Qatar Culture

Qatar Culture

Business and social etiquette tips

Qatar is a traditional country experiencing rapid social changes. It is important to Qatar to maintain its heritage and the modern appearance may mislead people into forgetting that it is still a traditional society with consequential social misunderstandings.

The following tips may be useful:

Foreign visitors are expected to dress in a style that is sensitive to the Islamic culture. Conservative clothing is recommended. Men generally wear long trousers and a shirt in public. Women's attire in public - as opposed to hotels or private clubs - should cover the shoulders, upper arms and knees. Western bathing attire is permitted at hotel and club swimming pools and beaches. Topless sunbathing is strictly forbidden.

Seek permission before taking photographs of people and be cautious about taking photographs in public. For security reasons Government buildings, military and some industrial sites, including some internal and external parts of the airport or shopping malls, should not be photographed.

When Arab men meet, they usually shake hands. A man does not generally shake hands with a woman. Male business associates will shake the hand of a female business associate if she extends her hand first. Some Arab men and women will shake hands with a woman. If an Arab person pulls back their hand and holds it against the heart this is a sign of greeting in preference over hand-shaking.

Bargaining with shopkeepers is common practice especially in the souq (market). Negotiations may include the buyer requesting the 'best best price'. Insisting on a discount beyond this best price might be deemed insulting.

Qatar prohibits the brewing and trafficking of alcohol. Drunken behavior in public or driving under the influence of alcohol is an offence punishable by a period in prison, a fine or both and cancellation of the offender's driving license. It is also illegal to transport liquor in your vehicle except from the point of sale directly to your home.

The country also applies a zero tolerance attitude to the use and possession of illegal drugs. The import of pork is prohibited.

National Dress

Qatari national men wear a thobe, a long white shirt over loose pants. They also wear a loose headdress, called a gutra, in white or red and white cloth, held on with a black rope known as the agal. Qatari national women cover their head with a black headdress called a shayla, their body with a long black dress called an abayha. Some women also cover their face with a black bourga; sometimes the eyes are left uncovered.

Language

The official language is Arabic, although English is increasingly becoming the chosen language particularly in business situations. Translators can be requested for business situations where English is not understood. Urdu, the language of Pakistan, is also spoken. The following chart offers a few words that may be helpful, and tapes or a simple Arabic language book can guide with pronunciation

English	Arabic
Yes	Aiwa/Na'am
No	Lah
Please (to a man)	Min fadhlak
Please (to a woman)	Min fadlick
Thank you (to a man)	Shukran/Mashkur
Thank you (to a woman)	Mashkura
Welcome	Marhaba
Hello (literally, "peace be with you)	Al-salaam alaykum
Hello (said in response)	Wa alaykum e-salaam
How are you? (to a man)	Kef halak?
How are you? (to a woman)	Kef halik?
I am well, thank you.	Al-humdulillah
Goodbye	Ma'al salaama

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Important Do's and Dont's for Qatar Tourists and Residents

Do's	Don'ts
1. Talk about football, children and food.	1. Talk about sex, Israel or religion (at least be sensitive when talking about religion). Note that people may bring up one of these subjects - this may, in rare cases, be an attempt to trap you into saying something you shouldn't. Do not ever, ever say anything negative about Mohammed, or name inanimate objects such as teddy bears after him.
2. Feel happy to say you are Christian, if you are a Christian: you are, after all, people of the Book.	2. Say you are an atheist. It's just not worth it unless you want to be deluged with a constant supply of pamphlets from worried Muslims anxious to save your soul.
3. Women should feel free to leave their hair uncovered; wear shorts (but not too short), t-shirts etc Exactly what you can and can't wear is a matter of great debate; try going a little conservative to start with until you get a feeling of what is acceptable and what isn't, and remember that just because people don't say anything doesn't mean that they are not offended.	3. Don't expose your stomach, your thighs or wear tight clothing that shows off your body. Check out our movie Qatar Culture: Clothesfor more info.
4. Drink in bars, if you are a drinker, or at private parties - but do hide your alcohol on the way to the parties and when transporting it back from the alcohol permit shop.	4. Don't offer a drink to a Muslim, don't drink in a public/visible place. Don't get too drunk and into a fight - several people have been deported for being drunk and disorderly.
5. Be warm and friendly, and take your time over your greetings - show a personal interest in the person you are dealing with, and that you care about them.	5. Don't be cold/brusque. There is no surer way to make people dislike you/complain about you. Don't get straight down to business - take your time to get to know people and you will have a much happier time in Qatar.
6. Come to work here if you are a woman.	6. Don't expect sexism - to our surprise, given how relatively recent women have been allowed to work as widely as they do now, the majority of women we interviewed felt they had had more experience of racism from Westerners and expats than from Qataris.
7. Do talk to women when it is part of business, when you work with them, when they initiate an acceptable topic of conversation. This is a difficult area, as it is one which is both changing rapidly, and one which can depend on the person involved and the family/tribe they are from and their background. On the one hand interaction is freer now, on the other hand you should do everything to avoid dishonouring an Arab's family. Again, proceed with caution until you have got a feel of what is acceptable, and with who.	7. Don't initiate a private conversation with a Muslim women. Do not offer to meet a Muslim woman in a private place. Do not initiate a handshake with a person of the opposite sex. Do not ask a man what his wife's name is. Try asking a man how his family is rather than how his wife is. Note that while we are advised not to ask Arab/Qatari women for help/directions, in our experience some will volunteer to help when they see you in difficulty.
8. Do expect huge variations in what individual Arabs feel is acceptable, based both on personality, education (at home or abroad), experience, family and nationality.	8. Don't expect all Arabs to be the same.
9. Do accept invitations to people's houses, weddings etc Do show your respects at afuneral - it will be appreciated.	9. Don't expect your visit to be the same as it is in your house - you may not see your spouse (or another woman) until the end of the evening.
10. Ask if you can take a photograph. While in general you shouldn't take a photograph of a woman, there are circumstances when it seems to be acceptable, and women who do not mind. An example might be of a women demonstrating traditional activities at the Heritage Village.	10. Take pictures without asking permission first. Don't even stare at women.Do not photograph official buildings without permission. Asking first does make it difficult to capture a natural pose. Try taking one photograph when the person is posing, then just keep on shooting, You may be surprised as to how quickly they go back to a natural pose.
11. Do shake the hand of people of the same sex. Women may also exchange a kiss.	11. Point with the soles of your feet or shoes at an Arab; don't put your feet up on your desk. Don't be surprised if you receive a kiss on the cheek from an Arab man.
12. Do expect people to be late. Do interpret 5 minutes as 10, 10 as 20 and so on.	12. Do not outrightly criticise people, or call them a failure. Try to be tactful rather than direct.
13. Understand that there is a social caste system. This is not an egalitarian society, and people have status according to a whole host of factors including race, family, education and so on.	13. Don't expect equality. Salaries, in particular, may depend on race, with some nationalities getting better pay for the same job than other nationalities.
14. Do expect to make friends. This may be a very different society, but people can be warm and caring. Just not when they are in their cars!	14. Do avoid being overly intimate with your spouse in public. Opinions divide on just how much intimacy is allowed, but we have observed some married Qataris holding hands.

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