QATARI PERSPECTIVE: Participants getting a presentation on aspects of Qatari life during an Embrace Ramadan session. Right: Children at Embrace Ramadan session.
By Umer Nangiana
New place often means new people, new culture and a different language. In this new setting, it becomes difficult to truly get rid of your ‘alien’ character unless you mix up with the host society.
The language barrier and the lack of awareness of the local traditions and customs would complicate and compound any effort at learning the same through random interactions or mingling with the locals. This stands particularly true for the expatriates arriving in Qatar from outside the region. They find it difficult to engage with the local Qatari community in an expressive relationship. However, there are avenues available that help such expatriates to get better acquainted with the Qatari culture and learn about their lifestyles and customs directly from them.
Embrace Doha is an orgnisation specialised in providing incoming expatriate community with engaging and highly informative Qatari cultural orientation, the first of its kind in the country. It is holding its second session, Embrace Qatari Culture, on October 31 where the company will welcome expatriates with their friends and families “for a memorable afternoon around a traditional lunch and get to know more about Qatari culture.”
Anyone curious to know about the Qatari culture can join the session for QR150 at 7ayaku Hub Building, Al Idreesi Street, 12, 1418 Doha or visit embracedoha.com. Every year, more and more expatriates arrive in Qatar for work or study, become an integral part of the society. Many of them are living in an Arab and Muslim society for the first time and would like to know more about the culture in which they are living.
“Our sessions help these expatriates to form better, more meaningful relationships with their Qatari colleagues by promoting honest and stimulating discussion while breaking down stereotypes and encouraging mutual understanding and respect,” claims Embrace Doha.
They aim to provide residents, newcomers, and visitors with sufficient cultural awareness to understand and effectively interact with Qatari society. Their objective is to introduce their clients to the values, principles, customs and traditions of Qatar and the Gulf region.
The organisation aims to create healthy cross-cultural dialogue between Qataris and non-Qataris based on mutual respect and understanding besides reducing misunderstandings, faux pas, and embarrassment when interacting with Qataris.
It further aims to encourage tourism in Qatar by familiarising clients with the country’s landmarks, history, and future ambitions and the initiative is also aimed at supporting the realisation of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Don’t know how to congratulate a Qatari co-worker who just got married? Don’t understand the difference between ‘In Sha’a Allah’ and ‘Masha’a Allah’? Ever accidentally tried to shake the hand of Qatari man or woman and been politely rejected?
“We have all of the answers and explanations for you in our ‘Embrace Qatari Culture’ orientation session,” claims Embrace Doha, inviting people to the session.
“We have a wide range of activities. The point is not listing the dos and don’ts of the life in Qatar. Our goal is to have an interactive exchange between Qataris and expatriates,” Iman al-Doubali, the Social Media and PR Manager for Embrace Doha, told Community.
“During our sessions we invite people to sit in a majlis and have a presentation of general aspects of life in Qatar, punctuated by small interactive exercises such as wearing the traditional Qatari outfit, tasting different types of drinks popular in Qatari society etc,” she added.
Al-Doubali said the final aim is for people to spend some time and interact with Qataris in an effort to bridge the divide between them.
The first public session was during Ramadan, where we invited people for a traditional Qatari Iftar.
In its earlier ‘Embrace Ramadan’ event which took place on 17th and 18th July at Qatar Business Incubation Centre, Embrace Doha founders and presenters Amal al-Shammari and Ebrahim al-Emadi described to the audience important topics about Ramadan from the definition, significance of Ramadan and fasting, lunar calendar and phases of the moon, social activities that take place in the month and about Eid al-Fitr.
The awareness session also included videos that described fasting, Garangao and what to do or avoid in the daylights of Ramadan.
Afterward, with Magrib call of prayer the audience broke the fast with dates and Arabic coffee and after performing Magrib Prayer they enjoyed their Iftar meal. It consisted of Qatari traditional dishes like Harees, Madhrooba, Margoogah, Blaleet and Chicken Majboos in addition to famous Qatari desserts of Luqamat and Khanfarosh and Vimto, a drink.
