QOTD

By Elizabeth Weingarten in Slate magazine:

Amid the continuous stream of revolution reports from the Middle East and North Africa, one country is noticeably absent. Unlike its neighbors, the tiny, oil-rich Gulf nation of Qatar has shown no signs of tumult, ranking last in the Economist's "shoe-thrower's index" of Arab unrest. Why has Qatar remained completely peaceful?

Money, and a small population. The revolutions in nearby countries, like Egypt, Yemen, and Oman, have been fueled largely by economic grievances like unemployment and rising food prices. Qatar, which has a population of around 1.5 million, approximately 200,000 of whom are Qatari citizens, has an unemployment rate of half a percent. Its GDP per capita of $145,300 is the highest in the world and its 2010 growth rate was 19.4 percent, also ranking it No. 1 in 2010. Qatar's wealth comes from oil and natural gas: The country sits on 14 percent of the world's total natural gas reserves and has 15 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. Qatar should be able to maintain its current export level of oil for 37 years.

And on a completely unrelated note, from the March 29th Gulf Times:

Housemaid, driver jailed for illicit relations

A Bangladeshi driver and a Filipina housemaid have been sentenced to a year’s imprisonment following their conviction of maintaining illicit relations.

The affair was revealed in late April 2010 when the sponsor of the maid knocked on her door to take her to his wife in the other house.

The court heard that the maid opened the door partially and the sponsor became suspicious when he saw a shoe that belonged to a man near the bed.

The sponsor caught the lover under the bed and the police was called.

The maid said she eased the access of her lover to her sponsor’s house.

The couple should leave the country after serving the jail penalty, the judges ruled.

(via reader Warren)