News

Fed up with the way it is being treated by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), German construction major Bilfinger Berger is planning to pull out of Qatar. The company, which is involved in some key projects in the country, announced yesterday it was seriously considering the pull out due to disagreement with Ashghal.

The population of Qatar till Monday is 1,580,050, according to statistics released by Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) yesterday. These data represent the number of individuals of all ages (Qataris and non-Qataris) within the state on Monday, excluding Qataris and residents who were outside the borders of the State at the time of the statement monitoring. The total number of males according to these data, is 1, 225,487 compared to 354,563 females.

I saw this in The Peninsula last Thursday:

The Ritz-Carlton Hotels here, the Sharq Village and Spa and the Doha Ritz-Carlton Hotel, announced they will have their Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 4 and 5 respectively.

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is participating in the annual Global Meetings and Incentive Exhibition (EIBTM) in Barcelona, Spain, which begins today and runs through December 3. As one of the premier industry events, QTA has exhibited at EIBTM for a number of years.

Switzerland confronted an international backlash yesterday over a shock vote to ban new minarets and struggled to reassure stunned Muslims at home that they were not regarded as outcasts.

Despite reports in the media suggesting that Qatar might not be substantially affected by the unfolding crisis in Dubai, some Qatari banks and corporate entities do have exposure to Dubai, in particular, and the UAE as a whole.

WARNING: of strong wind and high sea offshore.

Municipal officials are launching a crackdown on expatriate women illegally free lancing as beauticians and visiting homes during the current festival season.

Following its announcement on Sunday of major decreases in handset prices in honour of Eid Al Adha, Vodafone announced yesterday that it would be expanding these discounts to include other popular handsets in its portfolio.