A year of ups and downs, with hot summer days and some rainy ones in autumn and winter lies behind us. This year, Qatar has felt moments that were both great and not so great. A year has passed in which a lot has happened including Summits for education, fantastic art exhibitions, a Broadway musical, changes in law, the possible introduction of taxes over the next three year, Qatar’s involvement in the Syrian civil war taking off a month ago, the rainy days and a spectacular National Day. Local businesses were celebrated this year, developments in infrastructure and metro line planning have been achieved, and the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has shown great leadership.

While a lot of tragedy may overshadow the year of 2015, with the attacks of ISIS internationally, natural disasters, and the refugee displacement that brings frustration, and tears to our eyes, we in ILQ want to send our love and respect out to those for whom 2015 was shaped by fear, despair, hopelessness and loss. May Peace be with you.

But we also want to remind ourselves of the moments we had in Qatar that we are grateful for and have loved and will keep as dear memories. Whether you found love, friendship, hope, success or another blessing, we hope you had the year of your life and that 2016 will bring even more joy! May 2016 be a year that draws a smile, not a tear!

A new year is a new beginning, full of hope and wishes. Our hopes for ILQ in the new year are that we can your number 1 source for intriguing news, mesmerizing events, enchanting reviews, and to be your guide in finding out the best, most fun, and adventurous way for every one of you to spend the year of 2016. In order to achieve the most engaging content, we made this our New Year’s resolution! So let us celebrate into a new year of loving Qatar, and let us know what you think! What do you want us to improve?

We wish you a dandy new year and thank you for helping us become the friendly community we want to be!

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