The name of the ruling family of Qatar is Al Thani. It was part of a tribe which was long settled around the Jibrin oasis in what is now Saudi Arabia. The oasis, a well-known one, is south of the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The Al Thani family are a branch of the Arab tribe Tamim , which lived in the eastern part of the Arabian peninsula. The name Al Thani comes from the family's ancestor, Thani bin Mohammed, who was the father of the first Al Thani sheikh to rule over the entire Qatar peninsula in the mid-19th century.
`The Al Thani family is the royal family of Qatar. His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the Emir. As head of state, he is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Qatar, and represents the State internally and externally and in all international relations.
Qatar is famous for its beautiful cultural heritage and it has numerous centers that display arts and crafts of Qatar.Arts and crafts in Qatar have a reflection of Bedouin culture. Bedouin were nomads and hence you will find their presence in all fields. There are many popular at galleries present in region that showcase the spectacular arts of Qatar. Some art pieces are for sale too and you can take pictures of these artifacts too.
Qatar adopts a visa-exemption policy for more than 30 countries, as well as the GCC members, to boost tourism. The current regulations are applicable to GCC residence permit holders.
The capital of Qatar, Doha is situated halfway down the east coast of the peninsula. It is an important cultural and commercial centre and enjoys excellent communications with the outside world through its modern seaport, airport, and telephone links.
Oil discovery transformed Qatar to a new era of better living conditions that brought home its citizens to work in the oil industry. British information sources indicate that 1755 out of 2667 work force in the oil industry were Qatari citizens, i.e., 66% of the total number of workers.
The Qatar Armed Forces are the military forces of Qatar. The country maintains a modest military force of approximately 11,800 men, including an army (8,500), navy (1,800) and air force (1,500). Qatar's defense expenditures accounted for approximately 4.2% of gross national product in 1993.
Qatar, a nation rich in oil and gas natural reserves, is located in the Middle East and is neighboured by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. With a land area of 4,184 square miles, the population was estimated to be 825,000 at the start of 2008.
Qataris pride themselves on their hospitality, and food and drink is an important part of this. When visiting houses, accept at least some of the pro-offered and drink, even if it is extremely sweet: if you refuse hospitality you may offend your hosts.
Qatar is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Gulf and connected to the south by land to Saudi Arabia. The landscape is generally flat to wavy with some prominent hills. The land elevation ranges between 6m to 103m above sea level. Rocky hills and sand dunes are mostly found in the southern parts of the country. Saline swampy mud flats are common along the coastal areas.
