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Qatari journalist Hassan Ali Yusef al-Saie, a candidate from Constituency 7, Al-Jasra, for the Shura Council election, has pledged to work for the country's development while focusing on ensuring equal rights, legal reform, education and community development. “My prime focus is on legal reforms because it’s the basis of all, including development and prosperity. I will work for the legal reforms in line with the need of the time. The focus includes reviewing and reformulating laws, cancelling articles, developing articles and creating laws, in line with the spirit of the current era,” he told Gulf Times. When al-Saie wanted to set topics for his electoral programme for the Shura Council, he found that all of these axes revolve around the axis of legislation, which is the foundation. He stated he will strive for equal rights of Qataris and realisation of Qatar’s vision while contributing to the country to achieve greater welfare of its people. “I am committed to promote societal sustainability and to demand the rights of Qataris equally, in a way that contributes to building and strengthening Qatar National Vision 2030,” he said. Also, al-Saie is focusing on the reforms and development in the educational and media sectors. He has envisioned to establish a private entity for the employment of Qataris “There are many challenges and pending topics that need attention. These include various concerns and demands of the citizens,” he said. Al-Saie’s manifesto proposes a cohesive, organised and thriving Qatari society with equal rights. It underlines working for the welfare of retired persons, employment of Qataris while covering topics on cost of living and housing. “If I am elected to the Shura Council, I will work on developing and promoting media work in all ways, which is one of our main concerns,” he said, while emphasising the freedom of the media which is committed to the issues of the country in order to make sure that a clear picture reaches the decision-makers. He said that his work and experience as a journalist has brought him closer to the citizens and residents alike while giving a better idea about the demands and issues. “When I was communicating with officials to solve some problems, the law always stood in the way of solving them and this has emerged to be a big problem that seeks our attention and intervention,” he said. Al-Saie decided to contest the election after he was driven by his desire to convey all the problems to the members of the Shura Council, and to ask them to find solutions because they disrupt the citizens and the residents while impeding Qatar’s development. "Any law that causes harm to others must be changed or amended," he added.

Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Ali Al-Ibrahim, a candidate for the Shura Council elections from constituency 14 at Al Wakra is busy campaigning while interacting with voters and listening to their grievances and suggestions. Al-Wakra is his birthplace as well as where he was brought up and completed his primary studies. The former expert at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) looks to contribute to the development of Qatar. Al-Ibrahim spoke to Gulf Times at his residence during the campaign: “Qatar is witnessing development and advancement in various sectors by the grace of God and the wisdom of the wise leadership, headed by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. We feel every day that wider horizons open towards prosperity, development, justice, democratic progress. I wanted to participate in formulating state policy and contributing to development plans and programmes. We are committed to the promise and the wise leadership’s directions towards leading our beloved country in the best possible manner always. Indeed, I am honoured to participate in the elections as a candidate from the 14th constituency,” he said. Al-Ibrahim has a comprehensive vision and plans that can be implemented in order to further develop the country and improving the prosperity and happiness of the citizens. Also, he has a track record of social and educational activism. “When I reached the age of secondary school, there was none for boys at Al Wakra. Accompanied by my friend, I met the then Minister of Education and the outcome was the opening of a secondary school for boys at Al Wakra,” he recalled. Also, with his knowledge about the Qatari architectural identity, it's tradition, customs and heritage, al-Ibrahim was in charge of the work of reviving the old city of Al Wakra while keeping its traditional symbols intact. At MADLSA, he worked with various departments after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas, US. He retired as an expert. While serving Qatar, he received a number of certificates from various entities including the Arab Labour Organisation. He also worked for improving the ministry services for citizens and residents by bringing in an e-government system. Al-Ibrahim said that the campaign is helping him win hearts. “The past days of the campaign have shown that there is great acceptance by the voters. We hold interaction with various stakeholders from all segments of society while assessing their demands and receiving the ideas and visions. We will realise them and will work for the interest of the country and the welfare of the people while supporting the directions of the wise leadership,” he said, adding that the campaigns are carried out in a scientific, practical and fruitful manner. The candidate has an integrated team to promote and communicate with voters while studying their concerns and aspirations. “We get a warm response and the interaction programmes exceed our expectations. We are keen on the aspects that serve the country and the citizens and all these are carried out as per the rules and directions from the authorities,” he said. The electoral programmes focus on the legislative side, public budget and public auditing in order to ensure transparency. Al-Ibrahim says he will work in the Shura Council to avert the delay in legislation for various welfare projects. “I have found some issues with regard to the rights of retirees, the social protection platform and the labour laws. I will strive to secure the greatest amount of fulfillment for the efforts of retirees by demanding an increase in their salaries and end-of-service benefits. "I will strive to update legislation related to the rights of Qatari women and the children of Qatari women whose fathers hold other nationalities and to improve the social protection scheme. I will also make efforts to increase the salaries of employees and other privileges granted to them in line with the rising cost of living. In addition to health insurance, I will work to find a new mechanism that secures the treatment of patients inside and outside the country in the fastest time and at the highest levels of quality and without any waiting,” he said. With regard to approving budgets and spending from public funds, al-Ibrahim said he will focus on achieving the vision of the wise leadership and meeting the aspirations and ambitions of citizens through optimal use of public money, emphasis on rationalising spending and putting pressure on expenditures, adopting modern budget trends, increasing the national income by giving preference to productive projects, finding a state of parity between sectors, reducing the duration of budget discussion and approval and trying to conserve the Qatari financial resources and propose effective laws. “Also, I will work to ensure sufficient job opportunities to accommodate all university as well as high school graduates. I will support the efforts to update the comprehensive national strategy to enhance integrity and transparency. I will work to support the efforts of the national team concerned with the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption,”he said. The candidate assured efforts will be taken up to enhance the quality of public services and improve the work environment and investment in the country to ensure the localisation of jobs. Al-Ibrahim said he will work to achieve the principle of equal opportunities approved by the wise leadership among the members of society and guarantee equal rights for all citizens in the distribution of land, grants, employment and all other privileges and entitlements. “I will always keep my office and council open to receive the opinions and suggestions of citizens,” he added.    

Expatriate artists are stealing the show at S'hail - Katara International Hunting and Falcons Exhibition at Katara. Indians Arjun Suvaraj and Rajeesh Ravi and Syrian Zeina Abbara are among the artists at the exhibition. With paintings that range from portraits to sketches of Qatari culture and heritage, the artists have portrayed the saga of Qatar’s bond to its expatriate communities while making use of S’hail to get new insights and learn from Qataris. The artists are grateful to the S’hail and Katara managements for offering them this opportunity. Arjun, an artist from Chennai has been in Doha since 2008, learning painting and capturing Qatari life and culture on canvas. A special youth with impaired hearing and speech ability, Arjun has grabbed the attention at S’hail’s gathering zone where he paints beautiful portraits and serene scenes with the support of his parents Rajesh Babu and Shobha Rajesh. “Arjun is very excited and happy to be part of this international exhibition. It’s an ideal venue for him to grow as it brings creative people with diverse cultures together and helps him learn new things,” Shobha said while talking to Community at Katara. Shobha said Arjun will soon hold his solo exhibition at Katara if things pan out as expected. He has so far won several recognitions while attending school level and national level competitions in Qatar. Zeina, who is part of the Qatari Fine Arts Association and Souq Waqif Arts Centre, said S’hail is a place that lends opportunities as it helps artists display their works and find buyers. “Indeed, the exhibition provides all of us an opportunity to showcase our talents. For the last three years, I have been part of S’hail while drawing the rich culture of Qatar,” Zeina said. The artist, who is an alumnus of the Fine Arts College in Homs, has been a Doha resident since 2011 and part of S’hail in its last three editions. At the second zone of the S’hail exhibition, Kerala artist Rajeesh Ravi has a place where he draws on Qatar’s affection towards falcons and it's traditional Bedouin culture. “S’hail underscores the fact that Qatar pays due attention to artists by providing them adequate space. Artists here enjoy the privilege of getting support from the government and its entities like Katara,” Rajeesh said. The graduate from the School of Fine Arts at Thalassery in Kerala is currently working with Souq Waqif Arts Centre and is an active member of the Visual Arts Forum India. He started his career in Doha as curator at Al Hosh Art Gallery while helping budding artists and newcomers learn the Qatari style and trend, grow in Qatar and find venues to exhibit their works.

 The ongoing S'hail - Katara International Hunting and Falcons Exhibition at Katara has turned out to be an ideal venue for artists to vent there creativity while showcasing there skills and sharing there experiences with each other. “S’hail keeps growing while adding more features and covering more areas. And it’s a venue for artists to grow,” said Haneefa Abdul Qader, who is part of the exhibition while drawing portraits that reflect Qatari life, culture and heritage. The member of the Qatar Fine Arts Association has been part of the initiatives by Katara and other government entities for promoting fine arts in Qatar. “Government through it's various agencies is encouraging the artists by arranging venues and exhibitions,” she said. Haneefa has participated in several competitions and recently won second prize in the ‘Solidarity’ art competition by Katara. The artwork featured the cooperation of the Qatari community while fighting Covid-19. Fahad Ali al-Maadeed told Gulf Times that S’hail assumes significance as it brings artists from various communities together. “The exhibition is beyond all kinds of geographical differences. We all work together here while taking lessons from each other and teaching each other,” he said.   For Fahad, art is a hobby and he has been part of S’hail for the past five years. He is a member of Qatar Fine Arts Association. “Some of the expatriate artists are not much aware of Qatari life and culture. They take new lessons from us while working with us while we try to study new things while attending exhibitions like this,” he added.    

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has reiterated the need to be careful while carrying medicines to the country and asked travellers to strictly follow procedures and restrictions that are in place. This was reminded at a virtual seminar Wednesday by the General Directorate of Drug Enforcement, in co-operation with the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI). First Lieutenant Abdullah Qasim, media and awareness officer at the Department, explained that it is not allowed for the arriving or departing travellers to carry drugs without a detailed and attested medical report by the hospital where they received treatment. “The departing or arriving travellers are not allowed to carry drugs containing narcotics or psychotropic substances except in accordance with the controls and conditions issued by the authorities concerned. These should be carried with a medical report with a validity of not exceeding six months. The report should contain personal details of the patient, medical diagnosis, treatment plan and duration along with medical prescriptions and scientific name of the medicine,” he said. The official asked travellers to ensure that their baggage does not contain narcotic substances or medicinal drugs with dangerous psychotropic substances. He also discussed the risks that drugs cause to the individual and society and the types of medicines and medical drugs that are prohibited to be brought into the country or used without approved prescriptions. First Lt Qasim urged travellers not to carry the belongings of others while travelling to Qatar without checking their contents to avoid legal accountability. "The carrier bears full criminal responsibility if these materials are prohibited in the country. Avoid bringing any suspicious substances or drugs. Because some narcotic substances and medicines may be allowed in the home country but banned in Qatar. Consult the government health institutions to get medicines. Stay away from suspicious places and bad friends. “Anyone caught for the consumption of narcotic substances can get a fine of not more than QR10,000 and not less than QR5,000. Imprisonment for a period of not exceeding three years and not less than six months and a fine of not exceeding QR20,000 and not less than QR10,000 will be given in case of drug abuse. This applies to whomever imports, possesses, acquires, purchases, receives, transports, produces, extracts, separates or manufactures narcotic substances. Also, those who cultivate or possess or purchase plants listed in Schedule 4 with the intention of illicit consumption or personal use,” he explained. The official said security is a shared responsibility and urged all to report if suspicious activities are found. “Persons will be responsible for drug abuse or trafficking carried out by their roommates if they fail to inform the authorities. Observe the kids well and intervene if any suspicious move is noted. Addicts will not be punished but instead taken care of well if they report to the authorities,” he added. Incidents about drug abuse or trafficking could be informed and help could be sought at 2347000 and [email protected]. The MoI official, who gave a brief explanation about the General Directorate of Drug Enforcement, said that the authorities are implementing operations to control and combat various drug crimes. He also explained the work strategy pursued by the department to curb the illicit supply and demand for dangerous materials and psychotropic substances. The directorate’s functions also include combating and controlling the crimes of cross-border smuggling through the air, sea and land ports in co-ordination with the authorities concerned, and combating and controlling the cultivation of narcotic plants or their promotion inside Qatar.    

Showcasing a wide range of falconry products and hunting equipment, the fifth edition of S'hail - Katara International Hunting and Falcons Exhibition opened at Katara - the Cultural Village on Tuesday with the participation of 160 national and international companies from 18 countries. The five-day event is being held at Katara's Al Hikma Square and Hall. A large number of enthusiasts thronged the venue on the first day to visit the pavilions while adhering to Covid-19 precautionary measures. Katara general manager Prof Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, who is also chairman of the Organising Committee, expressed happiness at the opening of the fifth edition of the exhibition and said "S’hail is growing in importance year after year". "The fifth edition confirms its leadership as being the largest and most important international exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa in the field of hunting and falconry,” he said. S’hail continues to grow rapidly, having witnessed an increase in the space allocated to accommodate all the pavilions of the participating companies, while designing them in an innovative and attractive manner with impressive artistic and aesthetic features. It has also seen enhanced marketing methods to provide the best of companies. He further stressed that the fifth version is quite different from the previous ones "given the remarkable Gulf participation and the presence, for the first time, of many international companies offering new and diverse products in the weapons, hunting and trips sectors", Katara said in a statement. Prof al-Sulaiti said the exhibition acts as an international cultural, heritage and economic forum, which provides a "great opportunity for the exchange of experiences and expertise in hunting besides attracting the most-skilled craftsmen and manufacturers in the fields of falconry and hunting supplies from all over the world". The opening day of the exhibition witnessed the visits of a number of ambassadors to Qatar, including Jose Benzacín Perea of Peru, Abd al-Rahim al-Siddig Mohamed of Sudan, Jasminko Pozderac of Serbia, Partick Cornell Ahanda of Kenya as well as Dr Bilal Turkiye, chargé d'affaires of the embassy of Syria. The exhibition hall has been divided into different zones, including those meant for falconry products, various stalls and pavilions as well as specialised SUVs used for camping purposes. “S’hail is a popular and ideal venue for falcon enthusiasts to visit, see falcons and buy them along with various products and equipment. Hunters meet here while sharing their experiences and plans. It popularity is increasing and the exhibition has evoked a warm response,” exhibition manager Abdulaziz Al Bohashem al-Sayed told Gulf Times. He said several dignitaries are expected to visit the exhibition over the coming days, adding that falcons and falconry are part of the Qatari life. While the exhibition will be open from 10am to 10pm on all days, on Friday it will receive visitors from 2pm until 11pm. The exhibition is being held in accordance with all Covid-19 precautionary measures as stipulated by the Ministry of Public Health. Organisers have said entry will be allowed to people aged 12 years and above, who are fully vaccinated, in order to ensure the health and safety of all. “We ensure that visitors follow the precautionary measures,” al-Sayed added. Katara has launched a mobile app for patrons besides ensuring electronic methods for a safe visit and shopping experience. The specialised application also shows a collection of the best types of falcons to be chosen for auctions. S’hail is supported by a number of companies, including Ooredoo as the telecom sponsor, Qatar Insurance Company and the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam) in addition to Debor and Zoom as logistical support partners. The exhibition will also see innovative competitions, programmes and cultural events aimed at preserving the heritage and promoting authentic traditions. These include two competitions for the ‘most attractive pavilion’ and the ‘most beautiful falcon hood’, carrying valuable prizes. The best pavilion at S’hail will be given a prize of QR20,000 while there will be three prizes for the most beautiful falcon hood, worth $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.    

Featuring falcons, falconry and hunting equipment, the fifth edition of S'hail - Katara International Hunting & Falcons Exhibition started at Katara today morning. The five day festival is held at Al Hikam Square and Hall of the Cultural Village Katara where many falcon enthusiasts thronged on the first day to visit the pavilions while adhering to the Covid-19 precautionary measures. The exhibition hall has been divided into three zones with the first one for gathering while the second one is for falcons and falconry. The third zone is dedicated for specialised and modified four-wheel drive SUV’s for safari camping.  “S’hail is a popular and ideal venue for falcon enthusiasts to visit, see falcons and buy them along with various products and equipment. Hunters meet here while sharing their experiences and plans. The popularity is getting high and the exhibition has evoked a warm response,” exhibition manager Abdulaziz Al Bohashem al-Sayed told Gulf Times.  He said several dignitaries are expected to visit the exhibition adding that falcon and falconry are part of Qatari life.  While the exhibition will be open from 10am to 10pm on all days, on Friday it will receive visitors from 2pm till 11pm. Considered as one of the largest in the Middle East and North Africa region, the exhibition will be held in accordance with all the Covid-19 precautionary measures instructed by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). Organisers have said that entry will be allowed to people aged 12 years and above, who are fully vaccinated in order to ensure the health and safety of all.  “We ensure that visitors follow the precautionary measures,” said al-Sayed.  Katara has already launched a mobile app for patrons besides ensuring electronic methods for safe shopping and visit experience. The specialised application also shows the collection of the best types of falcons to be chosen for auctions. S’hail is supported by a number of companies including Ooredoo as the telecom sponsor, Qatar Insurance Company and The Social and Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM) in addition to Debor and Zoom as logistical support partners. The exhibition will also see more innovative competitions, programmes and cultural events aimed at preserving heritage and promoting the interest of authentic traditions. These include two competitions for the ‘most attractive pavilion’ for being most aesthetic and innovative in terms of design,  and the ‘most beautiful falcon hood’ with its craftsmanship, look and comfort factor carrying valuable prizes. The best pavilion at S’hail will be given a prize of QR 20,000 while there will be three prizes for the beautiful chosen falcon eye hoods of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.  

While expanding its micro-mobility business, Mowasalat (Karwa) has launched e-scooters at Education City in co-operation with Falcon Ride and Qatar Foundation (QF). “We are super thrilled to announce that we have launched our e-scooters in Education City. As part of a pilot programme with Qatar Foundation and Falcon, we will continue to support and contribute towards a cleaner, brighter future for our country,” Mowasalat tweeted. The hi-tech, app-enabled e-scooters have been enabled as part of Mowsalat’s efforts to ensure "safe, sustainable, tech-enabled micro-mobility services" at various parts of the country and its strategy of connecting people with convenient transport solutions throughout Qatar. The e-scooters are available for visitors and those who work in Education City. “Users will have to download the Falcon Ride application,” Mowasalat explained while suggesting safety measures. Users must be 18 and above to use the e-scooters. Only solo rides will be allowed with one person per scooter. Park safely in a non-obstructing area or dedicated Falcon parking nest” the tweet added while asking users to always follow helmet laws. Falcon has urged all the riders to follow the same rules in support of maintaining public safety and cleanliness while adhering to the Covid-19 precautionary measures. The e-scooters are presently available at West Bay, Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, Al Qassar, Katara and Legtaifiya while it was launched at The Pearl-Qatar in co-operation project with the United Development Company, master developer of The Pearl-Qatar and Gewan Island. E-scooters are operated with the support of Falcon Ride application with QR2 charged for unlocking the application while 50 dirhams is charged for every minute of use. Falcon Ride officials have said that they will look to engage with other stakeholders to provide last mile connectivity solutions that will support Qatar in meeting its FIFA World Cup 2022 and Qatar National Vision 2030 goals.    

The world we live in is all about Generation Z (persons with mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years) who dominates it. They are the leaders of tomorrow. Also known as zoomers, the generation is increasingly worthy of attention and they are special with certain characteristics. They have been exposed to the internet, to social networks, and to mobile systems and want to be spoken in their own language. Infotainment Factree, a Qatar-based initiative is looking to emerge as the platform to connect Generation Z across curriculum and communities. This is achieved by organising an array of literary activities covering all communities across Qatar. “Generation Z is true digital natives and competitive. They want to become winners and to be heard with strong opinions. Our attempt is to draw them through online means rather than going for the old-school methods while making use of edgy and visual marketing tactics. We deliver information in multiple ways while targeting zoomers through storytelling, explainer videos and other forms of visualisation,” says Shafqat Nabi, Infotainment Factree project lead. What makes Infotainment Factree special is that it focuses on infotainment that integrates both entertainment and information. Also, it covers all communities while reaching into educational institutions through competitions including quiz, debate, extempore, speech, essay, dumb charades, collage-making, painting and sketching. “Infotainment Factree aims to bring these activities under a single umbrella of Young SPARKS Literary Festival for schools and other educational institutes. Given the multicultural nature of Qatar, there is a great potential to organise such quality events on a large scale,” says Aisha Jamal, Wizard of Light bulb Moments, managing tie ups and sponsorships. Infotainment Factree focuses on four Rs which are Read, Art, Reason and Recreation. Also, it tempts the beneficiaries to rekindle the reading habit and to work on the writing and the debating skills in order to make them more socially engaged and provide them reasons and motivations to have lesser tractions towards social media. Also, it improves communication, imparts knowledge and aids better sleep while helping them become mentally peaceful and build personality. “It’s all about creating tomorrow’s leaders while creating a culture through activities and workshops. We bring together all stakeholders including students, schools, parents, skill development centres, media and corporates,” Shafqat said. Apart from the Young Sparks Literary Festival, Infotainment Factree holds corporate sponsored competitions including speech contests, The Gift Of The Gab, for students from schools across curriculum pan-Qatar. Shafqat said the competitions are held under the supervision of a panel of international judges across communities and space. Also, Infotainment Factree has plans to set up Young Sparks Clubs with members across different schools and branches at each school. Quarterly events including talk shows, workshops, educational fairs and personality development sessions will be held. There is a plan in the making to set up community libraries with the partnership of various stakeholders. “The Gift Of The Gab, an online speech contest organised last month, was the first of all live events by Infotainment Factree. By the time this event was conceptualised, all schools had already closed. Though many found the time inappropriate, we took it as an opportunity. We reached out using the power of social media and got 48 entries across communities and curriculum. Students were able to participate with equal ease in the safety and comfort of there home,” Shafqat added.    

Using mobile phones while driving continues to be a major cause of road accidents in Qatar, an official with the General Directorate of Traffic has said. While addressing an awareness seminar by the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Captain Mohamed Abdullah al-Kuwari, Officer at the Traffic Awareness Department, said careless driving due to mobile phone use accounts for 80% of the total accidents. “Using mobile phones and recording visuals from inside the vehicles causes distraction and ends in accidents,” he noted, urging the public to be aware of the cause. As per statistics, released by the General Directorate of Traffic earlier this year, negligence and reckless driving accounted for 2,442 accidents at a rate of 42.4% of the total cases in 2020. While 21.9% of the cases happened due to not keeping a safe distance, 12.3% were due to deviation from the road. Other reasons including red signal jumping, non-adherence to lane discipline, speeding and overtaking resulted in 13.4 % of the total cases. Qatar recorded a remarkable drop in road traffic accidents in 2020 with a sharp decrease of 28.3%. Cases went down to 155,812 in 2020 from 217,353 in 2019. Al-Kuwari said intensified awareness programmes are being held in order to address the grim scenario and achieve accident free roads. “Using or holding mobile phone or any other device in hand while driving or becoming busy watching any visual from the television set in the vehicle draws a penalty of QR500. The same penalty is applied if children below the age of 10 are allowed to occupy the front seat,” he said, adding that avoiding seat belts while driving causes a penalty of QR500. Also, al-Kuwari asked pedestrians to be careful and use only designated areas to cross the roads. “Pedestrians are given a penalty of QR200 if they fail to take necessary precautions while crossing the main road,” he said. He urged drivers to slow down at pedestrian crossings, crowded points, turns or curves or cross roads or intersections or roundabouts or bridges or underpasses or while entering school or hospital zones in order to ensure road safety. Any failure will draw a penalty of QR300. The MoI official urged motorists to move the vehicles from the roads in the case of minor accidents. Al-Kuwari also noted that drivers do not need to carry hard copies of licence and can show the copy available with the e-wallet of Metrash 2.    

The General Authority of Customs (GAC) has issued a travel advisory for carrying money, valuables and financial instruments. “Any person upon entering or leaving the state and in possession of any currency, financial bearer negotiable instruments or precious metals or stones equivalent to or exceeding QR 50000 or it's equivalent in for­eign currencies, must fill the declaration form, and any additional in­formation requested by the customs officer must also be provided,” GAC tweeted. The form, according to the tweet, is filled in at the customs declaration office at all air, sea or land travel outlets. The implementation of this system comes in application of the provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Law No. 20 of 2019 and Cabinet Resolution No. 41 of 2019 to issue it's executive regulations. Items to be declared, according to GAC, are currencies including Qatari currencies or other foreign currencies and negotiable currencies or financial instruments. These are cheques, promissory notes, and money orders that are either in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out of to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in such form that title thereto passes upon delivery. These also include incomplete instruments including cheques, promissory notes and money orders signed, but with the payee's name omitted. Precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum and other precious metals along with precious stones like diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, pearls and others also should be declared. GAC has warned against false declaration saying giving incorrect information will draw action. “False declaration or refusal to provide additional information to the customs authorities on the source of the currency, financial bearer negotiable instru­ments or precious metals or stones equal to or greater than QR 50,000 or it's equivalent in foreign currencies exposes you to penalties that may amount to imprisonment or fines, as well as the seizure of such funds,” GAC said. These, according to the information available on GAC website, are subject to penalties that may reach imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years or fines not less than QR 100,000 and not more than QR 500,000 or twice the value of the transferred funds, whichever is more, in addition to confiscating such funds.    

The Maritime Transport Affairs recorded a total of 4,382 transactions during the second quarter of 2021 with an increase by 845 transactions of the first quarter. The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) tweeted that these covered Maritime Vessel’s main services, Maritime Licenses’ services, Sailor Affairs’ main services and Maritime System services. During the first quarter of 2021, a total of 3,537 transactions were carried out by the department. A total of 3,848 services were rendered in Maritime Vessel’s main services section while Maritime Licenses’ services, Sailor Affairs’ main services and Maritime System services marked 22,217 and 295 services, respectively. During the first quarter, the figures stood at 3,111, 24,172 and 228, respectively. Maritime Vessel’s main services include registration, renewal, ownership transfer, duplicate of loss and deletion while Maritime Licenses’ services provide renewal and data modifying services to foreign vessels engaged in operations in Qatari waters. Sailor Affairs’ main services give issuance and accreditation of certificates of competency for marine officers, naval architects and safe manning while Maritime System services feature ownership transfer and certificate of seaworthiness. These services are provided to big vessels. MoTC is providing various services to small and large vessels in order to develop the maritime transport sector. They are also designed to facilitate operations and procedures and keep pace with technological advancements through the automation of all ships services. The various services are provided through integration with the ministry's national documentation and archiving system to ensure business procedures are facilitated and completed through the mobile app application or portal. The electronic services are part of MoTC’s efforts to implement the standards of the government system. E-Qatar, achieving the objectives of the Qatar Digital Government 2020 strategy to upgrade the level of government services provided to individuals and companies.    

As part of the process to give a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for specific groups in Qatar, 750 kidney transplant patients were sent messages and their list handed over to the primary health care centres, a senior official told Qatar TV on Wednesday. "The third dose has no effect on travel and return procedures and will be of the same type of vaccine as the manufacturers have requested not to mix vaccines,” explained Dr Yousuf al-Maslamani, medical director of Hamad General Hospital. The period between the second and third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine is from five to six months, according to him. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) had on Tuesday approved a third dose of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to individuals suffering from certain immunodeficiency diseases. The MoPH approval was in line with the authorisation recently issued by the US Food and Drug Administration as well as the approval of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The third dose of the vaccine is meant to increase antibodies against infection in people with chronic diseases and those with immunodeficiency," Dr al-Maslamani pointed out. The scientific committee (in Qatar) is following everything and there are studies confirming that the target group individuals are vulnerable to infection and hospitalisation if they do not receive a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Regarding the effect of a third dose of vaccine, Dr al-Maslamani said that the risk is only in the first dose and if it passes safely there is less possibility that any additional doses could cause any problem. "The Ehteraz application will remain the same and there will be no changes once a third dose is received," the official said. Referring to the 12-17 age group, Dr al-Maslamani said that 69% have been vaccinated and this is very close to achieving herd immunity.    

Online services by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) recorded an increase in the number of users after coronavirus (Covid-19) precautionary measures were put in place. This was highlighted during an awareness session, organised by the MoI Public Relations Department in association with the General Directorate of Passports on Wednesday. “People started to increasingly make use of the Metrash2 app and the MoI website to avail of residency services, instead of going to the service centres, after the precautionary measures came into effect,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Tariq Eissa al-Aqeedi of the Media and Public Relations Department of the General Directorate of Passports. During the second half of 2020, a total of 1,356,458 residence services were completed through the MoI website, while the number of services during the first half of 2021 stood at 850,066. Metrash2 recorded 763,635 and 440,028 transactions during the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, respectively. Al-Aqeedi also said that a new feature with Metrash2 helps companies with the strength of hundreds of employees to complete residence permit renewal easily without human intervention. While addressing the seminar, Lieutenant Fars Mubarak al-Dossari said that a new Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) will be opened in Tunisia. “The QVCs are set up and operated in co-operation with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Health,” he said. “An integrated recruitment system, enabled through the QVCs, is helping both employers and employees complete the procedures easily.” “The centres ensure the protection of their rights,” al-Dossari noted. He added that the QVCs ensure transparency in completing the necessary procedures. They have brought in a systematic wage protection system that prevents exploitation and illegal practices by intermediaries and brokers. “Employees are now able to get electronic contracts, and this ensures job security and protection from any kind of exploitation,” he said.    

The fourth edition of the Najah Qatari festival will be held for three days from August 26 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)’s Al Mayassa Theatre. The programme will highlight innovation, invention, inspiration and entrepreneurship in various sectors of Qatar. The event is expected to be attended by prominent personalities, ministers, businessmen, and entrepreneurs. While addressing a press conference earlier this week, festival founder Faisal Bin Khalid al-Otaibi said that the latest edition of the annual event highlights 10 categories. These are the best youth initiative, the best inventor, the best poem for the year 2020-2021, the best social media platform, the best local programme in a local channel, the best social media influencer, the best ministry or government service institution, the best young broadcaster, the best newspaper, and the best entrepreneurial project. Najah Qatari is attended by 16 different entities, including ministries, institutions, and sponsoring companies in special pavilions. The festival is held under the slogan *Yesterday's Dream … Today's Reality. Winners of all categories will be announced at the valedictory ceremony. Voting is done through the Najah Qatari application, where contestants can cast their votes. The festival will also host seven forums, which includes a forum for decision makers while focusing on the success stories, the most prominent stations and challenges, and the Shura Council Forum to discuss the latest developments of the Shura Council election. There will be a forum for poets that includes a poetry night. The government institutions forum will have a session that brings together representatives of various government institutions, who will explain the services and answer questions from the public. A lecture on financial freedom and self-development will be also held, while the 2022 forum will feature the preparation for the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Al-Otaibi said the festival will be held while strictly adhering to the coronavirus (Covid-19) precautionary measures.    

Taking a cue from the good response it evoked in Qatar and outside, Sajdah, the innovative smart educational prayer rug, by Qatari start up Thakaa Technologies is set to ramp up production. Abdulrahman Saleh Khamis, CEO, and co-founder of Thakaa Technologies, told Gulf Times that the company is looking to fulfill the preorders soon while efforts are on to produce more units of the innovative rug. Described as the first of its kind, the rug helps new Muslims and children learn to pray with the help of technology while guiding prayer training and helping recite the Holy Qur'an. “The response during the crowd funding and preorder period was overwhelming. We could achieve the target within one hour and it doubled within 48 hours after the crowd funding was launched,” Khamis said. What is exciting, according to Khamis, is that 55% of the total pre orders were from outside Qatar, especially from the US, the UK, Singapore and Australia. With a built-in LED display Sajdah supports Arabic, English, and Transliterated Arabic. The text of the Holy Qur'an is displayed while a speaker helps the worshipper hear the voice of recitation and prayer while guiding him to the next action. Through the Sajdah mobile app the rug could be paired with smartphones and Apple Watch. “Parts of the Holy Qur'an that the worshipper wants to display during the prayer could be set. The speed of the prayer could also be set,” Khamis said. He added that efforts are on to update the rug while adding more features. Also, Thakaa Technologies is looking to minimise the production and marketing cost in order to draw more buyers. “We are looking to make it affordable for all those who want to buy,” Khamis said. Khamis conceptualised the idea as he was driven by the desire to help worshippers easily and fairly perform prayers. The idea was selected by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) that supported Khamis to materialise his dream. It was displayed on QF’s edutainment TV show Stars of Science. Khamis was one of the finalists of the show. While expressing his gratitude to the QF and QSTP Khamis said the XLR8 programme helped him grow as an innovator and transform his idea into business. Khamis is currently working as the deputy CEO of the Qatar Scientific Club has been nominated in the best inventor category while Sajdah was nominated in the best startup project category of Najah Qatari Festival that demonstrates the most successful inventors and prominent public figures across several fields.    

While ensuring uninterrupted services for the public in various sectors, the Government Contact Centre (GCC) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) completed more than 9 mn transactions in the last four years. A tweet by MoTC said the ministry achieved 90% first call solutions while offering support services through hotline 109. The ministry said the hotline marks at least 3 mn transactions a year. Complying with the vision outlined in Qatar Digital Government 2020 Strategy and seeking to enrich Qatar residents with government e-services experience, the e-Government Steering Committee decided to apply a single sign-on platform for all government e-services and unify all e-services supported through QGCC to receive public inquiries and complaints 24x7. The hotline answers all public queries and issues related to government services.Services are available in eight languages and seven channels with 4 minute average call duration and 20 second average speed of answers. The project was introduced in a bid to provide support services to the public and communicate with customers and with government and semi-government entities in 2007. Also, the initiative was established to support the services provided on Qatar e-Government Portal - Hukoomi. It was set up by MoTC to become a technical support center for various e-services provided by MoTC and other government agencies, in addition to becoming the first governmental line of support to respond to inquiries and complaints from the public. The facility has become a link between all government agencies participating in it and the public. It’s one of the MoTC’s initiatives that enables Qatar’s government to be more efficient, effective, accessible, and customer-centric. In addition, they allow the public to better interact with the government, and executives to have access to information and tools that promote better-informed decision-making. MoTC developed QGCC with the highest level of technology and service as well as the highest quality standards to suit the requirements and services of all government entities and provide the greatest diversity of services to the public. It’s one of the largest government contact centers in the Gulf region, and it accommodates a large number of government entities and institutions.    

Walking is often described and practiced as an answer to the growing threat of lifestyle diseases. But, Wellness Challengers has gone an extra mile by developing walking as a tool to explore Qatar. Under the aegis of Wellness Challengers, walkers often try to enjoy the serene beauty of local places while walking for a healthy lifestyle. “Walking or running is not a mere affair to get physically engaged. We try to explore while enjoying and taking beautiful pics that are shared among our fellow Wellness Challengers members,” said Sameer Vakean, the key functionary of the group. The members use Strava, which is an American internet service for tracking human exercise which incorporates social network features. Status of physical engagement is shared in the application along with pictures of the location. Wellness Challengers has around 80 members spread across Qatar. For walking, the members pick different spots rather than going for a regular place. “Katara, Al Bayt Stadium, Aspire Zone, Al Sadd Stadium and Doha Corniche are all favourite spots of our members. We draw them towards different places by sharing experiences and pics of various new spots through Strava while exploring them during the morning walk,” Sameer said. The members track the health status of each other on a daily basis while sharing tips and getting suggestions by using the application. Besides, there is a weekly meet during which experts hold awareness sessions. Members from across Qatar come all the way to Doha or other places to meet each other during the weekend. Apart from Sameer, the activities of the group are run by Faisal Perambra, Abey Abraham George, Santhosh Desmond Paul and Noufal Thikkodi. The initial motive of forming the collective was to promote a healthy lifestyle among the residents while contributing to the implementation of the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030. “In Qatar, there is an ideal atmosphere that helps walkers stay active. The parks as well as other spots are well equipped with basic amenities. This draws more people towards walking and jogging,” he said. Since its inception, Wellness Challengers has been active in promoting walking. The group has held competitions for students in order to encourage a healthy lifestyle among the younger generation. The functionaries are now looking to ensure the involvement of women in daily activities. “We have so far held family meets. And now the focus is on forming women collectives or making them part of our programmes,” Sameer added. Wellness Challenges is an active participant in sports events in Qatar and it has so far taken part in various activities including the Ancient Greek Virtual Marathon 2021, Ooredoo Doha Virtual Marathon 2021 and IIM Calicut Virtual Marathon 2021.