What would you like to Change in Qatar?

hmmm... is that bcoz cows as urself can come and graze for free ?? no thanks.

btw... Thanks for asking... really.

i agree totally on the changes advised by the author...

additionally:

- there are many folks who actually were born here and have spent enough time in Qatar to call it their MOTHERland... and still dont have a passport... okay .. no need of giving citizenship... atleast grant us unlimited release / sponsorship transfer eligibility....

- most if not all the people serving the nation are racist ... irrespective of being a Qatari or arab or asian (does not include westerns.. i mean it) u go anywhere u will see, the customer service reps are very polite with a qatari/arab but if its a person even from your neighboring nation... they will start acting smart and get rude... and impatient and blah blah... so the authorities of every organization must put a strict eye on having equal service to people irrespective of race.

we love qatar which was nearly a desert... and we love qatar as its developing... all we need is a homely feeling where you are treated alike.

nothing else.. really.

give Salaries according to qualification, experience not according to the nationality..

Free media, no censorship of local news, as they don't censor other countries news..

make some criteria for driving licence, not that everyone get the licence..

No NOC/exit permit...

grant nationality to those who are living here for more then 2 decades (Btw i am here just for last 2 yrs ;) and i don't need it also )

some compensation to expats in traffic fines :p

else i am thinking.. ;)

i 100% agree with you!!

i agree with your wish-list,NiCa!!! Not all have their own car here, a better and reliable public transport system is a must in this bustling city

Every year I hear whispers that the NOC is being dropped. One Qatari who has several business including a law firm told me earlier this year that it would be gone within 6 months. And if it did go, he would close all of his businesses because holding on to his staff would become too much of a chore. So I guess he is still in business as the NOC still remains in place.

i will chang the rule for sponsership change

NOC is just an unfair system and is not being applied in the spirit for which is was intended

.. it would be well advised not to blame the locals for any or all of your petty problems, back stabbings, NOC, termination, etc, etc as in most of the cases its your own asian colleagues doing the back stabbing work, rejection of NOC requests, etc in the name of the local without the local guy having any idea what is going on.

Robust labour laws and practices which protect the lowest earners in Qatar - ie manual workers, maids etc

If there are laws which protect their right to days off, minimum wages, very few seem to stick to it.

The positive side of lack of vision of Dubai is that it has kept Qatar afloat and jobs of expats intact in times of recession.

Qatar needs the vision whch dubai has.expat friendly,tourist friendly,infrastructure,quick pace of construction and general well being of the locals as well as seeing the comforts nd needs of the expats.Sorry to say but qatar is too self obsessed nd follows saudia to a certain extent in monarchy.

1. Sponsorship Law : to disable the years of service,to transfer on other Co. who is offering best for the future.

2.Prices and Accommodation : To much high compare to other GCC country

3.Racial Discrimination (Salary) : As Asian, our salry is lower than Arabs who can speak Arabic,not to offend, but really SOME of them they can speak Arabic only but cannot perform their Duties very well? Am i Right QLer's?

HAPPY EID AL ADHA

Parking system in city-centre hahahaha....

hmm...i have so many things to change here but the list will be endless..

- anyhow as mentioned above i agree to remove all the roundabouts especially in salwa road that is accident-prone and replace with interchange..

- abolish the sponsorship law/ NOC/ exit permit..

- and..and..and so on......

blenty dreamers, we have, ;)

local bars will be nice, but would that make people act nicer?

with the absence/strict control of luiquors people behave badly, imagine having a pint before heading home.

Maybe we'll need more hospitals.

Equality is all i need, that salaries and benefits be offered according to one's qualification and capacity not on skin color or how strong your wasta is.

Slavery and sponsorship.

AC bus stops. Facilities on other public beaches like the one at Al Khor.

QL to support communities here in Qatar and not pocket the full amount in their pocket.

1. Fire people who blow their car horns infront of the shops instead of going inside.

2. Family only days, family only parks - What the hell?, If we only get leave on friday that day will be "family only" everywhere.

3. Qtel's internet connection

1 Noc/exit permit and sponsor must be government rater than a individual.

1. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

(Never had a problems in any other country i travelled till date except in Qatar)

2. Labour law / NOC / Exit permits need to be relaxed.

1 - I want them to allow AIRSOFT again..:(

2 - The way people drive

3 - Open the minds of some people not screw a hole in their heads (they are 2 different things)

4 - One store selling "fork"

I would rather prefer more affordable places to socialise than creating places where a person can be lonely which otherwise seems to be a part of contract for an expat to work in this part...

hiiii mr michelrobot

I like That comment dude....

As a education hub and sports hub they can introduce a big think arena too...looking over the penninsula a big huge venue like Bahai temple in India Delhi they can build something unique for students and thinkers just next to Museam where a lonely person can go think study and sit for some nice thoughts and can take alngwith his binoculars to gaze at stars in night....

Qatar is beautiful at night a lot and specially during fall season..They can offer a lot...They need a dreamer like me only... ;)

Ahhhh.... it was the comment by Gabriel Michael that got stuck in my head as being the OP. Sorry OP, please accept my apologies.

edited

Yeah drsam... I have no idea where I got that from. I must have got mixed up somewhere along the line. I have already withdrawn that comment. Maybe I am struggling with this thread after all :P

Withdrawn comment, as on reading back I am not convinced my assumption was accurate.

Definitely! Better libraries need to introduce. If you go to the National Library you’ll find that most of the books on Qatar are just not there. That said, you can find the odd gem there.

- No exit visa system

- No family ONLY days

- local bars which would serve cheap and round the clock specially on weekends

- Increase the speed limit to 120 from 80 now...I feel like walking at that speed...

An ice-cream parlor. On the Corniche, with decent ice-cream (not the rubbish they sell at the cafe near the Sheraton), air-conditioning (of course) and comfortable seats with views overlooking the bay.O_o!

agree with the library idea! i've been struggling since july when the french institute closed it's library for renovation :( a 5 month renovation?? desherbage!! they need it though, rarely seen anyone else when i visited, and the books were sooo old herbes must have grown on them!

introduce and subsidize electric vehicles;

1- A big parking lot for Al Raunaq store..at old airport road

2- A big huuuuuuuuuge library with huge windows and nice curtains witrh big parking lot...

3- A huge green house for production of vegetables and fruits locally and for a tourist visit too.

4- They can introduce our for local / expat public wiht refreshments to roam in Oil plants as well as Alluminium and Gas plants as well conducted tours.

5- They need BIGBUS tour for roaming to Doha...They can start it from Mesaieed to Dukhan with small hoppings at few malls too during december to March as weather is pretty cool...

6- Parks for kids

7- A reachable area for bazaars....

the poor OP is overhelmed too. she tried to reply at first, but than... hehehe poor her!

i need my al-naimi kadak chai to be brought faster to me in my land cruiser and also to be more strong..... is tht too much? hmmm...

As it's the only truly live thread on QL at the moment, I am not struggling with it at all.

change roundabout

definitly TB. but what a rate! it's a frenzy!!

have hard time following and reading!

Good point drsam!

Any opportunity for a rant dram ;)

45+ replies in less than an hour to a thread opened by a new member!

Doha must change!!

1. No more need for NOC.

2. No one holds your passport.

3. No more roundabouts.

4. Overspeeders go to hell.

5. Underspeeders go to hell.

6. Rents should be reasonable.

7. Electricity, water, internet, phone, etc. BILLS should be reasonable.

8. Everyone should take a bath everyday or at least use deodorant. DO NOT cover your stench with STRONG perfume.

9. Equality, fairness.

10. I think I'm being too greedy so I'll just keep the rest of the list to myself. This is just wishful thinking anyway.

CHANGE BEGINS WITH ONESELF AND UNFORTUNATELY ENDS THERE AS WELL.

You can never really change the world as you want it to be.

I need Qatar to change NOC rules.

1. Implementation and institutionalization of a proper consumer protection department, this should also include complaints against real estate companies who don't meet their obligations with the tenants.

2. Allow foreign investors to come to Qatar and own their business without the need of a Qatari shareholder. This would boost up competition and quality of service.

3. Abolishment of exit permits.

4. There should be no impunity for any offenders, this would include all nationalities, gender, race, etc.

Agree with jjjjjjjj75. The problem here is that the roundabouts don't flow here. And this is because the majority of drivers don't know which lane to enter a roundabout, nor do they know when it's time to shift lanes to correctly exit the roundabout. It's not rocket science, but I don't think you could ever (no mater how much training you give) educate all road users in Qatar how to use one of these excellent British inventions.

Thus here in Qatar I too would tear out all roundabouts and replace them with signals. It would make me feel a lot safer.

i cant stand it any longer Taco Bell !

Colt45 - Quite, lane discipline is an alien concept to many/most

In Qatar you don't drive around them, you drive through them :-P

drsam - not Qatars fault that you cannot drive round them properly. We have millions all over UK and don't have the same problems (and we have heavier traffic). The problems aren't the roundabouts but that people don't know how to drive round them.

jjjjjjjjjjj75 said "bars are one thing - although I like a drink as much as the next person, I am not sure that would be top of my list."

It's second from top for me JJ, not because I want to get smashed every night. But I love a nice conversation accompanied by a nice pint (and no coffee just isn't the same). It's the pub atmosphere from the UK I relay miss. Although that is not quite the same since the smoking ban :( A place to go, chill, relax and talk sh1t all night long. I also find people laugh at my jokes a little more after a pint or two.

And I want normal pricing to go with that pint. When paying over the top in hotels, I get stressed about being ripped off, instead of relaxing with my nice pint of real ale (because I also want real ale out here as well).

Agreed.Implement the actual Shari'ah law correctly, with no extremism either ways. That should fix all the woes like blatant racism, oppression and abuse of employees, terrifying driving conditions,etc.

automatic spelling correction? i wrote roundabout in one word no spaces, it comes out round-abouts!!

Qatar just follow Dubai and learn........

You still remember my stripper thong... lmao!!! those were the days :-))

I will make you my first target with your that hole underwear and shoot from 10km distance :D

no more roundabouts please.

needs to be open to change. Think about change and more importantly talk about change. "Good" changes will automatically come.

Why talk about a wish list for change when the approach to anything new seem to be- accept the way things are, or leave?

One thing at a time, I ain't greedy ya know :-P

Do carnivals on corniche block the whole road from Diwan Amiri to Sheraton like they did before twice open to all not just families.

And bring back the Palm Island not just leave it like that for nothing.

- 2 years ban should be removed or should be reduced to 6 months

- Rule of exit permit should be removed

- More restaurants and cafes to be opened in west bay

- More bars & clubs should be opened..:-)

- The road should be at least 3 lanes...

- The quality of flats is very poor in Doha compared to Dubai..Either provide good quality or reduce the rent..

Knowing you, you will use that air gun on the corniche, trying to shoot people away :-(

Gabriel Michael, just in case you have reading difficulties, I'm going to remind you the title of this post with Cap's letters (WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE IN QATAR?)!

. This post was about Qatar “The Country "! Its got nufin 2 do with Religion ya schmuck! Two words (GROW UP)

so next you will ask is for a gay bar and a stripper club you bloody perv :D

bars are one thing - although I like a drink as much as the next person, I am not sure that would be top of my list.

What annoys me is being ripped off for the bare necessities - schooling is expensive and substandard. The schools are not designed to educate but to make money for its owners.

When my cat was sick recently - couple of x-rays and 2 nights at the vet - over QAR6,000. Again, the owner of the vets almost certainly do not have the best interest of the animal at heart - just figuring out ways to wallet rape the pet owner

let the authorities to allow use of air guns and make its availability easier for those who like to go hunting. its hell running chasing a rabbit in open desert in this heat when its running at top speed in 10 gear and me in 1 gear.

:?

why not Darude? why do i have to make a 10 km travel to have a drink and come back by taxi only to go back by taxi again next morning to get my car back??

great minds think alike :-D

Implement Proper SHARIA LAW..

and you want more umbrellas on beaches why, to cover your hairy, white arse? You could do with a tanned one :-))

it depends how u like to bring the change in Qatar there are different ways to do it. bringing a change in a society is very time consuming and painful u cannot change a person in one day but u can change a whole society in 1 decade.

if u want to bring change u need collective effort

for one u see women try to change themselves so that they could impress males is not only the problem with that male but also his upbringing if a male is trained to be a racist bigotrist and is brought up with the idea the girl u marry must have blue eyes white skin blond hair he will never understand as a grown up that how could he marry some one opposite of what he has been taught.

secondly and the most importantly racism is really a big big problem in Qatar which can be changed by collective effort

Local bars would make all the other problems go away

all in all you had to come with local bar.

Damn you

Certainly,

- Media law is outdated & crippled and seriously needs major amending. Read this article for further details http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/144697-a-crippled-fourth-estate.html

- I'm pro canceling exit permit & NOC . But keeping sponsorship law under a government regulatory body

- Under the law On protection of society, MOI can detain incommunicado . Almost two weeks ago H.H the Emir Ordered the formation of a committe to review the law

a local bar is a bar that is not in a hotel and sells booze at a nominal price of about $3-5 a bottle and not the abysmal prices we have to pay in a hotel bar :-(

Guys, Dont you have anything else to do other than discussing impossibles and improbables in a public forum.

A- Yes, wish we can control the humidity and the unbearable sun.

B- Many here has no ethics when it comes to driving.

C- Could you elaborate more on this point. Thanks Coly45

I agree with you, there is no free market, there are many regulations which limits competition and monopoly is sucking all the money from people's pockets.

The over pricing of everything is because these sectors have certain expectation about the purchase power, not to mention lack of competition and the too many regulation which prevent competition, in addition to there no clear regulatory from the higher institution to limit the exploitations of the consumer.

i wish there were more competition that can reduce prices. can u imagine the car prices here and their spare parts compared to saudi arabia?

that a qatari does a wedding list in Doha, but buy them for half price from saudi?

the entrance on weekends to a 5 star hotel beach for 250 ryals? and health center for more than 11.000QR/year?

the school fees, nursery fees, rent fees,...

A - The way people drive

B - Introduction of local Bars

all you want is the look of girls to change?

hmm how about stop digging the roads which doesnt need any work but go work on the roads which are dying to be repaired.

get those what do you call those counter above every signal.

tell the traffic police stop messing on round abouts the worst traffic is because of them.

and open the zubara beach why are you closing it with concrete walls.

and for heaven sakes make proper bus stands on high ways so a car wont jump off the road and kill those by standers waiting for bus or lift.

get some umbrella shelter on beaches not just the safaliya island which no one goes to mostly

and yea allow me to use car license plate with my name on it :D

Thank you

will think about more and come back to you.

NEED A TOTAL REVAMP.THE WEST BAY IS DEAD THY SHLD HAVE 24 HOUR COFFEE SHOPS MORE RESTAURANTS MORE PARKS WITH GOOD AMMENITIES FOR CHILDREN. MORE MALLS PLACES TO INTEREST TOURIST A BETTER NIGHT LIFE ND YES MORE EDUCATION IN TRAFFIC RULES ON THE ROAD

some other EXPAT woman muslims will change their style of accusing non-muslim expat when they see the following:

1. Female & male walking or together (theyre brothers and sisters. even theyre not police, they will come and ask ID's...They don't know how to read. When they call their husband, husband will say "I am police" in a civilian clothes....Then he will ask after reading we have same last name, "same same mother & father Yanniii??"

2. Muslim expats will come and BANG BANG BANG your door only to ask who are inside your house..They don't know how to knock like human..theyre coming like animal.

Come on guys, why you suspects your neighbors a lot? Qataris are quiet and nice people..but we expats came here to show rudeness and boastfulness. :(

I wish to change few things. First you have your passport in your hand and second no need to take clearence letter (Khurooj) from company every time you want to travel. For example if you want to go to dubai in eid holidays you only buy tickets and that is all.

But

This is only dream.

Hope that qatar will change it policy like dubai.

A - The weather (summer only)

B - The way people drive

C - Introduction of local Bars

This is such a loaded question

Good points, could you elaborate briefly on each,please, that would be great specially for those which these topics may seem foreign to them. Thanks genesis.

4. i wont say all of them know it

1. New media law

2. amending sponsorship law

3. Cancellation of society protection law