An expat life: Qatar, extreme heat and limited alcohol

An expat life: Qatar, extreme heat and limited alcohol
(Image: Getty)
Greg Hurrell
BusinessDesk’s Greg Hurrell spent much of the last 25 years flying in and out of the Gulf states and knows well the strictures that would-be rowdy western Fifa World Cup fans will face in Qatar.Spend a northern summer in any football-mad country at World Cup time and it's nigh impossible not to be caught up in the festive atmosphere. There's always a handy outdoor bar with a TV where a passerby can join in the party.However, that joyous, often shirt-free exuberance, lubricated by alcohol, is just not the done thing in Qatar. Qatar...

More Opinion

The Warehouse is 'cooked', everyone knows it
Opinion

Simon Robertson: The Warehouse is 'cooked', everyone knows it

Retail is hard because you need to live and breathe it.

Locate Technologies’ NZX move
Opinion

Eden Bradfield: Locate Technologies’ NZX move

Crunching the numbers on the latest new listing.

Air NZ’s Ravishankar grows up in public
Opinion

Pattrick Smellie: Air NZ’s Ravishankar grows up in public

The national airline’s new CEO faces plenty of challenges, some self-inflicted.

Pattrick Smellie 28 Nov 2025
2025’s notable employment law cases
Opinion

Rachael Judge: 2025’s notable employment law cases

As we look forward to 2026, we will see more bizarre workplace behaviour cases.

Rachael Judge 28 Nov 2025