Qatar will see the commercial roll out of the ultra-fast 4G network over the next few months with the two service providers – Qtel and Vodafone reaching a crucial phase of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) programme that will deliver the fourth generation network in the country.

Qtel is in the “final testing stage” of the 4G LTE mobile broadband network and is expecting to begin commercial launch in Doha in the coming months.

Vodafone, on the other hand, would launch a trial of LTE “in the very near future”.

LTE is a wireless broadband technology that supports roaming Internet access via mobile phones and devices and which seamlessly interworks with 2G and 3G networks as reported by qatarchronicle.

It's been a good day ..
Enjoy :]

Credit: Photos by Omar Chatriwala, Lance Cenar, Osarieme Eweka, Gazanfarulla Khan and Adam Saeed.

The Human Cannon Ball /-a-t-/ Souk Waqif

Shot from a cannon, shot with a "Canon"

Daily shows at 4:30PM & 6:30PM

Qatar is to establish an astronomy and space centre soon to provide local enthusiasts a platform to explore the celestial bodies, a senior Qatar Foundation official said yesterday.Dr Khalid al-Subai, the director of Research Co-ordination and Compliance in the Research and Development Division of Qatar Foundation , said the centre would initiate various academic and research activities in astronomy in the country.
"We have already initiated the proposal for setting up an astronomy and space centre and the details will be announced later," said al-Subai, who is also the co-chair of the conference as reported by Qatar Chronicle.

"When the centre is established, other facilities such as a planetarium and observatory facilities will be made available along with it."

Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church has decided to resign from his post, the Italian ANSA news agency has reported.

Benedict, the 265th Pope, began his papacy on April 19, 2005.

He will resign on February 28, a spokesperson for the Vatican said on Monday.

I am not sure about the reasons yet.

Joint Gulf force the Peninsula Shield began a 17-day exercise in Kuwait on Sunday as reported by Qatar Chronicle.

The drills are aimed at "activating the concept of joint defence... and implementing the unified defence strategy of the Gulf Cooperation Council states," Brigadier Abdulaziz al-Rayes, was cited as saying by the kuwaiti news agency KUNA as saying.

The Peninsula Shield force was formed by the six GCC member states -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- in 1982 as a 5,000-strong force but has since expanded to more than 30,000 troops.

Qatar - National Sports Day 2013

Lots of activities have been organized for the upcoming National Sports Day, and will be held at over two dozen venues across Qatar on 12 February 2013.

Most of the activities are organized by various companies for their own staff. There are some activities which are free, although some activities will require pre-registration.

Katara Cultural Village: Outdoor basketball, table tennis, aerobics classes and cycling (bikes provided on a first-come, first-serve basis) are among the many activities on offer here, starting from 10am and running until 5pm. There will also be movie screenings in the evening.

Spring Fest /-a-t-/ Souq Waqif

Acclaimed filmmakers Abir Bouguerra and Nissryne Dib are making a short documentary film that will take the viewer backstage at the Fluffy Tour that was held in Doha on February 2, 2013.

Hope you like these :-)

Have you been to the Souq Waqif Spring Festival? It started yesterday and will continue daily until February 21.

They have all sorts of cool fun and entertainment for the whole family, including an awesome Dolphin & Penguin Show!!

For those who like excitement, go check out Qatar's Highest Bungee Jump.

Other shows and events include

- Human Canon Ball
- Thrilling Air Drive
- Smurf's Kids Village

There are also daily concerts and folk band performances. One of the highlights will be a world-class Magic Show.

Take all your family and friends to enjoy the lovely Spring Festival from February 7th to 21st.

Doha – Texas A&M University at Qatar s admissions process for the Fall 2013 semester will remain open through 1 March 2013. All prospective students and applicants interested in applying or finding out more about the University s engineering-focused programs may visit the Texas A&M at Qatar Engineering Building at the Education City campus and meet with the Office of Admissions to discuss application requirements and gain insight and assistance in the admissions process every Sunday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm.

Texas A&M commands an international reputation as one of the world’s premier engineering programs, and Texas A&M at Qatar builds on that esteem. Students at Texas A&M at Qatar receive the same top-tier training as students enrolled at the main campus.

Doha – The fastest powerboats on the planet will take to the waters of Doha Bay on Friday morning as the 2013 Air National Guard Hydroplane Championship roars into life with testing and qualifying for this week s fifth Oryx Cup UIM World Championship as reported by qatarchronicle.

Racing is being organised by the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) in conjunction with H1 Unlimited. The QMSF runs under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani as reported qatarchronicle.

so, I'm a 13 year old and i need a way to make money in Qatar, but don't know how. if I'm living in other countries I'd probably do many things like being a newspaper boy or selling lemonade, but i don't think many of those ideas are very acceptable in Qatar.so if you have any thing that someone in my age group could do, no matter what it is, please tell me. any contribution would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I am fluent in Arabic and English.

Dog walking can be a good exercise. Join us together with 2nd Chance Rescue Center for some good-cause activities such as walking the dogs, helping to fix the dog cages or simply bring the whole family to have fun with the dogs during your family fun day out.

February 23, 2013, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
QR 25/dog
Please note that volunteers are not allowed to bring their own dogs to the shelter. All rescue dogs are vaccinated and safe to interact.

For more information, please contact Nancy at: nancy.lau/-a-t-/ritzcarlton.com