DOHA //Locals who are unhappy with the prospect of revellers descending on Qatar for the 2022 World Cup can go on a pilgrimage to Mecca during the tournament, an official at a government-run cultural centre said yesterday.
As the news that Qatar has been chosen to host the world's largest sports tournament sinks in, residents here have begun to consider the impact masses of partying foreigners will have on the conservative society.
"As a choice, they could go [to Mecca]. There's no obligation to stay in this country, is there?" said Ijaz Ahmad, the British head of Islamic culture at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs' Fanar centre. "They can go on the Umrah or they can go on holiday to London."
The Fanar centre works to raise awareness of Islam and the local culture among foreign visitors and residents. Mr Ahmad said the consumption of alcohol by football fans "is a difficult issue" because of the varying levels of tolerance to the practice among locals.
"Islam is quite clear that we shouldn't be drinking alcohol, and it's for our own benefit," he said. "Drinking 16 pints of lager doesn't do anyone any good."
He said the country's current restrictions - alcohol consumption is permitted in some hotels and houses of non-Muslims - had helped curtail alcohol-related crime and traffic accidents.
"We don't need to be under the influence of alcohol to enjoy ourselves," Mr Ahmad said, adding that drinking would be permitted in some areas during the tournament.
He was unsure of the details of the plan. Other concerns for the organisers will be alcohol-induced dehydration in temperatures that can exceed 30°C at night and foreign men taking off their shirts in the heat.
"It's still very much a reserved country. We try to educate people: if you dress in a certain way, you'll cause offence," he said. "In Islam there is no prohibition on men taking their tops off, but they should be covered from navel to knee. Muslim women should be covered apart from their hands and face."
Hooligans could pose a threat that Qatar has little experience in dealing with. Mr Ahmad has little doubt that the ministry of interior will be seeking help from international experts.
The diverse nature of Qatar's expatriate community and local tolerance of their traditions were evident at a Christmas festival in the Royal Plaza mall this week.
Dozens of stalls sold seasonal decorations and children sat on Santa's lap as a choir from Park House English School sang carols to shoppers.
"Qatar is a small country with a big heart," said Dougie Smith, the school's Scottish headmaster, who has lived in Doha for 21 years.
"I hope there won't be too much drunken, rowdy behaviour," Mr Smith said about the 2022 World Cup. He said Qataris were open-minded because they had taken their views from all over the world and they still had 12 years to prepare themselves for the culture shock.
"It's an incredible achievement that's put a small country on the world map," he said. "If I'm not here by that time, I'll certainly come back to watch it."
Like Qataris, not all expatriates were keen on the changes that the tournament would inevitably bring. Nour, a French convert to Islam who has lived in Qatar for six years and was selling Syrian soap at the event, said "for business, this is very good, but for the country, it is not so good. They've started to lose their traditions already".
"Alcohol shouldn't be allowed at all. This is Muslim ground. We cannot allow it," she said. "It's one of the most forbidden things.
"I was in Paris in '98 and saw many things, such as drunken people sleeping, unconscious on the ground at 6am. Here, it's going to be worse. The country's open enough."
jcalderwood@thenational.ae
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
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Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20electric%20motors%20with%20102kW%20battery%20pack%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E570hp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20890Nm%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%20428km%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C700%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.