Orientation
Identification
The population of Qatar can be divided into three groups: Bedouin, Hadar, and Afro-Arab (Alabd) people. The Bedouins trace their descent from nomads in the Arabian Peninsula. Hadar's ancestors were sedentary city dwellers. While some Hadars are of Bedouin descent, most are descended from migrants from Iran, Pakistan, and present-day Afghanistan and are sometimes referred to as Iranian-Qataris.
Al-Abd, which literally means "slave", are descendants of slaves brought from east Africa. All three groups identify themselves as Qatari, and their citizenship rights are not challenged, but their subtle sociocultural differences are acknowledged and recognized.
Qatar had around 2.6 million inhabitants at the start of 2017, the majority (about 92%) living in Doha, the capital. Foreign workers make up around 88% of the population, the largest being made up of South Asians, with those from India alone estimated at around 700,000.
Location and Geography
Qatar is a small peninsula on the west coast of the Arabian Gulf, which covers about 4,483 square miles (11,610 square kilometers), even the province of West Sulawesi is still larger, where this province has an area of 16,787 square kilometers. Or Slightly smaller in area than the US state of Connecticut. The Qatar peninsula juts 160 kilometers (100 miles) into the Persian Gulf, north of Saudi Arabia.
It lies between latitudes 24° and 27° north latitude and longitudes 50° and 52° east. Most of the country consists of barren lowlands covered with sand. To the southeast stretches the Khor al Adaid ("Inland Sea"), an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding the Persian Gulf's gulf. There are mild winters and extremely hot and humid summers.
The land that forms a rectangle is described by local folklore as resembling the right palm stretched out in prayer. Neighboring countries include Iran to the northeast, Bahrain to the northwest, and the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to the south.
Qatar and Bahrain both claim the uninhabited Hawar Islands to the west of Qatar. This territorial dispute was resolved in 2001 when the International Court of Justice granted the Ḥawār Archipelago (just off the coast of Qatar) to Bahrain and gave Qatar sovereignty over Janān Island and the ruins of the fortress city of Al-Zubārah (on the Qatari mainland). That same year Qatar signed its final border demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Demographics
The number of people in Qatar fluctuates greatly depending on the season, as the country relies heavily on migrant labor. At the start of 2017, Qatar's total population was 2.6 million, with foreigners making up most of Qatar's population. Only 313,000 of the population (12%) are citizens of Qatar, while the remaining 2.3 million (88%) are expatriates.
The combined number of South Asians (from the countries of the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka) alone represents over 1.5 million people (60%) of Qatar's population. Of these, Indians are the largest community, numbering 650,000 in 2017, followed by 350,000 Nepalese, 280,000 Bangladeshis, 145,000 Sri Lankans and 125,000 Pakistanis.
The expatriate contingent of non-South Asian origins represents about 28% of Qatar's population. The largest groups are 260,000 Filipinos and 200,000 Egyptians, plus many other nationalities (including nationals from other Arab countries, European, etc.).
Qatar's first demographic records dated back to 1892 and were conducted by the Ottoman governor of the region. Based on this census, which included only city residents, the population in 1892 was 9,830. The 2010 census recorded a total population of 1,699,435. In January 2013, the Statistical Authority of Qatar estimated the country's population at 1,903,447, consisting of 1,405,164 males and 498,283 females.
At the time of the first census, taken in 1970, the population was 111,133. The population has tripled in the decade to 2011, up from just over 600,000 people in 2001, leaving Qatari citizens less than 15% of the total population. The influx of male workers has upset the gender balance; women now make up only a quarter of the population.
Projections released by the Qatar Statistics Authority indicate that the total population of Qatar could reach 2.8 million in 2020. The Qatar National Development Strategy (2011–16) predicts that the country's population will reach 1.78 million in 2013, 1.81 million in 2014, 1.84 million in 2015 and 1.86 million in 2016 – an annual growth rate of only 2.1%.
But the country's population jumped to 1.83 million at the end of 2012, representing a growth of 7.5% over the previous year. Qatar's total population reached a record high of 2.46 million in November 2015, an increase of 8.5% from the previous year, far exceeding official projections. Currently, Qatar's population has increased rapidly compared to previous years, with a population of 2,997,465 as of Friday, November 25, 2022, based on the Worldometer elaboration of the latest UN data.
Linguistic Affiliation
The official language is Arabic. English, Farsi and Urdu are widely spoken. Arabic is closely related to the Islamic faith; thus, its use strengthens the nation's and its citizens' Islamic identity. The Qatari Arabic dialect is similar to the versions spoken in other Gulf countries and is called Arabic.
The adjective khaleeji ("from the Gulf") used to describe the local dialect also distinguishes residents of the six Gulf States from northern Africa and the Arab Levant.
Farsi, the official language of Iran, is also widely spoken by families hailing from the country. As a result of the influx of foreign workers, many other languages are commonly spoken, including English, Farsi, Baluchi, Brahui, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Nepali, Sinhala, Bengali, Tagalog, Tulu and Indonesian.
While many Qataris speak more than one language, it is very rare for immigrants to learn Arabic. Interactions between Arabs and foreign workers have carried out in English or the expatriates' language.
Symbolism
Symbols of national identity include the family, items related to the nation's past, and images of rulers. Qataris often use kinship and/or tribal idioms, referring to their compatriots as "brothers", "sisters," or "cousins".
This linguistic convention signifies including those who share nationality while excluding foreign workers. Images and ideas associated with desert nomadism and maritime trade used to evoke Qatar's past include Bedouin tents and carpets, eagles used for hunting, camels, weapons, sailing ships, and pearl and pearl diving equipment.
Traditional architectural features also serve as national symbols, such as wind towers that cooled homes before electricity was introduced and carved gypsum panels on buildings erected before 1940.
The date on which Qatar received independence from the United Kingdom in 1971 and the anniversary of the ruler's rise to office is celebrated as a national holiday. State flags, state seals, and photographs of rulers are prominently displayed in public places and in local publications. Qataris also celebrate Islamic holidays.
History and Ethnic Relations
Emergence of the Nation
In the 1760s, Al-Khalifa members of the Utub tribe migrated to Qatar from Kuwait and central Arabia and established a pearling and trading base at Zubarah in the north. From there, Al-Khalifa expanded its territory by occupying Bahrain, which they controlled from then on.
Al-Thai, the current ruling family, established themselves after years of feuding with Al-Khalifa, which still held claims to the Qatari peninsula for most of the 19th century. In 1867, Britain recognized Mohammad bin Thani as the representative of the people of Qatar.
Several years later, Qasim Al-Thani (Muhammad's son) received the title of the governor from the Ottoman Turks, who were trying to establish authority in the region. Qasim Al-Thani's defeat by the Turks in 1893 is usually recognized as a confirmation of Qatar's autonomy. In 1916, Abdullah bin Qasim Al-Thani (son of Qasim) entered a treaty with the British, effectively establishing Al-Thani as the ruling family.
The agreement provided British protection and special rights for British subjects and ensured that Britain would have a say in Qatar's foreign relations. The increase in state revenue from oil concessions strengthened Al-Thani's position.
When Britain announced its intention to withdraw from the region, Qatar considered joining a federation with Bahrain and the seven Trucial Nations. However, the agreement could not be reached on federation, and Qatar adopted a constitution declaring independence in 1971.
The constitution stated that the ruler would always be chosen from the Al-Thani family and would be assisted by a council of ministers and a minister. Consultative council. The consultative council was never elected; instead, there was an advisory council appointed by the ruler.
Despite periodic protests against the concentration of power and occasional infighting within the ruling family, Al-Thani's size, wealth and policies have maintained a stable regime.
Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space
Doha, the capital, hosts more than 80 percent of the population. Its award-winning parks, promenades and waterfront architecture are considered the centerpiece of Doha. The large-scale land reclamation project undertaken by the government to create the waterfront property is recognized as a major engineering achievement and a symbol of the country's economic and technological progress.
Small towns such as Dukhan, Um Said, and Al Khor have become centers of the oil industry, and Wakrah, Rayyan, and Um Slal Mohammad have grown as suburban extensions of Doha. Smaller villages are scattered throughout the desert interior. Village homes are often kept as weekend retreats for urban dwellers and as a link to nomadic desert traditions.
Doha's cityscape is an attempt to blend the modern with the traditional. At the start of the building boom in the 1960s, little thought was given to aesthetics; the goal was to build as quickly as possible. As the pace of development slowed, more consideration was given to developing a city that epitomizes Qatar's new urban character and global integration. Requested designs that use modern technology to evoke the nation's past.
The university's main building has a cuboid tower on the roof. The towers, with their stained glass and geometric grilles, are modernist versions of the traditional wind towers. The university tower is more decorative than functional; however, they deeply evoke Qatar's commitment to a past lifestyle while driving economic and technological development.
Similar examples are found in private buildings and government. Many building designs incorporate architectural elements resembling desert forts and towers or have a distinctive Islamic decorative style executed in modern materials.
The house also symbolizes community identity. The homes of Qatari citizens are different from the residences of foreign workers. The state gives citizens interest-free loans to build homes in areas reserved for low-density housing. Foreign workers live in rental units or houses and dormitories provided by the employer.
Food and Economy
Food in Daily Life
The presence of foreign workers has introduced food from around the world. Qatari cuisine is influenced by close ties with Iran and India and, more recently, by the arrival of Arabs from North Africa and the Levant and Muslim dietary conventions. Muslims generally refrain from eating pork and drinking alcohol and from serving it in public.
The main dishes in Qatari cuisine include many varieties of dates and native seafood. Other foods grown locally or in Iran are considered local, including sour apples and fresh almonds. The traditional dish machbous is richly seasoned rice paired with meat and/or seafood and is traditionally served from a large communal plate.
Main meals are eaten at noon, with snacks in the morning and evening. However, with more Qataris entering the workforce, eating out with family at night is becoming more common. Midday meal on Friday, after prayers, is many families' main gathering of the week. During Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, elaborate and festive meals are served in the evening.
Coffee is the main feature of the cuisine. Arabic coffee, made from lightly roasted coffee beans that are sweetened and flavored with cardamom, is served in small thimble-shaped cups for guests in homes and offices. Most households prepare vacuum jugs of coffee and sometimes tea for visitors. Another drink, qahwa helw (sweet coffee), a bright orange infusion of turmeric, cardamom and sugar, was served on special occasions and by the elite.
In recent years, restaurants and fast-food franchises have opened. The company primarily caters to foreign workers. Qataris, especially women, are reluctant to eat in public; but will use drive-through and delivery services from restaurants. Qatari men sometimes socialize and run businesses in restaurants and coffee shops.
Social stratification
Classes and Castes
The main axes of social stratification are nationality and occupation. Hiring foreign workers has created a system where certain nationalities are concentrated in certain jobs, and salaries differ depending on nationality. The division is widest between nationals and foreigners, with divisions based on the region of origin, genealogy and cultural practices.
Despite these inequalities, the atmosphere is one of coexistence and tolerance. Foreign workers retain their national dress. Their children can attend school with instruction in their native language. The market carries a wide variety of international food, music and movies. Foreigners are allowed to practice their religion openly, and many expatriate religious institutions sponsor community activities and services.
Qataris are internally grouped based on factors such as ethnic affiliation, religious sects, and historical connections to settlement patterns. For example, Qataris with genealogical links to Arabs tend to identify with Bedouin cultural values and adherents of Sunni Islam, whereas Qataris with genealogical connections to the northeastern side of the Gulf tend to identify with settled city dwellers and possibly Shiites. a Muslim.
Citizens' genealogical and geographical divisions correlate with occupational categories. Crafts were seen as a province of Irani-Qataris, and formerly enslaved people were disproportionately represented in certain professions, such as entertainment and policing.
Political life
Government
Qatari is technically an "Emirate", which an Emir rules. Since independence, the country's rulers have come from one particular family, the Al Thani. The emir, many of his cabinet ministers, and other top officials are members of the Al Thani family (a patrilineally related group of extended relatives) and are mostly male.
However, several high-level appointments have been made outside the ruling family. Due to the concentration of power within Al Thani, divisions or disputes among members of this extended kinship group will affect political relations. Qatar held public elections for a "city council" in 1998.
This was the first election held in Qatar, and the campaign was lively and attracted a large proportion of Qataris. While some women ran, none were elected in this first ballot. Both women and men apparently chose representatives from their housing sector. The City Council represents the local housing sector to other government bodies.
LAW
According to the Qatari Constitution, Sharia law is the primary source of Qatari legislation, although, in practice, Qatar's legal system is a mixture of civil law and Sharia law. Sharia law applies to family law, inheritance, and some crimes (including adultery, robbery and murder). In some cases, Sharia-based family courts treat a woman's testimony as half the value of a man's. Codified family law was introduced in 2006. Islamic polygyny is allowed.
Judicial corporal punishment is punishment in Qatar. Caning was used as a punishment for drinking alcohol or illicit sexual relations. Article 88 of the Qatar Penal Code states that the penalty for adultery is 100 lashes, and in 2006, a Filipino woman was sentenced to that. In 2010, at least 18 people (mostly foreign nationals) were sentenced to between 40 and 100 lashes for offenses involving "illicit sexual relations" or consumption of alcohol.
In 2011, at least 21 people (mostly foreign nationals) were sentenced to between 30 and 100 lashes for the same reason, and in 2012, six expatriates were sentenced to 40 or 100 lashes. Only Muslims who are deemed medically fit can carry out such punishments.
In April 2013, a Muslim expatriate was sentenced to 40 lashes for consuming alcohol, and in June 2014, a Muslim expatriate was sentenced to 40 lashes for consuming alcohol and driving under the influence.
Rajam is a legal punishment in Qatar, and apostasy and homosexuality are crimes punishable by death; however, sentences have yet to be carried out for either crime. Blasphemy can result in a sentence of up to seven years in prison, while preaching can carry a sentence of 10 years.
Alcohol consumption is partially legal in Qatar; some luxury five-star hotels are permitted to sell alcohol to non-Muslim customers. Muslims are prohibited from consuming alcohol, and those caught consuming it can be subject to flogging or deportation.
Non-Muslim expatriates can obtain permission to purchase alcohol for personal consumption. Qatar Distribution Company (a subsidiary of Qatar Airways) is permitted to import alcohol and pork; it operates the only liquor store in the country and sells pork to liquor license holders.
Qatari officials have indicated a willingness to allow alcohol in the "fan zone" at the 2022 FIFA World Cup now. However, on November 18, two days before kickoff, Qatari officials announced that alcoholic beverages would no longer be permitted in the stadium.
Until 2011, restaurants on Pearl-Qatar (an artificial island near Doha) were allowed to serve alcoholic beverages. However, in December 2011, the Pearl restaurant was told to stop selling alcohol. No explanation was given for the ban, though speculation included pushing for a more virtuous image ahead of a significant election and rumors of a financial dispute between the government and resort developers. The alcohol ban was later lifted.
In 2014, a modesty campaign was launched to remind tourists of the country's strict dress code. In public, female tourists are advised not to wear leggings, miniskirts, sleeveless dresses, or short or tight clothing. Men are being warned against just wearing shorts and a singlet.
Social Welfare and Change Programs
After independence, Qatar developed an extensive social welfare program, including free healthcare, education through universities, housing grants and subsidized utilities. Improvements to utility services, road networks, sewage treatment and water desalination have resulted in a better quality of life.
In recent years, agencies have been set up to support low-income families and people with disabilities through education and job training programs.
Non-governmental Organizations and Other Associations
A number of international NGOs have offices and operate in Qatar, such as UNESCO, UNICEF and the Red Crescent. Since 1995, Emir Sheikh Mouza's wife has played an important role in encouraging and facilitating the establishment of organizations serving women, children, families and the disabled. This service organization has made significant advances, especially in the areas of health and education.
Gender Roles and Statuses
Division of Labor by Gender
Schools are segregated by gender. After finishing school, both boys and girls can find work in government agencies or private companies. Qatari women tend to take up government jobs, especially in the ministries of education, health and social affairs.
High-level positions are held mainly by men. While foreign workers have placed more women in the public sphere, these women are primarily employed in jobs that strengthen the gender division of labor. Foreign women are employed chiefly as domestic helpers, nannies, teachers, nurses, and administrative or service workers.
The Relative Status of Women and Men
Gender roles are relatively different. Men are more often involved in public spaces than women. Women have access to schools and jobs and have the right to drive and travel abroad. However, social mores influenced by Islam and historical precedents make many women uncomfortable around strangers in public.
Instead, their activities are carried out in a private space. To give women more access to public services, some department stores, malls, parks and museums establish "family days" where men are allowed in only if they accompany their families.
Marriage, Family, and Kinship
Marriage
Most marriages are arranged. Usually, the groom's mother and sister do initial research on the bride-to-be, discuss the possibilities with the young man, and, if interested, approach the bride-to-be's family. The woman has the opportunity to accept or reject the proposal.
Marriages were often arranged between families of the same background, and it was common for members of the two lineages to marry one another. Marriages between Qataris and other Gulf Arabs are common, but the government prohibits marriages to non-Gulf nationals. A person must obtain legal permission to marry a non-citizen, and the citizen may have to relinquish promises of government jobs and other benefits.
Polygyny is a religious and legal sanction. While it remains common among the ruling families, polygynous marriages have declined in recent years. A wife can divorce her husband if he takes another wife, and with more educational and economic choices, women are more likely to do so now than in the past. Another reason for the decline in polygyny may be due to the increased cost of maintaining more than one household.
Divorce rates have risen sharply since 1980. Both women and men can seek a divorce, and custody is granted following Islamic law. Young children are kept with their mothers; once they reach their teens, custody returns to the father.
Domestic Unit
Extended, shared, and nuclear households are all found today. The preference is to live with or at least be close to the husband's family. This patrilineal proximity is exercised through one large household, walled family compounds with separate houses, or simply living in the same neighborhood.
Kin Groups
"Family" in Qatar refers to the larger group of domestic units. Heredity is reckoned through the male line, so a person is a member of his father's line and maintains a close relationship with that lineage. After marriage, women remain members of the father's line but are partially integrated into the lineage of their husbands and children. Children from polygynous marriages often identify most closely with siblings from the same mother. As children mature, such groups sometimes form separate households or complexes.
Socialization
Education
The education system in Qatar is jointly directed and controlled by the Supreme Council of Education (SEC) and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) at all levels. The SEC is responsible for overseeing independent schools, while the MOE is responsible for providing support to private schools. Formal schooling officially started in 1956. Elementary schooling was compulsory for every child and free in public schools.
Education in Qatar is very diverse, with several schools representing various international curriculum systems. There are around 338 international schools in the country. Several prestigious universities from around the world have satellite campuses in the country in Education City and on the outskirts of the capital city of Doha.
Child Rearing and Education
Children are an important thing in family life. The couple may resort to medically assisted conception, polygyny, or divorce if the marriage is infertile. Child rearing is the realm of adult women, although children also have close relationships with their male relatives. Foreign nanny work has introduced new child-rearing practices and foreign influences.
Higher Education
Public schools have been available since the 1950s. In 1973, a teacher's college was opened, and in 1977 the Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, and Sharia and Islamic colleges were added to form Qatar University. Later the College of Engineering, College of Administration and Economics, and College of Technology were added to the original four.
Qatari citizens can attend kindergarten to university for free. Students who qualify for higher education abroad may obtain scholarships to offset the costs of studying, traveling, and living abroad.
Healthcare
This is an increase of $2.1 billion from 2010. The main healthcare provider in the country is Hamad Medical Corporation, established by the government as a not-for-profit healthcare provider, operating a network of hospitals, ambulance services, and home healthcare services, all of which are accredited by the Joint Commission.
Etiquette
One need not ask about other people's families. Despite the family's strong sense of privacy, it is considered impolite not to extend hospitality to strangers. Tea, coffee, food and cool seating should be offered to every visitor.
Religion
Religious Beliefs.
The vast majority of Qataris belong to the Muslim Salafi Wahhabism movement, and 5–15% of Muslims in Qatar follow Shia Islam, with a tiny number of other Islamic sects. In 2010, Qatar's population was 67.7% Muslim, 13.8% Christian, 13.8% Hindu and 3.1% Buddhist; other religions and people without religion accounted for the remaining 1.6%.
The non-Muslim population is almost entirely made up of foreigners. Since 2008, Christians have been allowed to build churches on government-owned land, although foreign missionary activities are officially banned. Active churches include the Mar Thoma Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Anglican Church of the Epiphany. There are also two Mormon wards.