Breaking news: Qataris immune to inflation

25 Aug, 2008  Annoyances

This is a subject that I’m really annoyed about with BOTH The Peninsula and Gulf-Times.

Headers like “Expats feeling the burn due to inflation”, “Soaring inflation hits expats lifestyles”, and “OMG! Expats! Inflations! Oh My!”.

Alright so I made up the last one, but it’s annoying. While it is correct to say that expats are affected by inflation, it implies that Qataris aren’t. Do they think we have some special ‘inflation immunity card’? Perhaps they think that Qataris are so amazingly rich that we don’t need to care.

1) Let’s say Qataris are ALL fantastically rich. Inflation still affects the rich.

2) Let’s be REALISTIC since most Qataris are struggling just as expats are. Qataris are people too!

I mean common now. Many of my friends get less than 15k a month. They don’t even get housing allowance and have to live with their parents. These are graduates and very capable. In fact, expats usually get more allowances compared to Qataris. Qataris don’t get homes, we don’t get a housing allowance,  (we do actually, it’s 1,000 QR, anyone want to find a home for 1,000 QR for me?), and we get a lower base salary.

Point of my little rant? The news needs to stop dividing us as “expats and Qataris”. They’re causing a rift. EVERYONE is affected by inflation.

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Freedom of Expression

    Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which the Qatari Government is a signatory of states: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medias and regardless of any frontiers.

    The Emiri Decision Number 86 of the year 2007 on the establishment of the Doha Free Information Centre marked yet another step towards establishing a State of rights and freedom of speech. The decision stipulated that the Centre be a non-profit organization, headquartered in Doha City, and have the authority to establish other affiliated centres inside and outside Qatar. It is worth mentioning that His Highness the Emir issued a decision in 1998 annulling the ministry of information, giving birth to a new era of freedom of speech where censorship was removed from local media.