Doha News

Villaggio fire: The day after (live blog)

shabinakhatri — Tue, 29 May 2012 09:24:00 +0300

Nineteen people, including 13 children, were killed in a that fire broke out at Villaggio Mall Monday morning, according to officials. Details about the cause of the blaze are still unknown, but as Qatar struggles to pick up the pieces, we’ll provide the latest information we have here.

UPDATE| 9:47am: Though Villaggio is closed indefinitely, the roads around it are open, Tweeples are reporting.

Meanwhile, shell-shocked residents are in the process of comforting their friends and hugging their children more tightly than ever before. An excerpt from blogger Kirsty Rice:

When I was choosing child care my criteria was pretty standard. I wanted it to be clean, I wanted good staff, great facilities, fun activities, and most of all I wanted the first little traveler to enjoy it.
These are the things I didn’t check for.

I didn’t ask to see the emergency evacuation procedure. I didn’t ask if the staff were trained in the event of a fire, and I didn’t ever once consider to check the exits or stairwells. I just assumed that of course they were trained, of course they knew what to do! I didn’t once consider that I would find myself racing to that mall pleading to get inside to find my baby girl. For that is the unthinkable, the unimaginable.

UPDATE| 9:17am:

We’re still working on our list of the dead. Here’s who we have so far:

Hana Sharabati, 3 years old
Mahmoud Haidar, Civil defense
Shameega Charles, 28, South Africa
Omar Emraan, 18 months old, South Africa
Hossam Chahboune, Moroccan firefighter
Lillie, Jackson and Willsher Weekes (triplets, 2 years old, New Zealand)
Maribel Orosco, teacher, Philippines
Margie Yecyec, teacher, Philippines
Julie Ann Soco, teacher, Philippines

We also received this note from the mother of one of the deceased teachers last night:

My daughter Shameega Charles, aged 29 was a teacher at Gympanzee and perished in the blaze. My condolences to all the other families who lost loved ones in this tragedy. We pray that God Almighty makes it easy on all of us.

Her 5 year old son misses her dearly and was looking forward to her upcoming visit in August.We have still not been able to tell him of his mother’s passing.

Regards, Maryam Charles

Credit: Photo courtesy of Interior Ministry

Mourning the dead: Qatar prepares to say goodbye to fire victims

shabinakhatri — Tue, 29 May 2012 09:15:07 +0300

Excitement turned to panic turned to horror yesterday as word of a fire at Villaggio - and potential deaths - spread across Qatar.

After a frantic day of scrambling for news about what happened, who was hurt and how officials were handling the situation, the grim facts were finally announced: 19 dead - 13 children, four teachers and two civil defense officers.

But residents are waking up today with more questions than there are answers.

What was the cause of the fire? Why did it take so long to put out? Who will be held responsible for Villaggio’s malfunctioning sprinkler and fire alarm systems? How long will the mall be closed for?

And the most difficult question of them all: What now?

Today, at least, Qatar knows what it will be doing: mourning the 19 people it lost in yesterday’s fire. Visiting the more than dozen people who remain in the hospital. Cleaning up the mess the fire left behind.

But what about tomorrow, and beyond?

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo courtesy of Rashid/Adabisc

Fire that kills more than a dozen expat children resonates around the globe

omarsc — Tue, 29 May 2012 07:59:00 +0300

In what some are calling a media vacuum, a community tries to sort out what’s happening.

From initial reports of smoke in Villaggio to alarming news that children were trapped inside the burning building, Yasser Khan takes us through the day and the global reaction to the tragedy.

Qatar reels after Villaggio fire kills 19, including 13 children

shabinakhatri — Mon, 28 May 2012 22:10:00 +0300

Nineteen expats have been killed, including 13 children and 2 firefighters, in a fire at Villaggio Mall that residents are calling Qatar’s biggest tragedy in recent memory.

Seventeen additional people were injured, 13 of whom remain in the hospital, officials said.

The cause of death for many of the children - six boys, seven girls - and the four teachers was suffocation due to smoke inhalation, the health minister said.

Officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which started around 11am in or around the Gympanzee nursery that trapped more than 20 children and staff members in the mall.

Though officials said response time was quick - Al Fazaa was on the scene one minute after receiving a call about the fire - lack of floorplans, thick smoke and heat and malfunctioning sprinkler systems severely inhibited rescue efforts.

Firefighters eventually had to go in through the roof, officials said, adding that rescue teams had not been initially alerted to the fact that many of those trapped inside were children.

“We tried our best, but when we got there, the children were trapped inside. We are very sorry for what happened. We tried as much as we could to save these people,” the minister of state said.

No mall officials were available to speak at a press conference Monday night, but unconfirmed reports say that two managers have been arrested and may face charges in court tomorrow.

And the state minister has said a higher committee will be formed to follow the matter of safety requirements at buildings.

The health minister said an official list of the dead will not be released, but media reports say three New Zealanders, four Spanish children and a French child were among those killed.

Doha News is trying to compile one to help the community mourn collectively.

Villaggio Mall will be closed indefinitely pending a thorough investigation and to make necessary repairs, officials said.

Credit: Top photo courtesy of Ministry of Interior; second photo by Rashid/Adabisc

A fire broke out at the Villaggio Mall around 11am on Monday...

omarsc — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:17:00 +0300

A fire broke out at the Villaggio Mall around 11am on Monday morning, according to witnesses. Details are still coming out, and the extent of the damage is still unclear, but by the time it was brought under control at 1:30pm, 19 people had died, mostly children. Here is the latest we have on the blaze.

UPDATE: 1:44am:

This concludes our live updates of the Villaggio fire story. Thank you to all our readers who kept with us today, sharing updates, photos, contacts and far more.

UPDATE: 1:39am:

New Zealand’s prime minister has confirmed that a set of Kiwi triplets, who were two years old, were among the children who died at Villaggio.

“It’s a great tragedy,” PM John Kelly said. The grandparents are reportedly on their way to Doha.

UPDATE: Tuesday, 12:08am:

Northwestern University journalism student Usama Alony spent the afternoon filming the rescue efforts at Villaggio and just sent us this video report, with a warning that some may find it disturbing:

UPDATE: 11:57pm:

Doha-based cartoonist Khalid Al Baih drew this cartoon as a prayer to the deceased.

UPDATE: 11:10pm:

We’ve posted a roundup story here of what’s happened today. We’re also in the middle of compiling a list of those who were killed in the fire. Here’s who we have so far:

Hana Sharabati, 3 years old
Mahmoud Haidar (Civil Defense)
Shameega Charles, 29, South Africa
Omar Emraan, 18 months old, South Africa
Hossam Chahboune, Moroccan firefighter

Know any more? Please email us at editor (at) dohanews.co

UPDATE | 10:19pm:

A Catholic mass will be held for some of the dead tomorrow at the church at 6 pm. That brings the total number of vigils announced so far to three.

There will be one at Aspire tomorrow at 5pm and one at the Pearl at 8pm.

UPDATE | 9:54pm:

We are hearing unconfirmed reports that the top two managers of Villaggio have been arrested and will go to court, possibly facing charges tomorrow morning.

According to media reports, New Zealanders and a French child are also among the dead.

We are also working to compile a list of those killed and their stories. Please get in touch with us (editor (at) dohanews.co) if you can help.

UPDATE | 9:12pm:

Twitter users have been expressing their regret at the loss of life today using the tags #OneCommunityDoha, #OneUnitedQatar and #RIPVillaggioFireVictims.

Two vigils are being organized for tomorrow evening - one will be at Aspire Park at 5pm, the other will be at the Pearl-Qatar at 8pm.

A photo has also been circulating of Mahmoud Haidar, who is one of the firemen reportedly killed trying to save some of the children today:

صورة شهيد الواجب في #حريق_فيلاجيو من الدفاع المدني محمود حيدر إن لله و أنا إليه لراجعون #qatar twitter.com/jassimrj/statu…
— Jassim (@jassimrj) May 28, 2012

Qatar’s Minister of Interior, meanwhile, has declared that a high-level committee will be established to review building safety requirements.

Reuters news agency is also reporting that four of those killed today were Spanish nationals, according to its diplomatic sources in Madrid.

UPDATE | 8:02pm:

The press conference is over. No mall representatives were present to answer any questions, but officials have said that firefighters’ efforts were initially thwarted by the heavy smoke and heat.

They also said that rescue teams initially did not know that those trapped inside the mall were children. Additionally, a lack of clear floor plans, visible emergency exits and a false alarm from the day before inhibited efforts to save those inside.

For a good recap of the conference, also see ILoveQatar.net’s Q&A.

UPDATE | 7:41pm:

Officials say no list of casualties will be offered as “there is no added value,” but that nationalities of those killed included “Europeans, Japanese, Spanish and others.” We’ve also seen reports that a South African child was amongst the dead.

When Al Jazeera English reporter Stefanie Dekker asked if it was true that alarms and sprinklers didn’t work in the mall, the response was that some malfunctioned, and the cause of that is being investigated.

As for how long Villaggio Mall will be closed, Doha News was told that they still don’t know, as damages and reasons behind the fire are still being investigated.

UPDATE | 7:26pm:

A little more detail on the deaths. Of the 13 children killed, seven were girls and six were boys.

The fire reportedly started in Gympanzee, the children’s nursery at the mall, but isn’t clear what set it off.

Ambulances reportedly arrived at the scene in only eight minutes, and some 180 emergency workers were deployed to deal with the fire.

Also, there were 17 people injured, mostly emergency workers.

UPDATE | 7:16pm:

The press conference started very late. It’s under way now.

The Minister of Health was just speaking in Arabic. We understand he said 13 children were killed in the fire today, along with 4 teachers and two Civil Defense workers. That’s a total of 19 deaths.

UPDATE | 5:36pm:

We’re at National Central Command waiting for the Ministry of Interior to share more details about what happened at Villaggio today.

Brian Candy was at the mall earlier today and share these images with us:

UPDATE | 4:24pm: As speculation about the death toll abounds, the Ministry of Interior has called a press conference for 6pm tonight:

Public will be updated on details of the press conference through our facebook and twitter pages.
— MOI, Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) May 28, 2012

UPDATE | 3:51pm: We spoke with a mom whose child attends Gympanzee. She is at the hospital attending to children who were at Villaggio during the fire.

She said 12 children have been confirmed dead, though not all necessarily from Gympanzee. Parents who are looking for their kids should go to Hamad’s Women’s Hospital Emergency Room.

UPDATE | 3:33pm:

Still no details but it’s looking more likely that a number of people were either injured or killed in today’s fire at Villaggio.

The concerned authorities are taking toll of human casualties and material losses at Villaggio fire. All the details will be updated.
— MOI, Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) May 28, 2012

Over the phone, both the police and fire departments sounded quite chaotic, and when asked about deaths, Doha News was told simply: “We don’t know yet.”

UPDATE | 2:56pm:

Details about the cause of the fire, the damage, and number of casualties are still sketchy. The Ministry of Interior says they will elaborate this evening:

A press conference is being convened today evening to explain about the human casualties, other losses and causes of fire at Villaggio.
— MOI, Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) May 28, 2012

At least two photos have started circulating on Twitter that people claim depict deaths from the fire. Hamad Medical Corporation says they cannot comment at the moment, but will release a statement later.

UPDATE | 2:27pm:

Witnesses standing outside the mall say it hasn’t been completely evacuated, and that people are still being brought out of the building.

@QatarToday an here too. Yes ppl still inside.
— vani saraswathi (@vanish_forever) May 28, 2012

All these being brought out now seem to be cops or security guards. #VillaggioFire not the end of it.
— vani saraswathi (@vanish_forever) May 28, 2012

Smoke outside the building, meanwhile, is apparently dissipating.

UPDATE | 1:56pm:

Although the fire has apparently been quelled, still not a good idea to head to the Villaggio area. Police detours and traffic jams are reported on Al Waab Street.

@dohanews RT @DohaBen: @katiebakesx there’s a road block at the torch lights and ambulances are still going to the scene.
— glen coco (@katiebakesx) May 28, 2012

Rumors also abound on Twitter that varying numbers of people were killed in the fire. Officials have so far said this is untrue.

UPDATE | 1:25pm:

Qatar’s Ministry of Interior is reporting that the fire has now been contained. In a post on Facebook at 1:21pm, it said:

Fire has been controlled initially. Firefighters and other concerned security persons are trying to remove smoke and cool the place. Cooperate with Police to convey only the facts.

UPDATE | 1:07pm:

Two hours into the fire, it still does not appear to be contained.

Firefighters and other security personnel are working to contain the fire at Villagio. They have already evacuated all persons in the mall.
— MOI, Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) May 28, 2012

#VillagioFire Firefighters have reached the main source of fire at Villagio and surrounded the area with all means to extinguish fire.
— MOI, Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) May 28, 2012

Authorities are asking people not to “spread rumors as it will create panic among people.”

So far, one person has been transferred to Hamad Hospital for medical treatment, but his condition is unknown, an HMC representative told Doha News.

UPDATE | 12:56pm:

Concerns have been raised about children being trapped inside Villaggio’s Gympanzee Nursery, but they appear to have been rescued:

Ok they are finally getting the kids out. Oh my god. #villagio
— BintAlRifai (@BintAlRifai) May 28, 2012

EARLIER:

Initial reports from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) say the fire began at Gate 3, and witnesses told Doha News that the Nike store and the Go Sport shop were seen on fire.

No serious injuries or deaths have been reported, but MOI is treating some at the scene for smoke inhalation.

More details as we get them.

VIDEO:

We can’t get anyone who works at the mall on the phone, but here’s what we’ve been told by people there:

@dohanews big smoke coming out from villaggio food court
— Adria Massaguer (@adriatomatic) May 28, 2012

Villagio on fire @dohanews
— Stephanie Fensom (@StephQatar) May 28, 2012

@dohanews fire in Villaggio.Everyone being evacuated
— Hamish Scott (@hamishfs) May 28, 2012

@dohanews i can even see ashes on alwaab street. #Qatar. Its a major fire and gate 1 and 2 all under police control. twitter.com/MohsinAltaf/st…
— Mohsin Mohammad (@MohsinAltaf) May 28, 2012

@dohanews Ahem, reporting live from Ground Zero. The fire isn’t as big as it seems. In fact the alarms are off.
— Alim Salahud-din (@alimsalahuddin) May 28, 2012

@dohanews Fire is getting larger.
— Alim Salahud-din (@alimsalahuddin) May 28, 2012

@dohanews the picture of the inside yfrog.com/nyijwimj
— Harsh Kanjani (@Harsh_rk) May 28, 2012

Villagio now. Fire has spread right the way down. #doha #qatar @dohanews twitter.com/katiebakesx/st…
— glen coco (@katiebakesx) May 28, 2012

Has definitely calmed down a lot at villaggio. Think they have it contained now #doha #qatar @dohanews twitter.com/katiebakesx/st…
— glen coco (@katiebakesx) May 28, 2012

@dohanews huge traffic, police diverting traffic away from area. I was with kids in bowling and I was told nothing to worry about.
— Ghida Khalil (@GhidaZK) May 28, 2012

PHOTOS:

Credit: Photos courtesy of Babs, Candida A. Myers, Susie Billings, Ben Phillip, Udhin krisdhianto‏, Nodi_Qtr, Harsh_Rk, Fahad Buzwair, Ghalia Al-M, Vani Saraswathi

Survey: Qatar best place in the region for jobs, but rising cost of living a concern

shabinakhatri — Mon, 28 May 2012 10:11:16 +0300

Qatar’s residents tend to be more optimistic than the majority of people in the MENA region, a survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov has found.

Around half of people surveyed in Qatar said they believe that their own financial situation and that of the country’s will improve over the next 12 months, the May 2012 Middle East Consumer Confidence Index said.

And almost a third (32 percent) said they believe that there are “plenty of jobs available,” compared to the regional average of 12 percent.

But 57 percent said they believed their salaries have not kept pace with the rising cost of living, and nearly half (46 percent) say their compensation is inadequate.

Still, more than half described their job satisfaction as “neutral” or “high.” And 67 percent said the same thing about perceived job security.

One of the most indicators of confidence in the economy is consumer spending.

Gulf Times reports:

More than a third of residents are expecting to purchase a vehicle in 2012, and more than a quarter are considering investing in the real estate sector. The most popular anticipated purchases in terms of household items are laptop and desktop computers, furniture and LCD or plasma televisions.

The index states the sample size for Qatar was low, which means results could be indicative as opposed to representative of sentiment in the country.

But the figures collected by Bayt.com over the past five years support the sentiment that things are perceived to be better here compared to many countries in the region.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by kandyjaxx

Has the heat brought out the hot pants? A question of Qatar's dress code, part II

omarsc — Sun, 27 May 2012 17:56:36 +0300

As Qatar’s temperature rises, so too are hemlines at Qatar’s malls, according to a story in local Arabic newspaper Al Raya.

In an article published last week, author Aisha Buhadi asserts that more expat women are wearing short shorts and miniskirts - in violation of expectations of modest dress - and are creating friction with locals.

Here’s a translated excerpt from the story:

(Qatari women) confirm that the scene has become provocative towards the feelings of many shoppers, and has often pushed some of them to directly criticise the women who don’t respect the customs and traditions of the conservative Gulf society.

And sometimes, the discussion turns into a heated dialogue, that ends up with the Qatari woman insisting that the naked (skimpily dressed) foreign women leave the shopping mall for violating the instructions that call for modest dressing.

This forces the mall security to take the indecent foreigner outside the shopping mall.

Al Raya’s English-language sister publication Gulf Times touches on that story again today, with a salesperson telling the newspaper that “displaying mini skirts and shorts and matching blouses is a must because they are very much in demand.”

Sheikh Tariq al-Kubaisi, referred to as a cleric, is meanwhile insisting that such attire “is a sign of loose morals and it must be checked by the authorities.”

It certainly isn’t the first time the issue of what constitutes appropriate dress in Qatar have been raised.

Just three months ago, a user posted on popular community forum Qatar Living that she was harassed at Villggio Mall for the way she was dressed.

What do you make of all this? Has what’s considered “appropriate” to wear become a bigger issue in Qatar?

Credit: Photo by Omar Chatriwala

UPDATE: Due to the breaking news of several deaths at this...

omarsc — Sun, 27 May 2012 16:49:00 +0300

UPDATE: Due to the breaking news of several deaths at this morning’s Villaggio fire, we are postponing the community. Please stay tuned on FB, Twitter and DohaNews.co for details of a new date.

See you guys tomorrow night at the Grand Hyatt!

If you’re coming, make sure to RSVP on Facebook. And if you have an issue you want to discuss, add it here.

Why aren't more Qatari women in the workforce? Study aims to find out

shabinakhatri — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:01:00 +0300

Though Qatari women comprise the majority of local college graduates, only 35 percent of female nationals work.

Faced with a massive shortage of skilled nationals, Qatar has set ambitious targets to increase their participation to 42 percent by 2016.

To do that, researchers are launching an investigation into the ”cultural and social impediments” influencing Qatari women’s education choices, whether they enter the workforce and their career pursuits.

Family appears to play a big role, says Dr. Hanan Abdul Rahim, associate director of Qatar University’s Social and Economic Research Survey Institute, which is conducting a three-year research project called ”Kin Influences on Qatari Women’s Transitions into the Labour Force.”

The Peninsula reports:

Qatari women’s labour force participation rose from 14 percent in 1986 to 34 percent in 2006, but it has been relatively stable since, and it is lower than neighbouring Arab countries like the UAE and Kuwait. Moreover, women who are employed tend to concentrate in certain professions, mainly teaching and clerical jobs…

“The researchers will interview young women at two points in time, which will enable us to track changes in their schooling and employment choices. They will also interview their parents, because that parental attitudes and roles have strong influences on women’s educational and work trajectories,” (Abdul Rahim) said.

The research team will consist of scholars from Qatar, Canada and the United States.

Interesting!

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by Frederick Noronha

*This article has been corrected to say that 35 percent of Qatari women work. It previously incorrectly stated that Qatari women make up 35 percent of the workforce here.

Official: More low-income workers in Qatar seeking asylum, but finding none

shabinakhatri — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:57:00 +0300

An increasing number of low-income workers have said they want to leave Qatar after fallouts with their employers, but are finding they have nowhere to stay while the paperwork is sorted out, an official at the Indian embassy said.

That’s because deportation centers are already at capacity, Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, an Indian ambassador, recently told reporters.

Many of these men decide to go home because they have not been paid for several months or because the work they are assigned was not agreed upon in their contracts, she said.

The Peninsula reports:

It is learned that on average some 20 lowly-paid Indians are approaching the embassy every week over the past few months for help in repatriation.

Such workers were earlier able to stay on with friends or relatives waiting to be eventually let in by the detention centres, but after the Interior Ministry’s recent campaign to fish out illegal workers, no one is willing to risk providing them temporary shelter.

Under Qatari law, it is also illegal for embassies to house the men, Wadhwa said.

Meanwhile, some 41 low-income Indian workers have died of heart attacks this year. Heat stroke was cited as the chief cause behind the heart failure, embassy officials said.

“When a young man of 25 dies of heart failure here, the cause is mostly heat stroke,” the Peninsula quoted an official as saying.

Indians are Qatar’s largest expat group, comprising more than half a million of the population. Most work in low- and middle-income jobs and many are unhappy with their living and working conditions.

Some hoped that their treatment would improve last month after the Emir made his first state visit to India since 2005, during which labor rights were reportedly discussed.

But it looks like things have not gotten better yet.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by Richard Messenger

"If you are confident in your product, why don’t you build it and then sell it?"

omarsc — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:02:00 +0300

““If you are confident in your product, why don’t you build it and then sell it?””

- - Craig Plumb, head of research at international real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle in Dubai, speaking to The National about Barwa’s new 3.7 million sq. m Lusail Golf Residential Development, which was announced at Cityscape last week.

The National article compares the new development, which would be funded by initial investments and down payment, to those in Dubai that contributed to that emirate’s financial crisis.

Plumb says there is “very limited demand” for such a finance model. “Most investors are looking for completed or nearly completed properties,” he told the National.

When finished, Barwa’s project would include an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed golf course, some 4,000 homes, a hotel and a shopping complex, at a reported cost of $4.9 billion US dollars.

What do you think? Could developers seeking to launch new projects with money they don’t have lead to the same sort of real estate collapse Dubai saw in 2008?

Credit: Rendering courtesy of Lusail

The Barzan Gatekeepers by Karl Moreto and contributed to...

omarsc — Sun, 27 May 2012 07:55:00 +0300

The Barzan Gatekeepers by Karl Moreto and contributed to the Doha News Flickr Group

Want to see your photo here? Add it to our Flickr pool, or share it via dohanews.co/submit

Qatar deploys inspectors to tackle rising number of stranded workers at airport

shabinakhatri — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:18:00 +0300

Qatar deploys inspectors to tackle rising number of stranded workers at airport:

The Ministry of Labor has installed inspectors around the airport to ensure that new arrivals to Qatar - namely, low-income workers - are not left waiting for more than two hours, a senior official said.

Companies that do not collect their employees shortly after they arrive face strict rebukes and could be blacklisted for repeated offenses, Khalid Al Ghanem, the ministry’s Inspection Department told Al Sharq.

The Peninsula reports:

The Ministry made this move following increasing complaints that many low-income workers arriving here for the first time were left stranded at the airport, sometimes for days on end as no one turned up to pick them.

Labor inspectors stationed at the airport make routine rounds and call companies in case a freshly arrived worker is seen waiting in the lounge for more than two hours.

Has anyone noticed a difference in the number of people sitting around and waiting for a pickup?

Credit: Photo by Eszter Hargittai

Any news on what is happening with the Al Maha Sofitel building in West Bay? Rumor is that it is sinking...tear down or repair, and when??

shabinakhatri — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:35:00 +0300

We spoke to a company employee, and he told us that construction on the site has been on hold for two years due to a dispute with the government.

The developers had planned to construct 26 floors, he said, while the Qatari government wants the towers to be only 24 floors, which is how many currently exist. Work, as a result, is on hold until they can resolve the dispute.

The construction site sits next to the Mövenpick Tower & Suites, right off the Corniche and is a significant eyesore along the manicured path.

Current state:

Rendering:

Credit: Photo courtesy of ksultan

Join us! We're holding our first community meeting on Monday at the Grand Hyatt

shabinakhatri — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:35:00 +0300

Hi all,

We’ve finalized plans for Monday’s community meeting. Please join us at 6:30pm at the Grand Hyatt Doha, which has been kind enough to sponsor us and yes, provide some snacks!

Please spread the word and RSVP here if you’re coming.

We look forward to meeting you and discussing how to take Doha News to the next level!

-Shabina & Omar

PS: What would you like to talk about?

A fire at the Doha Rugby Club earlier this evening has...

shabinakhatri — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:37:00 +0300

A fire at the Doha Rugby Club earlier this evening has apparently wiped out its bar, witnesses have said.

The fire, which appeared to have started around 5pm today, was contained quickly, but still burned through its bar area.

It’s at the marquee. The bar end wiped out by the sounds of it. @katiebakesx @dohanews
— Paula Elliott Crook (@kiwipaula) May 25, 2012

While the bar is ruined, RC continues to remain open, though no one answered calls for comment.

Anyone know more?

Credit: Top photo by leilabee10; second photo by Shakir Hussain

"In the future, no doubt, there will be a great, breakout Arab comedian who will make jokes about..."

shabinakhatri — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:00:00 +0300

“In the future, no doubt, there will be a great, breakout Arab comedian who will make jokes about emirs & Muslims & sex & newspaper-reading Qataris… He won’t be tempted by Qatar Petroleum, & he won’t count the number of F-words in his routine.”

- Peter Savadnik, journalist, in a New York Times magazine article about Qatar’s emerging comedy scene and its future potential.

The piece, which discusses the founding and growth of Standup Comedy in Qatar, is truly an enjoyable and entertaining read about the struggles the group has endured - and the sleep it loses over potentially offending someone with their jokes.

It spotlights on Mohammed Fahad Kamal, described in the story as “the funniest comedian in SUCQ,” and one of only two Qataris in the group.

NYT reports:

As a Qatari, (Kamal) can say things — about Qatari girls, Qatari drivers or Qataris who are being too Qatari — that other comedians avoid. “My classic joke is ‘I cancel your visa,’ and it basically makes fun of locals who think that they can put foreigners in trouble by getting them out of the country,” he said.

(Non-Qataris fret constantly about having their papers seized and being forced to return to their homelands; Qataris do little to assuage these fears.)

Though Kamal has a potential career in comedy, he likely won’t be pursuing it. But perhaps in the future, another SUCQ member will.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo courtesy of SUCQ’s Facebook page

Cityscape Qatar winds down at the Doha Exhibition Center tonight...

omarsc — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:56:00 +0300

Qatar's upcoming IKEA

Doha Festival City

The Barwa Al Baraha project

Also known as 'Workers City'

Barwa Commercial Avenue

Barwa Commercial Avenue

The Pearl-Qatar

Ezdan's Al Gharafa Mall

Al Gharafa Mall

Al Wukair Mall

Cityscape Qatar winds down at the Doha Exhibition Center tonight after offering a glimpse of things to come for the city, the country and the region.

Many of the big developers in town - Barwa, UDC, Ezdan and Al Futtaim - were touting their latest and greatest projects at the three-day conference and show.

IKEA update

Al Futtaim group, which is developing Doha Festival City and Qatar’s first IKEA, had a model of the sprawling mall on display.

A representative there confirmed to Doha News that construction of the IKEA store is slightly behind schedule, and is due to open in the beginning of 2013, rather than by the end of the year, as initially announced.

She also joked that the development, expected to be the second-largest mall in the world (after Dubai Mall), will be renamed IKEA Festival City due to the sheer number of inquiries they’ve had about the Swedish home goods store.

BARWA

Over at the Barwa booth, the company was showing off three of its big projects:

Barwa Commercial Avenue: A sprawling 1,000,000 square meter commercial & residential strip being built on Al Muntazah Road. It stretches over eight kilometers and seeks to offer everything from hotels to office space, housing, food courts, groceries, doctors, and pretty much anything else you could ever need. (It isn’t clear when it will be fully open, but office and retail space are already being leased.)

Barwa Al Baraha: Also known as Workers City, the residential development will house some 53,000 low-income laborers; the largest such project in the Gulf. Announced in 2008, the project’s first phase - a large truck park - has already been completed. But the housing phase, which has yet to go to tender, won’t be done until 2014.

Barwa City: The square kilometer residential and commercial development is just south of Commercial Avenue. Barwa City’s 6,000 apartments are currently only being offered to government and businesses, with tenants due to move in on July 1. Phase two would see it expand to include schools, a hotel and hospital.

The company also used Cityscape to announce a new project: the Lusail Golf Residential Development. The 3.7 sq. km development will have both residents and sports facilities, including an 18-hole golf course and country club.

EZDAN

At the Ezdan booth, visitors could get a glimpse of the company’s upcoming Al Gharafa Mall. The three-floor, 37,000 sq. meter shopping complex on Al Shamal Road is expected to open this September across the road from Landmark Mall. No details yet on specific retailers that will be setting up shop there.

Credit: Photos from Cityscape Qatar 2012 by Omar Chatriwala. Video courtesy of Barwa, rendering courtesy of Ezdan Real Estate.

Latest Qatar University criticism highlights community divide

shabinakhatri — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:45:00 +0300

Qatar University has come under fire once again for its admissions policies and the standards it sets for students, which critics are saying is too high.

In a letter published in Thursday’s Al Sharq, some 19 members of QU’s Academic Council have urged the government to look into the university’s state of affairs, saying too much of the decision-making there is in the hand of expats.

More than 1,800 students have been denied admission to QU in the past couple of years, and they deserve to know why, stated members of the council, which is chaired by the vice president and chief academic officer and includes deans of the various colleges, among others.

Some have even gone as far as to lodge complaints with the National Human Rights Committee, which concluded that “many students suffered with no option with them to look for admission elsewhere,” in its 2011 annual report, the Peninsula reports.

Paradox

The criticism highlights the Qatari community’s ambivalent attitude toward higher education and QU’s mandate in particular.

On the one hand, the university has recently relaxed its admissions standards in response to criticism that it is too hard for Qataris who are not fluent in English to get in.

But on the other hand, some QU students complain that standards mean they will not be prepared for jobs in an increasingly globalized world.

Meanwhile, resentment toward Education City for its “elitist” policies continues to grow.

Interestingly, no mention of Qatar’s new community college, which offers two-year associate’s degrees for nationals, has been proposed as an alternate place for students to matriculate.

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by PinkFarasha

Qatar steps up plans to establish labor unions ahead of 2022

shabinakhatri — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:16:00 +0300

In a nod to trade unions calling for a boycott of the 2022 World Cup due to labor rights violations, Qatar is ramping up plans to establish the country’s first union, media reports state.

Arabian Business reports:

“Planning for the World Cup is not restricted to construction and infrastructure improvements but includes addressing workers’ rights,” Hussein Al Mulla, deputy minister of labour, was quoted as saying (in a local Arabic daily).

“Qatar is planning to form an elected and independent workers’ union to protect workers’ rights regardless of their nationality,” he added.

The statement is stronger than the one Al Mulla made earlier this month, when he indicated that Qatar would set up a committee to study the issue of creating unions.

That comment was dismissed by the International Trade Union Confederation, which has been pushing FIFA for at least six months about the mistreatment of workers in Qatar.

At that time, Al-Mulla also said the government is reevaluating the country’s much-decried sponsorship, or “kafala” system.

So far, however, there appears to be a lot of talk about these issues and little action.

Anyone know more?

Credit: Photo by Karen Blumberg