Qatar Airways Flyover of Sydney Harbour Qatar Airways

It's often said that pilot's have the best office in the world. Now see for yourself just how true that statement can be, with a "pilots-eye" view from the cockpit of QA recent Sydney Harbour flyover to celebrate our inaugural flight to the iconic Australian city.

Extreme Drought in Sudan

For these boys in Sudan, #wateris life. The region suffers from extreme drought @UNICEFWater pic.twitter.com/uuuowwbcKS

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) April 28, 2016

I Wed 2016 The 9th international wedding exhibition

I Wed 2016 The 9th international wedding exhibition and fashion show Doha

April 26 – April 30
Apr 26 at 12 PM to Apr 30 at 10 PM



Katara Hall
Building #12. Katara Cultural Village, Doha, Qatar

Palestinian Heritage Festival 2016

The 2nd #Palestinian Heritage Festival, will be held in #Katara building 3, start on Thursday 5th May 2016 pic.twitter.com/QBmdR9Y5oF

— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) April 27, 2016

Pest Control in Qatar

As the hot weather arrived so the pests living in Qatar get more active .There are a lots of animals wishing to live in  the comfort  of our homes : ants ,cockroaches , followed by lizards  who hunt them - horrible to say  - rats and mice ! There are professionals to kill them and the supermarkets offer a  lots of sprays , traps , repellents .

Pest control seems to be a thriving business here  ! However not all the companies are really good . After making the job -pests still come and thrive .There are many complaints . But this is only part of the problems .

One of the main reason of the pest problem in my views  that pest control is made by tenants - only one flat at a time ! It should be done by the owner of the  building ! All the flats made ! Compulsory ! Or whole districts ...

I used to live in Budapest  - it was a rat free city at that time . There was one reason for that . The city 's leaders  had contract  with one single firm  with great reputation for the whole city . That really works .

Even worse , here Qatar  involuntary imports rats from India .

The municipality of Doha encourages people to call them for pest control services ! They had helped more than 2000 times LAST MONTH

#DohaMunicipality responded to 2316 pest control services during the month of #April . Contact ur mncplty fr d same pic.twitter.com/pZ3ZaKwURf

— Baladiya (@Baladiya1) May 11, 2016

Hot weather arrived - sooner than expected

Temperatures are currently between 33-38 °C and 40 °C in Abu Hamor, its higher than the average about 5 degrees. pic.twitter.com/oM30nGL3eg

— أرصاد قطر (@Qatar_Weather) April 26, 2016

Silk Exhibition - Visit before May 9

Exquisite pieces await at QM Gallery @kataraqatar during 'Silks from the Silk Road.' Visit before May 9. #VisitQatar pic.twitter.com/UxM1sEuAZh

— Visit Qatar (@VisitQatar) April 26, 2016

Got a stressful weekend

One of my close relative got very sick . I had to call the ambulance . 999 -I dialed .They were here in no time .After some therapy and a lots of talk by the paramedic they decided to take her to hospital .

And the surprise came then .We live only 5 minute ride from the Hamad which is the main hospital here .But she was taken to Al- Wakra ,a little town from the heart of Doha - 40 minute ride in the peak hours !

The other surprise was that the paramedic totally misunderstood the problem .No he was not Arab ,nor Indian . He was a Western expat and his first language was English .Apparently he did not get used to non-native speakers   or  he just had preconceptions .

Finally we were there at Wakra hospital emergency . it was lunch time - 3 women in pain were jammed in one assessment room and one Indian male nurse tried to deal with them . After 20 minutes a female nurse arrived and transferred all the woman to a simple waiting area free for visitors .More women in pain arrived in wheel chairs - some of them were pale and close to passing out -others were walking doubled by the pain .How humiliating to spend time in a public area in such condition !

After one hour  finally we saw a doctor . He was an Indian male doctor seemed to be intelligent and realized that my relative needs to be observed .
The observation room was nice - I like the privacy there -the partitions ... she got some medication and quiet bed to relax .
This is what she needed and I became quiet .

Everybody was nice .Doctors came to see her often and nurses too . Everyone was treating her with respect and sympathy .But after 5 hours she was declared to be fine and was asked to leave the hospital !

She was not fine at all - she arrived there weak ,in pain and in wheel chair . She was forced to leave weak , trembling in wheel chair .

In my opinion they should have observed her for another 5 hours at least .

But this is what someone gets in a government hospital - I thought -  I am sure that if it happened in a private hospital she would have been observed for a day at least .
They even told her politely " please ,hurry up leaving as other patients need this place "'Hurry up - for a trembling weak patient ! "

I was in stress hoping she would not faint during the ride home . I made silent calculations about private hospital costs .
.Luckily , after some hours she was much better ...lesson learned - no way to call the ambulance rather take the person in need by car to the nearest hospital's emergency ...Hamad Hospital staff  is much better organized than Wakra !

Specially for You Card by almawad

Bee keeper's business cards

teddy bear with honey in fluorescent yellow business card by lumirala

Bee -sting therapy in Gaza

As there is not enough medication in Gaza people turn to an alternative therapy - the bee sting therapy !
Have you ever tried ? I heard it prevents rheumatism ! It is a well known fact -at least in my country , in Hungary among the bee-keepers I met in person ! Officially it  has no any benefit . The experience shows that bee-keepers are healthy people free from those problems of the joints  and bones !

And I remember when a bee bit me as a child ! It was a painful experience !
Some people might die from one single bee sting !  Two out of one hundred might get an allergic  shock ! It might be you or your child ! That is why it should be applied only if  someone is there who can treat anaphylactic shock!
Bees living here in the Arabian/Persian Gulf are especially good for therapy as their stings are longer than other bees' .

  This therapy has been used for thousand years in China .It helps people with  other disease as well .

New Course of Animation at Doha Film Institute

Want to start an animation career?
Sign up now for our new course with @QatarAnimation! https://t.co/SU0rLyByky pic.twitter.com/4uJ9pKGnBX

— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) April 25, 2016

Have a look in the new restaurant in Westin Hotel

#BubbaliciousBrunch @WestinDoha offers a wide great selection of food. 🍽🍤🐟🦀 #WestinWellfie #WestinDoha pic.twitter.com/hrSSbxRLyd

— MarhabaQatar (@MarhabaQatar) April 22, 2016

Numbers in Qatar - $50 million

The Qatar Development Fund pledges $50 million to the Lives and Livelihoods Fund to fight poverty. https://t.co/gLoCigcX5g

— Gates Foundation (@gatesfoundation) April 21, 2016

Graffiti Meets Calligraphy In Gaza

A Palestinian graffiti artist brings urban style to an ancient art form.He is decorating  everyday objects ,even a body builder champion with the famous Arabic calligraphy  admired by so many .

Local Fishery Products event

#MME is honoured to invite you to attend the Local Fishery Products event at Almazrooa yard on 21-23/04/2016 . 08 AM pic.twitter.com/A4k1MBPg7h

— Baladiya (@Baladiya1) April 20, 2016

Qatar University & Lund University to have joint research and exchange programmes

Yesterday Qatar University signed an agreement with Lund University for joint research and exchange programmes! 🇶🇦🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/16XQbqKOYl

— Sweden Doha (@SwedenDoha) April 19, 2016

Study Abroad Fair 2016 - Qatar University

Visit the Embassy of Sweden booth tomorrow at Qatar University #StudyAbroadFair 2016! 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/PS59ycx5ma

— Sweden Doha (@SwedenDoha) April 17, 2016

Doha by night - Aspire Park - colorful reflections

Good evening
Thank you Mohamed Aboelezz for sharing #LifeInAspire pic.twitter.com/cJtelJQbGf

— Aspire Zone (@aspirezone) April 17, 2016

Doha has some picturesque parts to be visited when it is dark . You can take the city visiting bus by night nowadays . There are tickets for kids and adults and families . Tour guiding is available in 7 languages .
Learn more 

Train design - Qatar Rail

Tomorrow the whole world will see our train designs. Tell us what you think. #QatarRail pic.twitter.com/cWjphfIaRW

— Qatar Rail (@qrc_official) April 16, 2016

desert thumbs - ever tried ?

The roots of the Desert Thumb are edible and were sold in earlier times as a #vegetable. #Qatar #Nature pic.twitter.com/9RYnlWya61

— Qatar e-Nature (@Qatar_eNature) June 30, 2015

 This plant  has a great  medicinal power / treating problems with gall bladder / erectile dysfunctions  and more / it is called in Chinese Suo -Yang .

keep your city clean n bright

They are always at your service.
They keep your city clean n bright.
Help them by using litter bins. #Qatar#MME pic.twitter.com/Aau7zofWEa

— Baladiya (@Baladiya1) April 15, 2016

Is Qatar clean ? Yes -no ... The street cleaners are on the streets everyday .But when walking in the old parts of the city I can smell the garbage though it is emptied daily it has terrible smell - also the bins themselves are small .
Yes - when you go to the malls you will always find great toilets cleaned after every or nearly every customer .You can see less clean toilets in some old parks and
fast food restaurants . Due to the constructions many times sewage pipelines are broken and the dirty water is in the streets .This happens in some residential areas . If you visit Qatar as a tourist you will not see such  things . The  touristy areas in Doha are usually spotlessly clean and well arranged .
The food safety is high in Qatar . The authorities are very strict and visiting and closing places for a  month or more in case of  any kind of wrongdoing . However nearly every year there is one or more food poisoning case that reaches the media . I personally worry only about the staff of restaurants - about their personal commitment to hygiene . The staff  consist of foreign employees  - and often leave the country after short time and news are coming . They bring with themselves their own  country's standard of health  ( which is poor ) - and  though certainly they are educated here too quickly they leave the country and new ones are coming  who needs to be educated again .

New Shipping Service to make online shopping easy

Many UK or US online stores do not ship worldwide - they only take domestic orders . The new service of  Qatar post will provide you with a UK .US address.
Your order will arrive at their facility there  . After that they will ship it to Qatar for  a fee that you can calculate here . This shipping cost can be payed by Credit/Debit Cards (Visa/MasterCard) .They promise to deliver your item(s) within 5 to 8 working days from the date of payment of your shipment fees. To subscribe to the new shipping service you need to have a valid Qatar ID Number (QID) .
What is especially exciting that in some months drones ( flying robots )  will deliver the parcels to your home !!!!!!!!!!!!

learn more

How social media is changing the world

6 ways #socialmedia is changing the world https://t.co/9cN1QTDWI8 pic.twitter.com/8yrBQ72pbr

— World Economic Forum (@wef) April 10, 2016

A five -storey building collapsed in Istanbul

Local authorities say nobody was inside - and everybody could escape safe and sound . I wish if it was true !

Vintage camels in the desert - poster

Vintage camels in the desert poster by almawad

Vintage camels in the desert . One is resting -the other is standing . In he background there is a caravan passing .Real Middle Eastern feel . An antique book illustration was edited and applied on this poster by Alma Wad . This print is available in different sizes !

Fresh Camel milk - would you give it a try ?

#CamelMilk now available at @MonoprixQatar #Doha #Qatar pic.twitter.com/tXXFauewpH

— Monoprix Qatar (@MonoprixQatar) March 20, 2016

The amazing properties of camel milk

1 .It goes off much slower than cow milk . It needs 4 days actually while cow milk needs only 1 .The camel milk has natural antibiotics like lac-toferrin .
Also this lac-toferrin helps to prevent inflammatory disease -so it can be effective prevention of colon cancer .

2 .It helps people with weakened immun system as well ,it contains three times more vitamin C than cow milk . It is also rich in minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron and manganese.

3 .It has insuline effect as well - it helps to keep the blood sugar normal .

read more 

7,000 square meter -numbers in Qatar

7,000 square meter
the largest Monoprix Hypermarket in the world
coming soon by the end of 2016
we can expect a wide range of products that is unique in Qatar

Ecuadorian Food Festival opens today

The Ecuadorian Food Festival opens today @TheDipClub, get details here: https://t.co/6q7R5UG002 #QatarEvents pic.twitter.com/omHfGhA5TU

— MarhabaQatar (@MarhabaQatar) April 6, 2016

MIA Park will be open 24/7

MIA Park lovers rejoice, as of today MIA Park will be open 24/7! pic.twitter.com/ASmqzt2mJq

— MuseumofIslamicArt (@MIAQatar) April 5, 2016

What can you do in MIA park ?

You can ride a bike,you can rent a bike , you can have a picnic , kids aged 2-10 can play on the playground , hoverboarding and balls are allowed too .
You can walk to the cafe and relax and watch the sea and the skyline of the city .

What is prohibited in the MIA park ?

No smoking in seating areas, no fishing , no BBQ ,no open fire , no swimming .

Songkran celebrations in Qatar

Get ready to get soaked with Grand Hyatt Doha’s very own Songkran celebration on 13 April.  The award-winning Thai restaurant, Isaan will be commemorating Songkran with a Thai New Year Gala Dinner on 13 April and closing with a special
Songkran Chatuchak Brunch on 15 April. Book Soft beverage package At QAR 290 and Special beverage package At QAR 399. Book Online and pay in store, for any inquiries please Call 44481250

SONGKRAN Grand Hyatt Doha 2015
Songkran is back! Let’s get soaking wet on 13 April. Can you handle it?
Posted by Grand Hyatt Doha on Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Westin Doha Hotel in Bin mahmoud Just opened its Thai restaurant

A lovely welcome at @WestinDoha for the launching of Sabai Thai restaurant. Just in time for #Songkran pic.twitter.com/IsmaIKLsgu

— MarhabaQatar (@MarhabaQatar) April 11, 2016

Art4Everyone in Dubai

A unique fusion of Art, Entertainment and Education, #Art4Everyone @WorldArtDubai, 6-9 April #WAD2016 pic.twitter.com/SoPvpHSU2k

— Dubai Calendar (@Dubai_Calendar) April 4, 2016

Orientalist Art pieces at AlBahie Auction House in Katara

Only 1 day left for bidding on Islamic & Orientalist Art pieces at AlBahie Auction House in #Katara pic.twitter.com/xxAQlMMSXW

— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) April 4, 2016

Numbers in Qatar - 14,000 workers and staff

 14,000 workers and staff  were evacuated from a construction site when a fire broke out some days ago  at the project of  The Mall Of Qatar

source 

THE TAINTED VEIL premieres

Powerful, bold and masterfully told. THE TAINTED VEIL premieres in #Qatar this week! https://t.co/tWvJ41LEmY pic.twitter.com/5y2y9ftYCa

— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) April 3, 2016

How to find the right school for your child in Qatar

It is now much easier than before -  the Ministry of Education had made a map - where you can find the schools your child might need .You can find it according to the curriculum /area /community etc . You can find out the price as well .

There is this interactive map of Qatar . Little flags show the type of Educational Curriculum . You choose one little flag -when clicking on it it will show the name of the school and some basic information . You click on the name and more info will show up ; Manager Name ,Educational Curriculum ,School Years ,Accreditation ,Vouchers ,Students Number till now , annual school fees .


Here is the map -it is worth studying it .

It is also interesting to see how many communities have schools in Qatar : American ,French ,Pakistani,Bangladeshi,German ,Palestinian ,British ,Indian ,Sri lankan ,Canadian ,Iranian,Sudanese ,Egyptian ,Japanese,Syrian,Filipino ,Jordanian,Tunisian,Finnish,Lebanese schools are operating in Qatar .

Aquapark opened - see the prices

Book your ticket for a cheaper price through our online store  Also memberships and voucher books are available by...
Posted by Aqua Park Qatar "Offical Page" on Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Aqua Park opened and it is not cheaper than before .
It is 180 if you buy tickets at the counter .
It is 155 rials if you buy the tickets online .

It looks that buying vouchers for families or groups is far better deal than buying individual tickets .
Family vouchers : QR 4000
Individual vouchers : QR 1000

Tuesday is ladies only day : from 3 pm to 11 pm from April 12

VCUQatar 17th Annual Fashion show

Posted by Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar on Thursday, March 31, 2016

When : April 12-14
What time : 6:30 pm
Where : Gate Mall
Tickets available :50qr - buy it here
What to expect : Annual Fashion Show featuring
VCUQ students designs

Remembering Zaha Hadid (1950 - 2016)

Fire at the Caravan restaurant's roof - near Ramada signal

Civil Defence contains a fire broke out at roof of a restaurant nearby Jabr bin Ahmed intersection (Ramada signal) without any casualties.

— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) April 1, 2016

This is the video of the fire that consumed Caravan Restaurant in Doha. pic.twitter.com/Dxtvqqud2M

— Just Nathan (@intanako) April 2, 2016

it happened at 7 pm friday night ( yesterday)
the firefighters were struggling for two hours - it was a hard job as very strong winds were feeding the fire and the risk of spreading grew great -  luckily the fire did not spread over the restaurant complex - special thanks for  the firefighters from a Doha resident