Drivers offer ‘uber’ insights into life in Qatar
Whether you are a visitor to Qatar, or a resident non-driver like me, navigating your way around the capital, Doha, is easy, thanks to an efficient public transport system and up to 24 000 Uber drivers clamouring for your business. Such transport is affordable since fuel is just QAR2 (that’s R10 or 43 pence) a […]
South Africans in Qatar – ons gaan nou braai
We may live in swish surrounds, earn good money and feel oh-so-safe in Qatar, but our hearts still yearn for South Africa. I know I am not alone. With some 6 500 Saffers living the ex-pat life here in Doha, I know I am far from the only one missing the bush, braai fires, family, […]
Spoilt for choice with sport in Qatar
A tiny desert country rich in oil and gas and populated by those who wear long flowing robes may not traditionally be viewed as a sporting nation … but boy, are we spoilt for choice when it comes to sport in Qatar. Football, tennis, Formula 1, Moto GP, aquatics, athletics, padel, equestrian shows and everything […]
South Africans (and rugby) in Qatar
“Ag nee, man, Boetie!” This frustrated lament may be commonplace in South Africa and hardly worth a sideways glance, but when your blood is green and you are far from home, such phrases are gold for they stir something deep within. With the Rugby World Cup now well underway, I know I am not alone […]
Camel (and car) racing in Qatar
Sleek dromedaries pounding their way around a fenced and graded sandtrack, urged on by robotic jockeys and a cavalcade of hooting Land Cruisers … Welcome to camel racing in Doha, Qatar. It is a sight, and experience, never to be forgotten. If, like me, you harbour the exotic notion of a stately two-humped camel lumbering […]