Qataris in the time of pearls
Before the discovery of oil, tribal communities had developed an original form of economic association that enabled them to contribute to two main sectors of activity: nomadic pastoralism and the pearl trade. Musaqqamin creditors financed most of the nuwahdah, boat captains, owners or not, servants of sheikhs or wealthy men, most of them towas pearl sellers. The nuwahdah had to advance part of their wages to the fishermen's families, as well as providing food for the entire fishing season - 4 months and 10 days. A child was first tabbab, then apprentice(hatif), then diver(gaiys) or finally pulled the divers(seb). A high proportion of slaves took part in diving, as did musicians, who provided the rhythm for work on board. The pearl-collecting season(al gaus) was divided into 3 main periods: Hansiyah, starting in mid-April and lasting 40 days, in a sea that was still cold, which meant fishing in shallow waters; Gaus al kebir, from the end of May to the first ten days of September, a period of intense activity, from sunrise to sunset with 3-minute intervals between each dive and ascent, 2 hours being devoted to opening the oysters(iflqunn); Raddah, from the last days of September to the first two weeks of October.
A way of life inhabited by tradition
The present-day indigenous population (approx. 200,000) is descended from nomadic Bedouin pastoralists, who were also pearl-fishermen, and their slaves. These peoples were divided into clans and tribes, themselves subdivided into numerous sub-branches. For many centuries, the tribe or clan was the main building block of society. This is still the case today. Hereditary power is therefore inseparable from the social and political fabric of the emirate and the state as a whole, to the extent that the ruling family and the government are virtually indistinguishable. Qataris naturally own their land, with the State organizing the distribution of plots. In everyday life, Qatari dress is traditional: the gentleman wears an immaculate, always-ironed thobe, sometimes with a braided Tarbosha tie. On his head, a small crocheted Tagiyah bonnet positions the white Ghutra veil, surrounded by the black Aagal wool cord. On her feet are the Na'aal, open sandals with thick soles. For special occasions, and if his social status permits, he dons the black, beige or grey Besht sur-tunic, with its gold-embroidered neckline.
An extreme diversity of populations
Qatar's population has always been Arab, primarily due to the country's geographical location (an integral part of the Arabian Peninsula) but also to the origins of its original inhabitants. The majority of them belonged to tribes from the neighboring regions of Saudi Arabia (Nadj and Al Hasa) or the Sultanate of Oman. Waves of immigration followed one another in the 17th and 18th centuries, and did not cease until the early 19th century. Descendants of slaves are now an integral part of the population. Today, Qatar has a population of almost 2.8 million, growing at a rate of almost 5% per year, the highest in the world. The population is predominantly male (75%) and concentrated mainly in cities, particularly the capital, Doha (around 85%). Qatar is a fast-growing country, with an ever-increasing demand for foreign workers, firstly from the Indian subcontinent and East Asia, then from the Arab world (Egyptians, Syrians and North Africans), and finally - and less and less - from Western countries. Along with Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Qatar is undoubtedly one of the world's most multicultural and cosmopolitan territories! The dazzling development of its major metropolises is accompanied by a growing need for manpower, while at the same time attracting a large number of capital and investors, seduced by the potential of gas. Overall, two-thirds of immigrant workers come from the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Bangladesh...) and nearby countries (Arabian Peninsula, Maghreb, Iran, Lebanon, Afghanistan...). The remainder, executives, are Western expatriates, mostly Anglo-Saxon. The latter, just behind the Qataris, represent the most privileged strata of the population, with high salaries, granted by large companies in their home countries or Qatari companies.
Do you speak globish ?
Arabic is the official language and the language of law, since all administrative and legal documents are written in Arabic. English, however, is spoken and understood almost everywhere in the city. It is the language of business, shopping and tourism. Road signs are written in both Arabic and English, as are a multitude of other signs, brochures and documents. Globish English with all the accents of the Commonwealth, the French who do what they can, and the Americans. As many foreigners come from Asia and the Indian subcontinent, Hindi, Baluchi and Urdu are also commonly spoken. Arabic is a Semitic language written and read from right to left. The alphabet comprises 29 letters. Depending on their place in the word, these letters can take on more or less different forms. Vocables are built up from a root composed exclusively of consonants, onto which are grafted a set of vowels bringing meaning to the root. It's important to distinguish between classical or literal Arabic and dialectal Arabic. The first is written Arabic: the language of the poets of 6th-century Central Arabia and of the Koran (the reference for the Arabic language, the source of its codification and dissemination). Every literate Arab understands it. Dialectal Arabic is spoken Arabic and differs from region to region and country to country. Here, we speak Khaleeji.
