Second Wives

"I need another wife,' a Qatari gentleman told me glumly. "My wife is old now. But she won't let me have another one."

That was the beginning of a fascinating conversation!

"Every time I mention it she gets angry," he added. "She doesn't understand me!"

It's perfectly legal in Qatar to have a second wife, although it is not particularly common.

"How many men have second wives?" I wanted to know.

His friend shrugged.

"I don't know - maybe 15%? It's not a big deal."

I wanted to know if they needed a wife's permission. Rather than answering me directly they told me that a man would get married without his first wife knowing about.

"You only know about it when the man dies, and suddenly a woman turns up looking for her share of the money."

The problem, they both agreed, was money.

"You need 300,000 riyals to get married, what with paying for the party, finding a house, providing a servant for the house and so on."

It was a lot cheaper, they told me, to get an Egyptian or Asian wife.

The first gentleman cheered up remembering his friend who had forked out for a second wife - and regretted it.

"Big problems, my friend says. They are always fighting - and nagging him. If one has a car the other one must have a car just as good."

"If you have a second wife," his friend added, "you must keep her a long way from the first wife. If the first wife is in Doha, it is better that the second wife is in Al Khor!"

Also see our website article: Qatar Weddings

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Soccerphile Relaunch

As you may know, Qatar Visitor is one of a group of websites that include JapanVisitor.com, IranVisitor.com - and Soccerphile.com.

Soccerphile was our first site and was built in the days of the old web.

And it's now has now had a well overdue releaunch. (It'll be Qatar Visitor's turn someday!)

About Soccerphile

Old fashioned design or not, Soccerphile is a huge website employing dozens of freelance writers.

And in 2010 we are offering coverage of the South Africa 2010 World Cup: teams, groups, schedule, results, tickets, previews, stadiums, city guides, news, interviews, predictions, South Africa accommodation, flights to and in South Africa, cultural features, South African travel information, images of the country and in-depth analysis of what promises to be an unforgettable tournament.

Check out the website here: Soccerphile.

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Double Kick Football

It's not a sport I've ever heard of before (and I had a look on You Tube before writing this post) but double kick football is coming to Qatar.

It's the second event this year to be held by Red Bull, and once again is sponsored by Vodafone and I Love Qatar.

Essentially, you have to score by kicking either backwards or in the air (sideways).

The event is going to take place on Friday 26 March at the Intercontinental Beach in Qatar, from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM.

Enjoy!


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Qatar Jobs on Facebook: 1000 Jobseekers!

It's really exciting to see that we have reached 1000 fans on Facebook now!

If you haven't seen or used our facebook page yet, you can check it out here: Qatar Facebook Jobs.

A selection of the days jobs are posted on Facebook, and there is also the chance to leave a few details about yourself for employers to see.

You have to be a member of facebook to join the group, but if you are it is a very convenient way to keep up with the latest jobs.

Click here to view the latest jobs on the site!

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Future formula one race for Qatar?

by John

QATAR TO HOST FORMULA ONE RACE?

Following a visit by Jean Todt, President of the FIA (and former team boss of Ferrari during the Schumacher era), Qatar has a possibility of hosting a Formula One Grand Prix Race - but not for some time. As M. Todt explained at the time of his visit, there are already races in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

Other Motor Sport Competitions Possible.

The FIA also controls the World Rally Championship, the FIA Touring Car Championship and the FIA GT Championship and a round of one or more of these competitions could come to Qatar - and lets face it - these are actually more exciting to watch than F1 although they may lack some of its glamour and prestige.

Upgrading Losail Circuit.

Qatar Motor and Motorcycling Federation President, Nasser bin Khalifa al-Attiyah said that improvement work was being carried out at Losail Circuit to bring it up to F1 standards, with safety being the prime concern.

F1 Testing at Losail Circuit.

Following completion of the current work and subsequent evaluation by the safety commisioner, Losail could be licensed for official F1 Testing. Following the disruption of testing in Spain due to rain, this could prove to be a winner. According to al-Attiyah, "after that we will be ready to be part of the F1 circuit".

Bahrain"not a white elephant".

Sheikh Abdulla al-Khalifa, President of Bahrain Motor Federation, who was also present at the meeting, dismissed claims that the Bahrain track was only used for the F1 race. He said 512 events were held there annually, both private and official.

GCC seeks more power.

Al-Khalifa also said "Finally the region has a great representation in motor sports and it's high time we played a role in the decision making process".

Get the Qatar name out there.

If Qatar really wishes to play a part in the upper eschelons of motor sport, it must get its name known and the best way to do this is sponsership. Already, other Gulf names have appeared on F1 cars and Abu Dhabi is sponsoring a WRC team and their name is very prominant on the car.

Come on Qatar!

So come on Qatar, what are you waiting for? You've got plenty of money, you are not the best known Gulf State and this exposure would assist your bids for other sporting events. If you need a global marketing executive - I'm available!

Also see: Williams in Qatar

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Qatar Visitor Friends

Qatar Jobs

Desert Diet

In her latest article for Qatar Visitor Frances Gillespie gives a fascinating insight into the food of the Qatar bedouin.

It's a far cry from the Qatar of today, a country where there seems to be a fast food outlet every 100 yards.

Feasts happened, but for the greater part of the time the Qatari bedouin lived a life of scarcity, sometimes eating just one meal a day and surviving on unleavened bread, camel milk and the game they could catch.

For the full fascinating article and some great pictures, see Fran's Article: The Bedouin Diet.


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Qataris: Good or Bad?

I've met a bunch of Qataris recently and they couldn't have been nicer - pleasant, friendly, polite and welcoming.

Which brought to my mind the many complaints I have seen and heard about Qataris and Qatar.

I think many (and I know some) are justified. I know there have been people who have been cheated in business, badly treated and even beaten (see our story on maids in Qatar.)

At the same time, if you read some people's contributions on forums and blogs, Qatar couldn't be more perfect.

So which is correct? Is Qatar a magic land of warmth and hospitality, or is every Qatari out to exploit foreigners?

Where's your focus?

If you look for bad things you will find them, and if you look for good things you'll find them too.

Qatar, like every other country I have even been or lived in, is a mixture of both.

Not every country and people is the same, of course. Culture and religion affects people values, the way they behave, and the way they react to situations.

(Many British people, for example, react to wherever they are by moaning and complaining, as if they were in the worst place in the world. This can offend residents, who often don't realise that the same people are exactly the same back home. Or indeed in any other country in the world.)

Cultural differences, vast though they may be, doesn't change the fact that some people are bad and some people are good.

So if you are coming to Qatar expecting only good, you will be disappointed. But if you come with an open mind, are tolerant of differences and are not too bogged down by your own culture, you will find a lot of good things and good people here!

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Arab Net Ambassadors

Arab Net are looking for 'ambassadors' to spread the word about Arab Net and boost participation.

Participants can become volunteers and get free access to the conference. The most active ambassadors will get links to their websites and free access to the conference (without having to volunteer!) They will also be invited to an "Ambassador's" post conference party.

It's sounds like a fun job if you are into the internet, and there are different ways to participate (via Twitter, Facebook, blogs e.t.c.) To find out exactly what you have to do, what you get in return and how to become an ambassador, see the Arab Net blog.

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Arab Net

We are really pleased to have been invited to cover the Arab Net conference on behalf of Qatar - it's very flattering, especially considering that we have been rather slack recently. (Running a jobs board taking rather more time than we initially anticipated...)

Arab Net aims to be the first international conference for the Arab world, but participants are not just limited to the Arab World, with speakers also coming from Europe and California's silicon valley (with Google and Yahoo among the participating companies).

The conference aims to take the most promising start up and ideas in the region and connect them with the incubators, angel investors, venture capitalists, established Internet companies,NGOs and influential bloggers who can help make those ideas work.

The conference will be taking place on March 25-26 - for more information check out the official site: ArabNet.me.

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Doha Mums

Congratulations to Roxanne at Doha Expat Mums & Kids (now Doha Mums!) for getting her new website up.

Doha Mum's is now complete with a nursery guide for mothers, and now also comes with a blog. Future plans also include a newsletter.

The website still has a forum which is both friendly and helpful (so I have been told - obviously not being a mum I have not been in myself!) where you can talk to people. Alternatively, you can connect with them on Facebook.

If you prefer to meet people face to face you can do that too - Doha Mum's is having a launch party at Gympanzee on the 15th March.

Check it all out for yourself at Doha Mums!

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Saamri

In the Qatar of old times, the tribespeople had no records of music to provide instant entertainment.

Instead they turned to traditional music, the Saamri.

It's a tradition of music and (often wild) dance - and also of superstition and jinns - which lives on until today, although not always with approval.

In her latest article, Yousra Samri explores Samri, the history behind it and the jinns and black magic that are said to be involved.

If you want to read, watch or listen to it, check out Saamri.

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QDC Update

Friends visited the Qatar Distribution Center yesterday and said that business was back to usual. Liquor permits are now being renewed and apparently are also being issued to new applicants again. That'll be a big sigh of relief to many Western expats!

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