Before leaving for Qatar, I had very high expectations of the city. I was told how much more advanced Qatar is and how different it would be from ordinary life here in the U.S. Needless to say, my expectations were set lower than they needed to be.
The country of Qatar and the city of Doha are both astoundingly beautiful and mesmerizing. From Education City to the center of Doha, the sights are endless and plentiful. From massive skyscrapers in the city to seemingly infinite nothingness in the desert, the views from all over the country are unique and memorable in their fascinating way.
Qatar heavily differs from the U.S. not just from geographical location, but also culturally and politically. The culture in Qatar is more focused on Muslim-based practices and involves more governmental control. Here, women are treated less than their male counterparts and segregation of gender is heavily mandated here. This is very prevalent in schools, sports, and restrooms. Men’s and women’s designated areas, like restrooms, are usually located far from one another while in the U.S., they’re generally directly across the hall.
There are some other ways Qatar also differs from the U.S. culturally. Apart from the basic ones like the food people eat, the primary language spoken, and socially acceptable dress attire, some other ones are huge regarding how they differ from the U.S. One of the major cultural differences is that everyone here is on their own time. Everyone in Qatar, when servicing you anywhere, will take their time. There is rarely any urgency when dealing in business with residents of Qatar. In the U.S. however, most of the establishments are always catering and willing to rush to get you what you need.
Politically, Qatar differs drastically from the U.S. For starters, Qatar claims to have freedom of religion and freedom of speech. However, neither one of these is true. You are only allowed to practice your religion behind closed doors, and you are unable to speak to anyone with the intent to convert their religious status. You are also not allowed to speak your mind freely when it comes to religion and the Qatari government.
The government also requires everyone in Qatar to hold a job. This is used to completely eradicate poverty and keep economy and infrastructure growth massive. This means that there are no unemployment benefits, very little taxes, and insurance is most of the time free. This, as you know, is the opposite of the U.S.
I have already learned a great deal about Qatar, but I know there is still much to learn, especially about how businesses operate and how they grow to be as successful as they are. I hope with this study abroad opportunity, I learn all about these operations and eventually gain the knowledge to be successful in business back home.
