Goodbye, corner stores?
Source: http://dohanews.co/post/28545796135/cmc-pushes-for-pause-as-qatar-moves-...
In the latest push to push out grocery stores, barber shops and other small businesses from residential areas, Qatar’s Ministry of Business and Trade is recommending that their licenses not be renewed beyond Sept. 15, media reports state.
Some 7,100 shops are on the chopping block, much to the dismay of owners and residents alike, who have grown accustomed to the conveniently located facilities. according to a report in Gulf Times.
The government has long been working to remove the shops, which operate on licenses gifted by the Emir years ago to Qatari widows, divorcees and nationals in low-income brackets, from residential areas, contending they violate zoning laws.
Meanwhile, the Central Municipal Council has been pushing for the stores to be relocated into commercial complexes within residential areas.
I only shop at Jones the Grocer as its in West Bay and sometimes Dean and Deluca if by mistake I am in the wrong part of town......................perhaps both could start to stock The Times?
Well said Tinkerbell - let them honk away for a can of Pepsi outside Dean and Deluca.................
Thats a hoax. Do you really think they would be able to pacify side stores considering the fact that this is the place where people can get a taste of Doha's life? I dont think so. :))
even i miss the old doha :(
I dont like this news...:(
Read the last paragraph you idiot
"Meanwhile, the Central Municipal Council has been pushing for the stores to be relocated into commercial complexes within residential areas"
Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3770066#ixzz22QO8A2bQ
Iam actually against these kind of removal of old buildings for new one to come. it is like destroying a complete culture or heritage they say. Like we say OLD IS GOLD. Just building a heritage village is not enough. I will always miss the OLD DOHA.
I don't need to sponsor as I have my own business already. Not my line of work.
tinker and Hu wan
guess ur right. there will be noise pollution anyway.
:(
@rizks, i think this will also affect your karak chai business..lolz..
goodbye to the days when i just call our friendly neighborhood bakala even for 10 riyals hala card and they're so kind to deliver it to our flat.. :)
i guess this will also end the "laziness" attitude of the locals as well as the expats who are adapting the attitude of just "blowing their horns and wait for the poor man to get his/her order"..
on the positive side, it will decrease the traffic esp in the small streets..no more waiting inside their car.. means no more traffic..
moza u can help them as ur a localite and sponsor them
The Emir granted the licences and they are only saying 'they contend they violate zoning laws'
Someone wants to make money to build something shiny. To do that they need to kick these people out and they don't care where they go.
who fetch their friends honk! And they irritate too! :)
i hate the urbanism (urban planing) they are promoting. but it's their city. one point i agree with is that if they do, we will get rid of the "horning" outside shops, and of the gas cylinder truck-drivers hamering on gas cylinders to make the neighbourhood aware of their presence!
No dear it can not be. It is visit visa. Maybe residence permit yes (But not sure) :-)
lot of important places have been demolished here like Shara kahraba for example. Who did it. The government. So why would it matter for them. Iam happy to be an indian where still culture is existing for years.
Ramadan so rush is more than normal days
had to stand for 3 hrs in hot sun why dey have shifted the counters on open area ....:D
Was in immigration for renewal of my wife visa. had to stand for 3 hours in hot sun :-(.
and we were missing u since morning....lols
can't see the logic in phasing them out. Can't the govt. see the importance of these shops. Somehow it would lessen traffic and good for the environment.
It's like taking the orange taxis off the roads. The result? Judge for yourself.
britey it will relocate from katara to wakrah ;)
The price of progress :O(
I miss old doha :-(
Home delivery from malls? Do they do it? Again, a traffic chaos is programmed.
What I am worried about is how the many middle-income Qatari families will survive, if they cannot live on credit anymore. The shops used to give them credit for months.
Relocating?
The same way that all the shops renting space in Musheireb 'relocated' to Barwa Village?
'Relocating' is code for kicking them out of cheap rental locations and forcing them to either rent new shops at 5x the cost, or close down.
It clearly is in support of the petro industry. If everybody has to drive to the malls now to buy milk, traffic and CO2 emissions will increase.
TFS
In Abu Nakhla area there is only 1 Al Meera and 1 cant find a single grocery. No matter what you need whether a pepsi (1.50 Dhs) or a Oman chips (0.50 Dhs) u have to go to Al Meera and than need to wait for 10-15 minutes on the counter just coz there is no grocery and also not allow from govt side to open grocery or bakery or pharmacy there...
Does this mean Rizks' Karak Chai and Paani Poori Palace will also relocate ?
The municipal authorities are said to have given final touches to a plan to relocate all small stores, barber and tailoring shops as well as beauty parlours and outlets selling cooking gas cylinders that are operating in residential localities,.. so they r relocating
Doha News official source is THE PENINSULA for this article..link is http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/203242-complex-for-corner-shops-in-every-area.html
what is dohanews any official source ?
still i will advise not to blv on local english newspapers as many times it happens that the posted news are wrong... nw dnt ask me for eg.. as i dnt remember any
they will understand the values of these corner stores once they are removed.
only to promote big malls :(
"The government has long been working to remove the shops, which operate on licenses gifted by the Emir years ago to Qatari widows, divorcees and nationals in low-income brackets, from residential areas, contending they violate zoning laws."
Obviously, as in many other instances, expats are leasing the licenses from locals to run businesses.
If they're there illegaly , then they must go .