Garangau

Ramadan is underway. Adult Qataris abstain from water and food from dawn to dusk - and are often joined in this by their children. Young children will usually fast for a few hours, or until midday - but soon they will enjoy a reward for their sacrifice. Garangau, the children's festival, is approaching and in our latest article on the website Yousra Samir explores the songs, traditions of and origins of the tradition. For the full fascinating article, or to watch and listen to this ancient song, see Garangau.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

The Battle of Al Wajbah

New on QatarVisitor.com: The Battle of Al Wajbah.

It's 1893 and Sheikh Jasim bin Mohammed Al Thani is in a quandary. The Ottomans are in Qatar in force, both on land and at sea - where they hold his brother Sheikh Ahmed amongst 15 other tribal elders. Should he do battle against the better equipped Turkish troops and risk the lives of both his men and the captives, or should he concede - and risk the autonomy of Qatar? Read the Battle of Al Wajbah to find out what happened!

Also see our other recent articles:

Learning Qatar Arabic
Finding a job in Qatar: An Employer's Advice

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Qatar Number Change

Qatar's numbers have changed - but ours haven't. Our programmers are in the process of making a program to automatically change all numbers, but it is taking them rather longer than established. In the meantime, please double the first digit of numbers in Qatar to make a valid telephone call: for details see Qatar's Number Change.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Cancelling your Qatar Visa

Leaving Qatar can be a nightmare, at least according to many employees. However, the bureaucratic confusion is caused by employers' procedures (designed to keep them from assuming employees' debts) not by the actual process of cancelling your visa - as we see in our latest article on Qatar Visitor - Leaving Qatar: Cancelling your Qatar Visa.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Recipes from Qatar

The latest article is now on the site this time featuring an array of delicious Qatar Recipes!

What happens when lightning strikes the desert?

What happens when lightning strikes the Qatar desert?


Just as rain on the sea...


Brings oysters to receive the raindrops that will grow into pearls...


So does lightning on the desert give rise to the desert delicacies known as truffles.


At least, that's what the Qatar Bedouin say.


For more information, see Fran's latest article on Desert Truffles.

Images Attribution

Pearl Image by Feminist Julie
Rain at Sea by Shellorz
Stormy Sunset by Azglenn

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Salukis in Qatar

Salukis: Son of the Desert, Wind Drinker, Daughter of the Tent and Desert Eye - just some of the names the Saluki has been called by its Bedouin masters. But is it being forgotten in Qatar? Yousra finds out in her latest article for QatarVisitor.com: Salukis: The forgotten dogs.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Keep those wheels straight - or else!

I was in line at the basement of the City Centre, waiting to pay my wife's parking fine.

(If you need to pay a fine, by the way, and are having problems doing it online, this is a quick and fairly hassle-free way to do it.)

I started chatting to the ladies in front of me, and told them about the fine.

"Ooh, you've got to be careful," one said. "Last time we were here the guys who wash the car said the police had come and booked every car which didn't have their wheels straight."

I was 90% sure this was rubbish, and the car washers had either been winding up the ladies or there had been a major failure of communication.

But I decided to ask some Qataris what they thought.

"Most police won't bother you," said Ahmed. "But you know, there are some crazy cops. If you don't park your car straight they will come and book you."

"Whaaat," said his friend, who was a copper. "That's not true. It doesn't happen like that."

The conversation quickly moved into rather lively Arabic - I suspect Ahmed may have been booked recently and was still feeling sore about it.

I remain sceptical about whether you would get a parking fine for not parking straight. But at QAR500 a pop, I'm not going to take any chances.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Exclusive Interview with Tim Sebestian

In the final of a series of articles for QatarVisitor.com on freedom of speech and the press in Qatar, Yousra Samir talks to Tim Sebastian in an exclusive Qatar Visitor interview.

In the interview she covers the purpose of the Doha Debates, asking whether it is a showcase for medium freedom or a genuine attempt to improve people's freedom of speech.

See An Interview with Tim Sebastian for the full story.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Tags Qatar Tim Sebastian

Alcohol Receipts

Do you keep your alcohol receipts?

To be honest, I am the sort of person who loses receipts within several hours of receiving them.

But after picking up some booze for a party today and trying to beat a hasty retreat towards the exit, I was warned that perhaps I shouldn't.

"Please wait for your receipt, sir," said the polite lady on the desk.

"I don't need it," I said, imagining some impossible position where employees could claim back their booze against expenses.

"But what if the police stopped you, sir?"

"Well, I have my alcohol permit," I reassured her.

Not enough, apparently.

You should also have proof of purchase to show that you and you alone bought the alcohol.

The police are on the lookout for people who have bought their alcohol illegally - meaning you need proof of purchase, even if you have a permit.

So keep those alcohol receipts!

See Alcohol in Qatar for more information about alcohol rules and regulations in Qatar.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Qatar Falconry

In our second article on falconry Fran Gillespie, author of Discovering Qatar, writes about falconry in Qatar.

She takes us through from the trapping of the birds just before the hunting season, their training, and the hunting of the Arab falconer's favourite prey, the Houbara - and we finish off with a video about breeding falcons in the Gulf.

For the full article check out: Qatar Falconry.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.

Tags falconry falcons

Thai Snack Set to Shut?

Rumours are spreading round Facebook that Thai Snack is set to shut.

The event may seem unimportant on a country level, but this is a small country and there is a tremendous amount of affection (or should I say drooling) for the restaurant's products.

In fact, I sometimes wonder if the establishment, which many consider to be the best Thai restaurant in the country, although it is a fraction the price of some other Thai restaurants, doesn't slip some addictive substance into its food.

My wife just has to mention Thai Snack (which she does on a regular basis) and saliva starts to generate in my mouth.

I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like the place.

Anyway, rumours, which have been grumbling round the city for a year, have again surfaced that the family who run the restaurant are to leave the country.

I sometimes wonder if they don't start the rumours themselves to boost business. Although they hardly need to - the place is almost always packed.

Anyway, I'm not taking any chances - I'm off to get my fill of good Thai food while I still can.

Check out our review of Thai Snack.

Like this post? Sign up for the Qatar Visitor Newsletter.