Do u agree on this statement.. is foreigeners the reason for crime in doha.... if yes then which nationality u blame for??

WHILE blaming the massive influx of expatriates for the rising crimes in Qatar, the chief of Capital Security has implored foreigners to respect the customs and traditions of the country.
“The major issue which concerns us today is the habits of people in their home country and the taboos they have to face here as we are a tradition-loving Islamic country,” Col Ahmed Abdullah al-Houti, director of the Capital Security Department, told Gulf Times.
“For instance, they think dating, drinking and gambling are something normal but it is a taboo here,” the official said.

http://www.itp.net/i...

Vodafone Qatar plans September IPO
By Daliah Merzaban on Monday, June 30, 2008

Vodafone Group's mobile phone unit in Qatar plans to sell shares in its initial public offering in September, Qatar daily The Peninsula reported on Monday.

Qatar's second biggest mobile phone operator said in May it would sell a 40 percent stake in the firm in an IPO and 15 percent to local institutional investors, leaving Vodafone and its local partner, Qatar Foundation, with 45 percent ownership.

HSBC Middle East Ltd and Qatar National Bank are lead advisers for the IPO, the newspaper said.

Dust Storm over Qatar- Shamal - Update #2

Dust Storm over the Persian Gulf

A dust storm blew through Iraq and over the Persian Gulf on July 1, 2008. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image the same day.

In this image, the dust plumes are thick enough to almost completely hide the land and water below. The dust blows in a counter-clockwise direction, forming arcs over the Gulf and blowing over Saudi Arabia. The thickest part of the dust appears to skirt Bahrain, missing Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), although a thin veil of dust likely hangs over the entire region. In the southeast, the pale arcs crossing the Persian Gulf probably result partly from thin dust plumes. The arcs with more distinct outlines, especially northeast of Qatar, however, may result from sunglint—reflection of sunlight on the ocean’s surface.

These thick plumes result from a shamal—a northwesterly wind that often blows over the floodplain of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Iraq. This floodplain’s fine sediments provide ample material for dust storms in the region.

UPDATE #2

Dust Storm over the Persian Gulf
A dust storm over the Persian Gulf continued for a second day on July 2, 2008, as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite flew overhead.

The dust appears to have originated in northern Iraq, although specific source points for the storm are not visible in this image. A plume of dust curls over the borders between Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, but the thickest dust hovers over the border between Iraq and Iran. Arising from fine sediments of the Tigris and Euphrates floodplain, the dust blows toward the southeast.

Around the dust storm, skies appear largely clear. Dust obscures the view of the Persian Gulf and Iraq’s Buhayra-ath Tharthar. To the north, however, the nearly black water of the Caspian Sea and Turkey’s Van Gölü appear clearly through dust-free skies. The pale hues of Daryacheh-ye Orumiyeh likely result not from dust but from a combination of the salt lake’s shallow depth and sunglint, the reflection of sunlight on the water’s surface.

NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.
NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.

01 Jul, 2008

According to Mr Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saud al Thani governor of Qatar central bank, Qatari inflation is likely to stay about 13.75% in 2008 as food and oil prices remain high. He added that "Due to agricultural and commodity prices, it will stay around the same level of 13.75%."

Qatar's inflation, which accelerated to a record 14.8% in the first quarter, is the highest among the six GCC states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Inflation has risen across the region as oil fueled economic growth created shortages of real estate and services and the weaker dollar made imports more expensive.

Qatar Central Bank said that M2 money supply growth, an indicator of future inflation, accelerated to an annual 53% in March 2008 from 33% in December 2007.

Expletive laden celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is set to open up a restaurant in Qatar, The Peninsula has learned.

Sources say the most likely setting for the notoriously finicky super-chef's restaurant would be The Pearl-Qatar, the massive waterfront development being carried out by United Development Company (UDC).

UDC did not outright deny Ramsay would be setting up shop at The Pearl. Rather, in a terse response to The Peninsula, it said: “With regard to your request (for information), kindly note that such information cannot be disclosed, shared or be confirmed to press or public at this stage.”

Contract negotiations with Ramsay's ‘people’ are believed to be taking place although information is not available as to at what stage the negotiations have reached.

Well I guess if you're on Colbert, you're now on the map ;-)

Hello Hello Everyone!!!

Looks like we have missed out on some action from the QL [C] Cricket Groups...

Sorry people, but the HEAT OUT THERE Is too much and we werent able to find a suitable place to play under lights...

But now, we might have found ourselves a ground:

====================================
Venue: Ideal Indian School Grounds

Date: 10/ July/ 2008

Time: 1600hours after... till 2200hrs

(Shall be Confirmed SOON!!!)
====================================

This will be a Cricket Fiest that QL has never seen before...

The whole action will be played under lights and there will be a cost to this which will be informed pretty soon and the logistics this time will need to be taken care of more importantly cos we dont want anyone to get De-Hydrated...

For anyone shopping from Amazon, you'll now have this increase plus New York tax to add to your bill. 

Thank you for using our SHOP&SHIP service. Our aim is to continuously enhance your shopping experience with us.

Aramex has found it necessary to increase the SHOP&SHIP rates to offset the increase in fuel price and operating costs. Effective July 1st 2008, our new rates will be as follows:

• First ½ Kg 39 QR

• Each additional ½ Kg 31 QR

We appreciate your understanding as this situation is completely outside the scope of our direct control since fuel represents a significant variable cost in the provision of transportation services.

You can find more detail on shopping online in Qatar here.

Syd Mead, the "futurist" who did design work on Blade Runner and Aliens has produced a vision of Doha in the future. Apparently the design was done for Qatar Steel whose logo features prominently in the skyline.

Syd Mead via PSFK via Treehugger via Boing Boing Gadgets via Gizmondo.

Mohammed Fouad, legal consultant to Qatar’s national human rights committee, is juggling two phones in a new building between a Qatar Airways office and a branch of Villeroy and Boch, an upmarket household goods boutique.

Mr Fouad has an unenviable task. This month the US State Department kept Qatar and three fellow members of the Gulf Co-operation Council – Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait – on Tier 3, the poorest possible rating in its Trafficking in Persons report.

Bahrain made it to the Tier 2 watch list and the United Arab Emirates is Tier 2. The document claims that Qatar fails international reporting standards and describes the gas-rich emirate as a destination for the purposes of involuntary servitude and, to a lesser extent, sexual exploitation.

Yaaaaaaayyyyyy! Qatar beat Iraq 1-0 to make it through to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.

Well played boys :)

Sorry Iraq. I applaud your courage and determination. If you had beat Qatar I'd be rooting for you guys all the way.

WHAT A MATCH...

75th minute, Said Bachir heads in a goal.

A moment frozen in time.

QATAR lives its greatest moment in international football.

they are through to 4th round.

One more round to go FOR SOUTH AFRICA, 2010!!!

YEEEEHAAAAAAA!

(NOTE: All pictures from www.daylife.com)