Interesting article from the New York Times, one worth reading....
NYT article on Qatar
What would you do if you were Qatar?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Discrimination - Doha Style
Doha has an unbalanced population. Only about 1/4 of its residents are citizens and maybe more than 2/3rds of its population is male. The vast majority of these men are expatriates, working in lower paid positions 6 days a week and are single or unaccompanied.
Friday is their one day off (Friday / Saturday is the weekend here), and most of them don't have a lot of money to spend, but they do want to spend it somewhere pleasant (and cool). They remind me of American teenagers spending their time after school hanging out at the mall.
But now, these men are being banned from all the major shopping malls in Doha on Friday. Friday has been turned into "Family Day" - no single men allowed.
I hear the arguments
- these are commercial establishments not government sponsored entertainment facilities, so they can choose who to let in
- how is it different from a bouncer at a nightclub not letting certain people in
- families feel more comfortable if there are not a lot of single men milling around
- these men don't spend any money anyway
but to me they just aren't sufficient arguments to restrict such a large segment of society here on their one day off.
Surely if an individual or group of individuals are causing problems, they should be dealt with. Store / restaurant managers can get someone to move along if they are outstaying their welcome and obstructing actual clients. But to essentially brand someone as "undesirable" because they are single, poor and male just doesn't bode well with my sense of fairness.
Most of these guys toil away in extreme heat building things for the rest of us to use and enjoy, do we really need to restrict the small comforts of spending one afternoon a week in a nice, clean, air-conditioned environment!
This is getting some press - but not enough to change anything - click on photo to read article.
Friday is their one day off (Friday / Saturday is the weekend here), and most of them don't have a lot of money to spend, but they do want to spend it somewhere pleasant (and cool). They remind me of American teenagers spending their time after school hanging out at the mall.
But now, these men are being banned from all the major shopping malls in Doha on Friday. Friday has been turned into "Family Day" - no single men allowed.
I hear the arguments
- these are commercial establishments not government sponsored entertainment facilities, so they can choose who to let in
- how is it different from a bouncer at a nightclub not letting certain people in
- families feel more comfortable if there are not a lot of single men milling around
- these men don't spend any money anyway
but to me they just aren't sufficient arguments to restrict such a large segment of society here on their one day off.
Surely if an individual or group of individuals are causing problems, they should be dealt with. Store / restaurant managers can get someone to move along if they are outstaying their welcome and obstructing actual clients. But to essentially brand someone as "undesirable" because they are single, poor and male just doesn't bode well with my sense of fairness.
Most of these guys toil away in extreme heat building things for the rest of us to use and enjoy, do we really need to restrict the small comforts of spending one afternoon a week in a nice, clean, air-conditioned environment!
This is getting some press - but not enough to change anything - click on photo to read article.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Rush for Smart Id Cards
Another funny newspaper headline -
Qatari's rush for new Smart ID cards.
The article goes on to say that the booth open in one of the shopping malls is open daily from 3pm-8pm and that on average 13 people a day sign up.
At 2.6 people per hour - I would hardly call that a rush!
Qatari's rush for new Smart ID cards.
The article goes on to say that the booth open in one of the shopping malls is open daily from 3pm-8pm and that on average 13 people a day sign up.
At 2.6 people per hour - I would hardly call that a rush!
Doha from the air
The original city of Doha is on the left. It is mainly low rise buildings densely packed together. The old souq (market) area is being rebuilt to look "old" and is becoming a very charming area to visit - especially for tourists. But there are a lot of great restaurants there now too!
One of the focus points of Doha is this bay, bounded by The Corniche - an 8km boardwalk that is next to the bay. There are palm trees all along the route and some grassy areas. It is a very popular place to take a walk / hang out (when the weather isn't too hot). You can also take a traditional Dhow (boat) ride out to some of the islands.
At the northern end of the Corniche is where the new "downtown" area is being built. It is like a mini-Manhattan with lots of tall buildings and fancy hotels. It is mainly offices but there are several apartment buildings too and of course the large City Centre shopping mall.
One of the focus points of Doha is this bay, bounded by The Corniche - an 8km boardwalk that is next to the bay. There are palm trees all along the route and some grassy areas. It is a very popular place to take a walk / hang out (when the weather isn't too hot). You can also take a traditional Dhow (boat) ride out to some of the islands.
At the northern end of the Corniche is where the new "downtown" area is being built. It is like a mini-Manhattan with lots of tall buildings and fancy hotels. It is mainly offices but there are several apartment buildings too and of course the large City Centre shopping mall.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Define a throng
Picture in today's Qatar Tribune, front page.
See subtext - Shareholders throng the Doha Securities Market...
My definition of throng is a large, densely packed crowd.
Anyway - made me laugh!
See subtext - Shareholders throng the Doha Securities Market...
My definition of throng is a large, densely packed crowd.
Anyway - made me laugh!
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