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Visitor's Information for Qatar

Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues, which enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe. Qatar is home to the Al Jazeera television station and is rapidly entering the modern world, including the staging of the 2006 Asian Games.... 

The country is surrounded by the sea so watersports are a must. Kitesurfing is increasingly popular for the westerners while the locals prefer driving jet-skis at high speed next to the beaches.If you like land more than the sea, feel free to go on one of the safari tours to the desert, try dune bashing with landcruisers,nissans etc.Visit the collection of widely scattered malls around Doha and enjoy yourself.

History
Since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues, which enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe. Qatar is home to the Al Jazeera television station and is rapidly entering the modern world, including the staging of the 2006 Asian Games.

Economy
Oil accounts for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings, and 58% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total, third largest in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore natural gas reserves. In 2000, Qatar posted its highest ever trade surplus of $7 billion, due mainly to high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, and managed to maintain the surplus in 2001. 

Qatar issues a visa on arrival at Doha's airport to passengers who are citizens of the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, The Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the USA. The price is QR 100.00 (US$ 28), payment by credit card is accepted, and grants a one-month stay.

For other nationalities, visa procedures can be complicated, as you will need a guarantor on the Qatari side, either a company or a government entity. Also Qatari embassies, unlike those of most other countries, are not entitled to issue visas, so someone in Qatar will have to file the application for you. 4/5-star hotels offer full visa service, for a price, if you book a room with them for the duration of your stay. Qatar Airways can arrange the hotel and visa for you, tel. +974 4496980. In this case, there also seems to also be a new regulation in place (2008) to either present a credit card or QAR 5000 at the point of entry - which should generally not be a problem, if you can afford the room. When booking with other hotels, you'll need a guarantor in Qatar.

For longer stays, visas must be arranged by having a sponsor. Unmarried women under the age of 35 will have a hard time in procuring a visa for a lengthy stay, as the country seems to fear that they will practice prostitution.

Despite much online misinformation to the contrary, Qatar actually maintains official low-level relations with Israel, so Israeli passport holders and those holding passports containing Israeli stamps or visas are allowed in, as long as they have valid visas.

 

Capital	Doha
Government	Traditional monarchy
Currency	Qatari riyal (QAR)
Area	11,437 km2
Population	1,493,051 (Dec 2008 est.)
Language	Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Religion	Muslim 95% (All religions are practiced.)
Electricity	240V/50Hz (UK plug)
Calling Code	+974
Internet TLD	.qa
Time Zone	UTC+3

Flights to Qatar

flights [at] www.flightstoqatar.co.uk
Telephone: 0207 993 8463
Lines are operated: Monday to Friday 7:30-20:00, Saturday 8:00-19:00, Sunday 9:00-18:00 UK time.
(For quality control and training purposes, your call may be recorded.)

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