I decided to read up on Qatari men as soon as I found out that there are 4 men to every one woman in Qatar. That’s pretty good odds really if one is looking to choose from an ample selection!
I found a great blog on Qatari men by Yousra Abdelaal, a keen-eyed lady who’s lived in Qatar for 6 years. Yousra sets out to hand all us lucky ladies the low-down on Qatari chaps and sift the wheat from the chaff on the rumours that Qatari men are unapproachable. Here are the highlights in a top five I’ve thrown together.
1. SOFT CENTRED NOT SELF-CENTRED
At the end of the day, despite their perfect image, most Qatari men have all the same quarms and quandaries as the rest of us: When at home, Qatari men are totally relaxed and nothing like the pristine portrait they may present while outside!
2. FLASH BUT NOT FLUSH WHEN IT COMES TO CASH
While some Qatari men might be made of money, most actually have a modest income. A fair few actually struggle to make ends meet. The flash cars you see around Doha are often taken out on loans, and designer copies of clothing and accessories abound. The need to look perfect stems from a mentality of masculinity and prestige and Qatari men scrutinize each other as much as we girls do! (Kind of nice to know, right?).
3. GOTTA LOT ON THEIR PLATES
Qatari men are aware of the fact that one day they will get married and have to support their wives and children, and in many cases, their parents and siblings. They have to face high mahrs when they get married, plus wedding expenses, then further down the road it just gets even more expensive (house, car, servants, drivers etc).
Many Qatari men take out whopping great loans from the government and banks to pay for all these expenses and spend 15-20 years paying them off. They also have many family obligations: they are expected to look after their mothers’ and sisters’ needs as a mahram, providing for them financially, protecting them, and driving and escorting them to wherever their mothers and sisters want to go. When they get married, they have both their families’ obligations and then obligations to their wives. Sounds like a lot of responsibility…
4. HANGING OUT WIT DA BOYZ
What do Qatari men do in their spare time? Most of them go to the malls, meet friends at cafés, love the cinema. They spend their spare time chatting, watching TV, playing board games or video games, drinking coffee and eating snacks with their male buddies and relatives. Like many of us around the world, Qatari men love the Internet these days, spending hours chatting on Messenger and writing on forums.
5. SECRET ROMANTICS
Here’s the wild card. There are plenty of Qatari men who love the great outdoors and set up tents in the desert or on the coast. They take up traditional hobbies like archery, rifle shooting, falconry and horse riding. Lots of Qatari men are huge romantics and write beautiful poetry and free prose and play the Ood.
A big thanks to Yousra for enlightening us. Are you a Qatari man or are you married to one/dating one/friends with one – do let us know your thoughts!