Asian Geographic - April 2018

(singke) #1

Citizens of 80 countries – including China,


Singapore, Japan, India and Indonesia – will


now be able to enter Qatar visa-free and


stay for up to 60 days, the Qatari embassy


announced in August last year.


To give tourists a better understanding of


what to expect when visiting the country, the


Arab state has published a guide to Qatari


culture and traditions, such as pearl diving


and folk dancing.


Visitors can expect to see local falconers


and their birds hunt down the houbara bustard



  • a bird that migrates south across Qatar –


during the winter hunting season, and discover


more about the oysters that grow in the waters


around the Qatar Peninsula, which is said


to produce some of the world’s finest pearls.


Today, locals no longer harvest these oysters


given the booming artificial pearl industry,


but in the past, pearl diving was a common


livelihood for Qataris.


Another cultural highlight is the arda, a


synchronised folk dance performed by men


at weddings to the beat of handheld drums.


Performers still carry swords and wear cross-


belts in a nod to its history as a war dance.


Visitors will also be treated to warm Qatari


hospitality in majlis – places set aside for


welcoming visitors with food and drink –


where they will be served kahwa, tiny cups


of coffee brewed with cardamom and served


from a quaint-looking coffee pot.


Visa-Free Entry to Qatar Now


Available for Citizens of 80 Countries


QATAR


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PHOTO © QATAR TOURISM AUTHORITY
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