Need for convening an Arab summit stressed

"
HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani addressing the Arab nation last night"

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani last night described the heinous Israeli aggression on the people of Gaza as a war crime as per international charters and laws.
In an address to the Arab nation broadcast on Al Jazeera Satellite Channel, the Emir said even if there were no other issues concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian cause the woes of Gazans should move the Arab leaders.

It's 2009 so let's update our Cost of Living in Qatar budget.

How realistic are these prices for living in Qatar? Need to sort my budget before I move. Any ammendments are much appreciated.

8,500 = House Rent (Furnished)
1,800 = Groceries + Misc
1,600 = Car Hire / Loan + Petrol
33 = Land Line
50 = Mobile
150 = Water
150 = Electricity
200 = Internet
75 = Television
120 = VOIP
200 = Car Insurance

(all prices in Qatari Riyal)

Qtel has announced an 80% discount on all international calls to Palestine, to enable people to stay in touch with their relatives and friends there.The reduction applies to all calls made to Palestine from land line, mobile phone (Hala and Shahry), Q-Card, Dawli Card and payphones, Qtel said yesterday.

The discounted rates will be offered during the entire month and extended if necessary, Qtel said. Qtel executive director (Group Communications) Adel al-Mutawa said: “Qtel’s gesture is in solidarity with people of Palestine. We want to ensure that people can stay connected with their friends and loved ones in Palestine. Our thoughts and prayers are with our Palestinian brothers and sisters at this time.”

Gulf Times

QATAR’S largest open-air resort with a slew of family entertainment facilities will be open to the public near Mesaieed from today.
The 96,000 sq m resort named ‘The Qtel Oasis” has been built and fully funded by the telecom service provider. It will be thrown open to families in Qatar, absolutely free.
Located towards the coast, some 3km from Mesaieed City and close to Endurance Village, The Qtel Oasis has transformed a patch of desert area into an entertainment zone in the traditional Qatari style.
The entire resort was developed using an “environmentally-focused” technique, which aims to preserve the character and ecology of the surrounding area.

For those interested, I just found this on the Peninsula web site:

DOHA: Qatar-based NGO Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) on Monday pledged US$1m in humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Omnia Nour, Director of ROTA, said: “We are committed to lend a helping hand to thousands of Palestinians who have been rendered homeless, injured and impoverished due to the on-going conflict”.

Those interested to contribute to Gaza through ROTA can send their donations to ‘ROTA’ at Qatar National Bank (QNB) A/C No. 0035-004919-004 (Palestine Immediate Relief) with its Qatar Foundation branch or call +974 4800296 ; www.reachouttoasia.o.... 

As you've probably all realised by now, I'm a News Junkie..

Question: Which news story of 2008 captured your heart / imagination the most ?

Just a one please and why...

Ladies and Gentlemen of QL, this might just be the first known, stationary picture of the man, simply known as 'Man on the Car' or 'Man on the Bike'.

Was lucky enough to run into him at the Doha Sheraton the other day. His name is Ahmed Al Jaber and he has four bikes and cars each at his place. He's a gentleman and flashed the thumbs up and graciously posed for the photograph.

He's a swell guy. And i'm gonna visit his place and watch those wheels. If you're interested in more pictures (anytime in the next two months, sigh), then watch this space on QL.

The mayor of Paris is claiming that renovations by the Emir of Qatar are a serious threat to the only private property from the end of Louis the XIII's reign to remain untouched in the city.

Bertrand Delanoe says that the alterations to the 17th century mansion on the exclusive Saint Louis island in the heart of Paris including an underground carpark, the addition of elevators and new rooms, will spoil the important heritage of the building.

Source, and full story: PropertyWire

Finally someone else saw what I’ve seen longtime ago and brought the story up.. Really this was annoying me:
Read the article at the Gulf Times: http://www.gulf-time...

Qatarisation plan must be put on hold
The Ministry of Labour should suspend its programme of Qatarisation of jobs until a well-trained cadre of young Qatari men and women is available, participants in a seminar have unanimously urged.
The seminar on ‘Nationalisation of Jobs’ was organised by the Institute for Administrative Development in Doha, local Arabic daily Arrayah reports.
The participants said that until such a cadre of national youth emerged in the job market the policy of Qatarisation of jobs was nothing but “deadwood employment” because the incumbents were not equipped for the positions to which they were appointed.

Doha’s Souq Waqif is a five-minute walk away from where I live. Yet, it took me close to three years to cover the distance. And when I did, a slice of Qatar’s history unfurled before my very eyes...

It was like starting at the beginning of time, to the time when Qatar was still very much an idea, in the corner of a thousand minds. It was like turning the pages of the book of history, swiftly from left to right, in breathtaking seconds of sudden realisations...

Mud brown brick buildings rose to kiss the sky, along the two sides of the stone-sown path. Well rounded pieces of teakwood played intricate games of hide and seek with the mud and brick structures. Candle lights, thinly veiled by multi-coloured glasses, painted the evening with different hues of faint colour.

The sky blushed a deep red of evening, reflecting off coloured sheesha glasses. Sweet scents of peaches and myrrh gathered form as wispy plumes of faint white smoke, rising and dissolving into the cold wintry evening. A thousand sandaled feet made rhythmic music on the stone paths, even as a hundred tongues spoke a multitude of languages, selling wares, dreams and more…

Cheeks touched cheeks and noses, noses, in the familiar routine of Middle Eastern familiarity. The faint aura of universal brotherhood hung in the Souq’s air…

When I woke from my trance, I found myself sitting amidst history, watching tradition blend seamlessly with modernity. People smoked scented hookahs, turned their heads, and surfed the World Wide Web. They sipped strong black teas, brewed together with centuries of knowledge, and conquered the distance barrier by speaking into their mobile phones…

How long does it take for a person to cover 300 metres? For me, it was almost three years. But if that was the price I had to pay for getting my first romantic feel of Doha’s Souq Waqif, I consider it as time and money well spent…