Being the world’s richest and fastest developing country in the world, Qatar has recently become the land of opportunity for people from all parts of the world. Since Qatar has been awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will require major construction of hotels, stadiums and other infrastructure, the country has been, and will be, drawing in more foreign workers.

Population growth

Instead of growing at 2%, the population saw a 7.6% increase from 1.7 million at the end of 2011 to 1.84 million at the end of 2012. In mid-2013, Qatar’s population passed 1.9 million, a number which wasn’t expected to be reached even by 2016, according to National Development Strategy. At least 75% of Qatar’s residents are foreigners or expatriates. In 2010, Euromonitor estimated Qatar’s population would soar to 2.4 million by 2030, an increase of 33% from 2010.

Traffic statistics

Qatar’s road network is expanding at the same rapid pace as the rest of the country’s infrastructure. However, there is a high per-capita fatal accident record compared to most other developed and developing nations.

Besides the influx of people seen at the Arrivals terminal, the increase of Qatar’s population is mostly evident on the road, as traffic has increased immensely. According to the Ministry of Interior the number of cars on Doha roads has reached about 876,000 per weekday.

Driving in Qatar has become a challenge. About five years ago, it would take a maximum of 20 minutes to get anywhere within Doha city. However, things have changed – it can now take double that time or more to move from one place to another within Qatar’s capital city. As a result, Qatar is considering imposing restrictions on foreigners obtaining a driver’s license as a solution to the increasing traffic congestion. Qatar follows its fellow Gulf country, Kuwait, which has also imposed restrictions on foreigners seeking a driver’s license; those interested in one must have a university degree and earn a minimum monthly salary of KD400 (US$1,400).

Statistics indicate that the number of traffic accidents in Qatar during 2011 was more than 5,000, a 13% rise compared with 2010. Eighty-four percent of the total casualties were males.In addition, statistics show that drivers make up 50% of the casualties; the other 50% is made up of passengers and pedestrians. Fifty-eight percent of the casualties were of the 18 to 40 year old age group. Although Qatar is generally one of the safest countries in the world, it becomes one of the most dangerous countries when you’re on the road – whether as a driver, passenger or pedestrian.

New rules and regulations

Since June 2013, a committee at the Traffic Department, which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior, has been established to find solutions for the worsening traffic issues. As a result, they have proposed limiting the number of expat workers who can apply for a driver’s license, based on their profession. Authorities have already banned expats on temporary project visas from driving. Furthermore, the committee suggested decentralising commercial activities from Doha, staggering working hours among government employees and building multi-storey parking lots. In addition, there is a plan to ban the driving of old cars on Qatar’s roads.

Driving schools in Qatar have started implementing the proposed solution, which suggests limiting the number of expat workers who can apply for a driver’s license, based on their profession. According to an official list released to us by the Gulf Driving School, those who are eligible for a driving license include sales representatives, accountants, administrators, representatives, sales supervisors, receptionists, clearance agents, fitness trainers, doctors, engineers, pilots, architects and lawyers. However, clerks, stewards, cashiers, salesmen, foremen, tailors, blacksmiths, masons, cooks, carpenters, plumbers, painters, electricians, mechanics, computer technicians, waiters, barbers, beauty salon workers, store keepers, photographers and secretaries will not be issued driving licenses. There are over a 100 job occupations, which if a person in Qatar obtains, cannot be eligible for a driving license. Click here to see the full list.

People who are brought into the country as drivers, whether sponsored by companies or individuals, should not find difficulty in getting driving licenses. According to news sources, students who failed the road test four times will no longer be given a fifth chance to take the driving test.

Placing limits on who gets the driving license based on their profession is not a permanent rule for The Traffic Department. The department will study the impact of the new rule in the coming months and decide whether it should be permanent or if they need to resort to another solution. However, there is still ambiguity in the plan. As stated, the list is unofficial. It’s best to check with the Ministry of Interior’s Traffic Department or a driving school to ensure if one is eligible for a driving license or not.

According to the Gulf Driving School, if you have a passport from GCC, UK, Ireland/Eire, Canada, South Korea, Australia, France, Denmark, Holland, Poland, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Greece, Sweden, New Zealand, Hungary, Norway, Bulgaria, Germany, Japan, Austria, Cyprus, Turkey, Switzerland, Singapore, Finland, Romania, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Ukraine, Lithuania or Croatia, you can obtain a Qatari licence without taking a driving test. However, everybody does need to take an eye test. This can be done, like a all the other paper work, at one of the many driving schools in the country. It is no longer necessary to go to a police station as the police now have offices in all the driving schools.

To learn more about how to obtain a driving license in Qatar, see ‘Obtaining a Qatari driver’s license’ in the Motoring section in Marhaba Information Guide.

one-secondNew national brand for road safety

Besides placing limits on driving licenses, in an effort to increase road safety awareness, the Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with Maersk Oil Qatar, launched a new national brand ‘One Second’ for road safety in May 2013. Maersk Oil Qatar has initiated the One Second brand in association with VCUQatar, who are behind the design of the brand’s logo and artwork.

The One Second brand is the national platform for local campaigns that revolves around road safety. The number of deaths and injuries caused by car accidents in Qatar are shockingly high; the One Second campaign is a movement that can save your life and others by making smarter decisions. The new national ‘One Second’ brand will be the umbrella under which all subsequent campaigns for road safety will unite, and its purpose will be to serve the road safety strategy in the next phase.

The initiative is visible everywhere as it has been launched across media channels throughout the country in national newspapers, local radio stations, cinema theatres, TV channels and social media sites.

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This article has been extracted from the ‘Motoring’ section in Marhaba Information Guide Issue No 58 (M58) Winter 2013/14, pages 398 to 399. Pick M58 from the nearest hypermarket or bookstore next you for only QR20.

Author: Lubuna Jeffin