Qatar Cheap Hotels - Reservation Information in Qatar Hotels |
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| History: |
| Although Qatar was inhabited during the Stone Age when it had milder weather, it did not have a significant population for a long time after that, and the latter is evidenced by the fact that archaeological digs found no Portuguese ruins of any sort in Qatar, whereas most other areas of the Gulf are rich with them. |
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| By the mid-18th century, Qatar became a well-established pearling center; and the regions within it that were important pearl bed areas, like Zubarah, were highly competed for. Although some income was made out of the pearling business, Qatar was quite poor, with a high rate of hunger and diseases. The pearl market collapsed c. 1930, so the emir was quite welcoming of oil prospectors that started arriving in Qatar at around that time; they struck oil in 1939. |
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| Although the oil reserves in Qatar were not colossal, they were enough to lift Qatar out of its poverty, and start paving the way to modernization. The first school was founded in 1952, and health care facilities were improved. |
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| The mid-19th century saw the establishment of Doha as Qatar’s capital at the hand of the first Al-Thani (Qatar was first ruled by the Al Khalifa family, but around the mid-18th century, the Al Thani family arrived, and a hundred years later they became the Qatari rulers, whereas the Al Khalifa family became the Bahrain rulers) emir, who also signed a treaty with Britain in 1867 to strengthen ties with other tribes in the area, as well as protect Qatari land from Turkish rule. |
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| In the 1970’s, Qatar began talks with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (which used to be known as the Trucial States back then) to form a confederation, but upon Bahrain’s retracting from those talks, Qatar also did the same and declared independence on September 1, 1971. However, Qatar still has strong ties with Britain, and has been strengthening them further with France and the United States. |
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| Six months after the 1971 independence, Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani overtook the rule, and politically stabilized Qatar, dramatically increased oil prices, and used the profits to build one of the world's great all-encompassing welfare states. |
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| In June 1995, although Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani overthrew his father Sheikh Khalifa from rule, Sheikh Khalifa returned the US$3.6 million he’d taken from public coffers during his time as emir to show he supported his son’s policies. |
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| Since then, Sheikh Hamad has been improving Qatar as elevating its standards; he allowed freedom of speech in media (however, journalists usually exercise self-censorship, especially when they’re covering the royal family). Also, prior to May 1998, the emir used to appoint the 18-member Chamber of Commerce and Industry, but that year witnessed the first democratic exercise in Qatar. Women were allowed to vote, and both men and women ran for the elections. |
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| Besides all of Sheikh Hamad’s enhancements to Qatar, his wife, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned has been a great proponent of his vision, creating innovative projects and motivating reform, “seeking to extend material prosperity to prosperity of mind and habit." One of their mottos is "We want our people to have a stake in their country. We want Qatar to belong to the people who live here." And together, it seems like they will really make Qatar a great country for its citizens through their undeterred efforts at development. |
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| Climate: |
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| Like any region in the Gulf, Qatar’s weather in the summer (May until September) is pretty hot, with an average temperature of 35°C, and the mercury sometimes rises to 50°C. But the shocker is that there is 90% humidity during that time of the year, and that is accompanied by frequent sandstorms! |
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Cheer up though, the winter months (December until February) have mild weather; pleasant days and cool evenings, spiced up with the occasional shower. |
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| Sandstorms occur throughout the whole year in Qatar, but they are most common during the spring.
Although rare (the average annual precipitation is only 3 inches/80mm), rainstorms might occur during December and January, and when they’re severe, they usually result in road closures. |
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| The best attire during the different seasons would be lightweight cottons and linens during the hot summer months. Warm clothes are advisable in the evenings as the weather tends to be cooler. Rainwear is advisable during winter; you never know when the next storm will decide to pay Qatar a visit. |
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| Time and Place: |
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| Otherwise surrounded by the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar is an emirate that is bordered by land only at its south; a 60km boundary by Saudi Arabia. |
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| However, its terrain is basically 11,437 sq km of flat, barren desert, with 0 sq km of water. The obviously limited natural fresh water resources are also largely increasing the need for desalination facilities in the country. |
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| Qatar’s natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, and fish – quite unsurprising, given its strategic location in the central Persian Gulf, near major petroleum deposits. |
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| Health and Safety: |
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| You are not required to have done any vaccinations before entering Qatar, routine vaccinations are advisable. |
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| The most important steps to avoid contamination of sorts are to avoid food that hasn’t been well cooked, fruits and vegetables that haven’t been properly washed, and to drink bottled water from trusted sources. |
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| If you have comprehensive medical insurance that’s a definite plus for you; Doha is equipped with modern medical healthcare facilities, but immediate cash payment is expected in return for medical services, which are expensive. |
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When visiting Qatar, you needn’t worry about your safety much. The area is relatively crime-free and the only precautions you need to take are the following:
- Be vigilant in public places.
- If you’re a woman, be careful if traveling alone at night.
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| Government: |
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| Qatar is an emirate whose government is a traditional monarchy (Nations in which political and governmental authority rests with the monarch, but the existence of a parliament and limited elections make it a traditional monarchy rather than an absolute one). |
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The emirate is divided into 10 municipalities: Doha, Al Ghuwairiya, Al Jumayliya, Al Khor, Al Wakra, Al Rayyan, Jarayan al Batina, Madinat al Shamal, Umm Sayid, and Umm Salal.
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| Although the emir controls the system of law, and civil codes are being implemented, the legal system is mostly based on Islamic and civil law codes (the Islamic Shari’aa), which also dominate family life and personal matters. |
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| Crossing Borders: |
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| In order to be able to enter Qatar, you will need a visa.
The only exceptions to that rule are if you’re a national of the other Gulf States – you simply won’t need a visa, or if you’re an Israeli national – you simply won’t get into Qatar. |
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| Some nationalities can obtain visas at the airport for the sum of 50QR, and embassies and large hotels within the country can sponsor visas. For more visa details/information, or to download the visa form, click here. |
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| Culture: |
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As previously mentioned, Qatar follows the Islamic law, and is an Islamic state. Thus, it is only natural that the country prohibits what Islam itself prohibits. |
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You may not import any religious material that is not Islamic, pornographic material, alcohol, or pork products and derivatives. |
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Drinking is not allowed in public places except licensed restaurants and bars in hotels. foundok.com furnishes hotels in qatar, qatar travel, qatar hotels, accommodations in qatar hotels, cheap qatar hotels, discounted qatar hotels in uae, dubai and middle east. Best qatar travel services, qatar hotels services, qatar accommodations services. |
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| Friday is the national day of rest. During the month of Ramadan, a holy Islamic month of fasting, you are forbidden by law to eat, drink or smoke in public. |
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The customary polite greeting in Qatar is “assalamu aleikum” rather than the usual ‘hello’ or ‘hi’. |
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If you’re a couple, save the “lovey-dovey” attitude for the hotel; intimacy or public displays of affection between men and women may result in their arrest. If you’re contemplating a loophole, you might as well rest assured right now that homosexuality is also illegal. |
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Although there are no strict laws concerning dress code like some other Arab countries, modesty is definitely a factor that needs to be taken into consideration when dressing; local customs must be respected. |
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| Are you a lefty? Now is the time to dread it. Eating, giving and receiving things, and almost all else you might need to use your hands for should be done with the right hand, as the left hand is considered unclean. |
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| That probably means that you should also use it for tipping – it is customary to leave a 10% tip when the service charge is not included in your hotel and restaurant bills. You don’t have to tip taxi drivers, but it would be nice of you to round off the amount due. get qatar hotels, qatar accommodation, hotels in qatar, qatar hotel reservations, qatar motel reservation, qatar hotels booking, qatar hotels services at inquiry@Foundok.com - preferred destination to stay in qatar hotels |
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| Human Rights: |
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| For a summary of the Human Rights report, go to the Amnesty International website. For a very lengthy, detailed version of it, click here. |
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