Qatar is a very popular destination among Filipinos, as of 2017 the number of Filipinos in Qatar stood at 260,000,Filipinos are estimated to be the fourth-largest group of foreign workers in the Gulf state, after Indians, Nepalis and Bangladeshis, the number continues to increase as Qatari economy continues to put up an impressive performance, which in turns attracts more foreign workers.
Filipinos in Qatar are known for their work ethics and the cooperation between Qatar and Philippines is expected to touch new heights as the President of Philippines is scheduled to arrive in Qatar for a visit later this week.
Qatar is a pretty safe country for Filipino workers, but it does not tolerate any violation of rules or things that are deemed insensitive and demeaning to its culture, heritage, religion etc. Qatar is not as liberal as say Dubai but it isn’t as conservative as Saudi either, it is trying to maintain and follow a middle ground and expects foreigners to respect that. Today we bring you a list of things that Filipino expats, whether they are first time visitors or long-time residents,must avoid doing at all costs to lest they land in trouble:
• Drunk Driving:
There is a zero-tolerance policy on drunk driving in Qatar, which means that the legal limit is 0.0 mg. Drivers who are found to have any alcohol in their system when breathalysed are heavily fined between QR 10,000 and QR 50,000, and there is a high chance of a jail sentence of a minimum of one month and maximum of three years followed by deportation from the country. Really not worth it.
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