Affluent Qataris Seek What Money Cannot Buy

" They tend to drive big cars, live in big houses and get big loans to pay for big watches and an outsize lifestyle. They have an army of laborers from the developing world to build a sparkling skyline and to work whatever jobs they feel are beneath them. And their nation has enough oil and gas to keep the good times rolling for decades"....... (read more...)


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Well, one thing for sure; they can't carry on feeling angry because without the 'outsiders' helping build the country, they won't be able be where they are now today, even though the main industry produced thousands of barrels of the black gold per day for export.

On the other hand, can't blame them for feeling insecure and intrigued by some sort of injustice what ever it may be.

Tell me who'd like their country being infested with foreigners?

All sort of colours?
Just like Malaysia (Klang Valley i.e) where you'd see tons of Indonesians and other nationals roaming the streets and town especially evident when it comes to Eid holidays when all the working folks hailed from states outside Klang Valley goes 'balik kampung'.
It was an eye-sore, for me at least, compare to the scene 20 years back when it was much more quieter and cleaner.

Unlike Bahrain their neighbour, in Qatar you won't be able to see their locals working in service industries. Service industries here I'm referring to hospitals, malls, coffee houses and boutiques.

The trend here is in hospitals, you'd see more from India, Iranian and others.

In shops, malls, boutiques or hotels they'd be more Lebanese, Filipinos and Indians.

No doubt being the minority in numbers in own country is very unpleasant, but of them being treated as minority, I doubt it at all.

Although Qatar citizens make up a mere 15 percent of the nation’s 1.6 million people, it shouldn't drives them to be feeling victimised because priority don't always goes to the foreigner, and it'll never will.

It has to be understood by them that job opportunities (this is not referring to labour job as they are mainly imported from India and the Philippines), the higher ranking ones will definitely (as now) filled with expats from countries all over the world, but, these expats came with years of experience and knowledge.

Just like any other GCCs, the O&G which is the backbone of these countries, will always see more British, Americans and Europeans. In Qatar they require more foreigner besides those, and here Asians took opportunity. They hailed from countries such as Indonesia and in recent five years more Malaysians had been imported too.

As for the Indians, they had long been in this country.

Just like in Malaysia, some of them had been here for more than three generations.

Unlike Malaysia, they're not recognised as citizens.

But these are the people that if I can put my word right ~ the middle and low movers of the country's development.

I assumed when one of the interviewee expressed his dissatisfaction that he felt 'foreigner are seen as better at any job than a Qatari's" he might be referring to those expats whom are paid highly to fill in jobs in the constructions and consultations industry.
Furthermore, those imported expats came with years of experience and having develop different work ethics and professionalism, they obviously can produced better quality and indepth in their work.

However or whatever type of resentment they have, at the end of the whole ball game, there'd be a special way of them winning. And these are done via technology know-how transfers in some industries.

Basically, at the end of the day, the Qataris will benefits all.

No doubt expats in this country are paid one of the highest package in the Middle East, but when it comes to climbing up the ladder....there'd be some sort of hindrance there.

Although the locals are labelled as 'very spoiled', I must agree that Qataris often lacked the skills, education and qualifications to be competitive in many other economies.
They are still trying to develop their country...in my view, just like Malaysia during the early 80s, when things are just being pushed hard.

However, during those developing decades, Malaysia has its steadfast pusher Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad equipped with his excellent blueprint on how to grow the country accordingly.

Yet again, who can blame the Qataris for being and feeling pampered?

I bet my life that if Malaysian were to be granted free electricity, water, education or health care and given land and low-cost loans to build houses when they marry....they'll be in the same boat as the locals here too.

That perhaps is one of the reasons why they lack of interest in working hard for their own country. Nevertheless, I am sure they are changing for betterment, although the lavishness would always be there. All they need is to see things more differently, just like how their HH Sheikha Mozah is. She who I can say a really go-getter type, has no reservation when it comes to playing her role helping build the country especially when it comes to educations and social related matters.

In my opinion, one thing that MUST be drilled to the younger generations is that ~ the oil might be gone one day~, and before the foreigners take over the country all the way, they should start take any jobs although it is considered unsuitable for them.
They ought to be aggressive, not just on the road but also on the economic side of it.

And one more factor which needed to be strives here - the language.

Having equipped with well written and versed English, they will definitely be able to fill in more positions in finance, higher education and the media.

I mean, honestly, when it comes to the media ~ newspapers ~ I have stopped reading totally.

I can't be swallowing news both from general to celebrity ~ all filled with those from India.....
like, hey, am I in India or Qatar now?