With reporting from Ankita Menon
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior is apparently stepping up enforcement of a law that requires businesses around the country to install closed-circuit camera surveillance on their premises.
Law No. 9 of 2011 mandates that surveillance cameras be installed in residential compounds, hospitals, malls, banks, hotels, warehouses and other locations, and is enforced by the MOI’s Security Systems Department (SSD).
The SSD was not immediately available for comment, but Qatar Tribune reports that the MOI has recently made the widespread installation of these cameras a priority.
Speaking to Doha News, a staffer at Lulu Hypermarket on D-Ring said that the store was previously told to install CCTV in its parking lot, but has now been asked to increase the number of cameras to cover the entire parking area.
Meanwhile, an employee at Lulu Gharafa said they are still in the process of installing some 300 ministry-approved cameras, following an instruction from last year. When asked why the extra surveillance was needed, he said it could help aid police investigations into incidents such as thefts from vehicles.
Additionally, the Peninsula reports the owner of a jewelry shop in the Gold Souq as saying:
“This year when I went for company registration renewal was asked of CCTV cameras are installed. Also inspectors are supposed to come to our shops and inspect if the surveillance cameras are functioning properly.
There are only very few places from which we should buy the CCTV cameras, they are very expensive and it cost me more than QR60,000 to purchase and fix the surveillance system,” he added.
However, City Center mall’s director told Doha News that though the SSD consistently comes to inspect the surveillance system, there have been no new requests for additional cameras in the past few months.
Requirements
A law governing the use of CCTV surveillance was passed in 2011. According to the legislation:
- Businesses must have a control room and operate surveillance 24/7;
- Recordings must be kept for 120 days, and cannot be altered before being handed over to competent government departments upon request;
- Recording is prohibited in bedrooms, patient rooms, toilets and changing rooms for women; and
- Those who violate the law could face up to three years in jail and fines of QR50,000, as well as the suspension or cancellation of their business license.
Last year, the law was brought back into the spotlight when the Supreme Council of Health reminded healthcare facilities to comply with the legislation and install cameras within three months, or face the loss of their business licenses.
Thoughts?
Prohibited in changing rooms for women? Why not for men?
I hope not for the obvious reason?
seems legit, time to be be more cautious and keep an eye on youtube. *MensChangingRoomAtBlahblahStoreInDoha*
Big Brother is coming.
No, that is Captain Al Marri from the Wakra Police Station, he will pay you a visit….
SSD should make it compulsory for traffic violators to install cams in their vehicles with GPS to track the style and speed of driving. Qatar like to be famous for unique and creative solutions so here I present a ticket!
Define politician, define public, and define trust and then we can start the conversation.
Ask the World Economic Forum, [email protected].
Glug, those guys? I would almost t rather cut my ear of than associate with the likes of them.
Okay, got the report, looking for their definition, but I’m going to need a shower in disinfectant when this little exercise is done. I feel defiled.
Okay, I have found the chart that you refer to, it is chart 1.04. However, when you read the country summaries you’ll see that in countries without functioning political systems the trust in politicians description is left out – so it is with Qatar. There is nowhere a definition of ‘trust’ or ‘politician’.
I assume that in Qatar those polled erroneously consider ‘politician’ and members of the ruling autocracy to be one and the same. Given the high regard that many Qataris have for the ruling family I have no doubt that the results are accurate, but misleading.
I would like to see similar results looking only at the members of the Central Municipal Council
“I bet Qatar bribed them”. That’s the kind of comments we don’t question over here on DN, but an independent international organization’s report can never be trusted !
I missed the bribery accusation – that kind of came from left field. What are you referring to?
Thats the problem. You don’t, and are not allowed to, question anything.
A bit sweeping and condescending, isn’t it? I recall lots and lots of questioning, just in very select venues with select audience. Yes, unfortunately Qataris face restrictions that many don’t, but to say that there is no questioning is, in my experience anyway, just plain wrong.
The ability of Qataris to question their ‘politicians’ and by extension the Royal Family is extermely limited. When a poem gets life imprisonment, (then only 15 years on appeal) I don’t think many will be speaking up.
And you think they will speak up in English on a blog such as this just for you to see? “لقاء الأثنين” Google it I am not bothered to explain. Learn Arabic and maybe once you get out of the expat bubble you will know how things really are in Qatar.
Does “loveitorleaveit” apply as an instruction to Qataris, too?
No, just expats.
Then you shall be delighted to hear that as an expat I am leaving. Where to? Iraq. Better than Qatar on every measure I know how to make. Enjoy solitude. I didn’t love it (few do) so I’ve left it. You can’t buy love. Ask the Beatles.
I am very delighted. Please don’t come back and enjoy your new place.
Comment thread closed in 3… 2… 1…
A tender came out for cameras in foyers of hotels and residential buildings, with associated facial recognition capability. Just saying.
Of course. They want to know where you are going and who you are talking to. The secret police in Qatar are very effective.
I thought that was only for the Qatar Airway’s flight attendant residence? 😉
MoI probably got a British advisor in – they love their CCTV over there.
sadly loads of cameras just give some chance of retrospective detection, no substitute for active policing, and response to prevent by being pro-active….hmmm much like the bad driving debate all over again
True.
I wonder who has the commercial rights for the security cameras that are to be installed?
They are a number of companies that provide CCTV in Qatar, I wonder who wins this contract is the correct question…
CGC. get any Peninsula Newspaper front page of the Business section upper left most ad banner.
Ha! Love it.
I can’t understand why his comment is deleted…. although I would certainly not agree with CCTV being used to catch locals who want to be romantically involved with each other. It’s their business, not the State.
Yes. After there was an entire article here on Doha News about the courtship rituals at Katara you’d think that it would be a very well known topic.
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