Spanish television channel
documents desert wildlife
in Qatar Page 4
Thursday 20 May 2010
Recreation Swimming pools, gym, restaurants and family activities at new community center
The Club House welcomes you
There’s good news for all Qatar
Foundation employees: the Education City Club House has opened its
doors.
With swimming pools, a gym,
restaurants and lots of other fun activities, the Club House promises to
quickly become the center of the QF
community.
Located opposite Lot 4 of the
Education City Community Housing (ECCH) premises, residents of
ECCH Lots 1 and 2 and employees
of QF Headquarters, Centers and
Branch Campuses and their families
can enjoy the services and facilities
on offer.
Open from 6am to 10pm on
weekdays and 11pm on weekends,
the Club House offers a squash and
basketball court, tennis courts, a
mini-football pitch, a fitness room, an
aerobics room, two swimming pools
– including one for kids - and a children’s play area.
There is also a games room, movie
theater, and rooms to rent for special
occasions.
Support Services will manage the
four rooms within the Club House
and offer monthly community events
and activities to the Qatar Foundation community. A nutrition clinic
has also been opened on the premises
to offer advice on health and food.
“The facility is designed to pro-
vide a setting for community activities, nutrition education and sports
that engage all our customer’s areas
of interest, including private events,
banquets, luncheons and meetings,
training workshops, seminars, ex-
Cartoons in print
n Cartoon characters come to life as Al Jazeera Children’s
Channel signs an agreement with Bloomsbury Qatar
Foundation Publishing. Children will soon
be able to follow the adventures of the well
known character TV character Fafa
in a book series.
Turn to page 3 for
more details
hibitions, classes, receptions, and
community events,” said Aisha AlRomaihi, Manager, Clubs & Food
Services, Support Services. “We are
really quite excited.”
Currently there are three places to
eat: the Meseika snack bar, the Labaina restaurant and The Grill poolside
restaurant, all of which are open until
10pm. Home delivery is planned for
those living in ECCH Lots 1 and 2.
The soft opening was on 3 May,
»Did you know that using theater
techniques is the latest trend
in Human Resources training?
One theory suggests you should
sometimes act as if you’re in a
theater play in order to get what
you want.«
Christine Chammas shares her experiences with you
Read all about it on page 4
with an official launch due to take
place in a couple of month’s time
when all the services and facilities
will be available. Services yet to open
include the spa, extended pool hours
and a second squash court.
“Once we get going a monthly
calendar of events will be posted for
community information,” said Al Romaihi.
Look at http://www.qf.org.qa/output/page995.asp for more details.
Continued on page 2
QLA graduation
n With Education City convocation
over, Qatar Leadership Academy
students will officially finish
school on 26 May. Ten students
from Grade 12 will celebrate their
third Cohort Graduation Ceremony
at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha.
Check out page 5 for more information
2
Qatar Foundation Telegraph.
Thursday 20 May 2010
News
Write to us: [email protected]
The new Club House at a glance
n Who has access to the EC Club House?
Translation
Conference
Thurs, 20 May
at CMU-Q
n Organized by Bloomsbury Qatar
Foundation Publishing (BQFP)
and Carnegie Mellon University
in Qatar (CMU-Q), the conference
aims to create a Gulf-based
platform to discuss issues related
to translation. There will be panels
that will discuss philosophies and
strategies of translation in general.
For more information, visit http://
qatar.cmu.edu/771/translation
Civil Society
Capacity
Building
training
program
n A five-day course (23 – 27 May)
to provide new skills and strategies
for current and emerging leaders
in civil society organizations.
Tuition is QR7,000, including
course materials. Certification by
Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies
and Carleton University, Canada.
For more info contact Ezzedin
Ben Abdenenbi on 4546575 or
[email protected].
contact us
communication Directorate
Qatar Foundation Publications Department
[email protected]
Qatar Foundation Translation Unit
[email protected]
Editorial
Publisher
Philip Fenton
Editor
Brigitte Scheffer, [email protected]
+974 343 9744
Deputy Editor
Melissa Sleiman
+974 618 5540
Design
Creative Director
Fred Dittlau
Arabic Designer
Mohammad Marei
Photography
Adrian Haddad
Maher Attar / HHOPL
©Qatar Foundation. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced without the written
permission of Qatar Foundation and the Publisher.
Top designers visit Qatar
questions on what’s going on inside
the EC Club House, please call
reception at 4540834 or come in and
ask any member of staff.
EC Community Housing
Residents living in Lots 1 & 2,
QF Headquarters, QF Branch
Campuses and QF Centers. Joint
ventures are not included, but staff
of joint ventures who live in EC
Community Housing (Lots 1 & 2)
have access. QF Contractors are not
allowed to use the facility.
n What facilities and events does the EC
Club House have for children?
The EC Club House facilities are
open to children of all ages but
children under the age of 16 must
be accompanied by an adult. Please
check the EC Club House Bulletin
Board or ask one of the staff at
the reception for information on
upcoming special events.
n How do I make a reservation for any of
the facilities?
Reservations can be made either by
phone on 4540834 or on a firstcome-first-served basis for those
who walk in. The facility assistant or
receptionist will then help you make
your reservation.
n What food is available?
n How do I book the tennis or squash
Court?
n How do I find out about events and
activities at the EC Club House?
Simply call 4540834 or visit in
person.
The EC Club House will have a
bulletin board announcing all of the
Staff welcome
Club House
opening
“We were looking
forward to this.
I am especially
excited about
the pool.”
“Very nice sitting
area, and the
weather just
complements
it. The tennis
courts and
gym are great
and I am minutes
away from my first swim in the
clubhouse’s pool!”
Peter Murphy, Elementary Teacher at The
Learning Center (TLC)
Seif Mahmoud
Talaat, Member
(Parents work for Qatar
Foundation)
daily, weekly and monthly activities,
and in the near future a newsletter
will highlight all monthly activities
and special events. However, for any
“Great facilities,
the whole
idea is just
like a resort.
There are two
lifeguards to a
pool, that makes
it really safe for the
kids too.”
Andre Jay, Qatar Academy
“It’s good that
it has finally
opened – I
managed to
get here today
to catch the last
couple of hours
of sun!”
James Dalziel, Dohaland
“Thank you for
opening the
clubhouse!”
Elena Rosca,
Member (Spouse
works
for the EC
Recreation Center)
Parking Only authorized vehicles can use underground spaces
New parking rules at LAS
If you are driving over to the Liberal
Arts and Science Building (LAS) for
a spot of lunch and hoping to leave
your car in the underground parking,
think again.
A new parking barrier has been
n Designers from the award winning Brazil-based fashion house
Maria Bonita were guests at the Virginia Commonwealth University
in Qatar’s Eleventh Annual Fashion Show, ‘One of Many’ held on 6
May. Malba Pimentel de Paiva, (pictured here) co-founded Maria
Bonita Confecções LTDA in 1975 with fashion designer Maria Candida
Sarmento, and Alexandre Aquino.
installed, meaning that only staff and
faculty members of the LAS Building
will be granted access to the underground parking.
Staff from the Academic Bridge
Program, Georgetown University –
School of Foreign Service in Qatar
and Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies
can get an ID badge to activate the
security barrier.
The security office recommends
having the ID badges ready before
The Meseika Snack Bar, The Grill
by the poolside and the Lebaina
Restaurant all serve food. Home
delivery is planned for the EC
Community Housing (Lots 1 & 2
only).
“The kids
are already
enjoying
themselves.
The restaurant
menu offers a
good variety and
is reasonably priced.”
Kamal Ahmed, Member (wife works for
Qatar Foundation)
“Very elegant,
will be a great
place to
unwind if it
doesn’t get too
crowded.”
George White,
Professor at CMU-Q
reaching the barrier to avoid delaying
other motorists.
People without a badge won’t be
able to park in the underground car
park.
A security officer has been stationed at the entrance to help motorists get used to the new system and
there is a sign which clearly explains
the new procedure.
If you have any questions regarding the new system, contact Tariq
Saber, Security Systems Engineer, on
4541135 or [email protected]
Al-Mannai receives Distinguished
Achievement Award
n Mariam Al-Mannai, Director of the Office of Student and Community
Relations, Texas A&M University at Qatar, has been awarded
the Distinguished Achievement Award in the Individual Student
Relationships category. Winners are chosen by faculty, staff, and
current and former students.
Qatar Foundation Telegraph.
Thursday 20 May 2010
News
Write to us: [email protected]
Community QSTP set to get up-market new restaurant
Five-star food
Diners at Qatar Science & Tech-
nology Park (QSTP) will soon be
spoiled for choice thanks to what’s
being billed as a “five-star restaurant”.
The new restaurant comes as part
of a multi-function building set for
completion in the first quarter of
2011.The restaurant itself will open
in the second quarter.
Guests will be able to enjoy a variety of food, ranging from Western,
to Asian, to Middle Eastern from the
restaurant’s in-house kitchens and
open cooking stations. Three semiprivate dining areas can be used for
dining or business meetings. There
will also be a separate coffee shop.
“It will be very different from a normal cafeteria or canteen,” said Eng
Ahmed A Al-Said, Operations and
Development Director at QSTP. “It
is designed to be very modern. You
could call it a five-star restaurant.”
At present a temporary coffee shop
serves as QSTP’s only food and bev-
erage outlet. The café, which opened
in March, offers drinks, a hot buffet,
salads and sandwiches. It will move to
a new location in the first quarter of
next year and offer light meals.
The new building will have seating for 230 which can be extended to
hold up to 400 for large meetings and
conferences.
QSTP is also considering adding
other facilities, such as a postal service, laundry service, mini supermarket and travel agency.
Waste not,
want not
n Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation
Publishing has hired Arend Johannes
Kuster as the Journals Managing
Director.
n Dr Faisal Bushra Ahmed El-Shami
is now working as a Senior Financial
Analyst and Mohammed Mutair A A
Al-Enazi as a Projects Co-ordinator for
the Cultural Development Center.
n Two graduate trainees, Ibrahim
Faisal E I Al-Haidos and Eman Hussain
D A Mashhadi, have been taken on at
Capital Projects.
n The Board Management Office has
hired Dr Nafla Abdulla R H Al-Dosari
as Head of Cultural Projects while QF
Facilities Management has employed
Ahmed Fazal Ali Ashroff Ali as senior
planning engineer on the south campus.
n Health, Safety, Security &
Environment has hired Syed Ishaq
Ali Abbasi as a Budget and Contract
Specialist and Hamad Rashid Al-Dosari
and Sarah Mohammed M K AlMohannadi as trainees.
n Fathimatullah Shahana has the right
idea, placing her unwanted clothes in
the charity boxes near the ATM machine
opposite the LAS building at the heart
of Education City (EC). All staff are
being urged to donate any items that are
not breakable, such as clean, unstained
clothing and household items, to Qatar
Charity. There is a second box where
items can be donated between the SB and
MB residence halls on campus.
“This is just one part of our sustainability
initiatives for the residence hall
students, but it is something anyone
in EC can take part in,” said Chris Silva,
Housing and Residence Life Facilities
Officer, Education Division.
n Recruitment Specialist, Raimey
Adelle Olthuis, and Recruitment
Manager, Ahmad Abdulla M AlObaidli, have been employed by
Human Resources while Erica Kirsten
Ruskin has joined as a temporary ELS
instructor and Mohammed Abdulaziz M
A Fakhroo as a graduate trainee.
n Khaise Gibran Banghi has been
employed as a Software Specialist by
Information Technology and Khalid
Mohammed Omar Zaghmout as EC
Community Support Co-ordinator by
Support Services.
Education Children’s book series on the way
Cartoon characters come to life
Children will soon be able to fol-
low the adventures of the well
known character TV character Fafa
from the Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) in a book series.
JCC has signed an agreement with
Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP), the ground-breaking
Arabic and English publishing house,
to produce a series of books, inspired
by the Channel’s most popular programs and educational characters,
QF people
which will be distributed by BQFP
around the world.
Targeting pre-school children, JCC
hopes to produce a series of books
that will help create a passion for
reading.
“We strive to diversify our commu-
New motto to guide Human Resources
n Human Resources (HR) has chosen the motto“People in Heart,
Business in Mind” to highlight the role and function of HR in
simple terms. This motto expresses the role of HR as an employee
champion and a strategic business partner. The HR team will focus on
transforming this motto into reality at both strategic and operational
levels.
nication tools with children to achieve
the widest and most effective reach,”
said Mahmoud Bouneb, JCC’s Executive General Manager. “There is
a major readership deficit in the Arab
world nowadays. We want to provide
appealing and vivid content for children in their formative years and play
a key role in the rise of an avid readers’ generation. We are also hoping to
assist parents to get involved in their
children’s reading activities.”
n In the Procurement Directorate,
Abdulla Khider O A Al-Rwaili has joined
as Strategic Sourcing Manager and
Aisha Abdulghani A N Al-Abdulghani
as a graduate trainee.
3
Qatar Foundation welcomed
29 new staff members in April
n Joining Business Improvement
is Ndidi Nkechi Uzo-Ojimadu as
a Temporary Business Process
Improvement Specialist while
QatarDebate has assigned Bachir
Mallo to the post of Office Coordinator.
n Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra
welcomes Olgierd Witold Tomasz
Bolton as Administration Co-ordinator
and Hala Ibrahim Mohamed Desouky as
Marketing Co-ordinator.
n Mohammed Ali S A Al-Khaldy has
been hired as Operations Manager for
Qatar Science & Technology Park and
Georgie Kerisa Waqanisau Tavola is
now Head of Volunteer Program for
Reach Out To Asia.
n Three freelancers have joined too.
Magdelize Janse Van Vuuren is working
as a Fundraiser at Doha International
Institute for Family Studies and
Development. Iyad Qasem and Robin
Gedye have joined The Doha Debates
as Television Director and Press
Release Writer respectively.
Employees honored over
Qatar Career Fair (QCF)
n QF employees who played a key role
in the Qatar Career Fair (QCF) were
honored with performance certificates
at a special event on 4 May.
Jawhara Mubarak Al-Kuwari, one
of the booth managers at QCF and
recipient of a performance certificate,
said it felt great to be appreciated
and to receive recognition for his hard
work.
“We were one of the best booths
at QCF. We received over 1,500
applications and recruited a good
number of trainees and employees
across QF,” said Ghanim Al-Naimi,
Talent Sourcing and Development
Director.
n Theresa Prado Rebutar will be
working as a Temporary Administrative
Assistant for Strategic Planning while
Masoomeh Mohammad Geshmirani will
be working as a Temporary Personal
Assistant for the Vice President for
Administration’s Office.
Send us your staff news at [email protected]
Algerian Chief of Staff visits QF
n The Chief of Staff of the Algerian Popular National Army, Lt Gen
Ahmed Qayid Saleh (pictured), accompanied by his delegation met Dr
Abdelali Haoudi, Vice President for Research, and other QF officials,
who gave him a presentation on Qatar Foundation’s current and future
projects. Lt Gen Saleh also received a tour of Weil Cornell Medical
College in Qatar (WCMC-Q).
4
Qatar Foundation Telegraph.
Thursday 20 May 2010
Perspective
Write to us: [email protected]
column
christine chammas
The drama of
the workplace
In your work you should
sometimes act as if you’re in a
theater play in order to get what
you want. This theory might
sound strange at first, but did you
know that using theater techniques
is the latest trend in Human
Resources training?
An increasing number of
international companies are
training their employees –
especially the ones who have jobs
related to PR, Marketing, and
Communications and often have
to convince clients of their ideas
– to use artistic techniques. If you
act intensely, almost emotionally,
this will allow your client to
become part of your imagination
and pick up on your thoughts.
Working as the International PR
& Communication Advisor for
the International Theatre Institute,
an international organization of
theater professionals under the
umbrella of the cultural body
UNESCO, I’ve witnessed many
professionals develop their people
skills through theater workshops.
Let me give you a few tips
about how to use body language
to charm people much like actors
do. When explaining things, look
deeply into the eyes of the person
you’re talking to if you want to
emphasize something. Carefully
lower or raise your voice to stress
on something or to add excitement
to what you’re saying. Try it –
you’ll immediately notice you will
capture their attention.
As a businesswoman who has
worked for more than a decade
in the field of arts and culture,
I’ve noticed that combining my
business mind with my artistic
passions is really the key to finding
creative business solutions.
It was by coincidence that I
discovered this, actually.
During my childhood, it was
my dream to work in television,
but I was unable to pursue it as
I grew up in Lebanon during
the civil war. I had to enroll at a
French university located next to
my house for safety reasons and
studied Business Administration
and Marketing.
At first I was not keen to study
that particular field: I’m from
an artistic family. My uncle is
»As a
businesswoman
who has worked
for more than a
decade in the field
of arts and culture,
I’ve noticed that
combining my
business mind with
my artistic passions
is really the key to
finding creative
business solutions. «
a theater actor, my two sisters
studied theater and music, and as
for me, I wanted to have my own
talk show. I watched Oprah every
day and she was my role model.
But as my career kicked off, I
noticed that my business mind
actually complemented my artistic
passions. I started to love working
in business. And vice versa, I
started seeing how arts and culture
makes an impact on business
people as well through theater
workshops.
At the Cultural Development
Center, we are also promoting
culture and heritage, helping
people develop skills that have
to do with arts and culture. It’s
amazing how their creativity and
self-confidence manifests during
our workshops.
Arts and culture are enriching in
every way you could imagine – it’s
not only about entertainment, but
also about self-development.
columnist
Christine Chammas
is Cultural Events Advisor at the
Cultural Development Center. She
received the runner-up Emirates
Business Women Award in the
Business Owner category in 2007.
If you’d like to see your column published in QFTelegraph, send us an
email at [email protected]
Environment Program to help save Qatar’s endangered wildlife
Spanish TV helps
conserve desert
Qatar’s desert might seem to be
uninhabited to many of us, but look
more closely and it becomes clear
that this is not the case. But the delicate ecosystem is under threat.
Take the spiny tailed agama lizard,
known locally as dhub. Endangered
by both habit destruction and hunting, the lizard is the subject of a local
conservation program that has attracted the interest of a Spanish television channel.
Professors from universities in Education City and outside have joined
forces to raise awareness of the dangers facing Qatari wildlife, such as
the agama lizard. Spain’s TV3 came
to Qatar earlier this year to film the
lizard in its natural habitat and the
short documentary will soon run on
Spanish television.
Guided by Dr Aurora M Castilla,
who is a visiting scientific researcher at Weill
Cornell Medical College
in Qatar (WCMC-Q), the
TV crew spent two days
filming in the desert and
the WCMC-Q laboratory
with scientists and students.
Other bodies taking part in this initiative are Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Texas A&M
University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Qatar University, the UNESCO office
in Doha, the Natural History Group,
Qatar Veterinary Center, and other
environmental consultant companies
in Qatar.
“The study of this species is very
important, not only from a conservation point of view, but also because
this animal could be used as a biological indicator as it lives underground
all year and most soil in Qatar is covered by toxic cyanobacteria,” said Dr
»The study of this
species is very
important, not only
from a conservation
point of view, but
also because this
animal could be
used as a biological
indicator as it lives
underground all
year and most soil in
Qatar is covered by
toxic cyanobacteria.«
Castilla,
referring
to a type of algae
more commonly found
in oceans, but which also
thrives in extremely dry areas, such
as Qatar’s deserts.
The algae is known to cause gastrointestinal and neurological problems in humans and mammals, but
scientists believe the lizards may also
be affected, meaning they could serve
as a useful indicator of the effects of
these toxins on other wildlife.
The dhub is the second-largest lizard in Qatar, but very little is known
about it. Not only is it under threat
from habitat destruction, it is also
hunted by many people, who consider it to be a delicacy.
“There are many things that we do
not know about this animal, such as
how long it lives and many of its habits,” said Dr Castilla. “It is important
to study this animal in its habitat so
that we can create a proper conservation program to protect it from extinction.”
What is a dhub?
n The lizards can reach almost one
meter in length
n They live in underground burrows
which spiral down to a depth of as
much as 2.2 meters. The tunnels can
be up to five meters long
n They are covered with a natural
‘suit of armor’, including a tail
covered with sharp spines
n Despite their fierce appearance
they eat mainly plants, insects and
small animals
n Although they sometimes drink
dew that has condensed in the
entrance to their burrows, most go
their entire lives without drinking a
drop of water. Instead they get their
moisture from the plants they eat
Qatar Foundation Telegraph.
Thursday 20 May 2010
QF Spotlight
Write to us: [email protected]
5
How do I...?
QFTelegraph helps
make your life at
Education City easier
n How can I report suspicious
activity?
If you see anything suspicious
or need to report a crime, call
Qatar Foundation security on
454 0999. The security control
room is operated 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. Give
the watchkeeper the following
information: your name, your
location, the nature of the
incident, when you discovered
the incident or crime, and please
specify if there are any injuries
or if injury is imminent.
n How do I report a traffic accident
or unsafe driving?
Qatar Leadership Academy A complete education
Creating the
leaders of tomorrow
While students at Education City
have already celebrated convocation,
those at Qatar Leadership Academy
(QLA) are still days away from their
third Cohort Graduation Ceremony.
On 26 May, ten students from Grade
12 will officially finish school in a ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton in Doha.
Located in Al Khor, QLA is unique.
It is the only boarding school in Qatar and the only school dedicated to
leadership development, through a
mix of traditional studies and military
training. As the name suggests, QLA
boarders are expected to take classes
in leadership theory and practice.
This can mean outward bound trips,
problem solving exercises and history
lessons on great leaders.
Created in 2005 by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al
Missned with the help of the Qatari
Armed Forces, the school now has 75
students from grades 6-12. The boys
study an international curriculum,
with the International Baccalaureate
offered in the final two years to prepare them for university. Underpinning this academic structure is military training to develop leadership
and instill discipline.
“Our aim is to encourage them to
assume responsibility for themselves
and make decisions. Our school field
trips and military training help to do
»It is very important
to us and the
founders of this
school that the pupils
stay in touch with
their past and be
informed for the
future. That way they
can become great
leaders.«
just that,” said Robert Trent, Director of QLA. “For boys to be admitted
into QLA, they have to be academically qualified and be motivated to
join in as an active part of the leadership program.”
Roughly 60% of the boarders are
Qatari and the rest are from neighboring countries, mainly Oman and
Kuwait. Next year more than 100
boys will knuckle down for a mix
of academic education, leadership
development and military training.
Supporting them are almost as many
staff, including teachers, counselors,
nurses, a doctor and an imam.
Heritage also plays a key role.
Teachers are brought in to provide
pupils with lessons in poetry and falconry. There are regular trips to Al
Shaqab to see Arabian horses in their
purest form. A majlis has been set up
where they can learn the traditions of
the past: there is even a mosque in the
school grounds.
“It is very important to us and the
founders of this school that the pupils
stay in touch with their past and be informed for the future. That way they
can become great leaders,” said Trent.
Speakers are brought in to motivate pupils. One recent visitor was
the Qatari astronomer Sheikh Salman Bin Jaber Al Thani, Director of
the Astronomy Department at the
Qatar Science Club and Chairman of
the Advisory Committee for the Arab
Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, who took the pupils out one
night to teach them about the stars
and the history of astronomy.
Other regular events include trips
abroad where the entire school
spends several nights in a rural location, giving the boys the opportunity
to put their skills to the test. Trent believes that these long field trips provide what he describes as a “laboratory for leadership.” This year QLA
went to Oman. Last year they were in
the UK. Next year, who knows?
Report unsafe driving to
security giving the location,
vehicle type and license, if
possible. If you are involved in
a traffic accident, do not move
your vehicle and call security
control immediately. The police
will be called so that an accident
report can be produced for
insurance purposes. Without
a police accident report your
vehicle cannot be legally
repaired.
n What is the speed limit in
Education City?
The speed limit is 40kmh on
roads and 10kmh in parking
lots, unless otherwise posted.
Speed is measured electronically
at certain points.
n What should I do if the fire
alarm sounds?
Evacuate the building, go to
your muster point and report
to your area warden. Contact
security on 454 0999. Do not
silence the alarm.
n What should I do if I
discover a fire?
Close the door to the room
where the fire is located and
pull the closest manual fire
alarm. Call security to report
the fire and assist people with
disabilities and children. Leave
the building by the nearest
safe exit: use the stairs, not the
elevators. Remain outside the
building and only re-enter as
directed by safety or security
staff.
Email us your work related
questions at [email protected],
and we will do our best to help you
Focus
Jamal A S Mahjoub, Strategic Sourcing Buyer,
Procurement Directorate, reveals his taste for
Mexican sweet cake, the new iPad and anything
with Denzel Washington in it.
What did you want to be when you were
little?
Nothing! Maybe because I was too
busy being a kid.
What’s your favorite pastime?
Name: Mohamad Shibly Azeez
Title: Mail boy
Years at QF: 2 years
Describe your role: I work in the
mail room. We handle internal
and external mail for Qatar
Foundation. I am in charge of
delivering parcels to and from
Portacabins 1 through 4 and
two of the dorm buildings, FB1
and FB2. I move around a lot
within Education City (EC),
delivering mail to the different
universities.
What I like about my job is…
I love being around so many
educated people. I meet a lot of
new people every day, and this
makes my job very enjoyable.
People in EC are polite and
respectful, and that is important
for me. They are also very
important people, like directors
and professors. I learn a lot
in this job because we receive
regular training, which helps me
become better at my job.
Want to be featured in MY QF?
Send us an email at [email protected]
Surfing the net because I think by
doing so you will get to know the
latest news anytime and anywhere
and realize that the globe has became
a small village.
What car do you drive?
I always like to combine sport utility
and 4x4 so I ended up with a Jeep
Grand Cherokee SRT8 with 500 HP.
If you could meet a singer who would
it be?
That actually would be a tough one.
My favorite singer is BB King, the
American blues guitarist. He’s 85
now.
stick in my mind. One of his best
movies ever was Training Day for his
astonishing role and also the movie
Man on Fire.
What could you not live without?
My prayers and my family.
Who is your role model?
A long workout at the gym and then
having a cup of coffee and reading
my favorite book at the coffee shop.
After my father passed away,
my mother was, and still is,
everything in our lives. My two
older brothers took on the family
responsibilities when they were
young and raised us when we
were kids.
QF
Did you play board or computer
games and which ones?
I used to play Nintendo.
I know, old school. That
and riding bicycle with
all the kids in the
neighborhood.
What’s your favorite sport?
Working out at the gym. I would like
to say something about sport: I used
to weigh around 125kg, but after
serious efforts, I reduced that by
almost a half! All thanks to the gym.
What food do you like?
What book are you reading at the
moment?
What’s your favorite
television show?
The Seven Habits for Highly Effective
People by Stephen Covey and also,
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
The Late Show
with David Letterman.
Hilarious guy.
Sushi.
Do you have a pet?
No, I don’t.
Who is your favorite actor/actress?
My favorite actor of all time is
Denzel Washington. I think it’s
because he really lives the character
so well. All of his movies are great
indeed but some of his movies really
Cultural Review The love of literacy
Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing celebrates launch list
Tales of evading security check-
points and the quest to track down
a handful of Palestinian soil regaled
the audience as two award-winning
authors kicked off the launch of
Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing’s (BQFP) first batch of books.
Suad Amiry and Randa Abdel-Fattah, both Palestinian, read from their
books at the Dohaland Knowledge
Enrichment Center’s terrace as part
of a series of events to mark BQFP’s
launch list – the first series of books
to be released by the new publishing
venture.
Amiry, who is also a successful architect, read from Nothing to Lose But
Your Life: An 18-hour Journey with
It’s Mexican and it’s called tres leches.
It is made of three different layers of
milk and is a very sweet cake.
What makes you smile?
How do you relax?
»That actually would
be a tough one. My
favorite singer is BB
King, the American
blues guitarist. He’s
85 now.«
The new iPad, not
iPod. Awesome
device and it’s very
hard to keep up with
the technology now
these days.
What is your favorite sweet?
San Antonio, Texas, USA – I lived
there for five years.
What music do you listen to?
I enjoy the blues, such as Knopfler
and Clapton. They are amazing
to listen to. And I also like jazz,
especially Louis Armstrong.
Sometimes I listen to country music,
like Johnny Cash.
fd
’r
ow
hen they
Helping older people and happy
thoughts. One day we’ll be needing
help from younger people to help
us cross the street or lift heavy
grocery bags.
Where do you like going on holiday and
why?
What is the last
thing you bought?
no
t at
Jamal Mahjoub
f
ta
What s
My QF
Write to us: [email protected]
e
6
Qatar Foundation Telegraph.
Thursday 20 May 2010
Murad. The book is based on the 18
hours she spent attempting to illegally cross the border into Israel with a
group of Palestinian men who were
looking for work. BQFP publishes
Amiry’s book in English this spring
and later this year in Arabic. Amiry
is well known for her
previous book Sharon
and My Mother-in-Law,
which was an international
award-winning
bestseller translated into
11 languages and adapted into a play.
Abdel-Fattah
read
from Where the Streets
Had a Name, which will
be published soon. The
book tells the story of
13-year-old Hayatt, who believes that
only a handful of soil from the fam-
ily’s ancestral home in Jerusalem can
save her grandmother’s life. The only
problem is that she faces a seemingly
impenetrable wall dividing
the West Bank, as well as a
series of checkpoints, curfews and permit systems.
The book, aimed at young
adults, has already won
Australia’s Golden Inkys
Prize, reflecting its popularity among teenagers in
Australia.
BQFP also held a series of
literary events at the Waqif Art Center, including book readings for adults and children, creative
writing workshops, book making for
children, and book signings.
The inaugural catalogue includes
award-winning authors such as Inaam Kachachi, Julia Donaldson,
Faustin Charles, Emma Chichester
Clark and Debi Gliori.
“Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation
Publishing shows the commitment
of Qatar Foundation and the State
of Qatar to achieving its vision of a
knowledge-based economy through
education, publishing and the encouragement of reading and writing,” said
Nigel Newton, Founder and Chief
Executive of BQFP and Chairman of
BQFP’s Management Committee.
BQFP was set up specifically to
help create a vibrant literary culture in Qatar and across the region.
Owned by Qatar Foundation and
managed by Bloomsbury Publishing,
BQFP aims to translate more books
into Arabic, as well as discover and
publish new Arabic authors.
Qatar Foundation Telegraph.
Thursday 20 May 2010
Time Off
Write to us: [email protected]
Qatar Foundation in numbers
qatar
invests 2.8% of
its GDP in science
and research
230
10
Qatar Leadership
The number for Qatar
students who will
Foundation security is
celebrate their Third
454 0999 and it is
operated 24 hours a day, Cohort Graduation
7 days a week
Ceremony on 26 May
7 – 8pm QNRF Research Matters (R)
radio
Monday
3 – 4pm Music & Highlights
4 – 5pm Cover to Cover
6 – 7pm Best of Breakfast
7 – 9pm Lakom Al Karar
the number of
seats in the new
restaurant set to
open in QSTP next
year
29
Readers’
letters
Write to QFTelegraph at
[email protected] to have your say.
Dear Editor,
Let me take this opportunity
to congratulate you on the QF
Telegraph. I enjoy reading it and
I think that a publication like this,
focused on staff issues, was missing
from QF.
Galateia Androulaki, Marketing
Co-ordinator, ROTA
7
Dear Editor,
Thanks for the outstanding
newspaper. It always keeps me up
to date with recent events. I was
interested in getting the email or
contact number of Sharon Lofton.
I am interested in contacting her
about her runs and charity work.
Rana El Maghraby, Weill Cornell Medical
College in Qatar
Editor reply: Thanks for your interest.
We have passed your message on to
Sharon.
Conditions of submission
the
number of new staff
QF welcomed in April
Requests for inclusion and submissions of material must be made no later than two weeks in
advance of publication. Requests and submission of information may be made by email only directly
to the relevant QFTelegraph journalist or to [email protected]. Any articles written will be treated as
correct and approved by the Sender and his or her Department/Center, as will recorded interviews.
Interviews given may not be recalled or changed unless containing substantial errors of fact.
Interviews and information received will be treated as confidential until published. The publisher’s
decision on all matters of content and style is final.
Fun & Games
QFTelegraph is searching for submission of Arabic-language cartoons to fill this space! Please send artwork to [email protected]
Tuesday
10 – 10.30am QFIS Talk
3 – 4pm QFIS Talk
6 – 7pm Music & Highlights
7 – 8pm Air Play Journals (R)
8 – 9pm Lakom Al Karar
Wednesday
5
6
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2 4
8 4
7
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6 3
1 3
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9
5
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Puzzle by websudoku.com
Fill in the grid so that every row, every
column and every 3x3 box contains the
digits 1 through to 9.
solution
9
3
8
1
4
7
2
6
5
As I don’t like swimming pools, I try
to head for the beach with my family
on the weekends. I love the northern
beaches, past Al Khor, I think they are
the best beaches in Qatar. I spend my
days swimming in the sea and, when
I can, I indulge in some fishing and
diving.
The Rules are Simple
9
6
5
1
9
8
2
3
7
4
Director, Quality Management
Systems Directorate, Acting
Director, Business Process
Improvement Directorate
6
2 9
3
9 6
2
4
7
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3
5
1
9
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Hamza Al Kuwari
1
su do ku
1
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My Favorite...
8
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1 – 2pm, Daily Lunchtime concert
4 – 5pm Air Play Journals
6 – 7pm Music & Highlights
5 – 6am QNRF Research Matters (R)
3 – 4pm Music & Highlights
4 – 5pm Cover to Cover, BQFP (R)
6 – 7pm Music & Highlights
8 – 9pm Lakom Al Karar
3
2
5
8
1
6
7
4
9
Breakfast
Thursday
5
6
9
3
2
1
4
8
7
5 – 6am QFIS Talk (R)
9 – 10am, Daily, 8 – 9pm Lakom Al Karar
10 – 10.30am Cover to Cover
11am – 12pm, Daily From the Podium
12 – 1pm, Daily, 5 – 6pm Best of
10 – 10.30am QNRF Research Matters
3 – 4pm Music & Highlights
6 – 7pm Music & Highlights
8 – 9pm Lakom Al Karar
7
8
2
5
6
4
9
1
3
Sunday
4
1
3
7
9
8
5
2
6
Full listings at qfradio.org.qa
8
Listings
we recommend...
essential
digital
photography
Sat, 5 June, 9am – 12pm and
1pm – 4pm and Sat, 12 June,
9am – 1pm
This training course will cover
basic to advanced digital
single-lens reflex camera
techniques. Cost is QR850.
C&RC
To register, email
[email protected]. For
more information, email
[email protected]
events
Qatar Foundation Telegraph.
Thursday 20 May 2010
Write to us: [email protected]
Voices of Peace: Hollywood Film
Music/Hollywood Music Concert
takes place Saturday 29 May
MAY & June 2010
Voices of Peace:
Hollywood Film Music
Hollywood Music Concert
Sat, 29 May, 7.30pm
Conductor: Frank Strobel.
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra
will perform music featured
in popular Hollywood
movies, including suites
and themes from Aladdin,
Back to the Future, Ice Age
2:The Meltdown, E.T.: the
Extra-Terrestrial, Memoirs of
a Geisha, and a number of
songs from the Harry Potter
movies. Tickets on sale at
Virgin Megastore (Landmark
Mall and Villaggio Mall) from
QR50 to QR200 or online at
www.ticketingboxoffice.com.
Aspire Zone, Ladies’ Club
Jumble and Bake Sale
Thurs, 3 June, 4pm – 8pm
This is your chance to sell
your homemade goodies! You
can rent a selling space on one
of the tables (QR30 for a spot
at the round table and QR50
for one at the rectangular
table), or set up an individual
booth for QR75.
To register, go to the
Co-ordinators room on
the second floor of the
Community & Recreation
Center (C&RC)
C&RC, AaQool Atrium and
Qurm Hall
facilities
timings
HEALTH & FITNESS
Al Jazeera Children’s
Channel Visit
Sat, 5 June
Children from 3 to 8 years
old: 10am – 11.30am
Children from 9 to 17 years
old: 12pm – 1.30pm
Children will get the chance
to see how television works
from the other side of the
screen. The event is free, and
limited spaces are available.
C&RC
To register, email
[email protected]
Indoor football
Spinning
Kickboxing
Wed: 5.30pm – 7pm
Sun: 6pm – 7pm
Mon,Wed: 6.15pm – 7.15pm
Tues,Thurs: 5pm – 6pm
Fri: 9.30am – 10.30am
Sun: 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Thurs: 5pm – 6pm
Have your event
listed. Send us an
email at [email protected]
SOCIAL
Cricket
Sun: 7pm – 9pm
Tennis
Mon: 6pm – 9pm
Thurs: 5pm – 7pm
Fitness Center
Sun – Sat: 5.30am – 10pm
Water polo
Tues,Thurs: 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Ladies Fitness Room
Sun - Sat: 5.30am – 10pm
Basketball
Tues: 7pm – 9pm
Swimming Pools
Sun – Thurs:
Olympic pool (EC Members):
2.30pm – 3.30pm
All pools (EC Members):
3.30pm – 7.30pm
(men will be requested
to leave at Sun: 5pm,Wed:
5.30pm)
Fri, Sat: All pools (Public):
9am – 6pm
Ladies Swimming (EC
Members) Sun: 5pm – 8pm,
Wed: 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Badminton
Wed: 6pm – 9pm
Fri: 10am – 1pm
Squash
Thurs: 5pm – 7pm
Ladies: Sat: 4pm – 5pm
CLASSES
Ladies Fitness
Ladies Soccer
Yoga
Mon: 7pm – 9pm
Mon,Wed: 4pm – 5pm
Sat: 10.30am – 11.30am
Floor ball
Karate
Circuit
Tues: 7pm – 9pm
Sun,Wed: 5.15pm – 6.15pm
Mon,Thurs: 4pm – 4:45pm
Thurs: 3pm – 4.30pm
Location for all
activities: Recreation
Center, call 454 0805 or
email recreationservices@
qf.org.qa