Qatar customs and taboos
The
the Emirates of Qatar (Arabic: ;, English: State of Qatar), commonly known as Qatar. The word "Qatar" evolved from the ancient Western name for this place. The ancient Greeks called it "Katara". The Romans called it "Katalal". The ancient Arabs called this place "Katarira".
Qatar is located on the Qatar Peninsula on the southwest coast of the Persian Gulf. It borders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Most of the country's territory is surrounded by the Persian Gulf. It is quite rich in oil and natural gas resources, with total natural gas reserves ranking third in the world and per capita GDP ranking first in the world. Qatar is also an absolute monarchy, led by the "Al-Thani family" since the mid-19th century.
The national area of Qatar is 11,000 square meters, and the permanent population is 2.06 million (2013 statistics). Among them, Qatar account for 36.4%, followed by Arabs, Persians, Indians, Pakistan, Baluchis, etc. Foreigners mainly come from India, Pakistan and Southeast Asian countries. The capital is Doha, also known as Beida. The currency is the "Rial". The official language is Arabic, and English is commonly used.
Like other Islamic countries, Qatar prohibits Muslims from drinking alcohol and eating pork, and also avoids using pig images as decorative patterns. Ugly and unclean foods, such as turtles, crabs and dead animals, are prohibited. Moreover, in Qatar, women are not allowed to wear short skirts (including foreign women). When women go to the streets with bare feet, they are regarded as undecent and must wear shoes and socks. Infidels are not allowed to enter the mosque. Women must wear black clothes and masks when entering the mosque. Muslims are not allowed to enter mosques without putting on shoes or cleaning their bodies.
Qatar treats foreign guests politely and thoughtfully. Hugs and kisses are given to Muslims when meeting, and shaking hands are given to other foreigners, but these are only limited to people of the same gender. When meeting relatives and friends, they are also used to kissing each other's cheeks, and the other party should also reciprocate them to show mutual respect). At present, Western etiquette has been widely adopted in the Qatar business community.
They don't have a strong sense of time, are generally not used to being on time for appointments, and are always happy to arrive late. They think this is their etiquette. During social activities, I especially like to exchange gold pens as gifts. When chatting with guests, there is a very unusual habit. They are always willing to look at each other directly, thinking that this can be regarded as respecting the guests. But they are very enthusiastic about their guests. Whenever guests arrive, we always make strong and fragrant coffee for the guests. Sometimes you need to mix some fragrant osmanthus, cardamom or drop some rose water in the coffee to make the taste more sweet and delicious.
They are also very particular about catering, paying attention to the combination of color, aroma and flavor of food. They like cooking with high quality and small quantity, and they like food with slightly spicy flavors with light taste. Locals like to drop a few drops of golden and green olive oil on the cheese or yogurt they eat for breakfast, and add some green or black olives to decorate them to achieve the color, aroma and flavor.
Braised broad beans is a favorite breakfast dish in Qatar. It is made from broad beans, garlic and olive oil. The Karta people's lunch and dinner usually consist mainly of fresh vegetables and meat, and they like to add a lot of aromatic seasonings to various dishes.
The Karta diet is mainly rice, beef, mutton, and seafood. The unique roasted whole sheep is generally used to entertain distinguished guests. In addition, popular guests can also taste the sweet and delicious date palm rice, which is fried with dates, pine nuts and raisins. These are rare delicacies in other places and are also local specialties. You should not miss it.
Hamra is a famous dish in Qatar. It is a kind of fish used to make grilled fish. The meat is tender and tender, generally weighing more than ten kilograms. It is roasted with pine branches and has a strong aroma. "Dip in Soup Prawns" is a local specialty soup. It is fried or boiled with prawns and dipped in a seasoning soup made of minced mutton.
Karta people also like to eat rice with their hands, sit on the ground, and talk while enjoying the delicious food. They often take about two hours for a meal, and usually drink a cup of coffee after a meal. When welcoming guests, enthusiastic Karta people will use everything they have in their homes to entertain them, and the more guests should eat at the table, the better, because this proves that the host's preparations are rich and the guests are also very fond of their food. Therefore, it is best for guests to eat less before visiting Karta's friends 'homes.
Hospitality is a characteristic of Qatar people. Qatar people are accustomed to serving guests with coffee. Whether at home or in the office, the first thing to do is treat guests to coffee. If you are hosting guests at home, you must incense and sprinkle perfume for the guests.
Because most people believe in Islam and use Islam as the state religion. Therefore, Qatar people, like other Islamic countries, avoid giving gifts for the first time they meet. Especially giving wine or a photo of a woman as a gift is unacceptable to them, because it is against canon rules. They also taboo someone pointing the soles of their feet at them, believing that this is an insulting action. They also avoid delivering things or food with their left hand. Because the left hand is a cheap and dirty hand. Therefore, it is extremely impolite to pass something or food with your left hand and an action that they cannot accept.