher way to buy fish!

Also see: Things to See and Do in Qatar

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The Gold Soukh

2006-10-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

If you love gold, precious stones, silver or pearls and you’re in Doha, then you’re in the right place. Instead of shopping in the malls, take a trip to gold soukh, where little shops vie with each other to provide the best prices and hand made designs.

In Kingdom Gems and Jewellery you can get any design you like hand-made beautifully in the workshop above the shop. You can even go and watch it made!

In Noora Jewellery you can have Cartouche made – a square rectangle of gold which has your name written in Latin letters on one side and Arabic on the other. A 5 gram 22 carat cartouche hand carved with your name will set you back about 500 Riyal.

Walk inside the covered jewellery market and you’ll find Bani Yalah Gold and Jewellery store. We were especially impressed here by his range of pearls. As if we were not impressed enough, he pulled out boxes of spectacular designs – pearls with orynx, pearls with coral, all in sets of necklace, bracelet and earrings. He exaplained to us how the growth of Japanese cultured pearls and the coming of wealth though oil had led to the downfall of the local pearl industry. He could still pull out examples of Qatar pearls, though.

Of course there’s lots more – silver flasks, Aladdin style lamps, old coins and currency – you’ll have to go yourself if you want to get a real idea of the variety here.

Also see: Qatar Shopping

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A slightly surreal trip to the Qatar National Museum

2006-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

If you go down to the Qatar National Museum, you might be in for a silvery surprise!

Okay, most of it is unsurprising. A dozy security guard on the gate blinking an eye at us as we went in, a single other visitor (one more than we expected) to chat too, lazy fans in the rooms slowly turning the stuffy air. The museum itself is set in a restored white washed presidential palace, and looks rather like one of those forts you see in old movies of the Arabian desert.

What can you see?

The view from the walls is superb although some of the rooms are empty. Photographs show the startling growth of Doha from not much more than a village, and the rather gruesome process of fire cupping: the Qatar version of medieval bloodletting. There’s a traditional bedouin tent (complete with T.V. – I wonder where the security guard gets to in his spare time), stamps, stone age flints from prehistoric Qatari settlements, medals and old currency – which included the old Indian rupee. Natural history rooms demonstrate the natural life of Qatar on land and in sea.

Abandoned Aquarium

This is when the trip got surreal. Going out the back of the museum we found an abandoned salt water lake/pond (when does a pond become a lake?) called “The Lagoon”. Peering over into the murky waters, we expected to see nothing. We did see a few little fish. Followed by a few big brown ones (Sherri?). Then a small shoal of gigantic silver fish – maybe five foot in length – shot past us, leaving us blinking in disbelief. I have no idea whether these are left over from some time when the aquarium was actually up and running, or whether these giant fish come in from some underground opening to the sea.

Proceeding into the nearby building, we found wallpaper peeling off the walls, and skulls and stuffed sea creatures spilling lining lying abandoned on the floor next to paint pots and brushes. In the spirit of adventure we descended into a dark cellar, only to find ourselves up to our knees in salt water.

Worth a visit

Despite the empty rooms and the abandoned “lagoon”, the attractions are worth a visit. Defeated by the heat, we certainly did not get to see everything that was on offer.

Coming changes

The Museum is in line for a make-over, and being Doha I’m sure that whatever they do will be high tech and impressive. At the moment it is a little dilapidated and neglected but it has its own charm and interest. And you may get it all to yourself, just as we did.

When to go:

Don’t make our mistake and go in the middle of the day. If you’re in the summer months aim for early morning or evening, like everyone sensible does.

Entry fee:

I found out after that it’s supposed to be 5 Riyals, but no-one ever asked for any money, even though we said hello and goodbye to the security guard.

One more surprise

According to Marhaba (a local guide book) the Museum is undergoing major refurbishment and is not open until December 2006! Maybe they were just being nice letting us in. Or maybe we were never there at all and it was all just a dream...

Also see: The Sheik Faisal Museum

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Camels

2006-10-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

In smelling distance of the whole salemarket is the live animal market, where you can find sheep and goats waiting to be slaughtered (you won't get fresher meat than this) or camels in their pens.

Can you really go to the Gulf without a trip to see these creatures like these?
Also see:

Camel Racing

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Sailing in Doha

2006-10-05T03:25:00.000-07:00

“The rabbit goes up the hole, round the tree, and back down the hole,” explained our instructor for the tenth time as my fingers fumbled round the ropes trying to make a bowline knot.

We – an assorted bunch of expats – were learning to set up a laser dinghy at the Doha sailing club underneath a blazing hot sun. (If you let the sun stop you from doing things here you’ll never do anything. Well, nothing apart from shopping, anway.)

Membership is fantastic value – just 600 riyals for the year, plus a 600 riyal deposit in case of damage to boats. Family membership is also available for a small premium, while one off visitors can pay ten riyals. It’s worth joining for the beach alone, far superior to the cigarette-butt marred sand of the Oasis Hotel Beach next door.

The sailing club divides its weekends up – Friday is racing day for the serious sailors, Saturday for the beginners (that’s me), with free lessons for members. After you have acquired some measure of proficiency, you can obtain a permit allowing you to sail during the week.

In addition, the sailing club is a great place to socialize and meet people, including some friendly Qataris, Barbecues are held from time to time, too, and a blind eye is turned if you want to bring wine along. (Ramadan excepted, of course).

Then there’s the sailing. Get out of the harbour in the afternoon and there are some decent winds to be had. I find the most exciting part leaning right out of the boat, bum hanging over the side, to keep the boat steady when sailing close to the wind. The occasional fish will jump out of the water in front of you, too, especially as the day wears on. (Qatari fish like their siestas, just like the rest of the country).

At the end of the day, you can relax on a deck chair under a palm tree on the private beach, enjoying on of Qatar’s superb sunsets. (And also snug in the knowledge that the guests in the Marriott next door are paying 800 Riyals a night to enjoy the same view!)

Now all I’ve got to do is learn that bloody knot. Up the hole, round the tree...

Children bathe outside at the sailing club as the day gets cooler

Details and tips

- The Doha Sailing club is located on Ras Abu Abboud Street between the Oasis and Marriot hotels. In addition to sailing, you can also try windsurfing and rowing.

- Wear a long sleeved t-shirt and plenty of high factor sun cream, a good pair of sunglasses and a hat. The sun here makes August in Britain feel like December.

- Find a piece of string and tie it to your sunglasses. Loop it round your neck for when you capsize.

- Find some non-slip footwear. Not only will they prevent you from slipping on the jetty and in the boat, and from cutting your feet on the sharp stones, there are also lethal stonefish in the Gulf waters.

Also see: Things to See and Do in Qatar

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sailing club Qatar

Orrie

2006-10-04T02:15:00.000-07:00

Orrie, the symbol of the Qatar Asian Olympic Games, counts down the days, minutes and seconds to the start of the games.

Also see: Qatar Image Library

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Asian Olympic Games Doha Countdown Qatar

Housing Inflation in Qatar

2006-10-03T01:17:00.000-07:00

A common thread in conversations in Qatar and on Qatar Living forums is the price of accommodation. Despite the fact that many foreign workers earn low wages (by Western standards), the price of housing can be astronomical.

Proof of this came with today’s Gulf Times. Inflation in the first half of the year was 8.2%, but housing inflation stood at 17.4% for the six months to June 3.

For many people this problem is compounded by the depreciation of the dollar. As the Riyal is tied to the dollar, any fall in its value decreases the amount that can be saved in their own currency. In addition, many wages, especially government wages, are frozen.

Forunately many people have their accommodation provided for by the government or their company. Their are also rumours that people high up are very annoyed at the increase and rents, and that rents will come down after the Asian Games. If so housing prices may not beat the prevous years' increase of 27 percent!

See Cost of Living for more information on living costs in Qatar.

Qatar Resident's Guide

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Inflation Doha Housing Accomodation Qatar

Finding work in Qatar

2006-09-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

My story

Working in the Middle East was part of a long term plan for me. I had returned to the U.K. to obtain extra qualifications related to my profession. This took me about two years. I then found my job in an industry specific website. I got a reply shortly after sending a C.V. and references that were never checked. My interview took place in London.

Upon arriving at the interview, my prospective Qatari employers accused me of being late. Luckily, I had brought the email they had sent me with the correct time and the date. I don’t think they were very happy at being shown up so quickly, though.

It took my employers so long to respond to the interview that I thought I had lost the job. When I was offered the job, I nearly turned it down because of the difficulty in obtaining a copy of the contract. I was also distressed when I was informed (three days before leaving) that my family would not be able to come for 2-3 months. My departure date was then delayed for a month, and for a while I thought the whole thing was never going to happen. Against this, I am now heartily glad that I took these risks and came to Qatar.

Look for work from home or come to Qatar?

I am much better off as an employee who was recruited from the U.K. than some colleagues who were recruited locally. I am on an international contract, which has substantially better pay and conditions, such as flights back to the U.K. every year for myself and my family. The situation might, of course, be different if you already have contacts or family present. (If you are recruited locally you may also be able to negotiate an international contract).

A word of warning

Some people get into debt to come here and then can’t find a job. Others find a job which doesn’t pay enough to cover their debt. There are also unscrupulous agencies (not Qatari) who demand payment to bring workers here. I spoke to a maid who had to pay 1200 Riyals to come here (she now earns QR600 a month). She was lucky she had the money to pay up front: other workers take on debt with these agencies which their wages are insufficient to cover. They are then unable to escape their debtors because of threats against their families. In the past workers have been known to commit suicide because of the pressure they are under.

While there are probably many respectable agencies, it is not worth borrowing money to come here.

Working outside

Working in the sun can be brutal, especially in August when temperatures can reach 50 degrees. There is supposed to be a limit above which workers cannot work, but this is not always enforced. If you are Muslim, it is often possible to work night shifts during Ramadan – check this with your employer before you arrive.

Where to look for work:

I looked for work:

on general job search engines for the Gulf
on company websites
in the job sections of newspapers such as the Guardian
in industry specific job websites

Websites to start looking on:

Qatar Petroleum
Qatar Airways
The Supreme Education Council
The Guardian
Dave’s Esl Cafe (EFL jobs)
Q-tel
Q-Post
College of the North Atlantic (Some post are for Canadians only).

There are many more. Try looking directly on the websites of companies you are interested in.

Contract?

Some people never receive contracts. Although I saw a copy, I never signed one. On the other hand, all the terms of the job offer were honoured, although at Qatari speed. (Really, if you are not calm and patient, Qatar is not the place for you.)

Things to ask about

When you will receive your 1st pay check - Your first pay check may be two to three months after you arrive (you will probably receive loans to subsidise you during this time.)

Days and shifts worked – many people work a six day week. Some people also work two shifts, morning and afternoon/evening. This means 4 rush hours a day.

Accommodation - What you really want is accommodation included, or at the very least a substantial housing allowance. Many apartments in the gulf times are being advertised at 9,000 –12,000 Riyals, and villas can be as high as 15,000. I do know people who pay about three and a half for apartments (I never see these prices advertised, though) but they are rather tatty. Even a single room can be quite expensive. Wherever you live, air conditioning is essential.

Flights – Look for a yearly return flight to your country in your annual holiday. If you are bringing family, make sure they are included.

Family –Normally, you are only allowed to bring family if your salary is above a certain level. When family is provided for, flights and education is often included. You will not be able to get permanent residence for children over the age of 18 by yourself.

Travel allowance – A monthly allowance towards the cost of travel is quite common, although probably not that important if your wages are substantial.

Bonuses! And when you receive them.

Pay

There is huge variation in pay (have a look at the Qatar Living forums). Pay can be very good, or rather low. Skilled expatriates might get paid 30,000 Riyals or more, while labourers get 600 Riyals. Qatar is not an incredibly cheap country, so do your research before coming here.

For some idea of costs, try reading The Cost of Living.

Finally

Remember all pay is tax free – this is certainly what makes it worthwhile for me. And if it is a choice between working here or in Saudi, then it really is no contest: Qatar is a far, far more pleasant place. (See The Religious Policeman or A thought in the the Kingdom of Lunacy if you don’t believe me!)

Good luck!

Jobs in Qatar and The Gulf

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Al Wakra Tower

2006-09-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Also see: Qatar Image Library

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Al Wakra

2006-09-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Al Wakra is just ten minutes (if you put your foot down) from Doha, and if you think there is not much to do there, well, you haven’t seen the rest of Qatar. (Not including Doha, to be fair).

Coming from Doha, we normally shoot through the town, go round the roundabout and come back on ourselves. Do a sharp right by the Al Wakra exchange and you’ll find yourself coming to the jetty.

This time we were rather shocked to find the picturesque little harbour being dug up, no doubt to make way for something large, modern and impressive. However, there are still a load of fishing dhows crammed together at the end of the jetty.

Harbour disaster

After watching some locals amuse themselves catching needle fish, we headed back towards the beach. The beach is superb: long, sandy and normally deserted. There’s also a children’s play area – the equipment is not up to the standard on the Corniche, but it kept my daughter occupied, and it’s surrounded by palm trees. Watch out for the toilets, though, it’s definitely a “hold your nose” job.

Mangrove swamps

Find a gap in the hedge of the play area and walk though it, and you’ll find a small mangrove swamp. This really is a delight, if only to provide some variety from the desert. You’ll hear the odd fish jumping, and there are plenty of birds to watch. It’s really at it’s best when the sun is setting and the last of the light reflects off the water.

When you head back, it’s worth going through the back roads. It’s one place where not all of the old buildings have been demolished, and you can get a little glimpse of what Qatar was like 50 years ago. At least you can at the moment – knowing Qatar, it’ll probably be completely different next week.

Also see: Qatar City Guide

Al Wakra

Cost of living

2006-09-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Many people ask about the cost of living in Qatar. How expensive things seem to you will, of course, depend not just on where you are from but on your life style and habits.

Food

Well, what food and where? Seafood is very cheap, especially if you buy it in the fish market or on the Corniche. Tuna, for example, starts from around 5 riyals a kilo. Meat from countries like Egypt costs about 20/25 Riyals a kilo. My wife can get a weeks worth of vegetables for 20 riyals from the wholesale market– with some hard bargaining. Expect to pay substantially more in the supermarket. Imported western food is often expensive.

Eating out

Good value, though of course it depends where you eat. You can eat your fill in an Indian restaurant for a few riyals, or spend 200 in a hotel restaurant.

Booze

Ouch! Let’s not talk about that.

Cars

Second hand cars are more expensive than in my country, the U.K., at least at the lower range of the market. Really, you need about 15,000 riyals to get anything half decent. (If you are brave you could get a bargain in the auctions). On the other hand, maintenance, fuel and insurance are all cheap. Petrol currently costs about 80 Dirhams a litre. It really hurts when I go to my home country and fill up my car – at nearly 7 riyals a litre!

Other transport

Buses cost 2 riyals for journeys inside the city and 7 for journeys outside. The limo company I (used to) use starts from around 30 riyals for a short journey, up from 20 not so long ago. Taxis start at 3 riyals and charge a further 1 riyal per kilometre – but their booking service is hopeless, which is why people use limos.

Accommodation

Unfortunately the prices of high rise apartments is rising as high and as fast as the apartments. You are probably talking about 7-9000 riyals for a nice apartment, 12,000 for a villa – of course, prices vary hugely depending on location, size, quality e.t.c. There are rumours that prices are going to come down after the Asian Games, and with the massive construction boom (bubble?) supply is going to increase rapidly.

Servants

Servants wages start at around 600 Riyals a month, although that is a bit mean. You also have to consider agency fees, government registrations fees and flights back to the country. If you need and can afford a servant, don’t feel guilty about it – you’ll be providing work, income and hopefully a good place to live, and the money will normally be worth a heck of a lot more in the person’s country than it is Qatar.

Schools

Good value. Our English-speaking nursery costs around 1000 riyals a month, The Cambridge School from about 3,000 to 4,600 per term, depending on age. You can pay either considerably less or considerably more for education. Also see; Qatar Schools.

Leisure activities

The zoo costs 5 riyals, bowling 10 Riyals/game, ice-skating 35 Riyals including skate hire, watching a film about 30 riyals. Swimming at the Oasis Hotel costs 25 Riyals or 40 on Fridays.

Internet

Cafes start at about 5 Riyals an hour in off-peak times, about 10 at peak times. Broadband (ADSL) costs 200 for the cheapest package, an internet card to use at home costs around 50 Riyals.

Health care

Visits to a government clinic cost 30 Riyals a time. Alternatively, buy a health card for 100 Riyals and get free health care for a year. Emergency treatment is free for all. See Experiences in Doha Hospitals and Qatar Health for more information.

This has been a difficult article to write because prices vary hugely. As an Indian friend said to me, as soon as people see the colour of your face (white!) prices double, so things may seem more expensive to me than to some people. So just take the prices quoted here as a (very) rough guide to living costs.

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The sun sets over a Doha boat yard

2006-09-25T03:34:00.000-07:00

Also see: Qatar Image Library

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Doha's Culture mash

2006-09-24T01:47:00.000-07:00

My maid is from India. The caretaker of my block of flats is Egyptian. The cleaners at work are Sri Lankan, the computer technician is Pakistani. When I go to the shops, the cashier is Philipino and my taxi driver is from Somalia. I have met and conversed with Irananian diplomats, Syrian PE teachers and Indonesian engineers.

In fact, of an 800,000 or so population in Qatar, only 20% are Qatari. You can go all day and not hear a word of Arabic. English seems to be becoming the Lingua Franca– although this is not necessarily the English you learned at school.

Overall, it’s a complete and wonderful mishmash of cultures and peoples, and it all seems to works very smoothly. Conflict is rare, and people, on the whole, are amazingly honest. I have walked out of a shop several times to have people run after me because I had accidentally over paid.

Another thing you’ll find about the people here is that everyone has a lot of ‘go’ in them. They are here to make money, to get ahead, to improve themselves. Some of them are supporting whole families back in their countries. This ‘go’, I believe, is why people are honest. They are here to make money by working hard, not by cheating.

Honest or not, with so many people, there needs to be a strict system. You come to work and you leave when you are finished. You can come on a visit visa to try and find work, but when your time’s up it’s up. If there were not rules like these, such a tiny but rich country would be swamped.

That’s all for now - I’m off to eat in the local Turkish restaurant. Or maybe I’ll have an Indian...

Also see: Qatar Culture

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Sheep

2006-09-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Qatar Image Library

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Porters wait for business

2006-09-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Also see: Qatar Image Library

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Qatar, Ramadan and Expats

2006-09-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

Update: See Ramadan in Qatar for a more detailed article on the same subject.

Ramadan is about to start. My colleagues and I are looking forward to it, because we will all be on dramatically reduced working hours. Of course, it will mean lurking behind closed doors having hidden fags in smoky rooms, but that’s all part of the fun.

Admittedly, everyone in Qatar knows that us Westerners don’t participate in the fasting, but it is considered bad form to eat/drink in front of the locals. If you haven’t had a drink for 12 hours in this heat, you’re not going to be best pleased to see some annoying Westerner slurping down large quantities of deliciously cold water.

How else does it affect us? Well, you can forget about drinking in Doha’s hotels. Alcohol, at these times, is a strictly at home job, done behind drawn curtains.

Restaurants are also closed, although there are still places you can eat and drink. The Doha Sailing Club is one, for some reason. Hotels will continue to serve guests, too. Don’t expect any clubs, though, they are strictly off limits for the month.

Once the day ends, though, there are plenty of fantastic buffets to feast upon. In fact, the whole city changes its schedule, with almost all possible leisure activities shifted to night. There’ll be lots of extra things on – last year these included spectacular laser shows. Unfortunately, this may not be enough to console the alcoholics amongst us.

Still, Qataris are realists when it comes to us and our drinking habits (and making money from them!) We get a triple allowance on our alcohol permits - August, September and October's allowance all rolled into one. So this afternoon we are all off to the Qatar Distribution Company shop. That’s the camouflage for the local booze shop – the only one in the country, hidden away in a patch of desert scrubland miles away from the City Centre.

Tips:

- Tourists who like a drink should come to Qatar before or after Ramadan.

- Expats will need to get an alcohol permit to purchase alcohol at the Qatar Distribution Centre. To obtain this they will need a copy of their I.D. card or residence permit, photographs, and a letter of permission from their sponsor. A 1000 Riyal deposit is required. Muslim expats may also obtain a card.

- You do not need a card to drink in Qatar’s hotels.

- The Qatar Distribution shop is shut on Fridays. On other days it is open from 10.30 a.m to 8.30 p.m.

- The re-sale or gifting of alcohol is strictly illegal.

- You can not bring alcohol (or pork) into the country. You can, however, purchase alcohol at the airport to take out of the country.

- If you are a drinker, stock up on booze prior to Ramadan. However, don’t leave it to the last day (as I did) – the queues are huge and the carparks overflowing.

- You might also consider a last bash at a hotel bar or club.

Also see: Ramadan

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At the Market

2006-09-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Also see: Qatar Images

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Doha Markets

2006-09-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

When the weather cools down and you start to venture outside again, a great place to visit is the wholesale market off Salwa Road.

There’s no fancy layout – this is a place where fresh produce is piled high on all sides. Outside, men with wheel barrows and long white beards wait to cart your purchases back to your car. In the market opposite, squid, crayfish, prawns and fish from the size of your finger to higher than your head are spread out, often incredibly cheap. As you jostle with restaurant owners and shop managers, bargain hard to get the right price.

Behind the veg market is the Omani market, where there are sweet smelling spices and herbs, dried fish and strange brown things which the sellers claim are a type of mushroom. It shares a roof with plant stalls, where flowers, cactus plants and palm trees jostle for place.

In the veg market in particular, we’ve found it well worth while building up a relationship with a particular market seller. Not only does he give us good prices, if we need something he doesn’t have, he will locate it, bargain for it and obtain it for a better price than we could get ourselves.

But for me, the best thing about the market is getting away from the plastic artificiality of the supermarket where nobody ever knows you, and making friends with the friendly market sellers.

Also see: Qatar Shopping

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Fishing traps dry in the sun

2006-09-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

Qatar Image Library

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Driving – Qatar style

2006-09-18T00:24:00.000-07:00

“Watch out,” I screamed as a white land cruiser shot out from the exit behind us, and undertook us on the inside of the roundabout. I was about to have my first Qatar accident.

I was in my friend’s 1980’s Mercedes, a big solid metal car. Since then, I have bought my own car. But since that first incident, despite experience in Thailand and Indonesia – not the safest places in the world themselves - I have never completely relaxed.

Qatar is a pretty safe country in almost every way apart from its . It’s a country with people from all over the world, all with their particular ideas on how to drive. Roundabouts are a particular nightmare. Cars shoot from exits without looking, randomly change lanes, and cause numerous accidents. Worse, they are not allowed to move after accidents until a police car has arrived, causing endless hold-ups.

It can sound funny – until someone dies. One of my Qatari colleagues lost all the female members of her immediate family in one crash. Another lost her only son. A college lost thirteen of its students over a two week holiday, for a particularly heavy toll is taken of Qatari youth.

The Government is making serious efforts to improve the situation. They are installing cameras on traffic lights and on roads, putting policemen on roundabouts in rush hour to direct the traffic, and are slowly replacing roundabouts with traffic lights. Yet the accidents continue to pile up!

So what happened to that white land cruiser? He swerved back into the middle lane, we braked to avoid it, and a pick up truck slammed into the back of us. The pick up truck was badly damaged, but the Mercedes was barely dented. Because of the Mercedes, we were okay. Till next time, at least.

Tips

- Don't rely on people's indicators. In the rare event of them being used, they are often indicating the wrong way - or just on for the heck of it.

- When traffic lights turn green, check adjacent road for people shooting lights before proceeding.

- Watch out for people swerving across lanes - especially on roundabouts.

- Never ever expect other drivers to respect your right of way.

- When there is no divide between roads, be ready to go off the road to avoid insane land cruiser over-taking tactics.

- Stay in the middle lane and keep your cool as you get under-taken and over-taken left, right and centre.

"Hmm, which side of the road shall I drive on today?"

Also see: Qatar Driving

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Experiences in Doha Hospitals

2006-09-15T12:41:00.001-07:00

My son would have died if it hadn’t been for the quick diagnosis of the staff at the Children’s emergency hospital, so, as you can imagine, I’m quite keen on the Qatari Health Service.

My first experience of them was more mundane, when I went to the emergency section at Hamad Hospital with an extremely painful ear infection. Although I did not yet have an ID card or a health card, I was seeing a doctor in minutes.

All emergency treatment in Qatar is free, and they state specifically that no-one shall be denied treatment on the basis of ethnicity or religion. However, I should have gone to a clinic, not the emergency section, as I have since heard doctors complaining about the back log of cases due to non-emergency patients.

My experiences with Qatar hospitals continued when my wife became pregnant. I was initially determined to take her to a private hospital. I investigated both the Doha Clinic, and the American hospital, which was recommended to us by another family.

I wanted to go private because fathers are not allowed to be present when there children are born. However, I was also lucky enough to meet a Bosnian doctor who was an obstetrician at Hamad hospital, and he strongly advised using the government hospital.

Government hospitals, he argued, had the highest standards in Qatar, and were inspected by an American body. None of the private hospitals had equipment that matched that of the private hospitals. If his wife was here, he concluded, he would send her to Hamad Hospital. We followed his advice, and he later delivered my baby personally.

I don’t how good the experience would have been if I hadn’t met that doctor. My wife did complain that initially things weren’t explained as well as they were in the U.K. It’s also hard to wait around while your wife delivers. Luckily, we had flown her mother over, so she wasn’t alone. As it was, everything went smoothly.

However, it was with my son that the Qatari system really excelled itself. We decided to take him into the Childrens’ emergency hospital because he had a high temperature. He had no other symptoms at the time. Within ten minutes of arriving our poor son was having a blood, urine and lumber test. They also put him on a drip immediately. By this time he was having convulsions and his eyes were rolling into the back of his head.

Because the meningitis was diagnosed quickly, my son is now fine. My wife and son had to spend 10 days in hospital, but at least the food is not as dire as in the UK – and we didn’t have to pay for our television and telephone!

The government hospitals are not the best in every area – a friend who works at Doha clinic mentioned neurology as being one in which the private hospitals were better. There is also sometimes a language barrier with hospital staff. Overall, though, we can heartily recommend the Qatari Government Hospitals.

Details:

- Everyone is entitled to free emergency hospital care, and medicine in hospital pharmacies is heavily subsidised.

- Residents in Qatar are entitled to free medical treatment, but need a health card. This costs a very reasonable 100 Riyals for one year. You will need photos and ID to obtain them. You will be able to get your card at your local clinic. It may take a while for your card to be completed, but in the meantime you can get health care with your health number. Alternatively, pay 30 Riyals per visit.

Numbers:

Emergency: 999
Hamad General Hospital: 439 4444
Women’s Hospital: 439 6666
Children’s hospitals
Abu Bakkar: 469 9314
Al Rayyan: 480 3582
Al Sadd: 469 2948

Also see: Qatar Health

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What is Qatar like?

2006-09-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

The cranes are always busy in Doha

Qatar is:

Hot

But not all the time.

It’s at its hottest in July and August – and I mean hot. One day I remarked to my wife that the weather was cooling down and then noticed the temperature was 38 degrees. I’ve been fishing at four in the morning and been soaked in sweat by seven. It gets so hot even the air-conditioners can’t cool you sufficiently. (Tip: buy a fan to complement your air-conditioner in the hot summer months.)

However, in the spring, autumn and winter it can be quite pleasant. In fact, it can even be a little cold in December, January and February. We bought little heaters for out villas – if you want to do the same, do so early, before supplies run out.

Multi-cultural

About 20% of the population are Qatari – yes 20%. There’s Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, Indonesian, Philippinos, Canadians, British, French, Italians and many more. Which leads me onto the next point:

Delicious

Food! With all these people you get lots of different kinds of food available. But the best of the best is seafood. And it’s so cheap! You can get what they call small prawns (they’re huge) for as cheap as twenty riyals a kilo. (That’s about three pounds.) I’ve also bought whole tuna in the whole-sale fish market for 5 riyals.

I particularly like eating at the Dhow Restaurants, tucking into a delicious platter of mixed seafood while watching the lights of the city reflect off the bay. It’s a good way to impress guests too! It’s a little expensive by Doha standards, but there are also many good and cheap restaurants. You could check out the incredibly cheap Indian restaurants – perhaps a Mutton Curry with Briyani rice and Indian bread, hand made and baked while you wait. Or if you feel really brave, you could have some lamb’s testicles in an Arab restaurant. (I gave this one a miss!)

Doha Dhow Restaurant

Fun

If you put a little effort into finding things to do. There are all sorts of sports to get into, from kite boarding and scuba diving to sailing and fishing. There are races galore – horse racing, GP racing, super bike racing, camel racing, power boat racing. If you prefer to remain indoors, you could go ice skating at the City Centre Mall and then relax with an ice-cream under an artificial waterfall – not bad for a city in the middle of a desert. There are hotel bars and clubs if you want a drink and a dance – although single men may find the ratio of male to female a little distressing! (Ladies, you can get in almost anywhere for free.)

Fairly safe, actually

Crime is virtually non-existent. People leave their windows open, flats unlocked, cars running unattended - it’s that sort of place. The main danger is from the nutty driving!

Great for kids

They really love kids here. The main problem is trying to preserve your precious ones’ precious teeth. We’ve stopped trying to explain to people that we want our children to be fit and healthy. Instead we’ve taken up blatant lying: our daughter is now hyperactive and we are under strict order from the doctor not to let her have any sugar whatsoever. This has proven much more effective!

Bare

In the desert at least. It’s basically scrub desert, prowled on by camels, inhabited by villages of Bedouin and broken up by huge oil installations and power lines. Doha, on the other hand, is half building site, half park. What’s finished is beautiful, immaculately sculptured, dotted with palm trees for shade and green lawns to rest on. The Corniche is in particular is lovely, a pleasant sea-front walk around the bay. But Doha is a city in a hurry, and there are more half built high-rises than completed ones.

This is just a taster of Qatar. Have fun finding out more!

Doha across the bay

Also see: Qatar Visitor Tourist and Resident Guide

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