Mark
27-01-06, 14:26
Son of Qatari-Arab couple becomes mum’s driver to stay in country
Web posted at: 1/26/2006 3:2:26
Source ::: The Peninsula
Doha: Thanks to Qatari laws, the son of a Qatari woman whose husband is an Arab expatriate, had to officially become her driver to stay in the country, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday.
The youth was born in Qatar and staying on his father's sponsorship until he attained the age of 18 about a year ago. As per rules applicable in Qatar, he was required to change his sponsorship from father's to employment once he turned 18.
Having failed to get a job, he thought of ways to get his residence permit renewed and was advised to get "employment" with her mother since she was a Qatari national. So, he officially became her driver and his residence permit was renewed.
The man later thought of other ways to assimilate himself in the social mainstream locally to circumvent the problem of residence permit renewal for ever and tried to marry a Qatari. But he was rejected since he was a "second citizen".
He finally got married into an Arab expatriate family and managed to get a job for QR3,500 as monthly salary. The man told the daily he had a small son and was scared to apply for his residence permit renewal since it might be rejected.
He said he hardly visited his maternal relatives since they looked down upon him as the 'son of an Arab expatriate' ."I am a stranger to my own cousins".
They are well-to-do since they save more because they do not have to spend on residence permit renewal, school fees and water and electricity charges, the man said of his mother's relatives.
"Unlike them, we have to fend for ourselves and pay for everything beginning from visa renewal and tuition fees to water and power charges."
The daily quoted the man as saying that he was not the only one who being the offspring of a Qatari woman, had to undergo so much of humiliation and hardship.
"There are a number of children of Qatari mothers and Arab expatriate fathers like me who are suffering."
He said that his mother was not a working woman or she would have managed to get pension after retirement and that would have at least taken care of her and his father when they grew older. "I urge the authorities concerned to consider our plight on humanitarian grounds," said the man.
Web posted at: 1/26/2006 3:2:26
Source ::: The Peninsula
Doha: Thanks to Qatari laws, the son of a Qatari woman whose husband is an Arab expatriate, had to officially become her driver to stay in the country, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday.
The youth was born in Qatar and staying on his father's sponsorship until he attained the age of 18 about a year ago. As per rules applicable in Qatar, he was required to change his sponsorship from father's to employment once he turned 18.
Having failed to get a job, he thought of ways to get his residence permit renewed and was advised to get "employment" with her mother since she was a Qatari national. So, he officially became her driver and his residence permit was renewed.
The man later thought of other ways to assimilate himself in the social mainstream locally to circumvent the problem of residence permit renewal for ever and tried to marry a Qatari. But he was rejected since he was a "second citizen".
He finally got married into an Arab expatriate family and managed to get a job for QR3,500 as monthly salary. The man told the daily he had a small son and was scared to apply for his residence permit renewal since it might be rejected.
He said he hardly visited his maternal relatives since they looked down upon him as the 'son of an Arab expatriate' ."I am a stranger to my own cousins".
They are well-to-do since they save more because they do not have to spend on residence permit renewal, school fees and water and electricity charges, the man said of his mother's relatives.
"Unlike them, we have to fend for ourselves and pay for everything beginning from visa renewal and tuition fees to water and power charges."
The daily quoted the man as saying that he was not the only one who being the offspring of a Qatari woman, had to undergo so much of humiliation and hardship.
"There are a number of children of Qatari mothers and Arab expatriate fathers like me who are suffering."
He said that his mother was not a working woman or she would have managed to get pension after retirement and that would have at least taken care of her and his father when they grew older. "I urge the authorities concerned to consider our plight on humanitarian grounds," said the man.