Who is an expat?

Adam19988
By Adam19988

Hi All, I noticed that people selling their cars say that they are "expat" or "expat car". Well, what does that mean? Do "expat cars" bring more value than local folks' cars. I know expat take care of their cars and spend money on it. But, really .. who is an expat. To me .. when I read the advert, I expect an native english speaker or europeans. Is that so? or expat is just everyone who is not local?

By anonymous• 6 Jul 2010 17:30
anonymous

Anyone who doesn't smell of mangos

By Darly• 6 Jul 2010 10:59
Darly

Anyone who is not Qatari ....

By Happy Happy• 6 Jul 2010 10:57
Happy Happy

....Adam19988, if you read Arabic please let me know, I want to put some terminology in Arabic and will translate them, for the purpose of this discussion.

By Happy Happy• 6 Jul 2010 10:51
Happy Happy

.....Adam19988, excuse me? "a true representation of expatriates"?. There is no true and false about an expat. A non-Qatari who's contracted to work in Qatar is an expat. Period.

The exceptions I may single out are those who've been "living" in Qatar (irrespective of their nationality) with their extended families, and there're usually the ones granted the nationality or made Qatar their motherland, and have family members who're not employed. Those usually refer to themselves as residents.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

By Adam19988• 5 Jul 2010 22:41
Adam19988

Expat are non locals.. Yeah right.. Not all of them. To the locals, expats mean westerners. Especially, white folks. If you are an Arab with a westerner nationality, you are still called an arab with a westerner nationality. That is true for Indians, Pakis,...etc.

I think historically, the British expats who were here in the early days (70s, 80s) were a true representation of expats. However, this has changed a lot through our the years. I think the term "expats" now apply to a wider group of people.

Anyway, all expats are welcome as they as they understand the culture.

One sad thing though, is the separation between expats and locals. There is a boundary and low engagement. That is why those terms will still have a meaning. I am really looking for that day, when this term "the way it means today" disappears!

By Dracula• 5 Jul 2010 21:28
Dracula

Translated : Looked after. Never parked in the sun. Carefully driven by a nocturnal vampire from Transylvania :O)

By britexpat• 5 Jul 2010 21:14
britexpat

Translated : Looked after. Carefully driven by a little lady from Newcastle :O)

By Happy Happy• 5 Jul 2010 20:43
Happy Happy

....Alumnar, that and the car hasn't been used for long and is in good condition, such as those ads we read titled lady driver...etc.

By Happy Happy• 5 Jul 2010 20:43
Happy Happy

.....KHATTAK, nafsu ashai..:)

...EXLegend, I guess Adam19988 is confused more than ever now...:)

By A-L• 5 Jul 2010 16:54
A-L

expat = everyone else other than locals

By Alumnar• 5 Jul 2010 16:40
Alumnar

It normally means it has been looked after properly, not been in X number of accidents and no irresponsible youth has crashed it a million times cos Daddy gave him / her a BIG engine when he turned 16 (or 18).

By EXLegend• 5 Jul 2010 15:44
EXLegend

i hope adam has found his answer :P

By KHATTAK• 5 Jul 2010 15:37
KHATTAK

HH...me too, yaa'ni nafsun shai (Hope I spelled it right) :D

By Happy Happy• 5 Jul 2010 15:35
Happy Happy

....KHATTAK. Ana miskeena...:)

By _noms_• 5 Jul 2010 07:33
_noms_

anyone not local..

this applies in all countries.

By KHATTAK• 5 Jul 2010 01:15
KHATTAK

An Expat means a Westerner. Rest of Non-Locals are just "Miskeen Kharjees" :P

By deesa• 4 Jul 2010 23:03
deesa

when i came across this first - even i thought it was used for westerners.

thn found out majority of the population is Expat.

By Happy Happy• 4 Jul 2010 22:58
Happy Happy

...britexpat, ehem, ehem...ok...:)

By britexpat• 4 Jul 2010 22:56
britexpat

Simple - I'll take it..

By the way, my last love Patricia could be termed an Ex-Pat :O)

By Happy Happy• 4 Jul 2010 22:50
Happy Happy

...How about a Non- Qatari is an expat? plain and simple definition.

By nomerci• 4 Jul 2010 22:44
nomerci

lol shapil, good one!

By shapil• 4 Jul 2010 22:44
shapil

Expat is the one who is neither here nor there...neither X nor Y. He is an 'ex' for his home country and doesnt get any 'pat' from his adopted country.

By Happy Happy• 4 Jul 2010 22:39
Happy Happy

...Very good question. Commonly, I see most of Qataris by expat they mainly mean Westerners, by residents they mean Arabs, by laborers them mean communities from certain countries.

When the Arab "expat" holds dual nationality, they point it out as a privilege. Who am I exactly in all of that, I have no clue.

Signed by:

Laborer under the Labor Law of Qatar.

By flanostu• 4 Jul 2010 22:15
flanostu

expats are also commonly referred to as the infidels so the term expat is used only to soften the advertisement.

an advert saying "infidel wanting to sell car" wouldn't bring many responses i would imagine.

By Harry99• 4 Jul 2010 22:11
Harry99

Didn't we discuss this issue many times before without coming to any agreement :)

By anonymous• 4 Jul 2010 22:10
anonymous

Actually some use the term just to mean westerners

By britexpat• 4 Jul 2010 21:32
britexpat

Anyone who is not a local..

by the way, beware of expats selling Dacias.

By Dracula• 4 Jul 2010 21:12
Dracula

In its broadest sense, an expatriate is any person living in a different country from where he or she is a citizen. In common usage, the term is often used in the context of professionals sent abroad by their companies, as opposed to locally hired staff (who can also be foreigners). The differentiation found in common usage usually comes down to socio-economic factors, so skilled professionals working in another country are described as expatriates, whereas a manual labourer who has moved to another country to earn more money might be labelled an 'immigrant'.

WIKI Dixit!

By srishti• 4 Jul 2010 21:12
srishti

I think it means to expatriate.

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