In Qatar? Note these important numbers

Ministries

Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs +974 4470777

Ministry of Economy and Commerce +974 4945555

Ministry of Education +974 4941111

Ministry of Foreign Affairs +974 4334334

Ministry of Interior +974 4849525/+974 4849510

Ministry of Defence +974 4614111

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture +974 4336254/+974 4413331

Ministry of Energy and Industry +974 4846444

Ministry of Justice +974 4842222

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs +974 4841444

Ministry of Finance +974 4461444

Institutions

Academy for Sports Excellence (Aspire) 4136000

Kahramaa 4845555/4845464

Qatar General Post Office 4464336

Qatar Foundation for Child and Women Protection 4679444

Qatar University 4852222

Qatar Red Crescent Society 4435111

Institute of Administrative Development 4406666

Family Consultation center 4892888

Qatar Post Authority 4464000

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science & Community Development 4927000

Media Institutions

Raya 446655

Al Watan 4660400

Al Saharq 4557777

Qatar Radio & TV Corporation 4859555

Al Jazeera Channel 4896666

Healthcare Centres

Hamad General Hospital

Operator of H.G.H 4394444

Administration of H.G.H. 4391001

Patients Relations 4391427

Public Relations Section 4392012

Admitting 4392049 - 4392441

Intensive Care Unit 4392108

Hamad International Medical Training Center 4883643

E.M.S. Department 4392050

Women’s Hospital

Operator Women Hospital 4396666

Administration, Women Hospital 4393939

Delivery Room 4393518

Admitting 4393117

Intensive Care Unit 4393395

I.V.F. 4393020

Emergency Unit 4393344

Health Sciences Library 4393838

Rumaillah Hospital

Operator of Rumaillah Hospital 4393333

Administration of Rumaillah Hospital 4397000

Public Relations Section 4393358

Admitting Geriatrics 4393665

Children's Rehabilitation Unit Intensive Care Unit 4393348

TB Clinic 4393270

Psychiatry Unit 4384542 - 4384502

Plastic Surgery 4393172 - 4393647

Stroke Unit 4393196

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 4397009

E.N.T. Unit 4393349

Prosthetics & Orthotics 4393587

Dental Section 4393082

Dermatology Section 4397026

Burns Unit 4393174

Cancer Center 4392723

Special Education Section 4397061

Speech Therapy Unit 4393107

Primary Health Centres

Al Montaza Center 4435784

Madinat Khaleefa Health Center 4862655

Al Rayyan Health Center 4803461

Airport Health Center 4675633

West Bay Health Center 4837790

Al Shammal Health Center 4731232

Al Khor Health Center 4720224

Al Wakrah Health Center 4644453

Oman Ibn Al Khatab Health Center 4667374

Abu Bakir Health Center 4681797

Al Shahanya Health Center 4718995

Um Ghwalina Health Center 4433892

Airline companies

Qatar Airways 4496666

Gulf Air 4455444/4455205

Air Arabia 4322111

Aero Asia Airlines 4430888

Saudi Arabian Airlines 4440121

Kuwait Airways 4435340

Emirates 4384477

Oman Air 4440456

Etihad Airways 4366657

Royal Jordanian Airlines 4351422

Tunis Air 4458306

Moroccan Airways 4458306

Yemenia Airlines 4458387

Syrian Arab Airlines 4412911

Egypt Air 4458325

Cathay Pacific 4458318

Lufthansa 4310633

Alitalia 4321427

British Airways 4321434

Turkish Airlines 4433028

Aeroflot 4458306

Air France 4321208

Austrian Airlines 4441161

KLM 4440320/4445101

American Airlines 4436600

Czech Airlines 4458306

Romania Airlines 4458306

Air India 4426889

Indian Airlines 4356040

Biman Air Bangladesh 4413054

Iran Air 4415318

Iran Aseman Airlines 4364799/4439333

Pak 4418022

Shaheen Air 4444440

Air China 4441161

Srilankan Airlines 4446345

Thai Air 4418666

Sudan Airways 4441159/4441161

Banks and Currency Exchange

Qatar Central Bank 4456456

Qatar National Bank 4407777

Bank of Qatar 4253555/4232222

Commercial Bank of Qatar 4490000

Doha Bank 4456000

Qatar Islamic International Bank 4385888

Qatar Islamic Bank 4448444

Qatar International Bank 4473700/4473888

Al-Rayan Bank 4253333

Qatar Development Bank 4421600

Arab Bank 4387777/4387878

Mashreq Bank 4413213

Alkhaliji Bank 4996000

HSBC 4382138/4382100

Banque Paribas 4424786/4378378

Standard Chartered 4414252

Bank Saderat Iran 4414646

United Bank Limited 4254400

Al-Fardan Exchange and Finance 4408408

Habib Qatar International Exchange 4328853

Theatres and Cinemas

Al Khaleej Cinema 4671811

Doha Cinema 4671811

City Centre Cinema 4934934

The Mall Cinema 4678666

Landmark Cinema 4881675

Amir Cinema 4424913

Palace Cinema (Royal Plaza) 4130000

Qatar National Theater 4831246

Companies

QTEL +974 4400400

Qatar National Hotel Company 4857777

Doha Securities Market 4333666

Qatar Chamber Of Commerce & Industry +974 4559111

Qatar Central Bank +974 4456456

Postal Services

DHL Qatar 4587888

Fedex 4434409

Aramex 4506611

UPS 4650606

Limousine Services

Doha limousine 4839999

Al Watan Limousine 4477999

Mustafawi Limousine 4671007

Qatar Limousine 4868688

Elite Limousine (Stretch) 4426184

Car Rental

Avis 4667744

Budget 4622678

Hertz 4677329

Europcar 4660677

Other useful telephone numbers

Police, Fire and Ambulance 999

Telephone Directory 180

International Calls Inquiry 150

Telephone Services 111

Doha Airport Air Traffic & Flights Inquiry 4629999-4656666

Qatar Metrological Department 4656590

Hamad General Hospital 4394444

Medical Commission 4679111

Customs & Ports Authority 4457457

Doha Airport Customs 4621104

Doha Port Customs 4457246

Border Points, Passports & Aliens Affairs Department 4890333

Doha Airport Passports & Security 4622105

Doha Airport (Instant Visas) 4622105

Doha Airport (Prearranged Visas) 4621751

Doha Port Passports 4457457

Traffic & Patrol Police Department 4890666

Public Relations At The Ministry Of Interior 4849444

Electricity Emergency 991

Qatar Emergency 4325959

Qatar Post Authority 4464000

Doha Securities Market 4333666

Qatar Chamber Of Commerce & Industry 4621131

Department Of Publications 4427373

Qatar Public Library 4389888

Qatar Photographic Society 4410209

Visual Arts Centre 4676251

Qatar National Museum 4442191

Qatar University 4852222

Youth General Authority 4316372

Qatar Red Crescent Society 4435111

Al Khor Fly-in

It was already 11.50 am when Vij told me about the Fly-in at Al Khor. He wanted to visit the event not just to see the flights, but also to have a first-hand experience, sitting in those small flights. Then, we just thought of having lunch outside and left home, wondering if we would be able to see the event properly, as it was too windy.

Fly-in at Al Khor

We reached the Al Khor airport by 1 pm and as expected it was so dusty and windy. We could see people and small children covering their faces and trying to avoid dust from falling in their eyes. Though I could cover myself with the shawl, by the time we left the place, our dress, body and cameras were smeared with a fine layer of dust, not to mention the fine layer on the body of our car…

Small models for sale

This had a note saying don't sit inside ;)

There were a diverse range of light aircraft from Qatar and the Gulf region at Al-Khor Airport and we saw several aircraft enthusiasts from all over the region gathering around the flights and clicking pics. The crowd seemed to be excited, which was obvious through their cheer and smile.

Red beauties ;)

The Fly-in, fifth in the series, was organised jointly by Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), Qatar Aeronautical College (QAC), light aircraft owners from Qatar and the region (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE), the remote flying section at the Science Club, Al-Khor Airport, the ultra-light amateurs, and regional flight clubs.

Looking what's inside...

The objective of the event was to educate Qatari youth about the concepts and practicalities of aviation, offering them an opportunity to plan their future and choose the adequate specialisation to make a career in the discipline, should they feel the urge to ‘reach for the sky’. It was also a great opportunity for those with a passion for aviation to immerse themselves in a fantastic and original experience by taking a closer look at a diverse range of aircraft - from jets, to propeller aircraft, to micro-copters and many others.

I loved that kid's glass and bunny cap :)

The event started on Friday at 8 am and the Fly-in began at 9 am and luckily we went on the second day and there was not that much of crowd. The display of remote-controlled aircraft, set to traditional, local music was an added attracted at the site. Had we visited on Friday, we could have witnessed a police squadron providing an air show accompanied by a ‘search and rescue’ scenario, followed by a flying show and then a remote-control display, accompanied by a commentary.

The potential of the Fly-in was evident by the number and stature of Qatari companies that had sponsored the event. We could see several private and government companies like Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Steel, Qafco, Ras Gas, Al-Khor Space City, Barwa Real Estate, Qatar Foundation and its partner the US Museum of Flights, and HBK Holding sponsoring the event, and their banners fluttered in the air.

Though, we went on time, we couldn’t take the flight as it was too windy! The offer by some of the small planes to take people around the airfield at a fee of QR150 per passenger seemed quite exciting and was a great draw at the event. Visitors had to register for the ride to be called in when their turn comes. There were conditions to take a ride too. The passenger had to be at least 16, fit for flying and wear protective gear.

The planes used were mostly gyrocopters, autogyros and micro light flown by professional pilots and the trip usually lasted around 15 minutes. The demand for the trip was very high and only a few had a chance Friday.

The event featured more than 30 planes, of small and light types, alongside one helicopter and a small passenger plane. Professional pilots were available next to their parked planes to answer the visitors’ queries.

After clicking some good number of pics we left the place and went to Al Khor town. We had not had any lunch and headed towards KFC for a quick bite and alas, it was sooo bland, sooo bland that we regretted going there!

Purple Island in Qatar

We were thinking of going to Purple Island aka Al Khor Island or popularly known as Jazirat Al-Ghanim for a while. But last Thursday when Umer took us on a long drive to Al Khor, we also went to see the island. And unfortunately, it was too dark and decided to get back there on some other day. The very next day we thought of going there, but it started raining and still we made an unsuccessful attempt of going there. But luckily, this Friday, weather was on our side and we headed towards the island again.

Towards Al Khor

Accident at Al Khor

Towards Purple Island

Towards Purple Island

We started around 12 noon and thought of having lunch in Al Khor. So I just packed some snacks and warm water and left home. After 30 minutes’ drive from Bin Omran, we reached Al Khor. Just before taking a right turn to the Purple Island saw an accident and cops enquiring both the parties.

Right turn after 5 km

Entrance of the Island

We reached Al Khor around 12.30 noon. From there we followed the signs to Al Thakhira. Then, we passed the second last roundabout that branched left to Ras Laffan, and went through the road to Al Thakhira. Then, we passed the first right turn where a signboard said Al Khor Hospital. We continue towards Al Thakhira and at the last roundabout, there was a road towards Al Khor Community. We just continued towards Al Thakhira and then took a right turn and went about 5 km following the asphalted road. Later, there was an intersection to the left and just after that we went further for another 70-80m and took a right turn which was leading to the island. We followed the firm and obvious track to the mangrove area. As we approached the island causeway, we could see a big building on to our left side. It was nearly two km from the asphalted road. After a bumpy ride for 10 minutes, we reached the Island. And no 4WD vehicle is required to reach the island as the road is firm sand, probably because heavy vehicles commute to and from the nearby sand processing plant. 

Purple Island

Breach in the causeway

Mangroves in the island

Purple Island

Breach in the Purple Island

We had to park the car at the edge of the causeway, as the vehicle cannot enter the island. Surprisingly, there were several tyre marks on the causeway till the first breach. Maybe people thought of entering the island on their vehicles and had to stop near the breach. 

Stepping stones

Tyre marks...

We saw two families enjoying their lunch at the entrance of the island. So totally, it was about 53 km from Bin Omran. The Island is in the shape of a fish and is linked to the mainland by a causeway. The walkway has been breached at two places, allowing the tidal access to the green salt-encrusted mangrove forest which encircles the walkway and the island. 

Tyre marks...

Though the island is very small, measuring only 600mx400 m, it has uncommon and interesting vegetation. The mangrove forest is not only home to fish, crabs and shellfish, but also to a wide range of birds. As we were walking, we could hear the chirping sound of several birds. Since it is winter, we could see some migratory birds. We came across some Kingfishers and some other purple and pink coloured winged beauties. Their strange, haunting calls echoed over the island creating a kind of aura in the otherwise silent island.   

Aerial roots

It was fun to slowly jump on stepping stones which were green and slippery. It was also amusing to see aerial roots of mangroves in the salt marsh. Not just that, we found so many shells scattered in the middle of island where low and high tide seawater could never reach! We saw some tiny fish playing in the sunlight and unfortunately, we didn’t come across any playful crabs, even though we expected some. 

The island is not a flat one and has several low limestone cliffs throughout. Qatar Archeology Project in 2000 confirms an intermittent human settlement on the island during the last 4,000 years. It bears the remains from a scatter of flints left by Neolithic hunter-gatherers down to the late Islamic pottery of fishing and pearling camps, and the concrete shack and abandoned vegetable garden left by a colony of Indian fishermen who inhabited the island until the late 1990s, when a series of exceptionally hot summers decimated the marine life of the area.

The Purple colour

Francis Gillespie, local author and coordinator of the Qatar Archeology Project, says that the archaeologists also found that 3,400 years ago, an industry was established on the island to supply one of the most valuable of ancient commodities - one more precious than gold. The rich, purple-red dye produced from a species of sea snail, used only for the robes of kings and the elite few whom they chose to honour. Red, the colour of blood, of fire, of the sun and therefore of life itself, was seen in many ancient societies as a symbol of power and strength. 

Producing the dyes

The dyes produced from sea snails ranged from a deep bluish-purple to the most brilliant scarlet, depending on the species used and the method of preparation. The earliest manufacturers of shellfish dyes were almost certainly the Phoenicians, a Mediterranean people originating in Lebanon. They are sometimes referred to as Canaanites, but the Greeks called them phoinikes - the red people - because of the red cloth they exported.

From the 9th to the 6th centuries BC they dominated trade in the Mediterranean, establishing colonies in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain and N Africa. One of the great Phoenician cities in Lebanon, Tyre, was the home of the dye industry, which began around 1600 BC. But dye was produced all over the Phoenician empire. At Tarentum in Italy there is a small hill composed entirely of the remains of murex shells. 

The most commonly used sea snails were Murex trunculus, which yields a bluish-purple colour, and Murex brandaris which gives a red-purple. The dye is released when the hyperbranchial gland in the animal is crushed and reacts with a naturally present enzyme. 

In the case of Murex trunculus the presence of light is also necessary for the colour to develop, but not in the case of Murex brandaris. Many other species of sea snails yield the dye, among them Murex tribulus, still widely eaten in Spain today, as well as Thais purpura haemastoma and, on the little island off the coast of Qatar, Thais savignyi.

Pliny’s account

The Roman writer Pliny, writing in 70 AD, has left us a detailed description of the dye-extraction process.

The shellfish were harvested in the winter months. Murex are carnivores, living at depths of 5 to 15 metres and feeding on other shellfish by boring holes in their shells. According to Pliny, the shell-fishers used to lower baskets of shellfish bait, wait for murex to gather on them, and then quickly draw them up. The murex were then kept alive in tanks until a sufficient quantity had been gathered and dye production could begin. Ancient writers state that the dyers' hands were permanently stained red, and that the stench from centres of the trade, such as Tyre, was formidable! 

He says that the smaller shellfish (Murex trunculus) were crushed, shell and all, whereas the larger ones (Murex brandaris) were pierced and the hyperbranchial gland extracted. The crushed mass was macerated in heavily salted water for three days. This may have been to suppress the bacterial content of the vats, as the bacteria produced by rotten fish (Clostridium carnis ) are highly dangerous. The rotting shellfish were then rinsed thoroughly and boiled for ten days until reduced to a sixteenth of the original amount. Testing by dipping wool then began and boiling continued until the dye had reached the desired degree of brilliance.

The Kassite period

In Babylonia, a region in what is now Iraq, a mountain people called the Kassites invaded and took control of the country soon after 1595 BC, and the next three centuries saw a period of great economic prosperity in the region. Production of purple dye on Jazirat bin Ghanim (Al Khor island) in Qatar occurred as part of the take-over of the Dilmun trading civilisation by the Kassites between 1425 and 1225 BC.

Excavations

In the early 1980s an American archaeologist, Christopher Edens, working with the “Mission Francaise Archeologique à Qatar”, excavated a site on the island. The remains of pottery enabled it to be dated to around 1400 BC. It consisted of about five rectangular structures, several hearths and stone kists.

One pit contained the remains of around 38,000 shellfish, a species called Thais savignyi. There was also a shell midden measuring 10 by 15 metres. The top layer consisted of food remains -- shells and fish bones and debris from hearths -- but as the archaeologists dug down they came upon a deep, solid layer of shells of Thais savignyi.

The archaeologists calculated, to their astonishment, that the mound they had excavated contained the remains of almost 3 million shellfish! There were other mounds that appeared to contain similar quantities. Thais savignyi, which lives under rocks in the intertidal zone, produces a bright red dye. It requires light plus an enzyme to release the dye from the hyperbranchial gland. 

The archaeologists conducted experiments collecting the shellfish. They concluded that collecting 3 million snails would have taken 42,000 man-hours of labour: 20 people working one month a year for 7 years. There was only one possible conclusion: the site had been used for dye production.

It was unique - the first site of its kind in the entire Arabian Gulf and the only one found outside the Mediterranean. The pottery found on the site, which included the remains of huge, thick-walled vats, was clearly Kassite. Evidently the dye was being produced for use in Babylonia. Whether the workers in the little dye factory were local tribesmen, or slaves of the Kassites, or even Kassites themselves is not known. No contemporary graves have been found. 

Another site on the island is several hundred years earlier, dating to the first centuries of the second millennium BC. The presence of fragments of a distinctive red, ridged pottery known as Barbar ware identified it as belonging to the Dilmun period: the peaceful Bronze Age trading civilisation which was based in Bahrain but extended from Failaka Island off Kuwait as far south as the UAE.

Temporary settlement

Permanent settlement on the island never took place, owing to the absence of a convenient source of fresh water. The Barbar site was excavated by the French mission in the early 1980s and further investigated by a joint British-Qatari team of archaeologists in 2000. There were the remains of a number of rectangular stone-lined fire pits, and hearths. It appears to have been a temporary settlement, and is typical of a chain of small coastal sites, all featuring Barbar pottery, which run between Bahrain and the Emirates. 

Such sites, many of which are on small islands, may represent minor staging posts between Bahrain and the great trading centre at Tel Abraq in the UAE. They may have been regular stopping places, or perhaps they were visited only occasionally for mangrove wood or as shelter in poor weather. The one on the island in Qatar might even have been a fishing or pearl fishing camp. 

On the other side of the island the team in 2000 excavated a large circular dwelling hut with a sunken floor and what appeared to be stone windbreaks extending from it, perhaps erected to shelter the cooking area. Pottery from within the hut dates it to the Kassite period, but there is ample evidence of occupation in that area of the island during the Sasanian period in the early centuries AD, the final pre-Islamic period. Long after the hut had fallen into disuse, but before the coming of Islam, it was used to contain a human burial, of which a few skeletal fragments were found.

After an hour or so, we left the island. It was refreshing indeed. Maybe whenever we feel like seeing some water and listening to birds singing, we will head towards Purple Island. Oh, yes, to see some exotic flowers too! 

Private beaches in Al Khor

Old mosque in Al Khor

Boats in Al Khor

From there, we just made a trip to the beach and saw several private tents and Qataris with their families enjoying their weekend.