Qatari hospitality is second to none

Hospitality is an integral part of Qatari traditions. Not only do Qataris enjoy extending their hospitality to friends and family, they will also do whatever they can to make a new acquaintance feel welcome and at home.

Qatari men welcome male guests into a majlis in their homes. This majlis is a reception room, especially for male guests, and is often separated from the rest of the house.

Family privacy is respected by the guests, and unless they are relatives or close family friends, usually don’t ask about the host’s family, especially the women. Qatari women welcome their female guests in a different section of the house. More often than not, men and women don’t socialize together.

Women will greet their female guests with a kiss on each cheek; men greet their male guests with a kiss on each cheek, and you may even see them rubbing their nose with their guests. Another way to greet someone is by putting one hand on the chest; handshakes are usually reserved for strangers or acquaintances. Few women shake hands with their male guests.

Arabian coffee, known as gahwa is served with a date, and is an integral part of the Qatari hospitality. It is served in small cups shaped like thimbles and made up of roasted coffee beans and cardamom.

In many Qatari homes, this will be the first thing that is served as a welcome drink to guests. Qatari cuisine is rich in taste; Qataris enjoy inviting guests and will, most often, not let them leave without sharing a meal with them.

Qatar is a country that is not only modern, but also has a rich traditional and cultural heritage that every Qatari is proud of. These traditions have been handed down from the time people in Qatar lived as tribes in tents in the desert.

Today, the Qataris have moved to the cities and things have changed and become more modernized-but one thing that hasn’t changed is their tradition of hospitality.

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Photo credit: Osarleme Eweka