Job Discussion Forums

[lollaerd]

For others, it certainlyis where it's at.

Qatar has one of the lowest crime rates in the world


Murder rate per 100,000 people is barely 0.5, compared with a world average of four, the figures published in the local media reveal.


Murder rate in Qatar is barely 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to a world average of four, the figures published in the local media reveal. Image Credit: Supplied Qatar has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, according to figures released by the general secretariat of the state cabinet.

Murder rate in Qatar is barely 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to a world average of four, the figures published in the local media reveal.

The rate of burglaries is 25 per 100,000 inhabitants, while the world average is 100 per 100,000 people.

The rates of other crimes like kidnapping, assaults and arson are also low, with a collective rate of five per 100,000 people while the world average is eight per 100,000 inhabitants, The Peninsula daily said.

Qatar has recently set up Al Faza to maintain vigil on roads and residential areas on a 24-hour basis, provides instant help and prevents crimes. The force has 142 patrol cars to carry out its duty, the paper said.

A total of 8,527 people were rounded up in 2008 for violating residence permit (RP) rules and 6,610 were deported.

The authorities said they identified 5,269 companies for failing to stamp or renew work visas for their employees in 2008.

Under the Qatari law, employers are fined for visa-related violations.

[lollaerd]

I live near Old Airport and we have a nice green strip along the road that goes to The Mall. It's become a rubbish dump so it's about time.

Fine up to QR20,000, jail term for park vandals


Source ::: THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Inspectors from different municipalities, including that of Doha, are being armed with judicial powers to take direct legal action against those who are found causing damage to plants, trees and irrigation systems of public parks across the country.

The law (Number 32 of 1995) regulating the upkeep of public parks mandates at least a three-month jail term or a fine of QR2,000 to 20,000 or both for a violator.

The legislation is part of the set of laws Qatar has enforced to make sure its environment remains intact and unharmed.

At least 25 civic inspectors from different municipalities have been picked for the job. There are a total of 29 civic bodies in

the country.

These inspectors underwent a five-day training under the aegis of the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, which concluded here on Thursday.

The objective of the training programme was to make them fully understand the law and ways to identify and nab a culprit before instituting legal action on the spot.

The inspectors will have the right to enter any public park at any time for routine checks.

Violators will not be required to be taken to the police as the municipal inspectors could themselves file court cases

against them.

And the violators could either be vandals or individuals found uprooting or harming plants or damaging trees or irrigation systems in a public park.

Companies doing excavation work while carrying out infrastructure projects and causing damage to the flora or irrigation system of a public park in the process are not to be spared. They await a similar fate as regards the implementation of the provisions of the stringent law.

There are a total of 49 public parks in the country and a vast majority �25� of them are located in Doha alone. Al Rayyan ranks next with at least 11 parks, while Al Wakra boasts five and Al Shamal (the northern areas) three.

[lollaerd]

Sure is for these guys.

United squad in Doha for training


THE PENINSULA
Wayne Rooney (right) and Paul Scholes of Manchester United at the Doha International Airport yesterday. Led by long-serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson, United arrived here on a four-day trip. The English Premiership League (EPL) giants will train at Aspire Academy till
DOHA: English Premiership giants Manchester United, led by long-serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson, arrived in Doha yesterday.

United, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Birmingham in their EPL match on Saturday, will train at Aspire Academy.

The EPL defending champions who arrived on a chartered flight will wind up their trip on January 14, according to an Aspire Academy press release. United�s next EPL fixture is on January 16 against Burnley followed by a match against Hull on January 23. A regular stop for many international outfits for training, the Aspire Academy last week hosted North Korea�s football which was in town for a four-nation event. The trip to Doha would be welcome break after a number of EPL matches postponed due to freezing weather.

[lollaerd]

Qatar spends $1.5bn a year on research


THE PENINSULA
DOHA: Qatar is witnessing a research renaissance with 2.8 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) allocated for funding and promoting research in medical and other fields, according to Dr Al Hareth M Al Khater, Chairman, Medical Research Centre at Hamad Medical Corporation.

Opening the seminar on �Essentials of Research�, held at Hajar auditorium on January 9, Dr Al Hareth said that there was a research renaissance in Qatar with annual spending to the tune of $1.5bn in research. Under the leadership of H H the Emir, the Qatari government is investing heavily in promoting research, especially in medical research in the country,

he added.

The seminar held at Hajar auditorium saw more than 250 registered researchers, physicians, paramedic staff, nurses from HMC, Supreme Council for Health, Weill Cornell Medical School, Shafallah Center and Qatar University partaking in the daylong seminar, which saw presentations from researchers working at Medical Research Centre, HMC.

�The aim of the seminar was to promote research among medical professionals at the same time educating the participants on research ethics, methodologies, and how to safeguard patient rights, which is essential to research,� said Dr Al Hareth, who gave a brief overview of the journey of medical research from the times of famous Arab physician Ibn Sina to date.

[lollaerd]

Nice website run by a young Qatari.

http://iloveqatar.net/

http://www.iloveqatar.net/forum/

[lollaerd]

Arab Culture Capital 2010

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=339711&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56

[MoonOverSangha]

I make just over $3250 a month in the Western Region in the UAE. My rent and utilities are of course paid for, as is my food, transportation, and dry cleaning. My only expenses are toiletry items. My only qualifications are a Bachelors of Arts in English and one year experience in Korea. I did work part time tutoring at my universities writing center for two years, and part time at an elementary school for a year as well during my university studies.. My resume doesn't point out that work as part time, so I suppose it looks a bit better than it really is. Making over 3G a month is definitely possible with those qualifications. Granted, life in the Western Region, UAE is oppressively dull, and the kids are absolute nightmares. I am not sure it's worth it. If all you want is to save money, great, but I am very very tempted to go back to Korea. I see Korea as the compromise country. No, it isn't as fun as Latin America, or even Japan, but you save more money living there. No, you won't save near as much as you can in the Gulf, but it is a lot more fun, fewer hours, better weather, and much much prettier.
And p.s. I was just offered a job in Qatar with my qualifications where I would make 3G a month.

[svatopluk]

[RDRD]

Yah, there's plenty of jobs out there for people without great qualifications. I make over 3 grand (and save about $2800/month) and live in downtown Doha and all I've got is a BA and TEFL cert. And as far as Qatar, I'm in my 20's and I like it alright. There are a few good clubs and some fun bars. The drinks are $10 each but you can buy plenty of cheap-ish booze at the liquor store, including $25 5 liter boxes of wine! It isn't crowded, there's amazing shopping and tons of good, cheap restaurants if you know where to go and I've met some really cool people (as well as lots of weirdos but still). Clearly it's the type of place where you're forced to chill out and you can't expect much, but if you want to take a year and just make money, study Arabic or for an MA etc, I would recommend it. I did a short stint in Kuwait once and hated it, REALLY hated it. Qatar is a whole different ball game.

[scot47]

I did two weeks teaching in Qatar. I hated it.

[wilberforce]

Not anymore. Not for me. I am in a great new country with a great new wife and a great new job. Who could ask for anything more?

[wilberforce]

I funrnished my first apartment with castoffs from this place. Another place going under in the craze for modernization and mallification.

What is Barwa village like? Probably sterile.

Tough times for Najma traders
Najma nightmare: Shopkeepers are finding it difficult to carry out their business owing to traffic snarls and shortage of parking space
Many traders and retailers in Najma area are being forced to relocate their business like their counterparts in Mushereib, but for entirely different reasons.While those in Mushereib have had to move out due to a demolition drive being carried out as part of beautification, in Najma an acute shortage of parking lots, the never-ending traffic snarls and high commercial rents are forcing many of the retailers to relocate, sources said.

�When the notice for demolition was served on shopkeepers in Mushereib more than four years ago, many shifted their operations to Najma, in particular to Souq Haraj. This led to a huge increase in rents that curtailed our expansion plans and that was why many of us started looking for alternative premises in other localities, especially on the Salwa Road,� said a textile shop retailer who earlier had flourishing textile garments business outlets Shaara Kahraba street in Mushereib.
Owners of several retail shops in Najma feel the traffic congestion is preventing customers from coming to the area. �Also, most customers say it is almost impossible to get parking space along the main streets in Najma,� said a businessman, who closed down one of his eateries in the locality recently.
�Apart from the traffic congestion, the high commercial rent is also beyond the capacity of most retailers,� he said. On one street alone in Najma at least six outlets, all started less than a year ago, have already closed down. Some others are also considering winding up their operations in the area.
�At least three shops closed down because of high rents and lack of business due to the congestion,� said a retailer who has given out a part of his double-room shop to a new tenant. �Our rent was very high and it was not feasible for us to carry on operations at the prevailing rates,� he said. His landlord finally permitted him to let out half his shop to another tenant on the condition that the two would together pay the same rent.
Some of the traders are trying to gauge customer preference before deciding to move to new locations such as Barwa Village.

�If Barwa Village is connected by proper public transport, there will be more takers for shops in the area. However, as of now, the chances of retailers thronging the area look very remote,� said a shopkeeper in Mushereib, who has to relocate by November 30.
Those who have already shifted to the Barwa Village are hoping that eventually the place would be the among the new business locations in the country.

[wilberforce]

Panel plans to raise student awareness on �green� model

The Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) is planning to engage the educational sector in a big way to create and nurture awareness about sustainability among students.
Joint initiatives with the Supreme Education Council (SEC), Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and some of the key universities are being drawn up. �We are about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Qatar University (QU) to organise one lecture per month on sustainability,� QGBC�s Education Committee head Mohamed Jaber said yesterday.He was speaking at an interactive session with the media, anchored by QGBC administration manager Rajaa Saleh, and attended by senior officials of other committees.


To begin with, a one-day seminar is to be held in November at QU, and also for students from Texas A&M University at Qatar and Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar.
�In January, we are planning an event in association with the SEC and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, to talk about sustainability to the teachers of Independent Schools,� Jaber explained.
The objective is to strive towards incorporating the concept of sustainability in the curriculum in the long run.
�We are trying to submit a proposal to Qatar National Research Fund�s National Priorities Research Programme (NPRP) fourth cycle,� QGBC�s Research and Innovation Committee head Dr Alex Amato said.
Work is progressing on a large scale proposal relating to ecology and sustainability in the country. QGBC is looking at involving Carnegie Mellon Qatar, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, and Qatar University in this project.�We narrowly missed approval for a proposal during the previous cycle of NPRP,� Amato pointed out.


QGBC has scheduled for next week a workshop to introduce the Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS), developed jointly by Barwa and Qatari Diar in association with Penn State University, revealed Saleh.
QSAS, described as the Middle East�s first performance-based sustainability rating system, has been established with a range of benefits that are not offered by other systems applied in the region.
QSAS responds to protecting Qatar�s architectural identity in parallel to providing modern and developed solutions. For instance, QSAS identified the type of plants needed for Qatar as a solution for the scarcity of water.
�QGBC is launching a membership programme in October, targeting prominent organisations from across industry to join as corporate members and as founding organisations,� Saleh said.
Membership is also open to individuals and students along with volunteering opportunities. The Qatar Foundation sponsored QGBC is a private organisation for public benefit with a vision to provide leadership and collaboration for Qatar in guiding and adopting environmentally sustainable practices for green building design and development, and to support the health and sustainability of environment, people and economic security for generations to come.
The Council�s mission is to educate the public, generate and increase awareness among the people, develop a definitive set of clear environmental and green building best practice guidelines, and to support and commit to research and development. Technical committee�s head Sandra Dold, deputy head Martin Hay and the marketing committee�s co-founder and member Sami N Younis were also present.
Certificates of appreciation were also announced for Younis and marketing committee members Amna Abu Nahya and Jawaher al-Khuzaei.

[wilberforce]

Govt urged to ease oversupply of office space
Kunhiraman: �Govt must step in�
Qatar�s government should consider steps to ease an oversupply of office space in the capital causing rent levels to fall and vacancy rates to climb, as it could potentially impact confidence in the real estate sector, Dubai-based Consultancy Division of Oxford Business Group said yesterday.
Monthly rents in Doha�s prime central business district (CBD), the Diplomatic Area of West Bay, have fallen to around QR165 ($45) per sqm this year after reaching highs of QR300 ($82) in mid-2008.

The fall in rents has been attributed to rampant construction over the past five years that turned a shortage of office space into a surplus.
Grade-A office space in the city has more than doubled over the past two years, with 1.4m sqm gross leasable area (GLA) available at end of 2009 compared to 550,000 sqm in 2007. Some 650,000 sqm of new GLA is anticipated to reach the market before the end of this year, the majority of which (70%) will be located in the West Bay.
The excess of office space has led to flexible deals being offered to firms seeking large units or long-term contracts, while concessions such as rent-free periods and rent caps have become commonplace.
The price decline is also apparent in secondary areas of the city, where space is available for as little as QR100 ($27) per sqm per month.
Doha�s office sector had traditionally been spread along primary and secondary locations such as the A, B and C Ring Roads and Grand Hamad Street. This changed when a number of key government departments were relocated to the West Bay, contributing to the rising rents there over much of 2007 and 2008.

The public sector is a significant player in Doha�s office market, occupying around 30% of existing Grade-A space. However, while most government institutions have established offices in the West Bay, new supply is currently experiencing limited demand.
A directive was issued in April prohibiting companies from converting villas and other non-commercial space into offices, and this is expected to only improve occupancy in the market for the short-term.
However, supply is still exceeding demand and as of Q3 this year almost 200,000 sqm of space remained vacant, with overall occupancy at 80%.
Delays in the delivery of some projects, with five developments offering a total of 500,000 sqm GLA to be delayed by two years, are creating supply interruptions and a temporary respite. However, the interval is not long enough considering demand growth is estimated at just 200,000 sqm per annum for the next five years.
Based on office developments under construction, more than 2m sqm of additional Grade-A office stock is expected to be delivered between 2011 and 2015. Actual delivery remains uncertain as construction bottlenecks and problems securing development finance have resulted in widespread delays.
Though supply interruptions are becoming common for a variety of reasons, the government may also be required to reduce speculative build, which is a bane of the region.
�A moratorium on construction activity in the office sector until current stock achieves at least 90% occupancy could ensure that Doha does not experience the problems evident in neighbouring Dubai,� said Rakesh Kunhiraman, director of Oxford Business Group�s Dubai-based Consultancy Division.
�Ideally, a market should be left to its own devices. However, with a severe oversupply looming on the horizon, it is up to the government to step in to avoid crisis in the office sector, which could easily affect other real estate segments and broader confidence in the economy,� he added.

[wilberforce]

Bahrami backs Qatar�s

Tennis player and crowd favourite, Mansour Bahrami yesterday described the government�s support for sport in Qatar as amazing, and joined the ever increasing list of sports stars backing the country�s bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
Bahrami, who was back in Doha to take part in a doubles showcase match at Khalifa stadium last night, told Gulf Times of his excitement at being back in front of fans he last saw in 1999.
�The fans are great for me here and I always have a really good response from the crowd,� he said, adding that he fondly remembers Doha for the �warm welcome� he receives upon arrival.
Admitting that he hadn�t had much time to explore all the facilities that have been developed in Qatar, he explained that he has heard enough about how serious the country is about developing sport.
�I haven�t seen much as I have just arrived, but what I have seen on the television about Qatar and everything they have done to develop sport here -- I think it�s really going well,� he said.
And he pointed to Aspire as a clear example of this commitment to sporting excellence.
�This is fantastic -� you don�t have many places like this in the world -� the government in Qatar are really involved and want to organise really big sporting events, and I am supporting that,� he noted.
As a dual nationality holder of Iran and France, Bahrami expressed his hope that big tournaments such as the World Cup would be staged in the Arab world in the near future.
�I am sure that one of these years -- 2022 I hope -- it has to be in this part of the world,� he said, �and I am completely supportive of that.�