Qatar Gov launches new statistics website

A new statistics website has been launched for Qatar at http://www.qsa.gov.qa/ - which is great, because as things are changing so fast many of the statistics quoted not just on websites but on major and respected news and facts sources are now out of date.

The new website, for example, gives the current population of website as 1,448,446. This contrasts to the 928,635 given by the CIA world factbook, which it says is a July 2008 estimate, and the 841,000 given by the BBC. Only Wikipedia, often criticised for its inaccuracies, gets it right with its estimate of over 1,400,000.

This increase in population is down to the huge expansion in the expatriate work force. A quick look at the birth and death rate shows that Qataris are multiplying rapidly: the number of deaths (1750) is outsripped by a factor of 9 by the number of births (14120).

It would be nice if the website provided dates - presumably these refer to 2007, but I wasn't sure exactly. It was also interesting that the number of visits to museums stood at 31,309 - as every musuem in the country seems to be shut at the moment (see Museum Frustrations or Why it is hard to be tourist in Qatar) I wonder how the statistics authority came to that conclusion.

It would be nice if there was more information included - I would like to know their estimates for Doha's population, which in 2004 was put at 400,000 but which, according to unpublished statistics a friend passed on to me, is now around 900,000. However, this may be available from their publications section, which for some reason I can not access from work!

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The Old Shoe-Seller

I am in the process of adding some old photographs to the website. I was particularly intrigued by the image of a shoe-seller and repairer below, not because it showed how much some things had changed, but because it showed how little had changed for some people.



Just for comparison's sake, here is an image of a shoe-seller pictured today in the Sofatel area close to Souq Waqif.











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Doha Movie: The Remake

We weren't very happy with quality of our last movie on You Tube so we uploaded it to Vimeo, and got substantially better quality in return. the You Tube version should be quicker to load, though, so we have left the original Doha Drive movie below.

Doha Drive 2 from qatar visitor on Vimeo.

Also see our detailed Doha page, complete with articles, images, movies and sounds.






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Desert Photography

In the latest article on the website, Abigail Harman, a prize-winning professional photographer, gives her tips for taking great photographs in the desert. The article covers composition; choice of equipment, with a discussion of the best lens to use in different situations; a discussion of how best to take advantage of different light and general tips for desert photography.

Abigail Harman, who is a member of the Australian Photography Society the World Institute of Photographic Masters, is a professional photographer who is based in Australia and has won many awards for her work.

In addition to desert photography, she specialises in family and child photography, and is known for her use of natural light in both black and white and in colour photographs. You can visit her Family Photography website to see superb examples of her family and child photography.

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British Embassy Press Release: New Access Road

The British Embassy have sent us the following press release. For more information about the British Embassy, its history and its new location see British Embassy open for business.

New Wahda St access road to British Embassy in West Bay: old route no longer accessible

As of today, the access road to the British Embassy in West Bay is changing. Visitors to the Embassy should now approach from the Rainbow (Arches) roundabout and take the Wahda St exit towards Qatar University. The first exit off Wahda St on the right leads to the Embassy carpark.

The Embassy understands that the previous access road from Lusail St (Aladdin’s roundabout) will be closed as of 1 July. We apologise for any inconvenience caused but believe the new route will make it considerably easier for our customers to reach the Embassy.

A revised map of the route to the Embassy is available on our website at www.britishembassy.gov.uk/qatar

British Embassy Doha
30 June, 2008

Also see:

Full list of embassies in Qatar

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Doha Movie

Update: Watch this in better quality, and with clearer subtitles in Doha Movie: the Remake

In our latest movie we take a drive along Doha's Corniche, taking in some of the sights to the sound of the haunting Doudouk, an Arabian wind instrument.

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Qatar: the new Venice?

The Independent today has published an article today questioning whether Qatar is becoming the new Venice. The article is not referring to the new developments taking place in West Bay - which the Pearl will be disappointed about - or even the canal and gondolas in Villagio shopping mall. Instead it is comparing Qatar's growing economic muscle with the former trading ability of Venice, which despite its small size was able to dominate shipping; at the zenith of its power the city state had 36,000 sailors operating 3000 trading ships.

According to The Independent Qatar's domination will be over finance rather than the seas. In addition to the huge revenue Qatar is generating and investing as a result of its financial activities, it is also seeking to become a source of finance for other Middle East countries looking to raise finance. To do so, it has brought in the NYSE as a 25% partner - more for its skills, resources and connections than for the $250 million the American stock exchange paid for the privilige: a drop in the oil well for rich Qatar.

Read the full article on the Independent:

Margareta Pagano: Qatar is the new Venice and London has missed the boat

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The Emergence of Qatar

In our latest book review on the website we look at the Emergence of Qatar: the Turbulent Years. The book covers the history of Qatar from the bombardment of Qatar by the Portuguese at the start of the seventeenth century till the signing of a treaty of protection between the Al Thani family and the British in 1916. The history of this period is covered in detail, and this is probably the only detailed general history book published about Qatar's history for many years.

Read the full review.
Browse all our book reviews.







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Ancient Settlement found in Qatar

An exciting archaeological find has been made by Danish Archaeologists in Qatar, according to UPI.com. A Danish team excavating in Qatar has found a prehistoric settlement which may be more than 700,000 years old. A total of eight dwellings by an early species of human has been found in the desert of Qatar. The discovery could be used to sound out theories of early emigration patterns from Africa, as the archaeologists believe the humans may have left Africa via what is now the Red Sea. Keep your eyes peeled on the Gulf Times for further details!

Also see: Qatar Archeology

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Terrorist threat or drunken conversation?

According to the Gulf News the recent high status terrorist alert in Dubai was based on a conversation between two drunken men at a bar in the Hilton, according to "Diplomatic sources".

One of two drunk Arab man was reported to have said, jokingly:

"If someone wants to scare all these people and make them run away, just say there is a bomb. A belt bomb will kill hundreds of them."

Secret Dubai Diary also reported the story, with a bit of a twist. Is this story real, or a bit of spin doctoring by the UAE government?

In any case, the warning remains.

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Qatar Dust Storm

The weather in Qatar has been murky and dusty for more than a week now, with mild dust storms kicking up whenever the wind gets going. While there has been an improvement in the weather this weekend, things are forecast to get worse again from tomorrow, and the local met estimates that conditions are the dustiest they have been for six years.

These dust storms are a mixture of dust and sand. Within Doha itself, though, there is an increased quantity of dust and other materials, partly caused by the huge quantity of building and demolition (of older buildings) going on. These dust storms can cause allergies and illnesses, and local hospitals have reported a surge in cases of respiratory infections. Doctors are also advising asthma sufferers to purchase air purifiers or dehumidifiers to clean the air in the houses.

The immediate cause of the dust storms is the movement of wind over loose particles of dust on the ground. This causes the dust to first vibrate and then to leap into the air. As they return to the ground, they strike and loosen smaller pieces of dust which are then borne by the wind. In Qatar this wind is often caused by differences between land and sea temperature.

Dust storms can be huge things. They can spread over hundreds of miles, rise over 300 metres in height and are visible from space.

Dust over Saudi Arabia and The Middle East

Source: NOAA Satellite and Information Service

Dust storms normally occur in arid lands such as Qatar, and can be exacerbated by poor management of land. Qatar suffers from overgrazing from camels, which is leading to increased desertification, something which the government is trying to combat (see Qatar Camel Farm). Conditions this year have also been exacerbated by late and insufficient rain during the winter. However, in Doha itself these causes are probably also added to by the enormous amount of building going on.

If you want to take photos of a dust storm, we advise using a filter on your camera to avoid damage to the lens. If you are lucky you may find filters in Doha in the Sofatel area, where there are several camera shops. We had to order ours from America, and are currently waiting for delivery via Aramex.

Also see: Dust storm for images of a dust storm in Qatar.

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Warning Status: Qatar

The Gulf Times reported today that the British Embassy has warned of a serious threat of an attack in The UAE.

"There is a high threat from terrorism. We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE. Attacks could be indescriminate and could happen at any time, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests. You should maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places."

Source: Travel Advice: UAE

After reading the story I spoke to the British Embassy earlier, and they said that the warning applied specifically to the UAE and not to Qatar. The status in Qatar remains the same, which is of a general warning:

"There remains a general threat from terrorism in Qatar. Attacks could be indiscriminate, and against Western, including British, interests as well as against civilian targets, including places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers."

Source: Travel advice: Qatar

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