ABOUT QATAR

Geography and population

Qatar is located in the southeastern of the Arabian Peninsula and the southwestern of the Asian continent; it is a peninsula in the Arabian Gulf coasts in the form of rectangular arc heading towards the south and surrounded it from the directions of east, west and north of the Arabian Gulf while the south side is bordered by Saudi Arabia.

Qatar is a peninsula located halfway down the west coast of the Arabian Gulf. Its territory comprises a number of islands including Halul, Sheraouh, Al-Ashat and others.

The population of Qatar amount to 743000 inhabitants (according to the initial results of the second stage of the 2004 population census) compared to 522000 inhabitants in the last census conducted in 1997. 83% of inhabitants reside in Doha and its main suburb Al-Rayyan

Climate

Qatar has a moderate desert climate with long hot summers and short mild winters and little rain in winter.

Language         

Arabic is the official language, and English is widely spoken

Currency

The official currency is Qatari Riyal (QR), which is divided into 100 dirhams. The Exchange parity has been set at the fixed rate of 1 US $ = 3.65QR

Major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club) and traveller’s cheques in principal currencies are generally accepted in large hotels, restaurants, department stores and several large stores. Traveller’s cheques and bank notes in all major currencies may be exchanged at all commercial banks and most hotels and foreign exchange counters. ATM services are also available.

Time

3 hours + Greenwich Mean Time.

No Taxe and tipping

 

Electricity

240 Volts + 6% with frequency 50 hertz.

 

Telephone services and useful telephone numbers

Telephone services are available in hotels, restaurants and cafes. Pre-paid mobile telephone cards are available at hotels and local shops. Dialling is as follows:

                (a)          Local calls: dial the number directly;

                (b)          Long-distance calls within Qatar: dial the area code xxxxx;

                (c)           International calls: dial the international direct dial access (xxxx) + country code + area code + number.

To call Qatar from abroad, +974

Emergency telephone numbers in Doha are as follows:

                                                                                                                                Telephone

                                Ambulance    999

                                Fire                999

                                Police             999

                                Search and rescue    999

               

Flight information may be obtained by calling Doha International Airport on T +974 462 2999   F +974 462 2044.

Information on tourism may be obtained from the following:

Tourism Authority                           +974 441 1555

http://www.qatartourism.gov.qa/ar/

 

Postal, facsimile and Internet services

Postal and facsimile facilities are available at post offices and in most major hotels. Internet services are also available at most major hotels, cybercafes in Doha and the Sheraton Doha Resort and Convention Hotel.

 

Business hours

Banking hours are from 7:30am to 1:30pm  from Sunday through Thursday