Qatar

• My name is Lisa. • I am married with 2 children.• I am an RN on a cardiac unit.• I am currently working on my BSN.• I chose Qatar.

Qatar

• Qatar is an Arab country that occupies the small Qatar Peninsula in the Middle East.

• It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; the Persian Gulf surrounds the state.

• The Qatari peninsula juts 100 miles north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia, it is slightly smaller than the state of Massachusetts.

• Qatar is a low, barren plain covered with sand. • To the southeast lies the spectacular Khor al Adaid

“Inland Sea”, an area of rolling sand dunes.

Qatar Religion

• Islam is the main religion,making up 77.5% of the population of Qatar. The remaining religions make up 22.5%.

• Sunni Muslims constitute 98% percent of Muslim population. • Most noncitizens are Sunni or Shi'a Muslims, Christians,

Hindus, Buddhists, or Bahá'ís. • The Hindu community is almost exclusively Indian.• Buddhists include South, Southeast, and East Asians. • Most Bahá'ís come from Iran. • Religion is not considered criteria for citizenship• No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country. [

Qatar Politics• Qatar politics is based on a framework of absolute monarchy. The

Emir of Qatar is the head of state and the head of government. • Qatar is developing into a constitutional monarchy. It does not allow

political parties or hold elections yet.• The Emir's role is influenced by continuing traditions of consultation,

rule by consensus, and the citizen's right to appeal personally to the Emir. The Emir, while directly accountable to no one, cannot violate Islamic law and must consider the opinions of important figures and the religious establishment.

• The Advisory Council is an appointed body that assists the Emir in formulating policy.

• There is no electoral system. • Political parties are banned.

Qatar Economy• Before the discovery of oil, the economy of the Qatar mainly

fishing and pearling. • In the 1940s, oil was discovered and completely transformed the

state's economy. Qatar now enjoys a high standard of living, offering many social services to its citizens and several amenities.

• Qatar’s national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas exports.

• Oil and gas will remain the primary income of Qatar’s economy for some time to come, but the country seeks to stimulate the private sector and develop a “knowledge economy.”

• Qatar is determined to become a role model for economic and social transformation in the region.

Qatar Culture

• Qatari culture (music, art, dress, and cuisine) is similar to other Arab countries of the Persian Gulf.

• Qatar only uses Sharia law as the basis of government.

• The majority of citizens follow Hanbali Madhhab. • Hanbali (Arabic: حنبلى ) is one of the four schools

(Madhhabs) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam.

Women in Qatar

• “The Qatari woman exercises her full right to take her role in society and act as a vital element within the development process of the country. She has proven her ability to give and participate alongside her fellow men in all assignments and fields, and her participation has been especially enhanced by the encouragement of H.H. the Emir and the patronage of H.H. the wife of the Emir, Sheikha Mouza.” http://www.qatarembassy.net/women.asp

Women in Qatar• In March 1999 Qatar became the first Gulf nation to allow women to vote in

municipal elections. • The percentage of women who participated in the municipal elections in 1998

reached 47%.• Women can legally drive in Qatar.• There is emphasis on equality and human rights brought to attention by

Qatar's National Human Rights Committee.• The Emir’s second wife, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned,

has been instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. • She chairs the Qatar Foundation, sits on the board of Qatar’s Supreme

Education Council, and is a major driving force behind the importation of Western expertise into the education system, particularly at the college level.

• Under the leadership of Emir Hamad, Qatar has experienced a great amount of sociopolitical liberalization, including the endorsement of women's suffrage.