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Qatar News - Find the latest news and updates in Qatar

The latest news and also information in and around Qatar on Business, Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Lifestyle, FIFA 2022, Weather and Expats.

Qatar Airways operations running normal, 3 charter flights to carry stranded passengers from Saudi to Muscat

Qatar Airways in a message posted on their social media page said that their flight operation is going on normal except to the four countries – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt – which has banned the airline from their country.

“Qatar Airways operations are running as normal with no disruptions to flights with the exception of the four countries Qatar Airways has been restricted to fly to,” the airline posted on twitter.
To help stranded passengers in Saudi Arabia Qatar Airways has arranged for three charter flights.

“In response to these restrictions Qatar Airways has arranged for three charter flights departing Jeddah today at 16:00, 22:00 and 23:00 local time to Muscat in order to assist all Qatar Airways passengers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We encourage all Qatari Passengers stranded to make their way to King Abdulaziz International Airport to avail of these three flights today, Tuesday June 6,” the airline said in its statement.
A connecting Qatar Airways flight will then transport passengers onwards from Muscat, Oman, to Doha, Qatar.

Flight details are:
WY3502 departing Jeddah 16:00 local time (13:00 UTC 6th June)
WY3506 departing Jeddah 22:00 local time (19:00 UTC 6th June)
WY3504 departing Jeddah 23:00 local time (20:00 UTC 6th June)

Passengers are advised to report directly to King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, three hours prior to the flight times above in order to be registered and accepted on to the flight.

UAE & Bahrain
Meanwhile, Qatar embassy in Manama has asked Qatari citizens wishing to leave Manama to Doha to approach Dada Bye agency to coordinate their travel on Kuwait Airways or Oman Air.
And the embassy in UAE told citizens to use Kuwait Airways or Oman Air to leave UAE and reach Qatar. First Oman Air leaves Abu Dhabi at 4:40pm and later at 9:45pm. Kuwait Airways leaves Abu Dhabi at 9:45pm.

Source Credit: thepeninsulaqatar.com

June 6, 2017 Comments (0)

No need to stock up; necessary steps taken to ensure normal life: Qatar cabinet

There are many unsubstantiated news circulating on the social media about the current Gulf crisis. There is no need to panic or stock up as all necessary steps have been taken to ensure normal life, a statement said. Import of goods and movement of people will not be affected as all channels of import other than those from the Gulf States, which cut ties with Qatar, will work as before.

After a news about people hoarding food products went viral, most supermarkets witnessed massive rush. According to various supermarket officials, there is no need for panic as food products in Qatar is sourced from countries around the world – not only from Gulf countries. So there will not be any shortage as there are many supplying countries, which are accessible in a short flight time.

A statement from Qatar cabinet said that “Marine and air spaces will remain open for import and movement.”

And the cabinet also said that “we took all the necessary precautions to ensure normal life.”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement that “these measures taken against the State of Qatar will not affect the normal course of life of the citizens and residents of the State and that the Qatari government will take all necessary measures to ensure this and to thwart attempts to influence and harm the Qatari society and economy.”

There is also another fake news going viral saying that the Ministry of Interior is going to eavesdrop on all communication channels of residents. This is incorrect and there is no official notification on the same. This message keeps popping up whenever there is any crisis or breaking news.

Source Credit: thepeninsulaqatar.com/

June 5, 2017 Comments (0)

Qatar tops MENA in Global Peace Index

Qatar has been ranked as the most peaceful nation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, according to latest Global Peace Index report .

Qatar has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa region from 2009 to 2017.

Qatar secured the 30th position out of 163 countries ranked in the report, five places up from the previous year. Meanwhile, the world has become more peaceful, with 93 countries recording higher levels of peace while 68 deteriorated compared to last year. Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world and has been topping the chart since 2008. New Zealand and Portugal came next, pushing Austria and Denmark down in the ranking.

The MENA region continues to be the least peaceful region.”Although this year’s uptick is reassuring, the world is still mired with conflict in the Middle East, political turmoil in the US, refugee flows and terrorism in Europe,” said Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of the Institute for Economic and Peace think-tank which produced the index.

“When combined with the increasing level of peace inequality, whereby the least peaceful countries are moving further apart from the most peaceful, the resulting scenario is one in which further improvements in peace are not guaranteed.” The global economic impact of violence is estimated to be approximately $14.3 trillion, equivalent to more than $1,900 for every person in the world.

Source Credit: https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/

June 3, 2017 Comments (0)

HMC in urgent need of O+ blood

Hamad Medical Corporation’s Blood Donor Center is in urgent need of O+ blood and has requested donors to come ahead and donate.

Located in Hamad General Hospital, the center is open during Ramadan from 8am to 1pm and 6pm to 12am during Sunday to Thursday and only during evening on Saturday. The Blood Donor Center is closed on Friday.

Meanwhile you could also donate at donor center located next to Carrefour in City Center. This center would be open from 6pm to 12 am.

The hospital has announced this requirement on all its social media account. One could contact 44391081 for further details.

Source Credit: https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/

June 1, 2017 Comments (6)

Daily Vodafone gifts to prepaid customers during Ramadan

Vodafone is giving its prepaid customers daily gifts with Happy 123 in the form of data, local minutes, or international minutes during the holy month of Ramadan, the telecommunications provider said in a statement.
To receive their gift, prepaid customers simply need to dial *123# daily from their mobile and they will be shown the gift that can be availed before midnight of the same day.
The customer just needs to select and accept the offer in the menu, which would refresh daily based on their usage.
Vodafone said: “We hope these daily gifts will help our customers stay in contact with their loved ones both in Qatar and abroad during Ramadan bringing them happiness during this very special month.”
Vodafone Qatar first unveiled its Happy Offers platform for its prepaid customers in May last year, a telecom innovation that has proven its success across the wider Vodafone Group.
Happy Offers brings tailored offers to each customer every day with amazing value across recharge credit, data, and local and international calling presented in a simple way, and in the customer’s preferred language.

Source Credit: http://www.gulf-times.com

May 30, 2017 Comments (0)

Ramadan begins today in Qatar

Ramadan Crescent Sighting Committee of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) announced that today, May 27, will be the first day of Ramadan.
This came in a statement released by the committee after a meeting it held yesterday.
The committee’s statement said that they have confirmed the viewing of the Ramadan Crescent last night. The statement then announced Saturday as the first day of Ramadan.
The committee then expressed greetings on the arrival of the month to Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and to the wise government, the Qatari people and all Muslims.

Source Credit: https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

May 27, 2017 Comments (0)

Iconic Nokia 3310 now available in Qatar

The reimagined Nokia 3310 to go on sale in Qatar retail stores. Unveiled earlier this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the phone is available in four colours – Warm Red and Yellow, both with a gloss finish, and Dark Blue and Grey both with a matte finish.

The Nokia 3310 will retail at QR 199.

Thin, light and durable, the Nokia 3310 from HMD Global is a head turning modern twist on one of the best-selling feature phones of all time. Boasting an incredible 22-hour talk-time and month long stand-by, the Nokia 3310’s fresh, colourful, modern design brings it up to date.

“Talk all day, text, take pictures, listen to music, and get hooked once more on the original mobile gaming hit Snake, all on a single charge. With its unparalleled month-long standby time, the Nokia 3310 encompasses everything you knew and loved in a sleek modern polycarbonate casing, and with inherent colour throughout its body the Nokia 3310 is more vibrant than ever before,” a statement from the company said.

Source Credit: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

May 25, 2017 Comments (0)

Ashghal launched 24/7 mobile apps

In a new initiative to enhance communication with the public and facilitate access to several services for different categories of customers, Ashghal has launched a new mobile application, Ashghal 24/7, available on the Android and iOS.

The new service provides customers with an additional communication channel through which they could access important e-services easily, anywhere and anytime.

The new app was announced at a briefing attended by Shared Services Affairs director Meshal Sultan al-Hitmi, Asset Affairs director Ahmed Mohamed Sharif and a number of other senior officials from different departments of Ashghal.

Assistant of Information Systems Department manager Ali Abdullatif al-Kuwari said the launch reflected Ashghal’s commitment and continuous efforts to develop the services provided to customers, and facilitate access to those services for citizens, residents, government and private institutions.

Head of the Development Section in the Information Systems Department, Saad Mohamed al-Jermozi said the application which is available both in Arabic and English, is characterised by its organised easy-to-use design.

The home page includes all contents of the applications, which have been distributed within sections, most notably “My Ashghal” which contains all electronic services available only to registered users in addition to “Notifications” which allows users to notify Ashghal of anything that may cause public harm or hazard such as a hole on a road.

Other sections of the applications include “Road Status” to see the latest updates regarding the closures, diversions, and openings.

The section “Our Services” presents information and reports about the list of services provided by Ashghal to individuals, companies and government institutions.

The section “Projects” provides information about Ashghal’s programmes and main ongoing projects in the field of roads, buildings, and drainage.

The “Tenders” displays all open tenders, their details, and the participation conditions, and “FAQs” which reviews the most common questions asked by individuals or companies, with their answers.

Through the “Media Hub”, users can view the latest news, photos and videos related to Ashghal.

The application also allows users to find the nearest customer zone and identify the routes to the centre from the user’s location.

The application, which works on all smart devices, can be downloaded by typing “Ashghal” in the search field in both the Play Store for Android users and the App Store for iOS users, then choosing “Ashghal 24/7”.

In this context, Abdulla Saad al-Saad, manager of the Public Relations and Communications Department said “Ashghal 24/7” is the latest project implemented within the Integrated Customer Service Strategy launched by Ashghal in an aim to implement the best practices in the field of government service excellence.

This is in addition to the Contact Centre, which receives customer calls round-the-clock through its newly launched number “188”, and the two customer zones in the West Bay and Salwa Road. Those initiatives are based on a modern, integrated system for Customer Relationship Management, which was implemented by the programme team in co-operation with Microsoft.

Source Credit: http://www.gulf-times.com/

May 24, 2017 Comments (0)

2.5-km-long road opening in Wakra on Wednesday

Ashghal will open a 2.5km stretch of a new permanent road with three flyovers along Mesaieed Road, as part of its Al Wakra Bypass Project.

The stretch of the road marks another milestone on the project which is part of its 11km main carriageway.

Road users currently using the existing diversion of Mesaieed Road will be shifted on to the new section of road with two lanes in each direction. In co-ordination with the Traffic Police Department, the diversion will be implemented in two phases starting with southbound traffic towards Mesaieed Road on Wednesday (May 24), followed by northbound traffic towards Al Wakra on May 28 (as shown on the map).

Ashghal is expediting works for full completion on the Al Wakra Bypass Project which will deliver direct access to G Ring Road, connecting to the New Orbital Highway and Truck Route and the F Ring Road towards Hamad International Airport and Doha.

Source Credit: http://www.gulf-times.com

May 23, 2017 Comments (0)

‘Private sector to work six-hours a day in Ramadan’

The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs has called on the private sector companies and corporations to abide by the reduced working hours of six hours during the holy month of Ramadan, as part of the Labour Law.

In a statement, the Ministry affirmed its supervisory role on the companies regarding the implementation of the reduced working hours throughout Ramadan. Accordingly, the inspectors of the Ministry will conduct field tours to work sites and various companies to check the implementation of the norm.

In case of any related violations, all the necessary legal procedures will be taken against the violators. Besides, the Ministry will receive related complaints by workers throughout its various communication channel and the hotline.

All such information will be dealt with in strict confidentiality to protect the rights of workers.

Source Credit: http://www.gulf-times.com/

May 23, 2017 Comments (0)