I've heard an Arab in white headdress and thawb say sorry, but I did not ask him his nationality so I cannot say if he is Qatari or not. I've been told the white keffiyeh is commonly worn by Qataris here, while the red-and-white one is usually worn by Emiratis. Is this true?

Anyway, I was standing in line at an ATM machine and there were two such youngsters in front of me. After finishing up they turned around and were discussing something, then noticed that they were in my way, and said "sorry, ma'am".

I've met some polite, well-bred Qataris, and also rude, ill-bred ones, which can also be seen in people of other nationalities.

But it's understandable how hard it is for expats to avoid stereotyping Qataris since we do get to experience many inconveniences here from the negative attitudes of many locals. Just try to keep an open mind and get to know the country a bit more.