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Monday, November 07, 2011

Calling Qatar from abroad

If you're on a business trip or changed residence to Qatar, you might be in need of calling your friends and family back home. If you’re using a landline, mobile or more affordable version, a prepaid calling card, here are the codes you need to remember:
- 011 – this code must be dialed first for all international calls originating from the US
- 974 – dial the country code for Qatar
- Phone number – without any added prefixes, an 8 digit number for any region including Doha



For calling landlines in Qatar, use the following codes:
- 011 + 974 + 44 XXX XXX

For calling cell phones in Qatar, use the following sequence:
- 011 + 974 + XX XXX XXX

Qatar Calling Cards

Monday, April 25, 2011

Qataris and their thoughts on the World Cup 2022

New on the QatarVisitor website: We ask Qataris how they feel about the World Cup 2022. See Qatar 2022: Hopes and Fears.

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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Doha Cupcake Competition: The Winner


Last month Shabina Khatri reviewed ten of the top cupcake eateries in town.

And we asked readers to choose their favourite via a poll on the Doha News site.

Cupcakes from Tasmeem.

The winner, with almost 60% of the total vote, was Tasmeem.

Tasmeem have also very kindly supplied both the winner and two runners up with vouchers.

(The prize money we had put aside will now go towards Shabina's next article - all that eating can get expensive!)

View the full voting results on Doha News.

For more food related articles from Shabina, see her article Cheap Eats around Doha.

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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Qatar Cupcake Heaven

Swirls of multi-coloured cream decorate the top of these cupcakes!
New on QatarVisitor.com: Qatar Cupcake Heaven! Shabina reviews the best cupcake cafes in Qatar, provides a feast of cupcake pictures and pinpoints their location on a map. PLUS pick your favourite cupcake cafe in our poll and you could win a visit to your favourite cupcake cafe - courtesy of QatarVisitor.com! Click here to get started.

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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Qatar Stadiums - Will they do the job?

A road leads into Qatar's Khalifa Stadium.


In the latest article on QatarVisitor.com Mike Tuckerman looks at Qatar's stadiums.

In the 2022 World Cup the stadiums will have to protect both players and audience from summer temperatures which can reach a searing 50+ degrees. It's a tall order, but one that Qatar thinks it can manage - with a little help from some artificial cloud.

Click here for the full story: Qatar Stadiums.

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Monday, March 21, 2011

A New Way to Keep Up With Qatar News

Qatar is hitting the headlines at the moment.

Qatar is supporting the rebels in Libya, but the government in Bahrain. Al Jazeera has been challenged in it role of supporting freedom in the Middle East (and its assertions of editorial independence) after also supporting the Bahrain government, and Qatar jets could soon be in action over Libya.

It's not something we have covered on QatarVisitor.com, as some time ago we decided to focus on being a travel guide. So I am really glad that the excellent people from DohaNews, who supply us with a constant stream of both news and astute and funny comments on Twitter, have set up a new site focussed purely on Qatar and Qatar related news.

Check it out here: Doha News.

They have also promised to furnish us with their top stories every month, which we'll be adding to our monthly newsletter.

On a side note, I have been talking to the editor of our sister site in Japan. (Everyone involved in the site is fine, although a bit shaken up!) They have been covering the news there, and you check out their posts on the Japan Visitor blog or see this video by one of their bloggers: Tokyo Earthquake Trashed my Apartment.

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Monday, March 14, 2011

The Cursed City


You've probably heard of Petra, the ancient city carved into the rocks of Jordan. Less well known is its sister city Madain Saleh. Built by the same civilization, the curses of the prophets and travel restrictions have put off all but the most determined visitors - which means if you are brave enough to venture there, you can have the wonders of Madain Saleh to yourself.

QatarVisitor writer David Marwood braved the curse to see the city for himself - and provide a comprehensive guide. See Madain Saleh for the complete article.

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Thursday, March 03, 2011

Alzheimer's Research Blogging Competition

Alzheimer's research competition.

I am helping out this month with a writing competition to raise money for Alzheimers' Research.

You may already have been touched by Alzheimer's. Nearly half of us have a relative or friend who has the disease. Unfortunately, this number is forecast to grow rapidly in the future. One in ten of us will get the disease if we reach the age of 65, a number increasing to more than half of us by the time we are 85.

Research has already managed to produce drugs which can slow the progress of the disease. However, it is desperately underfunded, receiving just a fraction of the funds cancer research receives.

TheDisabledShop is both donating funds to research to help stop the disease, and holding a competition to raise awareness and further funds.

There are some great prizes - including life pro-membership of popular blogging forum MyBlogGuest and a free c-commerce store from BigCommerce. But the best reason to get involved is to help defeat Alzhzeimer's. To learn more about the competition or to get involved click here.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Dating in Qatar


In Qatar Dating Ola Deyab looks at the forbidden practice of dating before marriage in Qatar. It's an issue that's considered a taboo in this conservative Muslim country, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. See Qatar Dating for the complete article.

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Saturday, February 19, 2011

World Cup 2022: Lessons from the Asian Cup 2011


In the latest article on QatarVisitor.com Michael Tuckerman, fresh back in Australia after covering the Asian Cup, sits back and reviews how Qatar handled the cup - and what it means for the World Cup 2011. See World Cup 2022: Lessons from the Asian Cup for the full story.


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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Weekend Breaks in Dubai

Dubai is a hugely popular tourist destination for travelers from around the world. With its massive growth in tourism there is, unsurprisingly, a fantastic number of attractions and entertainment even to just fill a weekend. And with daily flights to Dubai available from a variety of British airports, you can easily find quick and cheap travel to this gleaming city in the Middle East.

If you are looking at just visiting Dubai for a weekend then you should be well prepared for what you want to do so that you can get the most from this destination. For lovers of shopping there is no better way to spend a day than visiting some of Dubai’s best malls and retail locations. The Emirates Mall is one of the area’s best known malls, hosting a huge number of shops in an extravagantly built and beautifully decorated setting. This is also the location of Dubai’s famed inside ski slope, so if you want a break from shopping, a quick slalom down a real snow slope is a memorable attraction to enjoy. If you prefer to visit some traditional markets then there is no better option than to take a river taxi through Dubai to the souk’s, where the gold, spice, and perfume markets are a great place to shop and immerse yourself in culture.

For trips to Dubai where you want to enjoy the sunny skies and exotic climate there is nothing better than spending the day outdoors. In the heart of Dubai is Wild Wadi’s, the region’s biggest water park with more than enough rides, pools, and loungers to entertain anyone with a full day out. Meanwhile, with extensive coastline, Dubai’s beaches offer a great way to relax and escape the city. In addition to this the sea is the perfect remedy, floating on the waves and staring at the sky will give you many blissful hours.

As evening falls in Dubai it is the perfect time to take opportunity of the many pubs, clubs, and discotheques available. Most of the multistory hotels offer their own pubs and bars for both guests and visitors to enjoy, though the drinking regulations are tight in the emirate, make sure to keep your passport with you for proof of age. Whilst you can stay in the city, it’s also nice to venture out to some of the desert resorts which have luxurious restaurants and cocktail lounges that are surrounded by landscaped gardens leading to rolling desert. And if you want to dance all night there are a multitude of clubs in the city including Oxygen, Buddha Bar, Kasbar, and the newly refurbished Zinc.

There is a huge amount to do in Dubai, so much so that you may well start to plan your next break to this vibrant city as soon as you get home. With flights to Dubai readily accessible to the thriving metropolis, whether you’re visiting for a couple of days or a long weekend, no matter what you explore you’ll return home feel refreshed, relaxed and inspired by the treats that Dubai has in store.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

New on QV: Gulf Decision Means Death for Thousands

vaping an electronic cigarette

New on Qatar Visitor - we discuss with a scientists the likely impact of the GCC decision on the electronic cigarette, a decision which could lead to the death of thousands of Middle East smokers. See GCC Decision Will Mean Death For Thousands of Smokers for the full story.

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