Doha - Qataris and expatriates have slammed claims in UK-based The Times newspaper that Doha is "unloved and boring city".
The esteemed newspaper has been flooded with complaints from Doha residents who said they found the report "unfair and unjust". "I think the article does not do justice to Doha," wrote T Riaz. "I moved here with my family from Canada two years ago and like the place very much. Although the society and culture here is not as 'open' as in Dubai, this is a relatively quiet and peaceful place," he said.
An Indian expat told The Peninsula that he couldn't imagine a place more peaceful, safe and secure than Doha. "The city is addictive," said. Laxmi Shankar, 43, who runs a laundry business in the Old Airport Area. "There is no crime and corruption here which we witness in our part of the world. I am sure the Times report is a biased view. Maybe, the reporter has some weird ideas about a city he thinks is lively ... Doha is indeed a happening place," he said.
Iqbal Manna, an Indian resideing in Doha for 19 years, said he has travelled all over the region and find Qataris to be the most cultured and polite people. "Go to any public service agency and you find young Qatari men and women treating you nicely. They are not arrogant like many other GCC nationals. "I have fallen in love with Doha and its people," he said. "I don't agree with the Times report at all."
Qatari psychologist Dr Mozah Al Malki said she was "surprised" by the report. "I know a number of Scottish and English people who are really in love with Doha," she said. "I am in the UK almost every summer and meet a lot of people. Some of them tell me they had been here in Doha for years and that was the best time in their lives."
Businessman Abdul Hadi Al Shahwani also slammed the story. "It's unfair. It's injustice to Doha. As we know, expatriates here far outnumber nationals. Wherever we go, we see expatriates. Almost every place here, be it a club or a theatre, is geared to cater to non-citizens. If Doha is a boring and unloved place, that would not be the case," Al Shahwani argued.
Saeed, a Sudanese national working with the Ministry of Interior, said: "I initially faced adjustment problems and even thought of moving back to Sudan. I actually went back but couldn't stay there for long. Honestly, Doha is a city which pulls you even if you stay here for a few months. I came back and feel at home ... It's a cosmopolitan city. The Times report is biased."
© The Peninsula 2007
