Crime / Safety

I bet you didn't know that Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world, the crime rate is lower than Japan! As you move about the country, you will observe a large police presence this has less to do with violence than traffic offenses.

But, it's important to know that criminal acts including: insulting someone in public; drunk driving; public intoxication; possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs; and homosexual activity are punished according to Qatari laws, which in some cases are based on Islamic law.

These offenses are treated with severity and may result in arrest, heavy fines, imprisonment, or expulsion from the country. Persons violating Qatari laws, even unknowingly, may be arrested, imprisoned, deported, or subject to detainment in Qatar. In these instances there is not much your home embassy can do to assist you, so save the wild behavior for Carnival.