Job Discussion Forums

[millie18]

This is from the www.qatarliving.com website - accuracy cannot be ascertained at this time but erring on the side of caution in the part of the world is probably a sound plan of action

Some lady was alerting the people about alcohol here on QL yesterday. Today I got this message from the company director (don't know which company):

"I wanted to alert everyone to an incident here at Education City. I was informed yesterday at an Education City security meeting, that two Qatar Foundation employees were fired and deported for bringing alcohol into Education City. These employees were also facing jail time but QF security interceded on their behalf asking for leniency. The situation involving the employees did not involve drinking the alcohol on campus or their intention to drink the alcohol while on campus. They simply made a lunch time run to the distribution center to purchase alcohol to be consumed in their homes. Upon returning to Education City, some of the alcohol was transferred from one car to another and the transaction was witnessed and reported to authorities. Qatari law states that alcohol purchased at the distribution center must be transported immediately to your home. You cannot bring it to work and hold it your car until you go home, you cannot stop off at the store, etc. So please, be careful about following this requirement as this incident illustrates how serious this offense will be treated."

I have known people in other GCC countries who drink and drive. Be aware that any blood alcohol level greater than zero . zero is considered illegal and you can be arrested, jailed and deported (personally, I know 2 people that happened to in the UAE) - it's not worth the risk and taxis are cheap.

[millie18]

latest from www.qatarliving.com - again, can't swear to its accuracy, but this type of police action took place on several occasions in the UAE

For those of us who do enjoy the occasional consumption of alcohol, please note the following information which was obtained from the Rugby Club Website:
�We have heard on good authority that Qatar Police are carrying out random breath tests on drivers. Most of us come from countries where it is acceptable to have a small amount to drink and then drive. It is worth noting that Qatar has a zero tolerance policy to alcohol, i.e. any amount of alcohol in your blood, no matter how small could result in a conviction. Apparently 10 expatriates have been arrested since Christmas, held in jail for 24 hours and then deported never allowed to return to Qatar. The bottom line is that if you have had so much of a sniff of alcohol, don't drive, get a taxi or a lift, it just isn't worth the risk.�
I believe that this is pretty sound advice.
Take care out there.

[lukey]

Apparently 10 expatriates have been arrested since Christmas, held in jail for 24 hours and then deported [color=darkblue]never allowed to return to Qatar[/color].

And this is a bad thing?

[millie18]

Sure they deserve it, this is the law of the land. Unfortunately, there are those who live insular lives in Qatar where they believe that such things will never happen to them - after all, I'm a US/Canadian/UK/SA/AUS/insert nationality here citizen and my employer/sponsor/embassy will sort it out.

Bottom line is, for drunk driving (and again, anything over zero.zero is drunk driving here) the penalty is usually jail followed by deportation. Your sponsor/employer can and will do nothing. And don't think you can refuse the breathalyser or refuse to give a blood sample (as you can in North America for example) - you will have a blood sample taken, simple as that.

I have met people who believe that Westerners (particularly white Westerners) are immune to the penalties facing other expats while the truth is while other expats are sometimes targeted on a regular basis - if you are brought to the authorities' attention (either by your own silly behaviour or by a concerned or vindictive individual) you will be subjected to the same rules.

I have to laugh when people tell me that "homosexuality doesn't happen here in Qatar", "housemaids aren't physically abused here in Qatar", "they don't stop Westerners", etc. It does happen - just make sure it doesn't happen to you.

[biffinbridge]

I think a lot of the older expats in Qatar got used to drink driving as everyone did it way back when. I myself had 2 boozed up accidents whilst out there. Managed to report one the following day and got out of the other due to a friendly Qatari.
I also spent 24 hours in the slammer there at the central police station. Open cell, about 150 inmates of various origin and altogether not a pleasant experience. Got out due to thee 'wasta' of a friend.
DONT DRINK AND DRIVE anywhere, it's stupid. Oh, and don't get into fights either.

[guty]

[biffinbridge]

The thing is Millie...Qataris would try and hush up acts of homosexuality and rape as the perps are usually nationals.
Catching a drunken whitey behind the wheel would be a heaven sent opportunity to put him in his place.
It's the arabs who deny the existence of pretty much everything bad in the GCC and when they do admit it, they blame 'foreigners'.

[millie18]

Perhaps I should clarify - there are a lot of white expats here in Qatar who believe that they are immune or above the law (particularly drink driving) because it's not reported in the newspapers and/or they believe their sponsors will be able to get them out of such difficulty.

There are also a lot of white expats who believe that there is no homosexuality, housemaids are not abused, etc. - again, because they "see" no evidence of it in their very small frames of reference. A lot of them don't know the meaning of adultery under Qatari law is different to that in most Western countries.

My point was that these people are fooling themselves - we all know these things happen and those who actually scratch the surface of living an expat life in the Gulf are aware of the "dark side". These naive souls can and do get themselves into trouble because of the insular lives they lead here (they work with white expats, they socialize with white expats, they commute with white expats, and they live in flats and compounds with white expats).

The closest they usually get to any local on a social level is very carefully "managed" by the Qatari - this is not to say deception is intended or involved, only that we all put on our "best party faces" when we find ourselves in a different social setting/group than that to which we are accustomed.

It's like most GCC nationals say that there is no Aids/HIV in the Gulf (or at least in their particular home country) - check out the "pneumonia" ward at Sheikh Rashid hospital in Dubai and you'll see the truth behind that assertion (as well as other government hospitals in UAE, Qatar and Oman)

And also to clarify for guty - I was referring to the drunk driving rather than the homosexuality - sorry for the misunderstanding

[veiledsentiments]

[Stephen Jones]

The word you are looking for is fornication. Islamic law does distinguish very strongly between adultery and fornication between unmarried people.

[amrendamnul]

I have been deported back to Philippines because I was accused of having agreed sex with a CID agent. He accused me of being gay although I admit I am gay. My visa was cancelled but they never If I could still enter to other GCC countries..anyone knows similar case!!

[veiledsentiments]

You may or may not have been blacklisted. Run-ins with the law are the most common cause of getting on the so called 'blacklist." There is only one way to find out and that is to apply to another Gulf country and see if you get in. Take care of assuming that a job offer means that you have passed. Not passing the security clearance often comes through at the last moment. So, don't count on anything until you have arrived and have your work visa.

VS

[wilberforce]

You took a big risk. You should know that getting involved with a local means trouble.