Qatar is located on a peninsula extending from the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Peninsula, about 161 kilometers. The country shares borders with the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Bahrain. It covers approximately 4,273 sq mi, slighter larger than Cyprus ( Fromherz, 2017) . Qatar has a population of about 2.84 million as at the beginning of 2019, a figure that makes it the 141st most populated country ( Cordesman, 2019) . Despite the rising population, Qatari is the minority in the country, with a large number of people being expatriates. The capital city is Doha. Doha is the largest city in Qatar, with a population of approximately 1,800,000 people and is situated slightly off the coast of the Persian Gulf. About eighty percent of the people of Qatar live in Doha ( Cordesman, 2019) . Qatar has the highest per capita income globally and is rated as the safest country in the world. With current plans to host the 2022 World Cup, the country has boosted its credentials regarding communication, infrastructure, and development.
What to Expect and Local Customs
Qatar is composed of mainly three groupings; Abd, Hadar, and Bedouin. The majority of the Bedouin descended from migrants who originated from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. The Hadar groups are town dwellers, while Abd is known to originate from slaves. All three are known citizens of Qatar, although they have significant differences in socio-cultural attributes. Arabic is the official language, although other languages are widely used, such as Urdu, Farsi, and English ( Cordesman, 2019) . The locals are mainly Muslims and use Islamic faith to identify their citizens. The family is the national identity of the locals and remains the main image of the ruling class ( Wees, “n.d”) . Some of the images they use to identify themselves include camels, carpets, pearls, falcons, and sailing vessels.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Foreign workers have continued to introduce new foods in the country. However, most of their foods originate from Iran, North Africa, and Arab countries. Primary foods include seafood and dates. The locals eat their main meal at noon and light foods in the morning and evening ( Fromherz, 2017) . Local delicacies include fresh almonds, apples, and their traditional dish of machbous. Coffee is a significant part of their meal and is mainly made from lightly heated beans ( Cordesman, 2019) . Coffee is kept in most homes in jugs all through the day for visitors. In the recent past, local foods have opened up in significant places around the country. These places mainly serve foreigners.
Social Arrangement
Qatar's social arrangement is mainly made of castes and classes. Hiring foreign workers and new organizations opening up offices in the country has opened up a new system in the country. Nationalities are mainly evident in particular job groups with a big difference in salary scales. The most comprehensive division is mostly experienced between foreigners and locals with the long division based on cultural practices, genealogy, and origin ( Cordesman, 2019) . Qatar's society is structured in the form of a religious sect and tribal affiliation with a great link to patterns of settlement.
Etiquette: Social manners are based on respect for family, gender, hospitality, and privacy — no inquiries about another's family. Visitors visiting someone with no apparent relation have a guest section different from the family ( Fromherz, 2017) . Foods such as food, coffee, and tea are provided to visitors irrespective of the time. Hospitality is accorded to all.
Religion: The majority of the Muslims are the Sunni, with the minority Shia Muslims occupy a large section of the country. The two Muslim groupings have widely sectarian tension but are rarely debated openly.
What is needed to work in Qatar?
Working as a Call Center Customer Service Representative will require both the employer and employee to fulfill various labour provisions as stipulated by the Ministry of Labour through the labor department. The employing company will have to fulfill and undertake much of the stipulations such as arranging for work permit and visa. Rules and regulations governing working in Qatar are stipulated in Law No. 14 of 2004 of the country's labor law. The labor law is overseen by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Department of the Ministry of Labor ( Al-Ammari & Romanowski, 2016) . For individuals looking forward to work in the country, one must have a work permit and permanent residency visa. The two provide one of the legal provisions to work in the country ( Cordesman, 2019) . The employer stands as the primary sponsor for the person and makes all the necessary provisions to get the permit and visa.
Employment procedures in Qatar are very sophisticated because of the local traditional kafala sponsorship framework that binds the employee to the employer ( Wees, “n.d”) . Employers have a lot of say in the employees' welfare. For example, the employee must get consent and exit visa before ending their working arrangement and even before departing from the country ( Wees, “n.d”) . The country's labor provision gives more emphasis on locals as compared to non-locals who must fulfill various set conditions as approved by the Labor unit. These conditions must be met before starting work in the country.
After the registration of the business, which is mainly undertaken by the employer who provides the following?
Nationalities of the worker(s)
Position in the organization
Total number of workers
The completed form (completed in Arabic)
The employer must also provide
Two passport size photos
Immigration Card duly completed in Arabic signed and stamped ( for representative application form)
Commercial registration (for the business)
Application Immigration card (completed in Arabic)
Employment Visa
The employment visa is the employer's responsibility, and the following must be availed at the Ministry of Labor:
Four sized photos
Immigration card
Application form
Employee passport
Valid employment details
And Copy of Business registration form
Work Permit ( Wees, “n.d”)
A work permit is often prepared in advance (7 days prior to employee’s arrival in the country). The entire arrangement is made after all the employment arrangement has been completed. Other critical requirements include medical certificate obtained from the employee ( Wees, “n.d”) . The certificate must be gotten from a government health facility and will be accompanied with four sized photos, employment visa, and copy of passport ( Cordesman, 2019) . Only after this is the work permit issued. The employer must have:
Biometric fingerprints
Employment visa
Education certificates
Immigration card
Employment contract
Ministry of Labor application form/certificate
Medical certificate
And two passport size photos (belonging to the employee)
The residence permit will then be approved which will be converted into an entry visa and later to a residence permit ( Fromherz, 2017) . With these, the employees cannot leave the country and it commences within a period of seven days after the employee arrives in the country ( Wees, “n.d”) . A dual Arabic and local English contract will be drawn by the Labor Department as stipulated under Law No. 14 of 2004 in the country's employment stipulations. Some of the certification and documents to be availed at the Labour office include:
Employment visa
Employee passport
Medical certificate
Residence permits (in English and Arabic)
Registered business certification
And Immigration card
The employer's passport in the case he/she is an individual
After the approval of the residence permit, the worker will undertake his or her duties until the termination of the contract. The license must be renewed after a stipulated period. In case the employee wants to visit his/her home, they must get an exit visa from the Ministry of Interior. The employer must approve the exit permission, and it is only valid for seven working days, although it can be a multiple-exit visa.
Critical Information to know
Transportation Availability
Qatar has an efficient public transport for both intercity and urban flexibility. With the ever-increasing soring temperatures, it's either one to use public or private means of transportation around. The Mowasala Karwa manages the most extensive railway system in the country ( Wees, “n.d”) . They also have a bus network that offers transport services around the country. They also have an efficient taxi system around the localities.
They do have a vast network of buses around Doha and connects all the major cities. The bus is paid by the use of a prepaid card, known as the Faresaver card (costs 30 QR). The fare in the town costs about 3-5QR with transport to other cities ranging between 5-10 QR Mowasalat's taxis costs a flat rate of 4QR and per kilometre at 1.2QR daytime and 1.8 QR night time ( Cordesman, 2019) . Most taxis are found around hotels and malls and often provide one with the flexibility of movement.
Housing Costs and Availability
The cost of living in the country largely depends on one's preferences and living standard. The government charges minimal on home phones, water, electricity, and homes in general. The government rarely taxes anything with only import tax charged ( Wees, “n.d”) . Thus, accommodation is the only expenses that one may face but also depends on one's living standard. Foods are, however costly since nearly 90 per cent of their foods are imported.
Housing does make up about one-third of an ordinary family ( AlMarri, 2019) . The cost of living is estimated at real-time pricing of products available and is compared to the month's CPI index. Expatriates do rent accommodation with most houses unfurnished and only have the bare minimal such as kitchen unit. Furnished units are costly and hard to come by in the city. However, leading international firms do have their accommodation units that may be a villa or small groups ( Cordesman, 2019) . Rentals make up the most significant expenditure and often take up much of one's income. Purchasing household items such as sofas and bed is very expensive. The rates often vary and depend on ones' preferences, location, and ability to spend. Below is a breakdown of rental units in the city:
Single Bedroom/Studio QR 3000 to QR 7500
A bed space only QR 900
High-end units Luxurious units cost QR 10000
Two-bedroom QR 12000 – QR 15000
Umm Ghuwailina area with two bedrooms QR 7000 to QR 16000
Three bedrooms QR 8000 to QR 17000
Well-furnished three-bedroom houses cost as much as QR 20000 within the city and QR 15000 outside the city ( Wees, “n.d”) .
Work Week
Qataris work from Sunday to Thursday. Saturday and Friday are often considered as week holidays. The working time in the country is from 7:30 am to noon. Next is from 3 in the afternoon to 7:30 pm. However, the timing varies with each company and firm. Malls and restaurants are open between 10 am to 10:30 pm ( Wees, “n.d”) . Most of these closes on Friday but this also depends on one shop or company to another.
Typical Vacation time
Vacation highly depends on one's contract. While some allow for vacation time, some companies of agreement do not allow for vacation time. One needs to arrange a vacation with their employer on time ( Cordesman, 2019) . Vacation time may require the need for travelling back home or away for a holiday that often involves authorization by the Labour department. Vacation time thus depends on one's contract and agreement with the employer.
Union Influence
The kafala sponsorship has often been an avenue where employers exploit employees. Employees are not allowed to join any trade union with employers having the upper hand in all issues about the employee ( AlMarri, 2019) . The situation has often seen increased cases of exploitation, reduced wages, hard labour, and excessive control of the employees. Workers are also disallowed from striking or grumbling. If one does not sign a clear and favourable contract with their employer, chances of exploitation are often remarkably high ( Cordesman , 2019). The Human Rights Watch has, on numerous occasions, been involved in agitating for improvement of workers situations. Workers with clear cut contracts with their employers are often favoured with good working terms and conditions.
Education
Education in Qatar is pretty expensive. Public schools are free, but private schools are costly, but they do offer very high-quality education. In some situations, the employer can take up school fees signed in part of the working contract ( Fromherz, 2017) . However, the cost of schooling depends on the type of education one takes, such as the type of curriculum one takes. Private schools' tuition may cost as much as QR 4000 monthly for one child. International schools charge as much as QR 18000 to QR 60000, and this also depends on the available amenities and type of institution. High school fees can be as high as QR 70000 yearly, and the amount does not cover transportation cost or uniforms.
References
Al-Ammari, B., & Romanowski, M. H. (2016). The Impact of Globalisation on Society and Culture in Qatar. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities , 24 (4).
AlMarri, A. A. (2019). Displaced Population: A Case Study of the Syrian Forced Migrants in Qatar (Master's thesis).
Al-Mohannadi, A. S., & Furlan, R. (2019). Socio-cultural patterns embedded into the built form of Qatari houses: Regenerating architectural identity in Qatar. Journal of Urban Regeneration & Renewal , 12 (4), 336-358.
Cordesman, A. H. (2019). Saudi Arabia: Guarding the desert kingdom . Routledge.
Diop, A., Mustafa, S. A. A., Ewers, M., & Le, T. K. (2019). Welfare Index of Migrant Workers in the Gulf: the Case of Qatar. International Migration .
Fromherz, A. J. (2017). Qatar: A modern history . Georgetown University Press. http://www.sam.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Book-Reviews.pdf
Wees, A. (“n.d”) Where is Qatar? Some things to consider before taking a job there…. https://researchedsolution.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/where-is-qatar-some-things-to-consider-before-taking-a-job-there/
