Etiquette for tourists

Most of the following guidelines relate specifically to interactions between foreigners and Qatari Nationals. 

Meeting & greeting

First impressions are important. Avoid being too casual in either dress or manner, especially on first meeting a Qatari. The best way to create a positive first impression is to conduct yourself with quiet dignity and confidence.

Arabic coffee

Traditional Arabic coffee is served on many occasions and, if offered, it is gracious to accept. This is because coffee plays a special role as a symbolic expression of welcome. Even the pot itself, with its characteristic shape and long spout, has come to depict Qatari hospitality.

Freshly ground and flavoured with cardamom, Arabic coffee comes in tiny cups with no handles. The cup should be taken with the right hand. The server will stand by with the pot and replenish the cups when empty. It’s normal to take one or two then signal you have had enough by shaking the cup gently from side to side. Until you shake the cup, the servant will continue topping it up!

Dining & hospitality

The full scale of Arab hospitality is best seen over a proper meal. At all levels of society, lavish entertaining is a matter of some pride. Foreigners invited to an Arab’s home can expect to be overwhelmed by generosity. It’s customary to remove shoes on entering a house, though you should follow your host’s lead in this regard. Arabic coffee or other drinks will be served on arrival.

Alcohol & pork

In Qatar, alcohol is only available at specified outlets within hotels or clubs and, on a retail basis for home consumption, to non-Muslim residents holding valid permits. It should be consumed with discretion as penalties for public drunkenness or for driving under the influence can be harsh

Under no circumstances should pork, ham or bacon be offered to Muslims.  

Dress code

The attitude to dress in Qatar is quite relaxed, but visitors (men as well as women) should show respect for local culture and customs in public places by avoiding excessively revealing clothing.

Lightweight summer clothing is suitable most of the year, but some warmer garments may be needed for the winter evenings.

Context is important. Bikinis and beachwear are acceptable by the hotel pool but not in public places in the city.
Business visitors should dress as they would in their home countries.

Public displays of affection

Qatar is a conservative society and visitors, even a married couple, should abide by local norms in relation to intimacy between the sexes.

As a simple rule of thumb, it is advisable to avoid any public displays of affection so as to avoid any possibility that an onlooker might take offence.

Respect for Islam

Be especially sensitive in all matters relating to Islam and its obligations. For example, don’t comment if a Muslim seeks to excuse himself from a meeting around prayer time.

For the duration of the holy month of Ramadan, non-Muslims should avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public or any place where they may be seen by Muslims during daylight hours 

Right & left

There is some significance attached to the use of the right hand in Qatar (and throughout the Gulf). Only the right hand is used for eating at traditional meals and for taking Arabic coffee.

Most Arabs are quite relaxed about use of the left hand at other times. However, it’s more respectful to wave greetings or pass documents and business cards using the right hand where possible. The left, as most people are aware, was traditionally reserved for "unclean" personal hygiene tasks.

When walking side by side with a Qatari, he will often position himself to your left when passing through a doorway. The right side is the place of honour with "right of way" and a Qatari will tend to defer to you, as a guest in his country.
Seating arrangements also reflect this preference for the right. As in many cultures, the honoured guest is seated immediately to his host's right.

Women visitors

Female visitors, whether travelling alone or in a group, experience no special restrictions regarding either dress or activities in day-to-day life in Qatar.

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