The first thing that grabbed my attention when I visited the Qatar National Mall was the amount of women wearing a Niqab and dressed in long black cloaks. I also noticed that most of the men wear traditional clothing called a thobe with a headdress called a gutra. The Qataris seem to be very quiet out in public and show no reaction. When walking past cafés or sitting in a restaurant, people don’t really talk very loudly or laugh; they keep more to themselves and are on their phones. Another important thing I noticed about the culture was that people tend to come out more at night and stay out late. I assume this is due to the extreme temperatures they face in the Summer. However, this is important to know when conducting business with Qatar. In addition to the Qatari’s behaviors, the way they drive and the way the roads are constructed is quite different from the United States of America. After taking my first Uber, I noticed people who like to speed will suddenly slam their brakes in areas with no traffic, and they don’t always stay in their own lane. Rather, they will drive in between two lanes at a time. It’s fascinating how their driving seems so unorganized, yet there are hardly any accidents. Furthermore, Every mall I have seen here so far is luxury, there is almost no mall that doesn’t have a Dior store or some form of luxury clothing store. It gives off the impression that there is almost no lower or middle class and everyone can just afford everything, no matter the price tag. Although, this may not be true, I have yet to see a “bad” part of town. These are just a couple of characteristics I have noticed about life here, but I know I will continue to learn more, which will help me become a better businesswoman.
