Population

The CIA World Factbook estimates that Qatar’s population will have risen to 928,635 by July 2008. Local Qataris account for around 20% of the total population, with the remainder made up of expatriates, mostly from the Indian subcontinent, but also from other Arab countries, Europe, and the US. Approximately half of Qatar’s population live in…

National Flag

The Qatari flag is maroon with a white serrated band that has nine points on the hoist side. The flag was adopted in 1971, the year that Qatar declared its independence. According to the Qatari Foreign Ministry, the white colour of the flag reflects the internationally recognised symbol of peace while the maroon colour symbolises…

Local Time

Qatar local time is three hours ahead of UCT (Universal Coordinated Time – formerly known as GMT). It is fixed across the country and there is no summertime daylight saving. So when it is 12:00 in Doha, it is 13:00 in the UAE, 09:00 in London, 04:00 in New York, 18:00 in Tokyo, and 14:30…

Social & Business Hours

The working week in Qatar runs from Sunday to Thursday with Friday (the holy day for Muslims) and Saturday off. Some business offices choose to take only Friday off, or give just a half day on Thursday. Government office hours are 06:00 to 14:00, matching those of Qatar Petroleum and most of the oil, gas…

Public Holidays

The two major public holidays in Qatar are religious ones: Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha. Eid Al Fitr marks the ending of the fasting month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Hijri calendar). During this month, Muslims are required to abstain from food, drink, cigarettes, sexual acts and…