MOULOUD (The Prophet’s Birthday)
It always falls on the twelfth day of Rabee Al Awal, which is the third month in the Islamic calendar.
EID AL-FITR (Breaking the Fast)
Muslims rejoice the end of Ramadan with a three-day celebration (dates are variable depending on when Ramadan falls). Expatriates are often invited to break the fast and are encouraged to share and participate.
EID AL-ADHA (Festival of Sacrifice)
It falls on the tenth day of the last month of the Islamic calendar, 70 days after the end of Ramadan. A four-day holiday is given.
Eid al-Adha commemorates Abraham’s will to sacrifice his one and only son to God, and is the culmination of the Hajj, the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
AL ISRA’S WAL ME’RAJ
The celebration of the Prophet’s journey to the farthest mosque (to the rock underneath the dome in Jerusalem) and to Heaven. Muslims celebrate this event by offering optional prayers or by illuminating cities with electric lights and candles. It is a festival for families, focused on children and the young.
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Refer to chapter 15, Out and About, for a complete calendar of events in Qatar.
• Qatar National Day celebrations are held on December 18 every year.
• The celebration of New Year in the Islamic calendar (Sana Hijriyah, the migration to Medina) falls on the first of Muharram (the date varies according to the sighting of the moon).
OTHER RELIGIONS IN QATAR
Religious tolerance is obvious in Qatar and the Qatari Constitution provides for freedom of religion in accordance with established customs of religious tolerance and promotion of religious rights.
According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2007, it is estimated that approximately 120,000 Christians (80,000 Roman Catholics, 10,000 Eastern, Greek Orthodox and Anglicans, 3,000 Copts) live in the State of Qatar. In Qatar Christians are registered as being a religious group, and the practice of other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism is allowed and can be exercised freely.
CHRISTIANITY
Because the official interpretation of Islam considers Christianity to be one of the three monotheistic religions, facilities for Christian congregations are present in the country. They are permitted to practise their faith in their own homes and churches, and Christmas and Easter holidays are celebrated. The government permits recognition of a small number of Christian denominations, and land use permits have been issued for the construction and operation of the following churches:
Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, that falls under the Vatican jurisdiction and runs various youth programmes and summer camps; inaugurated in 2008, it is the biggest Catholic Church in the Gulf region, catering to over 100,000 Catholics;
Church of the Epiphany, an Anglican/Episcopal church that runs various children’s programmes;
Doha Fellowship, a non-denominational church;
Grace Fellowship, a non-denominational/Evangelical church, with various children’s programmes available;
Kirche Am Golf, German-speaking and Protestant;
Qatar International Christian Ministry, a non-denominational church.
The foundation stone for a new Anglican Centre was laid in October 2008, commemorating the construction of the second Christian church in Qatar. The Centre is to be a place for worship services and fellowship meetings for Anglican Protestants and Evangelical congregations in Doha. The Right (Rt.) Reverend Michael Lewis, the Anglican Bishop of Cyprus, the Gulf and Iraq, headed the ceremony and was the first to break ground. This project is working around three phases for the prayer areas and a main sanctuary (allowing for larger Christian groups to gather at the same time).
CHRISTMAS AND EASTER
The celebration of Christmas has only recently gained ground in Qatar. In Doha, the Four Seasons Hotel has a dedicated desk, since 2007, for those who want turkey dinners to go. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel has a special Christmas tree-lighting event in the lobby with a gingerbread house in the coffee shop on the lower level. Shopping malls also arrange Christmas decorations and trees.
Easter services are held in churches, however visual celebrations such as bunny rabbits and egg hunting are, at present, confined within respective private homes and compounds.
With time, Christian festivities will be much more prominent, as more and more expatriates decide to spend longer periods of time in the country.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Qatar has been ranked the 33rd most peaceful country in the world, coming ahead of France, the UK, and the United States of America. This ranking is based on its low scores in violent crime. In relation to neighbouring countries, Qatar came in second place out of 18 countries.
Being one of the world’s countries with one of the highest GDPs, it is not surprising to hear that Qatar is a safe country to visit and live in. Crime is practically non-existent. Without a thought of having their cars stolen, many locals, in the summer months, leave them running with the keys in the ignition to keep their vehicle cool while they grab a quick item from a shop.
Also, driving around in the evening is completely safe and women can ride in taxis at any time. However, it is always worth playing it safe and erring on the side of caution:
• continue practising precautionary rules of basic safety. Lock your doors and close your windows at home when you are not around;
• there is zero tolerance towards men harassing women. It is best to avoid any eye contact, as this is always seen as a sign of interest or encouragement.
CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS IN QATAR
There are plenty of opportunities for volunteering in Qatar and charity is an important component of Islam to be practiced all year. The people and the government of Qatar are generous and caring, extending their generosity to local as well as international organizations.
Many charities rely on donations and the time and effort of volunteers to keep them going on a day-to-day basis. Donation boxes are visible in shopping malls, restaurants, and stores all over the city. The number of boxes increases during the Holy Month of Ramadan, and are also supplemented by numerous donation kiosks widely dispersed, as well as the facilities offered by banks allowing customers to donate money online from the privacy of their homes.
Following is a list of some of the more active charities based in Qatar. Most of them have extremely comprehensive websites that will give you all the information you might require, should you decide to take part in them.
• Qatar Charity is a non-governmental organization. Established in 1980, one of the oldest in Qatar, Qatar Charity helps many of the needier Qataris. Active in Africa, Asia, and Europe as well, they have done much work in Gaza and Darfur, in addition to assisting victims of the Tsunami and Bangladesh. The Charity is extremely active locally during the Ramadan period. Their nine branches (among which is one for women only), with their headquarters, are scattered all over Doha.
• Qatar Centre for Volunteer Activities is located between E-Ring and D-Ring Road. You can choose the volunteer activity you would be best at by getting in touch with the Centre.
• Reach Out to Asia, based in the Qatar Foundation in Doha, was started in November 2005, under the auspices of the Heir Apparent, His Excellency Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Reach Out to Asia, or R.O.T.A., is a non-governmental organization within the Qatar Foundation, dedicated to supporting several relief efforts on the Asian continent and promoting global responsibility. The proximity of Qatar to Asia and the high percentage of Asians living in Qatar are some of the main factors that prompted the help to this continent. Their six main goals are to expand early childhood care and education; to ensure free primary education by the year 2015; to promote learning and life skills for the young and adults; to improve, by 2015, adult literacy by 50 per cent, eliminating gender disparities by 2015; and to enhance educational quality.
• Red Crescent / Red Cross is part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, a global organization which has spread her wings all over the world. Although their language of correspondence in Doha is Arabic, visit their Qatari website or email them for more in-depth information about how to get involved.
• The Social Development Centre is focused on families and community development within Qatar. One of their main projects is the Micro-Star Project (RASAMIL). It is sponsored by the Qatar Insurance Company to encourage men and women to develop their private businesses, which in turn will give additional opportunities for Qataris to work in the private sector. This will allow them to positively contribute economically as well as socially to the development of their country. The Social Development Centre will train and provide financial and technical aid, while following up and monitoring activities (if you are at Toys’R’Us, they are located across the road directly opposite Burger King and Hardees).
There has been a lot of talk about Qatar. Whatever your imagination led you to believe, whatever message you might have heard, one has to come and see this fast-growing Gulf state to believe it all. A certain degree of serenity and innocence is felt throughout and best typifies what Qatar represents. The roads, the skyline and the aggregate development going on, Qatar has managed to blend the new with the old beautifully. The people are warm, welcoming and helpful. They are proud you have chosen to visit their country on business and leisure. They do not take anything for granted and are working hard in order to gain their place. Qatar deserves an international scale.
In this context, the move to Qatar has most definitely changed over the last few years and continues to do so at a steady rhythm.
Whether exploring the available work opportunities or simply visiting as a tourist, Qatar is a place that truly welcomes foreigners, whose number is today exceeding the number of Qataris. Moving to this country will teach you what to expect, and how to move and integrate into different societies.
Numerous options, which did not exist a few years ago, are now available for newcomers, like renting and buying properties (refer to Chapter 5, Housing, for an overview of the real estate options in Qatar).
Newcomers are now able to look for a place to move into right after arrival, trying to avoid a hotel. Having schools, parks and supermarkets within walking distance from where you might want to live, there is great development in place! As always, schools, parks and supermarkets located near.
As an alternative, relocation companies like Country Connections could be approached upon your arrival or even before — as they also offer personalized relocation services and have welcome programmes. Offering the needed support service in most areas to help your integration into the new surroundings, they will go the extra mile to make that your transition is as smooth as it can be (refer to the directory for more options).