New Bar rules

I don't have a problem with Qataris going to bars. I just take exception to the people posting above that bars have been built in Qatar to cater solely to westerners, and that if it weren't for the westerners there would be no bars.

The bars in Qatar attract people of every race and religion, although shopping centers in this country don't (go figure). If the country wanted to close bars and ban alcohol, it would. They don't allow drinking and bars because of pressure from the ex-pats...

As for the QDC license, I'm a white, western non Muslim. I was always under the impression that you had to earn more than a certain salary and not be a muslim to get a QDC card, but I may be wrong. Does anyone know what the current rules are?

fubar, you are wrong... whoever has license they also go to the bars, and otherwise... anyway, it's not a problem to get a license, no matter muslim - not muslim...people go to the bars because they are sick and tired of sitting home (even if they can drink home every day).. people need to socialize, this is a nature of human being, and there is no any other alternative to the bars in Doha for socializing and going out...no theatres, no shows, no dancings, no attractions, no parks.. where to go?? either Souk or Irish/Orion/Bubbles/Lava, or any other bar... that's it... sad...

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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

How does it always end up with a nationality based comment irrespective of the topic?

" Winning is not everything, it is the only thing. Second place goes to the first loser " - J.Johnson

and they do drink as well? am afraid to think so

fubar,

Racial segregation?

Who are these naive people who think that Qataris don't go to bars?

Go to Admirals on any afternoon and you can't find a seat downstairs for all the Qatari guys hanging around in the bar.

niqobmom said just leave.... ...

wake up! you're in a Muslim country. and all these things are not allowed in ISLAM. Don't like it, just leave the country!Nothing else

If you are a so called good Muslim. how would you know what happens in Bars niqobmom , the royals say its ok. thats why thay have bars and the only bpttle shop in Qatar.

I say if you dont like it leave. try the ons standard for all... it works in other religions

Rules are a guideline for intelligent people, but they must be adhered to by idiots.

I must be missing something, why does it matter that you have to show your ID? As for dress code, yes, this is an Islamic country and whilst I agree that it is a shame you can't wear what you like to a bar, it wouldn't make me leave the country. Introduce a 40% income tax and I'm off but not being allowed to wear skimpy hotpants? No, I'll learn to live with it thanks.

The only time when I really miss a decent bar is when I have had a crap day at work and I want to have a couple of drinks before going home.

http://skadian-lifeinqatar.blogspot.com/

JK as people say dont do to others what u dont want to do with u. very simple give respect so u will receive d same respect u like. its a rule and must be follow but for sure there still arab guys always break d rules and what i've seen they used to go to bar to look for bitch not only for drinks.

DON'T LET FANTASY ROB YOU OF YOUR REAL LIFE BEAUTY

Yes, the visiting ones are mostly jobseekers or family joining.Rest are Visiting friends and relatives. If they are the targetted tourists, no need of bars here. :D

Olympics and worldcups.. will remain dreams.

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- God Gives n Forgivs .. We Gets n Forgets -

SC,

I have a new one: "If you don't like it, shut up and get back to WORK"

Thats right. Most came here to work and thats the baseline of qatar's growth engine. Some naive comments earlier on to qoute if you don't like it, leave. Its time to grow up wise and to play by the balance of modernisation or primitive.

Or coming here to find work...

They count everyone who comes on a visit visa. Most are here visiting relatives or friends...

Exile - was it leisure tourism?? or the psort event sepctators?

I wonder why in the world one should choose Qatar for holidays .. lol

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- God Gives n Forgivs .. We Gets n Forgets -

According to the ministry of tourism here a million tourists came this year!

Qatar needs to cater for all it's residents until the time comes that all the expats go home and when it's just qataris they can close all the bars, dancing establishments, QDC and will have no ned for family days at the malls to keep out the great unwashed...

Show me one tourist who came here to see the country Qatar?? unless to view some sports event. Leisure incoming is NIL...

so far as QDC is there. I am fine. and I prefer ma living room than the sick Bars in Doha.

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- God Gives n Forgivs .. We Gets n Forgets -

Pathetic rock in the shoe!

Qatar may have a multicultural society, but it is a Muslim country and any 'catering' would be within the rules of the country...

You are so wrong.... Most of the people who frequent Bars do have QDC license. Drinking at home and drinking in the bars have its own charm and stress busters.

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Wake up! Qatar is hitorically a Muslim country but now is a multi cultural society many of which are not Muslim. They need to be catered to as well. You don't like bars, it's simple don't go in them!

The onlyl reason they have tight rules to enter bars is because it's the Muslims who keep trying to go inside to drink.

The odd thing is that there is nothing to stop Qataris (or anyone else for that matter) from getting wasted at the restaurants in hotels.

Mostly the westerners get a QDC license and drink at home. The people who have to go to bars are mostly people who can't get QDC licenses.

Only Dracula could bit(e) them.

If you cant bit them better join them :)

wake up! you're in a Muslim country. and all these things are not allowed in ISLAM. Don't like it, just leave the country!Nothing else

rules is RULES..................

Qatar does not need tourists!

I 100% believe that Qatar need tourist. It is their long term ambition. If they want to see tennis, soccer, Olympic in Doha, they have to.

Alcohol is a big issue here. Religiously they are forbidden, somehow they want to control it. One of the way to ask the foreigner to registered with their passport. I do not see any problem with that. Lots of countries have crazy rules and no one object to that, so why the fuss.

About dress code. I still do not understand why people complaint about it. If western countries stop girl/women to stop putting more cloths (scarf), so why the noise if they asked you to put more cloth?

Just my 2 cents :)

Everything they do here is meant to protect the innocent Qataris. They would go berserk if they were allowed to do what they wanted to.

MK we are saying the rules are pointless. It just makes the drinking process inconvienent and stops Qatari women going into bars.... Like they need to be protected like children. The poitn is Qatar is a multi cultural society not a 100% Muslim one. If you don't like that I suggest you leave or just stay in your house for the rest of your life.

So Qatar being a multi cultural society it must cater for all of it's residents like places such as the UK and US allow the building of mosques, Hindu temples or synagogues. It's called common human decency

Got it, I made the choice, Alexa.

Right, BOYCOTT the bars, drink at home.

ALL these do's & dont's to go to some crappy excuses for bars...please,i'd rather stay home & drink in peace with friends,dress as you like,drink as much you want,music as you like & no id/passport required @ the door...sounds like a much better option to me...when i want to go to a real bar,i hop on a flight to Dubai for the weekend...

So it ok to brink in a Muslim country,, but watch what your wear... grow up MK

Rules are a guideline for intelligent people, but they must be adhered to by idiots.

go and visit dubai if you want to see women wearing long skirt and showing there clevage. this is a muslim country if we dont like there rules leave d country otherwise respect it.

DON'T LET FANTASY ROB YOU OF YOUR REAL LIFE BEAUTY

The Qatar govt if free to pass any laws it likes and I agree with veris,(first time for everything...) Qatar doesn't need people who drink to develop. However on the flip side my parents came to visit and found it odd they had to carry their passports to such places..... Why my mother asks do Qatar airways promote Qatar as a tourist destination when they treat guests like this? Indeed.

The cost of things here means the only place with enough wealthy tourists to make it viable is Europe and people from Europe like a drink when on holiday..... It may be haram to many here but that is a fact. The news laws do not exactly show a welcome map for tourists and one can only conclude that Qatar does not want to develop a serious tourism industry.

I'll just add the usual phrase.... (with a twist)

If you don't like it... Then ask your sponsor to give you an exit permit... You may be able to leave.

:P

people suggesting that Qatar needs boozards to progress... are you telling me that finding teetotallers to fill a suitable vacancy is such a stretch...

As for those insinuating that drunkards are less hazardous than religious fanatics because they don't ply planes in to buildings... drunken driving causes over 13000 deaths in the US alone... that's not taking in to consideration the other consequences of alcoholism on families and their health...

I agree to Stone Cold though, there are also things to consider, we are expats and we are not used in this way of living here in Qatar. We still have to find a way to do the things that we used to do before, even if it risks ourselves. I can not deny that. Going back to our home country after a 2 year contract? I dont think many people(expats) can bear with their patience.

Of course, at the same time that we work here and earn a living, do u think we are happy just like this? Even if you or I earns a big salary, do u think this can make me happy? Of course, as we work here, we find things that we can call it LIFE!

Please be matured people.Do not worry too much or attempt to break the rules of the host country . We, expatriates, are all here in the first place to work and earn a living. when the time comes, we go back to our country where we have absoulte freedom.

professional drunk (not alcoholic, they go to meetings)I have either stated or heard all of the above arguements about people leaving if the bars close etc. While sitting at a bar one night (my past hobby)and only seeing about 50-100 at the bar during the whole evening I wondered where the other 290 million people were and figured out that drinkers and clubbers are a very, very small perfentage of the population and I doubt anyone would miss us/you.

You need to spend a few years in Saudi before you you complain too much about Qatar.

“A lot of the people who keep a gun at home for safety are the same ones who refuse to wear a seat belt”

In both the Sports Bar and Orion the rules are clearly posted on a poster board near the entrance.

Being able to read them does not mean they make any sense.

I am always amazed as to the fact the "purpose" of the rules is a big secret. Nobody ever knows why this or that.

If people knew why and the concern was legitimate then people might more easily accept it. But simply saying effective XXX you must now do this does not foster good will.

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"A Wise Man knows what he does not know!"

I visited the library bar as a female keeping my legs covered in 3/4 length smart black trousers.. I was told no go not appropriately dressed. Unbelievable, as I was staying in the hotel one floor below. I returned 5 mins later in a skirt and was let in the place??? I was then showing more leg than before??

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/528365#comment-928770

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"A Wise Man knows what he does not know!"

As baldrick2dogs said .....It is a bar .. so what are the muslims doing in ther anyway......So why do they have parking spaces at bars when you cannot drink and drive????

Power to the non believers, it’s a great feeling to have and hold.

Hmmm, Islamic dress code to go do something unislamic. Great move morons!

and by rights, they can implement ANY rules they like.

But what if a Christian country turned round one day, and banned all religious clothing from been worn, by any religion except Christians....

Could you imagine the outcry from religions like Islam, Sheikism, Judaism etc.

Then what would yer all do ?

Gotta be a bit of give and take....

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

after ringing, found out that they now open at 5pm on a Friday instead of 1.30pm could anyone clarify, also the new mens dress code would be appreciated.

Thank you Rich

hogwash.

Honestly, if the people running this show ever had any idea about doing things properly,,,,,,

3rd world stupidity.

well in this country its the best or get ready to face jail and deportation or if you are muslim punishment

ban alcohol in bars in hotels that will be the next step with things going the way they are that will be the final blow.

clubbing in qatar will come to an end soon very sad .

this will surely kill the clubbing culture in qatar...as long as i get my stuff from QDC i dont mind...its much more fun when u drink at home listening to some physic trance....and above all that i dont have to leave the car in the parking and come home by taxi when intoxicated.

Aana free, jaana free,

Pakde gaye tho khana free.

well, clearly, this shows that they are just making it difficult for expats to go clubbing...

but hey rules are rules....

when in rome, do as the romans do...

so when in Qatar, do what they ask you to...

well, futile showing them ID if they still doubt if you and the ID pic is one and the same...

i had to be left behind...was asked for another ID to prove am not a minor!!! in any other given time, i would have been flattered but not when people are passing you by and gawking...

maybe next time they'd ask women to wear abayas???

The Ramada should employ some bouncers that are not pussies.

There could have easily been a lot of trouble wednesday night if it wasn;t for "friends" of those involved stepping in and calming down situations.

The bouncers and the management were absolutely useless. They stayed as far away from the trouble as they could, only stepping in when someone else had sorted it out. But ofcourse since it wasn;t sorted out, it kicked off again.

Tried to watch the game, and the management allows complete arseholes to cause trouble and get away with it. 1 guy was spitting at Barca fans, who were forced to move seats. What did the management do? Nothing. When the management came over to finally talk to 1 guy causing trouble, they said "calm down", and he continued shouting, and they walked away.

I would have thought, anyone causing any bit of bother would have been imeediately thrown out, head first. Was really surprised when they clearly did not want to step in. The place was packed. Innocent people (some girl friends were there) could have quite easily been caught up in the bother if it kicked off.

you have to cover all the parts that maybe groped or frisked if you decide to drink in a bar.sunday dresses are reserved for the church.im really falling off my chair now........

i know it's a requisite to ask for ID (say, in case a minor wants in) but the dress code? are you serious?! who would like to go to a club and dance wearing sunday dress?? can pls anyone clarify the dress code for me or better yet, direct me to a link that OFFICIALLY reports this new bar rule (more particularly the dress code).

asking for ID proof etc is a bit humiliating. BUT still this is a Muslim country and Alcohol is against the way of life, But would appreciate if MOI could announce this in public or the hotel put a notice (big and clear) for ppl not to get offended at the entrance desk.

I cannot believe if Qatar is interested or keen on tourism and taking steps to attract tourist..... we witnessed this during Asian Games. so oil and gas is the driving factor and will be.

I doubt if the bar thing could ever be a reason for someone to leave Qatar apart from other major factors.

I don't believe Qatar markets itself as a tourist destination and to be honest if expats want to leave just becaiuse of these minor obstacles, then perhaps they should.

I appreciate your comments...

BUT, I have to say, YOU depend on Oil and Gas, we depend on you paying us to get it, sell it and then build on that concept.....I go back to my original post xxxxxxxx

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God does not believe in Athiests.

some will find it in negative views. So be it!

........tsk! tsk! tsk! Ganun pala nangyari sa miting ng mga Heneral!!!!!!

"Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship"

"depends heavily on tourism" ??

I thought we depended heavily on Oil & Gas.

"like you do" ?????

I'd think we have some smokers, and the drinkers would be a small fraction.

Nobody is saying it is not.

Alcohol is a problem in some countries...you all agree with that?

I find it difficult to swallow ;-0 that, somebody from here (Qatar) would try and say something that stops tourism coming here.

When we all go back after building your country...what are you going to do?

I love living here, but unless Qatarisation kicks in soon, we are all going to be here (drinking and smoking, by the way like you do) for quite a while. xxx

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God does not believe in Athiests.

You're wrong about tourism not being important to Qatar. This state NEEDS people to come and spend their money here. Your state (Qatari- right?) depends heavily on tourism.

Alcoholism isn't the "biggest problem facing the world." Obesity is the biggest problem. (pun intended)

Lastly, drinking wine, in moderation, has many health benefits!

shesha is fun ;)

especially all those people that smoke in the malls. Oh, wait it is no smoking in the malls, but no one does f**k all about it....

as for cba, I think you find Qatar does care about tourists. They wants lots and they want them to come many times as part of diversification of the economy and I agree alcoholism is one of the biggest problems facing the world, along with drug abuse and religious fanatics... don't know many alcoholics that fly into buildings or blow themselves up.

Drac,

I agree with you, I'm 100% against shisha. And cigarettes/cigars.

So is having others from all over the world to do the work but you don't mind that xxxx

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God does not believe in Athiests.

tallg, what good move? The sheesha? ;0)

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Don't want no drama,

No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama

Good move.

im with ya on that one.. =)

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"You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back."

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or sheesha!

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Qatar is a rich country and does not care about tourists.

You should leave immediately If you don't like the new rules.

Alcoholism is one of the biggest problem facing the world...It makes you get violent..It makes you lose your brain...

It is a very bad habit just like cigarettes..

They use CCTV at these places for the police and CID to track individuals so why ask them to sign in.

As for tourism I don't think they care. 1 million tourists visited last year according to the the head of the toursim authority...... love to see how they calculate those figures...

Well, we had plenty of expats before they opened these places.

and odd. I would not like to go out with my passport over here, just in case it went missing. I don't mind flashing my ID card though.

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God does not believe in Athiests.