The spotlight may be on Emirs from Qatar who choose to visit Greece, however, the truth is that the rapid growth of the emirate is in great part due to the Greeks, who appear to be a remarkable and very popular community in the country.
Civil engineers, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, pilots, flight attendants, hotel employees, coaches, physiotherapists, people responsible for organizing sporting competitions, from all over Greece have found themselves in Qatar, a country that is preparing for the World Cup in 2022. Many Greeks are involved in the projects that are underway such as the Doha railway line connecting Qatar with Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
62-year-old engineer Matthaios Lygkiaris, who moved to Qatar from Dubai in December 2011, says “The scene reminds me of Greece before the Olympics. It is a win – win relationship, Greece is longing for Qatari investors and Qatar is in need of Greek scientists’ expertise, but also the experience of those who worked during the Olympics projects.”
In fact, even the royal family of Qatar envisions that the emirate will become a Mecca of culture.
As for family life, Greek workers who move to Qatar take their wives and children. The president of the Parents Association of the Greek language learning program, which at present has 100 enrolled students, mostly at elementary level, said: “At first, Greek women were reluctant to follow their husbands to an Arab state. When we move we are anxious about our children and how they will adapt to foreign schools. The new generation, though, triumphantly refutes our fears.”
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
