Qatar

The State of Qatar is a sovereign and independent state in the Middle East, occupying a peninsula that juts into the Arabian Gulf. Since its complete independence from Britain in 1971, Qatar has emerged as one of the world’s most important producers of oil and gas. It is an Islamic State whose laws and customs follow the Islamic tradition. Since 2013, the country has been governed by HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

The State of Qatar is a peninsula located amid the western coast of the Arabian Gulf. The peninsular is approximately 100km across and extends 200km into the Gulf. Qatar includes several islands the largest of which are, Halul, Shraouh and Al-Asshat.. shares its southern border with Saudi Arabia and a maritime border Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

CAPITAL CITY – DOHA

RELIGION – ISLAM

LANGUAGE – Arabic is the official language of the country, though English is widely spoken.

CLIMATE – Qatar has a desert climate with year-round sunshine, hot summers and mild winters. Mean monthly temperatures range from 17°C in January to 36°C in July, sometimes reaching highs of 40°C+ during the summer. Rain is infrequent, falling in brief showers mainly in winter.

CURRENCY – The monetary unit of Qatar is the riyal (abbreviated to QR or QAR). The exchange rate is fixed at US $1 = QR3.64. There are no foreign exchange controls. ATMs can be found in many locations and most shops and restaurants accept major credit cards.

CUSTOM REGULATIONS :-

• Tobacco allowance: 400 cigarettes.
• Personal items and gifts up to a maximum value of QAR 3,000.
• Imports of alcohol and narcotics are prohibited

Population
Qatar has a population of about one million and eight hundred thousand (as per 2012 Population census). About 83% of the population lives in Doha and its major suburb Al-Rayyan.

ENTRY REGULATIONS :-
All visitors to Qatar must posses a valid passport. Visa requirements should be checked well in advance. G.C.C. nationals do not require a Visa. Citizens of other nations must obtain a valid visa.

CREDIT CARDS :-
All Internationally recognized credit cards are accepted by hotels, car hire agencies, departmental stores and commercial establishments.

TRANSPORTATION :-
Taxis are easy to find and can be recognized by Grey colored ones. All taxis are metered and the rate varies depending upon the day and the night.