living in qatar

8/6/2019 Living In Qatar

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Qatar

Living in...

Published with the support of


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Published by Motivate Publishing

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DirectorsObaid Humaid Al Tayer and Ian FairserviceGeneraL ManaGer booksJonathan Grifths

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First published 2009

Living In Series

Original text Leslie Nicolas Nasr 2009 Motivate Publishing 2009

ISBN: 978 1 86063 270 9

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means) withoutthe written permission of the copyright holders. Application for the copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressedto the publishers. In accordance with the International Copyright Act 1956 and the UAE Federal Law No. (7) of 2002, Concerning Copyrights and Neighbouring Rights,any person acting in contravention of this will be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

PhotoGraPhic creDits

Arabian Eye: 22-23, 28, 41, 43, 46-47, 144-145, 153, 166-167, 169 (bottom), 174, 175, 183, 184-185, 186-187, 189, 192, 215 (top), 224

Bandula, T.H.: front cover, 56-57, 80-81, 84, 86-87, 89, 98, 106-107, 113, 114-115, 118, 119 (top), 120-121, 124-125, 128-129, 136, 139,

142-143, 190-191, 193, 200, 202, 209 (bottom), 211, 215 (top), 226

Corbis: 17, 18, 85, 92, 102-103, 147, 178, 203, 206-207, 220-221

Four Seasons Hotel: 172, 230

Grapheast: 35, 52, 97, 111, 126-127, 130, 132 (top), 146, 229, 238-239

Haddad, Norma: 63

Masci, Giuseppe: 37 (right), 42, 122, 169 (top), 171, 181

Mc Morrow, Brian: 195, 240-241

Ministry of Information,

Qatar: 10-11, 13, 14-15, 21, 30, 31, 33, 37 (left), 38, 44, 50, 54, 59, 82-83, 90, 95, 108, 119 (bottom), 132 (bottom), 134-135,

136, 137, 151, 156-157, 159, 161, 163, 164, 177, 179, 180, 182, 188, 199, 205, 209 (top and central), 215 (bottom), 217,

218-219, 274-275, inside back cover

Qatar Airways: 234-235

Motivate Publishing: 242

Petrovski, Nikola: 74-75, 78 (2), 104

Space Imaging: 24-25

W Hotel: 228, 232

Printed by Rashid Printers & Stationers LLC, Ajman, UAE.


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QLiving in...

Leslie Nicolas Nasr


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nIf you are looking for moving companies and other

useful tips, they can be found in chate 3, Mov.

n Qatar is a fairly cheap country to live in (with the

exception of rent). For instance, the government

does not charge high fees for most utilities such as

water, electricity and home phone lines. Read more in

chates 5, Hous, and 7, Utltes ad Sevces.nShariah Law regulates the Islamic legal system. To

know in advance all legal issues you may face (from

visas to licences) go to chate 4, Leal Mattes.

nQatar has hardly any taxes. For money-related issues,

go directly to chate 9, Faces.

n Doha offers an excellent studying environment in its

schools, colleges and institutions. The private schools

are mostly designed in accordance with the French, UK

and US systems, as chate 11, Educato, explains.

nHealth care in Qatar is heavily subsidized. For details

on health insurance, doctors, hospitals etc., refer to

chate 12, Health Cae.

nThere is no specic means of public transport in

Doha, apart from the affordable taxi service (chate

8, Tasot). In fact, most residents of Qatar own

private cars (chate 7, Dv).

nYou can explore the natural environment of Qatar

by taking an exciting desert safari; relax at the many

beaches and pools; or enjoy your favourite sport, be it

bowling, golf or ice skating. Living in Qatar can be great

fun, as the country also hosts a wide range of sports

events. There is something for everyone in chates 13,

Lesue ad Sot, and 15, Out ad About.

Qatar LIVING

wHAT MAkES QATAr SpECiAL

The State of Qatar is a challenging and charming

country for its residents visitors and nationals alike

and the aura surrounding this part of the world is still a

mystery to many.

Just a few years ago Qatar was relatively unknown,

yet today it is a famous country of almost unimaginableeconomic growth rates.

Qatar is now on the map for quite a few reasons. To

start with, thanks to its formula for economic success

Qatar has become the foreign direct investment capital

of the Middle East. The country boasts the worlds third

largest reserves of oil and natural gas, and it has one

of the highest per capita GDPs, not only among the

GCC countries, but also in the world. Qatars capital and

largest city, Doha, is a hub of educational excellence

and the countrys economic centre. Moreover, Qatar

excels in improving telecommunications services and

is the birthplace of the controversial Aljazeera Satellite

Channel. Finally, it still presents itself as a calm and

serene environment, despite the expansion and the

development of new projects.

COMing TO QATAr

nIn the last sixty years the Qataris have been propelled

from pearl divers and Bedouins struggling to survive to

citizens of one of the richest nations on Earth. Find out

how they managed to forge a cohesive nation, with a

unique national spirit and identity, social customs and

traditions, in chates 1, Hstoy, and 2, Quc Facts.


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gET THE MOST OUT OF living in... qatar

Based around on-the-ground realities, Living in... Qatar covers the countrys history, its culture, the best way

to prepare a move, the subtle nuances of daily life and social attitudes, the availability of housing, the different

education systems as well as tried and tested recommendations for select shopping, dining and entertainment

options. To nd this information you can:

browsethrough the detailed contents pages to nd at a glance the informationyou need on how to get a visa, how to chose a moving company, whats onin Qatar entertainmentwise, and much more;

explore each chapter and Now you know! interest boxes, which are laid outin a user-friendly way, to read everything you need about Qatar;

use the directory (p. 244) for quick reference. The directory is the source ofup-to-date recommended addresses for your shopping, leisureand travel, as well as education and health care;

nd in each paragraph your shortcut to the relevant section in the directory:

refer to the full map of Qatar at the end of this book to get the bigger picture ofyour new country, and to the snapshot of the city of Doha as a guide for movingaround town; to nd your restaurant, hotel or any other location, go to themaps general listings (p. 279) to locate your place of interest in the map grid.

Note that:

nthe procedures outlined are accurate and updated to date of publication, but may be subject to change;

nlocation names in Qatar might have different spellings. This is a mirror of reality, more than a mistake or error

per se, as even road signs are spelt differently according to the source providing the service and information.

Cons. & Embassies

Education Cult. & Soc. Activities

Hospitals & Clinics

Websites

Leisure

Mind & BodyRecr./Lounges

Services

Eating Out

Shopping

Ministries Sport Travel

Hotels Emergency Nos


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HISTORY /// 1Early History 12 /// Feg o 12, a th F 12 towards indEpEndEncE 12 /// theag-Q te 13, the Bh pee 16, the ag-o ce 16, oe 16,ieeee 18 dEvElopmEnt oF tHE statE oF Qatar 18 /// Qatar in tHE twEnty-First cEntury19 /// dh ce cee te (dcct) 19, E c t me f

ueg 19, Eeg c 20, a Kh ae (nh f dh) 20, lbe c 20, l 20,ne dh ie a (ndia) 20, ne dh p 24, the pe 24, Q-Bh ce24, Q me c 24, Q see tehg pk (Qstp) 24, a r pk 25, shebQ 25, se mqe f Q (a Kh) 25, tfeeh c 25, a wb c 25, a wk ae(sh f dh) 25, we B c pk 25

QUICK FACTS /// 2Qatar or doHa? 29 /// GEoGrapHy 29 /// te 29, F 30, F 30, me lfe 31 climatE 31///Economy 32 /// population 32 ///spoKEn lanGuaGE 33 /// culturE 33 /// the F 33,H 33, t s 33, cffee sh 35 EtiQuEttE and protocol 35 ///GrEEtinGs38 /// Hhkg 38, ne thg 38, de ce 38 rEliGion: islam 39 /// the w i 40, mqe 40 calEndar oF islamic Holidays 40 /// r 40, m (the phe

Bh) 42, E a-F (Bekg he F) 42, E a-ah (Fe f se) 42, a i wmej 42, n H 42 otHEr rEliGions in Qatar 42 /// saFEty and sEcurity 44 ///

MOVING /// 3BEForE tHE movE 48 /// pkg 48, chg 48, Ee/Heh ae 48, Fbeme 49, d Fee ae 49, pe 49, de reqe f he i f pe 49,Be Bee f Q 49, F se f a 50, Bg pe 50, veee 50, BgFe 50 tHE movE 50 /// chg mg c 50, t f he me 51, pek 52,lg f pe Effe, te Fe 53 upon arrival in Qatar 53 /// c cee 53,sge Q 53, the ug pe 53 sEttlinG down 55 ///

LEGAL MATTERS /// 4tHE lEGal systEm in Qatar 58 /// sHariaH law and its applications 58 /// ExpatriatEs, Qatar

law and sHariaH 58 /// pe 59, Be he l 59, ceg deb c ce61, w tee 61, deh 61 movinG to Qatar: documEnts nEEdEd 62 ///visas 64 ///Ee v 64, reee v 65, E e 66, reee v f he F 67, lb cf we dghe 67, de He v 68, v v 69, Be v 71 rEnEwinG visas71 /// cancEllinG visas 72 /// EmploymEnt Ban 73 /// cHanGinG sponsors 73 /// licEncEs anddocumEnts 73 /// n ie c 76, the E-Ge c 76, ah lee 76 liFEstylE andtHE law 77 /// mge 77, de 77, me mge 77, Ee mg Q 79

HOUSING /// 5a sprawlinG city 82 /// rEntal and purcHasE 83 /// tHE districts in doHa 84 /// a ae84, B o 84, che 84, c-rg 84, de rb 85, d ae 85, d-rg 85,Ghf lk m ae 85, i ae 85, m 85, m Khf ae Ze,

vgg H pz m 85, a megb see n ae 88, mzh ae 88, nj m 88, o a r 88, a s see 88, a lq see 88, a s a Jee 88, tvrb mkh ae 88, a wb ae 88, we B a df 88 outsidE doHa 89 /// aKh 89, a wk 89 tEmporary accommodation rEcommEndEd HotEl apartmEnts 89 ///

UTILITIES & SERVICES /// 6watEr and ElEctricity 92 ///Gas 93 ///tElEpHonE 93 /// dg l c f Q 93, tc ie nbe f Q 93, le 93, mbe 93, pb phe 94 intErnEt94 /// radio 94 /// tElEvision 95 /// dvd/vidEo rEntals 95 /// prEss 95 /// postal sErvicEs 97/// ce see 98 HomE sErvicEs 99 /// mee 99, ceg pe c 99, dceg 99, F tke a dee 100 domEstic HElp 100 /// w f Fg de He Q 100, s ree 101 miscEllanEous proFEssional sErvicEs 101 ///

10

26

46

56

80

90


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DRIVING /// 7drivinG licEncEs 104 ///your car 109 /// phg 109, se-h c 110, de neee phe c 110, re 110 car inspEction 110 /// car rEGistration 112 /// Estimara (roadpErmit) 112 /// ree f r pe 112 insurancE 112 /// ree f c ie 113 carmaintEnancE 116 /// BrEaKdown/towinG sErvicEs 116 /// inFrinGEmEnts and tHE law 117 /// Fe

117, tf v p se 117, a ae p ce 117, see ce,r chekg 118 motorcyclEs 118 /// pEdEstrian and BicyclE patHs 118 ///

TRANSPORT /// 8traFFic 122 /// taxis 123 /// le 123, tg he de 123 BusEs 123 /// sEa/watEr travEl124/// air transport 124 /// Q a 124, dh ie a 124 tHE FuturE 125 ///

FINANCES /// 9currEncy 130 /// opEninG a BanK account 130 /// de reqe 131, cheqe 131, offhea 131, Geg l, mgge 133 islamic BanKinG 133 /// ExcHanGE companiEs 133 /// tElEmonEy ordEr systEm By Qpost 133 /// paymEnt oF utility Bills 133 /// cost oF livinG 133 ///

WORKING /// 10worKinG conditions 136 /// BusinEss EnvironmEnt 137 /// Egh se lgge 137,pe f wk 137, sgg c 137, Be Eqee 138, cf 140, Feebk pefe 140, ch f c 140, re me 140 FrEE ZonEs 140 /// Qatar FinancialcEntrE 140 ///

EDUCATION /// 11tHE History oF Education in Qatar 146 /// prEsEnt Education systEm in Qatar 148 /// scHoolsat a GlancE 148 /// Ee 149, ieee sh 149, nee 150, pe sh 150,uee Hghe E 152, se nee cee 152, uqe cb legFe 154 continuinG Education 155 /// lgge t 155, m t 155, mee 155

HEALTH CARE /// 12GEnEral inFormation 158 /// H c 159, pe 160, ce sge 160,c wg te 160 FrEQuEnt HEaltH proBlEms amonG Expats 160 /// mEdical insurancEand HEaltH card 161 /// mEdicinEs 162 /// prEGnancy and rElatEd issuEs 162 /// n cee 162, Bh c 164, a 164, ivF, se ce reeh 165, me lee 165dEntists 165 /// psycHiatrists 165 /// support Groups 165 ///

LEISURE & SPORT /// 13lEisurE i For adults (and tHE wHolE Family) 168 /// Behe pk 168, B Zekee Beh168, dkh Beh 168, the Feh Beh 168, a Gh F Behe 168, the meeeBeh 170, dh she pk 170, dh a H pk 170, a re pk 170 privatE cluBand FitnEss cEntrEs 170 /// spas and BEauty salons 170 /// we ue s 172,Be s 173, H s f che 174, H s f me 174 lEisurE ii activitiEs

For Kids (and tHE wHolE Family) 174 /// sport 176 /// sportactivitiEs For Kids 176 /// Be,c, me Fk de 176, Be Jzz ce 176, B t ce 176, deboe cb 176, Jge Ze 176, m G che Fe cee 176, Q de ae177, reg sg ae 177, te 177 sport activitiEs 177 /// Beb 177, Bkeb177, Bg 178, cg 178, Fhg/cg (B/yh che dh ce) ee sg,Fe 178, Fb 178, Gf 179, Hke 179, He rg 180, ie Hke 180, ie-skg 180,m a 181, m 181, neb 181, rgb 181, rg 181, sg ( ee Fhg)182, sef-defee 182, sqh 182, sg 182, te 182, veb 182, we s 183,wg 183, yg pe 183

102

120

128

134

144

156

166


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SHOPPING /// 14strEEt sHoppinG 188 /// sk 188 sHoppinG malls 194 /// c cee m 194, the m 194,lk m 194, vgg m 194 sHoppinG cEntrEs 195 /// r pz 195, H pz 195,cee 195 supErmarKEts 195 /// cef 195, ll Heke 195 dEpartmEnt storEs195 /// accEssoriEs 196 /// BEauty storEs (cosmEtics & pErFumEs) 196 /// BooKsHops 197 ///

BoutiQuEs 197 /// FasHion 198 /// che & teege 198, Hgh see ch & c f a 198,if & me 198, lgee 198, me Fh 198, t le che 199, weFh 199, she & aee 199, s Eqe 201 FurniturE and accEssoriEs 201 ///JEwEllEry storEs 203 /// Florists 204 /// GiFt sHops 204 /// opticians 204 /// HousEHoldappliancEs and ElEctrical EQuipmEnt 204 /// music, vidEo and dvd storEs 204 /// sHowrooms/souKs For cars 205 /// party suppliErs and EvEnts 205 ///OUT & ABOUT /// 15in doHa 208 /// mqe 208, me se 208, a Gee 211, ce 211, Q nlb 212, s cb 212 siGHtsEEinG trips 212 /// shg t 214, the t ab oF 212, dee sf 214 day trips and wEEKEnd GEtaways 214 /// Fhe o 214 EvEnts 216 ///c Ee 216, dh c Fe 216, dh ie Bk F 216, m 216, Be

s Ee 216, Eh H 216, Fh 216 sport EvEnts 216 /// ce rg 217

THE HOTEL LIFE /// 16dininG and liGHt BitEs 222 /// He dg 222, ceg 222 rEstaurants 223 /// a ce223, chee 223, Feh 223, i/pk 224, ie dg 224, i 224, i 224,Jee 225, Ke 225, lebee ce/me Ee 225, m 225, sef 225, sekHe 226, te-me 226, th 226, tkh 226 caFs and JuicE Bars 227 /// lounGEs 227 ///HotElsand dininG 228 /// malls and dininG 232 ///

LEAVING QATAR /// 17visa 236 ///documEnts 236 /// t He H 236, Bk 236, me 236, sh 236accommodation, taxEs, BanKs 237 /// pacKErs and movErs 237 /// ExportinG your pEt 237 ///utility accounts 238 /// we s 238, le iee 238, He mee 239,

mbe phe 239, cbe de 239 salE oF Goods 239 ///

QUICK ARABIC /// 18

DIRECTORY

MAP OF DOHA

NOW YOU KNOW!n ahe f he se f Q 12 /// re f Q 16 /// n reee 29 /// memh d aege 30 /// uef if 32 ///n de 34 /// tkh cffee 36/// wh i? 39 /// Gg 40 /// chbe ogz Q 45 /// me

dg 48 /// webe f igh Q 55 /// thee thg ab he i se f l58 /// ce he l Q 60 /// ne p 64 /// mb 66 /// Ee ce(v v Fee) 70 /// Hg H 82 /// thee t ab Hg 88 /// ajzee 96 ///Geg 101 /// Ee ce (lee Ehge) 105 /// dg he wehe 109 /// wh d ce f ae 116 /// meh 117 /// a see: a mh 125 /// the E-ch c 131/// mg h he che 148 /// Qz 154 /// Fe F ab he Q Heh se 158/// wh d ce f Eege 161 /// sge mhe Q 162 /// te tee: Bet f le 167 /// reg He ofe 195 /// te F m-d Q 208 /// Gere f dee sf: pe me 213 /// Q ce 222 /// see te 226

186

206

220

234

240

245

275


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10 living in... qatar

History1

Al-Zubara Fort, north-west Qatar.


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11living in... qatar

History

HiStOrY /// 1THE DEVELOPMENT OF QATAR:

FROM BEDOUIN VILLAGE TO BUSINESS HUB


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History1

The State of Qatar is a monarchy ruled by the emir,

His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, who

assumed this role on June 26, 1995.

Early History

Solid proof that Qatar was populated as early as

50004000 BC are discoveries of prehistoric pottery

and inscriptions on archeological sites, allegedly

seafaring Canaanites.

The area of the coastal town Zubara, facing the

island of Bahrain, was believed at the time to carry the

name Qatara and had already established itself as

an important port. The Qataris also helped in forming

the rst naval eet, that was created to transport the

army during the Islamic conquests.

Qatar experienced economic prosperity in the 14thcentury, as the inscriptions found in the Murwab Fort

on the west coast of Qatar indicate.

foreign occupation /// Over the course of

history, Qatar was ruled and invaded by different

foreign people, with each having its own role to play.

During the 16th century an alliance was established

with the Turks in order to drive out the Portuguese;

over the following four centuries, the Ottoman

Empire was the only entity ruling both the western

and eastern sides of the peninsula. Interestingly, the

central part, Nejd, was never occupied nor governed

by anyone.

al thani family/// The beginning of the rule of

the Al Thani family goes back to the 18th century. Partof the Bani Tamim tribe that had rst settled south of

the peninsula, they settled in Zubara and in the mid-

19th century moved to Al Bida (today known as Doha,

the capital of Qatar).

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Thani was the rst Sheikh

to rule over Qatar, and his importance was recognized

in 1868 by British Colonel Lewis Pelly, who imposed a

settlement between Bahrain and Qatar in order to end

the hostilities between the two regions.

In 1878 Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed succeeded

his father. On July 7, 1895, a British warship namedSphinx arrived at Zubara. Sultan Bin Mohammed, chief

of the Ali Bin Ali tribe, had settled in Zubara from

Bahrain. Qatar was then under Ottomans sovereignty,

a regime that opposed Sheikh Isa, the chief of Bahrain.

Two men got off the Sphinx carrying a warning letter,

which they managed to deliver to the house of Sultan

Bin Mohammed, despite the interception of two

Ottoman soldiers. However, Sultan Bin Mohammed

dismissed the letter. In retaliation, the following day,

the Sphinx captured eight pearl diving boats that

belonged to the Ali Bin Ali tribe. This incident posed a

threat to both the British and Sheikh Isa.

For two weeks the opposing sides kept capturing

each others pearl shing boats, which were of

primary importance as they provided income for the

tribes in the area. This aggression on their livelihood

was interpreted as a direct attack on their well-being

and lifestyle.

Sheikh Jassim, the well respected chief of Qatar,

travelled to Zubara to join Sultan Bin Mohammed. At

the same time the Ottomans had sent Zuhaf, a special

armed ship to Qatar. These actions signalled to the

British that an attack was becoming imminent.

towards indEpEndEncE

Although Britain had already signed a protection

treaty with Qatar and the Trucial States known as the

United Arab Emirates, this did not help. On September

7, 1895, the Sphinx and another warship named

Pigeon attacked Zubara. Zuhaf had unfortunately

already left the area and the damages were immense.

Despite varying reports, it is believed that at least 44

NatioNal aNthem of

the state of qatar

The national anthem of a country represents the foundation

the country was built on. It is a crucial element in order to

understand better the culture of what is soon to become

ones new home.

Swearing by God who upraised the sky,

Swearing by God who spread the light,

Qatar will always be free,Elevated by the spirits of the loyal.

Follow the path of the ancestors,

And the prophets guidance.

In my heart, Qatar is an epic of dignity and glory.

Qatar is the land of the forefathers,

Our protectors at the time of war,

Doves at the time of peace,

And hawks at the time of sacrice.

Translation from Amiri Diwan at www.diwan.gov.qa/english/qatar/anthem.htm


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History

boats were destroyed. People left the town and moved

into the desert.

The story somewhat changed at this point. It is

alleged that Sheikh Jassim ended up switching sides.

He told the British that he never intended to invadeBahrain and asked for their protection over Qatar. The

British refused to abide by that demand; they however

agreed to place a political agent in Bahrain to oversee

Ottoman action in Qatar, but not before burning

all the captured Qatari pearl boats. This had major

ramications as the Qataris main source of income at

the time was pearl diving.

The battle of Zubara was of major importance

to the British as they were trying to secure their

commercial and military connections to India. Qatar

and Bahrains geographical positions in the Gulf werein fact becoming strategically valuable to many such

as the Portuguese, the Iranians and the Wahhabi

tribes as they constituted a major link for trade

routes between India and Europe.

The destruction at Zubara made it clear to Sheikh

Jassim that the Ottomans would not be offering

any assistance to Qatar. He was proven right, as the

Ottomans did not intervene, yet again, when three

years later Kuwaitis raided cattle from a tribe he

had protected. This last incident was the perfect

opportunity for Sheikh Jassim to head, in 1898, a

small uprising against a tribe at Al Bida fort, an area

on the east coast dominated by the Ottomans since1871. Thus the struggles of the Qataris against the

Ottomans began.

The British were determined to preserve their

investments in the region and in 1900 the rst

political British agent was appointed in Bahrain while

the Ottomans made sure to reinforce their already

existing troops. Sheikh Jassim, on the other hand,

was seeking protection for Qatar through the help of

the British (in exchange he would make sure that the

seas would be defended again), but the British were

not keen. By the end of 1902, the Ottomans had set upthree units throughout Qatar in Zubara, Wakra, and

Khor al-Udeid. The Ottomans knew there was no other

foreign assistance in Qatar and their main goal was to

get the Al Thani family out.

the anglo-qatari treaty/// Although the

British knew that the Al Thani family was a stabilizing

force over the local Bedouins and the pearl shing

Doha port in the old days


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History1 Snapshots of the past: the city, weaving nets, old architecture, souk


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History


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History1

tribes, it was only in 1916, after heavy debate among

the British colonialists in Britain, India and the Gulf,

that the Anglo-Qatari treaty was signed to maximize

the protection over Qatar.

The other concern of the British was that at the end

of 1899 the German Ambassador to Constantinople

managed to convince the Ottomans to build a railroad

to Baghdad. This project was pushed through the

system by Sultan Abdul Hamid II who commissioned

a study to stretch the line to a harbour in the Arabian

Gulf. Kadhamah in Kuwait was the suggested location

on their bay, and it was the best harbour in the Gulf

and an amazing military base location for the future.

Using diplomatic excuses, the British delayed any

works on the project until 1907, when they decided

to join the railways consortium and took on the role

of protector in the Gulf, with special attention on

Kuwait and Qatar. Complications followed as in return

the Higher Court System of the Ottoman Empire (the

Sublime Porte) expected Britains approval of Kuwait

being a fully integrated part of the Ottoman Empire.

All of the sudden, the issues of the whole region

were in question. An agreement had to be reached

between Britain and the Ottoman Empire on the

railways consortium, the state of Kuwait, the Trucial

States, Bahrain and Qatar. By July 1912, following

lengthy talks back and forth, the British stated they

would abandon any stake in the railway consortium

as long as it did not go beyond Basra, Iraq, and they

acquired concessions on Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

Early in 1913, the Ottomans agreed to withdraw from

Al Bida as long as Qatar remained independent.

the british protectorate /// The British power

was quite strong in the Arabian Gulf as the routes

to India had already been secured. In the 18th and

19th centuries the bombardment of the East India

Company and the troubles caused by Bahraini forcescompelled retaliation on the part of Qatar.

The British inuence increased with the end of

the Turkish regime at the end of World War I, and

the signing of a protection treaty limited to general

administrative matters. Negotiations resumed

regarding the treaty, however Qatars Sheikh Jassim

proved to be a tough negotiator by avoiding three

sensitive chapters (on the presence of a political

agent and British merchants, the duties imposed on

British goods, and the building of telegraph networks

and post). The British agreed to offer protection to theSheikhs ofces in the event of a land attack on Qatar,

which made it the rst among the Trucial States to

benet from this privilege (Qatar was the ninth and

last state to join the Trucial States). Sheikh Jassims

rmness set the ground for Qatars importance locally

as well as internationally.

the anglo-ottoman convention /// By July

12, 1913, the Anglo-Ottoman Convention was signed.

This was done without Sheikh Jassims knowledge,

as he died of old age within ve days of the signing,

after having fought hard for it for a long time. The

signing from the Qatari side was thus delayed, and

the document was never ofcially formalized until

November 3, 1916.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jasim Al Thani, Sheikh Jassims

son, took over after his fathers death in 1913. By 1914,

World War I had broken out and the Ottomans sided

with the Germans. The British were concerned that the

Saudis would work on occupying Qatar and control the

trading of arms in the region (the other force in the

region that emerged at the time was the Wahhabis in

east Arabia). By 1915, the Ottomans deserted Al Bida

and the British gave it to the Sheikh of Qatar.

oilfields /// Qatar was sticking to their alliance

with the British as Abdullah, the grandson of

Mohammed Al Thani, secured the safety of his state in

1916 by providing the British with an exclusive promise

to stay away from foreign powers and slave-trade.

However, the powerful and unexpected discovery of

oilelds in 1932 in Bahrain turned to have an enormous

rulers of qatar

Mohammed bin Thani 1850-1878

Qassim bin Mohammed 1878-1913Abdullah bin Qassim 1913-1949

Hamad bin Abdullah 1940-1948

Ali Bin Abdullah 1949-1960

Ahmed bin Ali bin Abdullah 1960-1972

Khalifa bin Hamad 1972-1995

Hamad bin Khalifa 1995-present

The Al Thani family is part of the Tamim tribe, whose name comes

from Thani bin Mohammed, the father of the rst Al Thani ruler

of Qatar.

living in qatar

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